Nintendo 3DS Release Date, Price and Launch Titles Revealed

By Hector Cortez Sep 29, 2010, 23:45 GMT

Nintendo have officially announced the launch date of their upcoming 3DS handheld.

UPDATE Mar. 2, 2011: Nintendo teases Super Mario 3D, announces Netflix and free AT&T Wi-Fi, and releases new Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS screenshots. Full details here. 

UPDATE Feb. 24, 2011: Official North American Nintendo 3DS launch lineup revealed.

UPDATE Jan. 19, 2011: Nintendo today confirmed that the Nintendo 3DS will ship in the U.S. on March 27 for $249.99. Europe will get the 3DS on March 25 with a pricing, according to online retailers as Nintendo did not announce the price during their press conference, of £229.99 (UK) and €249.99 across Europe.

We've also added some brand new videos to this article which you can check out below.

Original article below:

Nintendo have officially announced the launch date of their upcoming 3DS handheld. In Japan, the 3DS will launch on February 26th, 2011 with a North American and European release following one month later. Nintendo expects to sell 4 million units worldwide through March 2011.

The 3DS will cost ¥25,000 in Japan (about $300 USD), while North American and European prices have not been confirmed. It's safe to say the North American price will fall somewhere between $200 and $250 based on previous launch prices for past Nintendo handhelds and consoles. A $300 North American price tag would alienate a large portion of Nintendo's best customers: Parents.

The 3Ds will launch with the following games: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendogs + Cats, Pilotwings Resort, Pro Baseball Spirits, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, Ridge Racer 3D, Samurai Warriors Chronicle, Steel Diver, Super Monkey Ball, and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. A 3DS Virtual Console service will also be available at launch, allowing players to download Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. To make downloading easier, a 2GB SD card will come packaged with every 3DS.