Two big surprises were revealed by Nintendo when it announced the new 3DS handheld. One, it intended to release a new version of its market-leading Nintendo 3DS handheld before the end of the year. And two, it would release the device in Australia first, ahead of North America and Europe.
It’s surprising because nobody expected it. The 3DS with a faster CPU and better 3D support has not been something that the masses have been longing for.
This is because Australia is traditionally one of the last major regions to receive hardware releases.
Nintendo is not likely to release a new 3DS because the 3DS and 3DS XL models have a large user base, and all use the same software.
The New Nintendo 3DS line-up (the 2011 Nintendo 3DS, and 2015 New Nintendo 3DS were since discontinued) appears to make the same messaging error that the Wii U. Casual customers might be confused by the subtle rebrand or not realize it’s a brand new product. This 3DS version is likely to confuse and divide Nintendo’s existing audience.
The New Nintendo 3DS range is also not a significant improvement on its predecessors and can be seen with the naked eye.
It remains to be seen if Nintendo’s customers are willing to pay for a system that seems to offer the same level of evolution as a smartphone.
The New Nintendo 3DS XL cosmetically does not change the core design of the series. Although the dual screens on the laptop-aping 3DS XL are slightly larger than the 3DS XL’s vanilla counterpart, they still work.
The most significant change is the addition a second analog stick to the right-hand side of the console. This small nub was absent from earlier devices unless you had the CirclePad Pro peripheral.
