New 3DS set to debut in the US next month
By
New 3DS set to debut in the US next month
Nintendo's kicking off 2015 with a slew of announcements, revealed during this morning's Nintendo Direct address. Nintendo offered a sneak peek at upcoming games, as well as a release date for Majora's Mask 3DS (which comes out on the same day as the New 3DS). A new line of Amiibos were also announced, as well as the unveiling of the latest entry in the phenomenal Fire Emblem series.
While there were some notables (like a new Fire Emblem and Xenoblade coming to the US), the biggest news from the address is that the New 3DS is going on sale next month. It will be in stores on the 13th of February, at US$199. There'll be two different limited editions at launch, a Majora's Mask New 3DS and a Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate New 3DS.
The Majora's Mask and basic New 3DS won't come with any games pre-installed, although the Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Limited Edition does (it comes with a digital copy of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate). It'll also cost US$229, US$30 more than the other editions. The Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Limited Edition New 3DS is Gamestop exclusive, so if you want it, you either have to buy direct and use a mail forwarding service, or hop on ebay.
As for the Majora's Mask New 3DS, all we can tell you is that it's sold out everywhere. Scalpers are charging a premium for them on ebay and other similar sites but unless you're really that hardcore, we suggest you give it a pass. The only place that might have them in stock in the future is Amazon, as they haven't put that version (or any version) of the New 3DS up for pre-order yet.
So what exactly is different in this incarnation of the 3DS? Well, according to Nintendo, the processor's much faster than the ones in the older models and it also has additional buttons. We don't know if you can use these buttons on older games (probably not since they probably won't recognize the inputs), but the faster processor will affect all games, with quicker loading and faster access to the Home screen. The new buttons and processor will also enable the creation of games that take advantage of the new hardware. These games will of course be only playable on the New 3DS, though the New 3DS can still play older 3DS and DS games. It also has slightly rearranged layouts for the cartridge and memory slots. Speaking of memory, the New 3DS now uses micro SD cards instead of the normal ones. You get a 4GB one free with every purchase.
Other new additions include a new head tracking ability that eliminates the 'sweet spot' in previous 3DS systems for functional 3D. Now, you can get decent 3D visuals at any normal viewing angle. The 3DS' cameras have also been upgraded, though that's probably something nobody will care about. There's also NFC capability, which allows the New 3DS to recognize Nintendo's line of Amiibo figures.
One last thing to note. The New 3DS will NOT come with an AC adapter. Nintendo's betting that early adopters will be upgrading from the 3DS and will have their adapters on hand. If you don't, make sure to get one. There shouldn't be a voltage issue as the New 3DS should accept local current, just make sure the adapter you're getting does too. Alternatively, you can also get USB charging cables for the New 3DS. Since the adapter plugs are unchanged, USB cables meant for the 3DS should work on the New 3DS too.
In case you were wondering, the New 3DS is region locked. That means that games from other regions (Japan, Europe) will not work on a US set. The majority of local games are US games so if you've been buying games locally or through American websites, you'll have no issues.
We've reached out to the local distributor to see if they have any news regarding local availability and pricing and will update this post if they get back to us.
