3DS Price now $169.99, Release Dates & FREE Games!
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo of America today announced plans to drop the suggested retail price of its portable Nintendo 3DS™ system to $169.99 in the United States, as new games based on some of the world’s most beloved video game franchises head to the system. The new price, down from the suggested launch price of $249.99 and effective Aug. 12, makes an outstanding value even better and sets up a strong holiday season for the system.
“For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games.”
Nintendo 3DS has the strongest software lineup of any video game system this holiday season and the new price now opens up the glasses-free 3D experience to many more consumers. Building on the popularity of The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, which launched June 19, the upcoming game calendar is a Who’s Who of iconic video game franchises. Star Fox 64™ 3D arrives on Sept. 9, followed by Super Mario™ 3D Land in November, Mario Kart™ 7 in December and Kid Icarus™: Uprising during the holiday season.
In addition to great games, Nintendo 3DS has a host of attractive features* that make it the must-have video game system this season:
- The new Nintendo Video™ service automatically delivers short 3D videos from the worlds of music, comedy, animation and Hollywood.
- A free application allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix.
- The Nintendo eShop is a digital store for Nintendo 3DS owners that provides access to a wide variety of downloadable content, such as original 3D software, classic games that have been re-mastered in 3D called 3D Classics, Game Boy™and Game Boy Color “Virtual Console” games in their original 2D glory, and more than 350 Nintendo DSiWare™ games. Visitors can also view video game trailers, screen shots and product information for games, including those available at retail locations.
Since Nintendo 3DS launched in the United States on March 27, more than 830,000 people in the U.S. alone have purchased one to enjoy 3D visuals without the need for special glasses. These Nintendo 3DS owners represent some of Nintendo’s most loyal customers, and Nintendo is rewarding them for getting in on the action early with 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop.
These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:
- Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES™ Virtual Console™ games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros.™,Donkey Kong Jr.™, Balloon Fight™, Ice Climber™ and The Legend of Zelda™, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.
- By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3, Mario Kart™: Super Circuit, Metroid™ Fusion, WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong™. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.
More details about this program will be announced in the future.
Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.
*Some features require a broadband Internet connection.
My inability to watch/play in “3D” kept me from paying $250 for the 3DS, but now that it’s only going to be $270, I might take pause. There might be enough new features that I can use that might makes it worth $170.
Now that it is $170, I can do that price
Wow this Is a perfect chance for an expansion to content on my website $250 was just way to expensive for a handheld
Yeah! Free game!!! =D
I hope Kirby and the amazing mirror and Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga will be on the eShop. =D
Now that Nintendo lowered the price and let people download 20 games before 11:59 eastern/ 8:59 Pacific time there might be more chances of getting people on streetpass
Awesome!!! I’ll definitely be getting a one now….. ^.^!!!
I’m assuming we wouldn’t get free games in the Uk or the rest of europe. But I hope I’m wrong
omg news gets around fast i seen this every where youtube nintindeo.com and now here i gues its a shock for everybody encluding me
The 20 games is a world wide thing. When you work out the value the games come at anywhere between 80$ – 100$ of value, so buying a 3ds now might get you some of the best game content of those eras.
As a note the games can be re-downloaded for free when ‘updated’ apparently, so if they get the excite bikes make over, you get that free too. I can’t see how that is -not- worth 80/100/whatever $ more XD.
;D yay
I’m definetly buying the amazing handheld a week after drop!
super mario bros. 3 and Kirby and the amazing mirror are also coming
i lastly connected at nintendo eshop at 16 st july
can i download that games??
people u can now check if u can get the games all u have to do is to type in your 3ds serial number here is the website http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/3ds/en_na/3dsambassador.jsp?menu=about&submenu=ctr-gi-amb-program-what-is