Topic: Original 3DS may be discontinued...

I'd far sooner expect a redesign than a new handheld that's for sure. 3DS is their baby right now and most of the profits they make are solely from it...honestly i could easily see them waiting until 2016 For a ""new"" Handheld due to the Wii-U's poor sales performance unless it's fortunes change greatly.

What about a 3Ds that:
Is the same size as the original;
Has Dual Analog Circle pads;
And a better battery.
They could call it the 3Ds Pro,or 3Ds Pocket and replace the original with it.

Chicken and egg thing if you ask me, the sales of the original are dwarfed cause it's hardly on offer anymore and Nintendo is pushing (the cheaper to manufacture) 3DSXL. The original has a place in the market in my opinion.

Like everybody is saying.. the original is heavy as it is.. already a pain to use the streetpass feature.. XL might as well not include it if we're stuck with that.

XLs should be bundled with clothing with extra large pockets... and canes for those who can barely walk with the additional weight.

there are only a handful of games that support a second circle pad. we won't see that until nintendo announces a completly new handheld

Ya I think only about 2 retail games even use it well resident evil revelations and MGS 3 Snake Eater 3D, Kid Icarus supports it but it basically only works as an alternative for left handed people it doesn't support dual stick controls.

What better way to get developers to make games that utilize it?(Well besides maybe selling it at places besides gamestop...and maybe selling the xl version at retail.)

developers rarely support hardware-addons. the 3DS has sold 44 million units. most of them do not have a crcile pad pro attached to them. so there is basically no install base for games that use the second circle pad.

Oh yes! I forgot about the pixel size difference screwing things up.

Well if pink ones are the only ones availible.. ebay is an option or get a paint brush or just deal with it.

My 5 year old nephew can comfortably use and transport the XL. Unless you have some sort of extreme medical condition, you shouldn't be having any issues.

Made me /LOL but oh so very true,if you can't manage the XL due to "weight" and "size" deciding which handheld to buy is likely the least of your concerns. There is this mythical place called a "Gym".

Hey! I work out!

Mainly size is an issue because where are you going to carry it? I don't think a guy should be carrying around a purse just for their 3DS sure you can carry it to a relative's house and whatnot but actively having it in your pocket for streetpass features is a nightmare.

You need better fitting pants than... I wear Jos. A. Bank pants and the xl fits fine into my pocket when I need it to.. And sure as hell doesn't drag them down. Granted 9/10 times I have my STM bag with me anyways and I just slip it into the slot next to my laptop in a case. Even when I had the old 3ds I rarely carried it outside of my bag outside of a case as that's just asking for scratches, hinge issues due to Pocket pressure etc etc. XL Vs original is without a doubt mostly subjective and I see both sides even though I highly prefer the XL but if the site and or weight is an issue for adult sized clothing... Stop buying in the children's section? I mean really I'm not trying to sound insulting so forgive me if I do but for those who willingly decide to risk damage carrying a 3d of ANY type in their pocket most any adult sized pants will suffice.

My XL never goes out without being in its case. I usually carry it in a backpack or belt pack. Nothing to do with its size: it fits comfortably in my pockets. I just don't like carrying handhelds in my pockets.

I can fit my XL in my pocket

ANYWAY...

I did some research and there are no black or blue 3ds in any gamestops near me either. My walmart has a few black ones but they never sell much in that department anyway.

I don't think it will be discontinued, but it is effectively discontinued in the sense that Nintendo has been pushing the XL and the 2DS for quite a while now. All the new special editions are XL or 2DS, all the models in their promotional videos are XL or 2DS, etc...

The original 3DS isn't mentioned on the 3DS page on Nintendo's website unless you dig into the system features. That right there could be a sign that the original 3DS may be discontinued.

They do sell refurbished original 3DS in the online store.

The 3DS regular is heavier than the DS Phat, which made my hand sore for days after playing games like Metroid Prime Hunters and Mechassault Phantom Wars for extended periods of time. I can't imagine anyone playing a game like Kid Icarus Uprising for more than an hour on an XL, without a stand (does the stand even fit the XL?), without a seriously sore wrist afterwords.

There's a limit to how heavy a handheld should be, especially one where there are games that expect you to hold it with one hand, and Nintendo has been pushing that limit pretty damn hard.