Launch it with a coupon for a free lunch. You can't go wrong launching with lunches!

Nintendo Wuhu.

@battLeToaD: I think you just found the solution to world peace. Let's just have all our wars online and then shake virtual hands afterward.

I'm with the people who want a unified "Nintendo eShop" for all digital purchases. One type of card that can be used on any Nintendo console and games that can be downloaded on more than one console through a unified account. Don't worry about keeping our credit card information, just store a list of the games we've downloaded so that we can download them again.

@Traxx: Most good Nintendo games are evergreen. Rather than selling all at once, they tend to steadily rake in the cash over time. Most good games on other consoles do most of their sales early on and then drop off. I agree that Nintendo needs to get better about regularly releasing games.

I bought a GBA SP not long after getting a GameCube for the same reason I've ended up buying every portable console: I wanted to be able to play games even when other people were using the TV.

While I missed a lot of the classics, I had tons of fun on that thing. Super Mario World was great, but my absolute favorites were Minish Cap and the GBA FIre Emblem games. Oddly I also had a lot of fun with the GBA version of Prisoner of Azkaban, which was a simple, easy RPG but was somehow more enjoyable than either the GCN or PC versions. (Yes, I played all three.)

I'm not too worried yet. Despite the website getting some things right, the rather violent reactions to the rumor hopefully point to it being completely false. If they want the 3DS to sell, they need to stick to their guns as far as the system's features go and just start releasing awesome games for it.

Now, if they find a way to add a second analog stick without it being ugly or awkward, I don't mind that at all. It doesn't sound plausible to me right now, but I'm all for dual-analog if they can make it work. If they release a dual-analog 3DS and leave early adopters with an awkward workaround, I won't be happy.

While I'm not the biggest Layton fan, this game seems to have an extra edge that appeals to me. I hope it turns out as good as the trailers, which have really piqued my interest.

Not a problem. I just want the system to sell so I can get a good selection of games to choose from (and maybe some actual StreetPass hits...).

I wonder why Nintendon't Select DS games? I will get Super Paper Mario for sure if this is true, but I'd quite like to re-buy Super Mario 64 DS now that I can play it with the circle pad...

All is forgiven, but don't do it again! Put your customers first, market your products well, and everything else will fall into place.

This game is a 9, this I know, because Lucas M. Thomas told me so.

In all seriousness, though, this is where a demo would really help me decide. The reviews, both from websites and users, have ranged from "meh" to "it's awesome," and I just can't figure out if this is worth a purchase or not.

@wanderlustwarrior: I agree to that to the casual consumer, the 3DS doesn't really bring anything major to the table other than 3D, and there are smartphones out there that can do that (and take better 3D pictures). As movie theaters are discovering, 3D is not that much of a selling point at the moment.

What sold the system to me more than anything was all the first-party titles in the works. Luigi's Mansion 2 was the game that really pushed me over the edge and made me want one. I figured that a system that could play most DS and DSiWare games in addition to any new 3DS ones to come out in the next few years was a better investment than a DSi at this point.

Even if the system fails, it's not the end of the world to me. Many people have fond memories of the DreamCast and still play its games today. Heck, I have fond memories of playing the GameCube and still occasionally play some of its games when I get hit with nostalgia. For me, personally, the 3DS was definitely the system to get. For people content with casual games, however, there's no denying that smartphones make the most sense. Maybe Nintendo will get smart and make one of their own some day!

I think Ambassadors should get more. When we play online games, we should be given a cheat code that allows us to win no matter how badly we play. When we're hungry, we should be able to call NOA and have Reggie personally deliver our food within 30 minutes, with parallel programs in other parts of the world. We should get a $10 discount on all first-party Nintendo titles for 3DS. Finally, we should all get free eye check-ups to see if the 3D is making us blind!

Nah, just kidding. I'm VERY happy with the 20 free games. Even if the other ones are not as good, the GBA games in particular include some real gems that either I haven't played or that I sold a long time ago and now miss. I just have to remember to be careful with WarioWare, because that game caused my first repetitive motion injury ever from heavy d-pad use!

It's interesting to me that the overall tone of the comments on IGN have been much more positive. I give Iwata credit for doing this, and I like that he takes the blame as the leader even if he wasn't solely responsible for poor sales.

This experience should be good for Nintendo, as they were showing definite signs of arrogance. Hopefully they will get more competitive with their pricing all around (maybe Mario Kart DS can finally get a price drop before 7 comes out?), as well as their services (online gaming, Club Nintendo, online community, etc.).

Regardless of any pet peeves I have, I love Nintendo games and respect them both for taking bold risks and being willing to take responsibility for their mistakes. I think the 3DS will be fine once the killer apps start coming out for it, but Nintendo has weathered storms like this before and still managed to be modestly profitable thanks to software sales. They should be fine, but ultimately they are an entertainment company. If one source of entertainment ends, like a favorite TV show, I'll usually still find some other way to unwind in my limited free time.

I wonder if the DSi systems will also get a price drop, or if they'll keep them the same to make the 3DS the better deal. I always had a feeling they could still make a profit if they dropped the price by $50, but I wasn't expecting this big of a price drop.

At its original price, the 3DS was out of reach for most people and wasn't really a good value, especially with the low amount of quality content currently available other than DS games. I love my 3DS (got one after doing some extra work after the school year ended), but all the cancellations were starting to get to me.

Now if someone would just figure out that $39.99 really is too much for portable games unless they are AAA titles with tons of content, we would be all set....

I have a feeling that those GBA games will eventually find their way to the 3DS VC. All they said was that they currently have no plans to release them. I'm sure those plans will change.

