Like a Lego 3DS, sort of

Nintendo consoles go through countless prototypes before the final version hits the shop shelves, so it's no surprise that the 3DS didn't always look the same way it does now. The newest instalment of Iwata Asks, in which Nintendo President Satoru Iwata chews the fat with his colleagues, reveals a few interesting prototypes of the 3DS console.

At one point during the system's early life, Nintendo's research and development department created a prototype that allowed the user to swap the position of the Circle Pad and D-Pad. Although it was never intended to see release, it proved useful for the team to discuss where the individual segments should sit by swapping them around on an actual working console. Other than that, this is all-but identical to the good old DS Lite, with no widescreen, cameras or any other 3DS features, seemingly.

Would you have liked to have seen this prototype released instead of the final 3DS design?

[source iwataasks.nintendo.com]