Shulk is not the only star of today’s Japanese Nintendo Direct. Nintendo has announced a brand new model of 3DS systems called the “New” Nintendo 3DS. There will be both a regular size and an XL (LL) variant. These handhelds will have screens that are said to be 1.2 times larger than the regular 3DS systems. Below, you can see some of the dimensions and how they compare to the “Old” 3DS models.
One major feature is the addition of a 2nd analog stick! Now you no longer need to purchase a circle pad and attach it to your console. Right above the A/B/X/Y buttons, Nintendo put a stick that is based off the C-stick from the GameCube controller.
ZR and LR buttons have also been added to the device next to the R and L buttons. In addition, Nintendo claims the 3D viewing angles have been improved to have an easier time viewing the 3D effect that the handheld is so proud of.
Other improvements include a 7 hour battery life, compatibility with microSD cards and NFC (get the amiibos ready!), HTML5 support for the web browser, filters for younger users, the ability to back up data to a PC wirelessly, customizable covers and an improved CPU which will allow content to be downloaded faster and for games like Xenoblade Chronicles to be played on it. You heard me right: this handheld will be getting brand new games developed specifically for it and Xenoblade is one of them.
The New Nintendo 3DS will be compatible with your regular 3DS games and will be released in Japan on October 11, 2014. The New Nintendo 3DS will cost 16,000 yen(~$154) while the New Nintendo 3DS LL will cost 18,800 yen(~$180). The new handhelds are not expected to be released outside of Japan this year. We will probably hear more about releases in those regions later on in the year.
