UPDATED: The Nintendo 3DS will be released on March in Australia, alongside worldwide releases on March 25 for Europe and March 27 for the US at an RRP of US$249.99.The 3DS will be shown to Australian media in Sydney on Tuesday 8 February alongside a further announcement of specific dates and availability.
Trends in Nintendo products sold in Australia indicate that it will probably be around $50-$100 more domestically.
Nintendo’s latest handheld that features a glasses-free 3D screen on the typical DS gaming console will makes its debut in Japan on February 26.
The handheld consoles will ship with twin-cameras for 3D image capturing, motion sensors as well as the ability to play 3D movies.
Nintendo aims at shipping 1.5 million units in the first month of sales. Nintendo products like the Wii have suffered supply shortages in the past, and the company aims to avoid this happening again.
The DS series of gaming handhelds have sold more than 130 million units since their original release in 2004, ranging from the DS Lite to DSi consoles.
Nintendo promises 30 games will be available by June. Game developers have already been bringing screenshots and news of their 3DS games to light as the release date for the handheld draws near, including titles like Super Monkey Ball 3D, Ridge Racer 3D and The Sims 3D.
The latest gaming announcement has been from Konami who recently announced Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 as a 3D title for the upcoming 3DS.
Nintendo have developed their own games for the unit including flagship titles ‘The Legend of Zelda’ and ‘Mario Kart.’
Sony is offering up its own handheld competitor later this year with the second generation of the PlayStation Portable, as well as a Sony Ericsson PSP phone. Early reports show that the PSP2 may not support 3D gaming.
