Blue 3DS XL with Mario Kart 7 Bundle for $199.99 coming soon!

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The 3DS XL Blue with Mario Kart 7 bundle will be on sale next week. Edit: The bundle will be $199.99

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The regular 3ds will be getting an official price drop to $139.99 about 2 weeks from now.

Edit: After having more time to review the info I got with another person, I have decided to remove the part of my post suggesting this is a MSRP. The $139.99 is legit and will happen in 2 weeks from at least one retailer but the info I have is kind of confusing on if it is a MSRP drop or just a retailer discount.
 
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Nice price drop. I suspect a price drop on the 3dsXL is inbound as well, not just the bundle.

Need different colors Nintendo. Red/Blue only sucks.
 
[quote name='Wolfkin']and personally I think it shouldn't. The only reason to add a second analogue stick is to make games work for southpaws but noone cares about us. I think the color blind get more attention than us.

Nice deals. Kinda wish it was a cart instead of a digital version myself but waiting like always pays off.[/QUOTE]

Actually lefties are not the only reason for a second analog stick. Nintendo bungled the design by leaving out the second stick from the original design. Having a second stick means you have camera/view control, in addition to movement control from the first stick. Just look at RE:Revelations as an example.

For a "3D" oriented system, the lack of the second stick was a pretty huge oversight.
 
[quote name='ZincAlloy']Because Nintendo has a history of releasing multiple reiterations of the same handheld often adding things that should have been in the first one.
This will undoubtedly happen![/QUOTE]

Releasing it would cause a mess for Nintendo. They won't do it.
 
[quote name='ZincAlloy']Because Nintendo has a history of releasing multiple reiterations of the same handheld often adding things that should have been in the first one.
This will undoubtedly happen![/QUOTE]

Yep, that's the only reason I wasn't an early adopter of the 3DS. I knew it was only a matter of time for a better designed version.
 
My wife got me a blue XL last week for $179 from Target. If they had a solid black one I would return this one and exchange it for one that looks like an adult would own.
$20 more for a preloaded game doesn't sound very enticing to me. I guess I'll be keeping what I have for now.
 
[quote name='ZincAlloy']Because Nintendo has a history of releasing multiple reiterations of the same handheld often adding things that should have been in the first one.
This will undoubtedly happen![/QUOTE]

This is simply not true. In terms of branding they are not the same handheld. Nintendo has added features that fork the software only when the new machine is treated as a new platform. For example, the DS Lite was a very popular iteration but was the exact same machine for developer's purposes. The DSi was was a new platform that happened to be backward compatible to the DS. Thus the existence of DSi branding on games that use the cameras but no distinct software branding for the DS Lite. Because it wasn't needed.

There is notably a very small pool of DSi only games and scarcely any that compel an upgrade. Likewise, the pool of games that really call for the second analog input is not a big market driver for the Circle Pad add-on. If Nintendo started seeing Circle Pad Pro sales that matched at least 40% of the installed base for the 3DS there might be a case for a new model but as it is there just isn't that much demand and it remains something that can wait until there is enough need in other areas to release a new platform that also runs the existing software.

That might become moot as the market for dedicated handheld gaming shrinks to be too small to be worth Nintendo's trouble. I wouldn't be surprised if the next new platform for mobile Nintendo software is a partnership with cell phone handset makers. Sort of like what Sony is attempting but from a stronger market position.
 
[quote name='plutoknight']
EDIT: OH, it's a pre-load? Boo. Oh well. I shouldn't complain about a free game...though how does that work if I want to get a bigger SD Card? (I've a fair bit of DLC, mainly from Theatrhythm.)[/QUOTE]

The only problem with Nintendo and buying games from them digitally is that they have a really strict DRM. Unless you buy another console, you can keep it. Games are bind by it, not by account.
 
Ugly colors and game is not on a cart? No sale.

Get this thing down to $150 w/ an actual free game cartridge and we'll talk. Gimme some 2-D Metroids too Nintendo, get on it!
 
[quote name='chimpmeister']Actually lefties are not the only reason for a second analog stick. Nintendo bungled the design by leaving out the second stick from the original design. Having a second stick means you have camera/view control, in addition to movement control from the first stick. Just look at RE:Revelations as an example.

For a "3D" oriented system, the lack of the second stick was a pretty huge oversight.[/QUOTE]

In terms of cost and the engineering problem of squeezing it in it just isn't that valuable. The camera movement is just as easily done using one of the buttons as a shift key to put the existing analog stick into that mode. It worked fine on the PSP despite all of the whining. Sony put a second analog stick on the Vita but thus far that hasn't saved it from wretched sales. The stick is nice to have but a lower price is apparently a more important selling point.

The only compelling reason for two analog sticks in a price sensitive handheld is games that make use of both sticks simultaneously. There are examples of dual stick games dating back to Robotron: 2084 in the arcades but it has always been a subgenre that had easy workarounds, like Smash TV on SNES.
 
I am just waiting for a themed color system like the zelda 3DS. Hopefully they do it soon. I have a whole bunch of games but no system.
 
For anyone who hasn't actually seen an XL in person, both the blue and the red actually look really nice. The official photos make them look bad, but those pictures definitely do not represent the real thing. Watch an unboxing video or something to get a better idea of what they actually look like.

The XL wipes the floor with the original 3DS. I view all statements suggesting otherwise as being complete nonsense.
 
[quote name='trent82']For anyone who hasn't actually seen an XL in person, both the blue and the red actually look really nice. The official photos make them look bad, but those pictures definitely do not represent the real thing. Watch an unboxing video or something to get a better idea of what they actually look like.

The XL wipes the floor with the original 3DS. I view all statements suggesting otherwise as being complete nonsense.[/QUOTE]

How is it better? The normal 3DS is smaller, plays 3DS games at native resolution, and it's significantly cheaper.
 
[quote name='DarkSageRK']How is it better? The normal 3DS is smaller, plays 3DS games at native resolution, and it's significantly cheaper.[/QUOTE]

The XL has better battery life, comes with a larger SD card and has a more comfortable layout.
 
[quote name='Nintendonly']Don't forget that it has a better resolution, too.[/QUOTE]

I thought that was a given. I was just mentioning things he may not have been aware of. :)
 
[quote name='ooga']The XL has better battery life, comes with a larger SD card and has a more comfortable layout.[/QUOTE]

How much better is the battery life?
 
[quote name='specialist']Not a bad deal, but I think I'll just hold out and hope for an Animal Crossing bundle.[/QUOTE]

People still play this? The series is stagnant and needs something new. I figured that I wasted money on the Wii one when I found out I was playing more of the same.
 
I actually only really loved the Gamecube version. Didn't care for the DS or Wii versions, but I've heard lots of good things about the new one.
 
[quote name='trent82']For anyone who hasn't actually seen an XL in person, both the blue and the red actually look really nice. The official photos make them look bad, but those pictures definitely do not represent the real thing. Watch an unboxing video or something to get a better idea of what they actually look like.

The XL wipes the floor with the original 3DS. I view all statements suggesting otherwise as being complete nonsense.[/QUOTE]

For anyone who hasn't played an XL: Watch your eyes, the jaggies might poke them out.
 
About 2-3 hrs extra battery life.

I dig my Red XL (Like Mario red). My wife (who gave the kid her original ds) won't think of touching the 3DS. She's been having me staring at these sites like a vulture for a price drop on the XL. It's nice. Fits my hands better. If there is a "blurring" due to any stretch, I haven't noticed it. And all my ambassador games on it look nice.

If they had launched a different color (i.e. purple or pink) she'd pay list for it. But right now I'm waiting. I'm determined to get hers SUB-150. The 179 at BB might do me but they need to throw in a couple games at that price.

Edit: It's definitely no Vita (I like my Vita) but it does have quite a few games that Vita will never have. Now, if only Disgaea would come back to Nintendo we can move on with our lives :)
 
[quote name='IkedaTeramusa']
If they had launched a different color (i.e. purple or pink) she'd pay list for it. [/QUOTE]

It is available in pink btw. Maybe it wasn't at launch, but it's definitely out there now.

Edit:
3ds_xl_pink.jpg
 
I feel like I threw my money away buying the 3DS. Bought it two months before the announcement of the XL so couldn't return it and it would be gathering dust if not for being in an enclosed space from a month after I purchased it to now. I'd be playing DS games on it(since my regular DS was knocked off the counter and broken by my cat) if there weren't so many good games on other systems for me to play this year.
 
[quote name='ooga']The XL has better battery life, comes with a larger SD card and has a more comfortable layout.[/QUOTE]

And the XL has dimmer screens, much worse internal speakers, and more pixellated graphics (due to the larger screen). It isn't "better" in every way, by far.
 
[quote name='ooga']It is available in pink btw. Maybe it wasn't at launch, but it's definitely out there now.

Edit:
3ds_xl_pink.jpg
[/QUOTE]

Yes, this is true. Originally it was on Gilt.com and Home Shopping Network.
Now its @ Target. Last week it was selling for 175.00 Online. Waiting for it to drop to that price again.
 
[quote name='ooga'][quote name='Nintendonly']Don't forget that it has a better resolution, too.[/QUOTE]
I thought that was a given. I was just mentioning things he may not have been aware of. :)[/QUOTE]

Except you're both wrong. The resolution is 800x240 on both consoles. The difference is in the screen size (3.53 vs. 4.88).
 
Yea, I'm not signing up for random site for stupidness. Gift.com is where it was available. Japan seems to hog all the good colors. Just look at a ALL the previous releases.
Wahoo! Found it at target in Pink and White... wife told me "Nah, it's not on sale....." HAHAHAH Awesomesauce. Now I will be watching it even closer.
 
[quote name='DarkSageRK']How is it better? The normal 3DS is smaller, plays 3DS games at native resolution, and it's significantly cheaper.[/QUOTE]

I can list a bunch of details like better 3D, better stylus placement, improved select, home, and start buttons, matte finish, improved battery life, better hinge, and probably more, but honestly, it's all about those screens. That extra space makes all the difference.
 
[quote name='chimpmeister']And the XL has dimmer screens, much worse internal speakers, and more pixellated graphics (due to the larger screen). It isn't "better" in every way, by far.[/QUOTE]

Health/Well-being wise, the XL feels more comfortable though. My hands gets fatigued after playing for a few when I had the original 3DS.
 
[quote name='ooga']I thought that was a given. I was just mentioning things he may not have been aware of. :)[/QUOTE]

I actually think some of the games I've seen on the XL look a lot more pixelated probably due to stretching to the bigger screen. As for the 3DS with 2 analog sticks, it is going to happen without a doubt. It'll allow developers to do so much more. And no one wants to buy that ridiculously huge 2nd stick attachment!
 
Hopefully Mario Kart 7 will not be pre-installed like the current Mario bundle. I would pass just for that reason.
 
[quote name='chimpmeister']And the XL has dimmer screens, much worse internal speakers, and more pixellated graphics (due to the larger screen). It isn't "better" in every way, by far.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure about this "dimmer screens" argument. I know there was an issue with some people getting units that had a yellowish tint, but mine doesn't have that. I have had my launch 3DS and my XL sitting side by side and the screens look essentially the same in terms of brightness and color. I've never felt that there was anything wrong with the audio and the sacrifice in visual crispness is relatively minor and completely worth it in my opinion.

Are these problems from your own experiences with an XL?
 
Great news! I was just going out to pick up my mom one w/ Layton for Christmas. I'll wait a few weeks! Thanks guys!
 
[quote name='ZincAlloy']I actually think some of the games I've seen on the XL look a lot more pixelated probably due to stretching to the bigger screen. As for the 3DS with 2 analog sticks, it is going to happen without a doubt. It'll allow developers to do so much more. And no one wants to buy that ridiculously huge 2nd stick attachment![/QUOTE]

But..but.. I did lol.

Seriously though, I have the Nyko Powergrip on my Vita, so it's about the same size.

2vay16d.jpg
 
[quote name='ooga']The XL has better battery life, comes with a larger SD card and has a more comfortable layout.[/QUOTE]

You can pick up the standard 3DS on sale at $129, throw in a 32GB SD card and Nyko's PowerPak and have more storage and better battery life than the XL and still have $40 in your pocket. (Just enough to buy a game!)
 
[quote name='IkedaTeramusa']Yea, I'm not signing up for random site for stupidness. Gift.com is where it was available. Japan seems to hog all the good colors. Just look at a ALL the previous releases.
Wahoo! Found it at target in Pink and White... wife told me "Nah, it's not on sale....." HAHAHAH Awesomesauce. Now I will be watching it even closer.[/QUOTE]

Btw I also saw it at Kmart. In case you have a preference.
 
[quote name='sikboy1029']Waiting for a black 2DS XL, I think the whole 2 tone thing is ugly. I suppose silver would work, too.[/QUOTE]

What exactly is a "2DS XL"?
 
The sacrifices in "visual fidelity" (Seriously, I only really noticed it in Theatrhythm) are very minors compared to the pros of the XL. The bigger screens make all the difference, the better stylus placement is nice, and the XL is just entirely more comfortable in the hand IMO

Now, I'm not sure how regular DS games look on the 3DS XL (I haven't tried yet XD)...but I imagine they look like they do on the...DSi XL.

The only thing I really don't notice is battery life being better/worse.
 
[quote name='confoosious']F that. I'm waiting for the 4DS XL.[/QUOTE]

Buy two 2D XLs and tape them together.
 
The pink is nice for a girl however that pink and white will be filthy within no time especially with the matte finish and that the white is on the bottom where you hold the system. The original white GBA turned yellow kind of like how all that grayish white color computer equipment all yellowed after a certain number of years. I know I had one. I would expect the bottom of that system to be yellow or at least dirty within a year. The pink regular 3ds looks better.

I don't think Nintendo will make one with 2 analog sticks, they already made a circle pad XL which takes care of the problem in their eyes, that doesn't mean another system revision won't come because it probably will but I don't think they would make the same thing and just add another analog stick but I am not an analyst so I don't know for sure. I mean they could do it. I don't think that many games use the 2 analog sticks to even worry about it though, and developers don't seem to be even adding that capability to their game so there is no reason for Nintendo to add another stick at this point.

One thing is for sure is that I am waiting for either end of lifecycle or a very cheap price on this system to come my way before I think of buying it.
 
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