I also have a feeling that all the games that weren't specified in the announcement will be second-tier, but I'm OK with that. I am always grateful for free games, and I honestly wasn't expecting NES games to show up at all if they weren't 3D Classics.

The game is freemium on Android. I'm guessing you twist the Wii Remote to alter the screen orientation. With the DLC the pricing might be comparable.

@chiptoon: Bad, bad chiptoon. Never, ever use your girlfriend as a weapon. She might take it the wrong way.

"You look just like James, but you have your mother's eyes." Is that the line we're talking about?

I would actually start watching Nintendo Week again if they at least put it on the eShop for streaming. So far all the game videos have played much better on my 3DS than my Wii. Though it is a little weird to read that 3D images can only be displayed on a 3DS system when I am on one, but I guess they haven't figured out 3D streaming video.

IGN gave Xevious a favorable review. What got my attention was that the author mentioned that he didn't really like the game originally, but this new version changed his mind.

You know, I was joking when I declared the 3DS VC dead. I think they just wanted to hignlight Xevious this week. Too bad I already have the DS port and don't really like it! Also, they really have removed Nintendo Video from the eShop. There is an announcement in the news section instead.

Yup. The 3DS Virtual Console is dead. You heard it here first.

If it's any good, it might be a good chance to get dysentery together as a family on the Wii. I'm not sure I want dysentery in 3D, however...

It's your fault the game was cancelled. If your iPhone 4 loses reception, it's your fault because you're holding it wrong. If your Xbox 360 got the red rings of death, it's your fault for not aiming seventeen fans directly at it in a well-ventilated area.

I don't feel like every 3DS title needs to focus on 3D. It still looks better than an equivalent DSi game would. Enjoy Gaming doesn't have the greatest track record, but this one looks somewhat interesting.

I would be much more likely to buy this as a download.

I think they should cancel them before the Tokyo Game Show is even over. Why wait?

@nick_gc: You're probably looking at the DSi versions of the Game & Watch games, which I believe are pretty much the same as the originals. This game is a re-release of a Game Boy collection of these games, including the original version (minus color) of each game and a remake featuring Mario characters.

This really sounds good. But...who allowed Chicken to review a good game? He's only supposed to review bad ones so we can laugh at how bad they are.

@yoyogamer: I want the pack-in game. I don't care about all the new-fangled versions out there. The GB version is classic.

Speaking of 3D movies, didn't Iwata imply in 2010 that they would be available for purchase on the 3DS? Maybe I misunderstood, but I just seem to remember him citing movies that would be coming to it (not long after mentioning the Saint's Row vaporware)....

I love Nintendo's games, but it astounds me how they are unable to keep up with current trends in media services. If the system had launched with 3D movie capabilities BEFORE phones with 3D started coming out, they might have had better sales after launch week.

I guess it's understandable since they are primarily a gaming company (and ALL of their competition is multimedia), but I'm starting to think they need to partner with another company to help with their online and multimedia services.

Nothing wrong with his observations. I respect Naughty Dog. The only games I ever really loved on my PS2 were developed by them and I've heard nothing but good things about the Uncharted series.

According to Joystiq, Netflix will not be adding 3D content:

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/select-3d-movies-coming-to-3ds-soon/#continued

Whether or not I would have bought this title, it bugs me that the impressive list of titles announced for 3DS after E3 2010 seem to be slowly turning into vaporware. I know it was just a list of titles in development at that time, but that list is part of what got me excited for it.

On the other hand, the upcoming first-party line-up is impressive, and I'm at least intrigued by some of the third-party stuff coming up in the fall and winter.

@42: the prices are actually going up in part because of competition from other companies. Now that there are other streaming services available, the movie and television studios are now offering their content to the highest bidder.

Excellent review. Unfortunately, movie games have to be released alongside the movies, which usually translates into rushed development. Even the best developers usually don't have time to create something truly good in the time they are given. There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare.

BTW, at the end of paragraph 6 (if I counted right) "anythong" should be "anything."

They are probably watching what happens with the Xperia Play. Right now Sony seems to be keeping the focus on their older games. I think a similar retro approach would work well.

Is it 1 p.m. yet? Let me know when it is, so I can hide behind that Wii and sing Happy Birthday.

This controller adds another degree of immersion when used with the TV (I really like that you can look to the right and left and see things that are off-screen), and it doubles as a handheld gaming system for home use. I really like what I've seen so far and my daughters also thought it looked cool. The tablet-shaped design is perfectly aligned with the current market, but this tablet has buttons!

Like everything that Nintendo does, it won't appeal to everyone, but this has the potential for mainstream appeal. I can't wait to be able to play console games away from the TV, and even play more mature titles while my kids are watching some evil show from Disney or Nickelodeon.

While the controller may not be able to operate independently of the console, it could still hurt 3DS sales because some people (like me) buy portable gaming systems so that we don't always have to wait for the TV to be free. If these rumors are true, I would be completely set with this console. I still have my phone for gaming on the go and my DS Lite when I need a deeper game for travel.

Ultimately he's just feeding the public perception of the 3DS. It looks very similar to the DS but costs a lot more. If he can convince the public that the 3DS is that and nothing more, he might be able to get more people to try out his new handheld.

If we're honest with ourselves, the 3DS has mostly added gimmicks. Only the analog stick and gyros will affect gameplay significantly. The NGP's improvements, other than graphics, are aimed at improving the gaming experience through more, better controls. Of course, I would be a lot more interested in one if I wasn't worried about Sony leaving all my personal information unencrypted on the internet. The NGP looks like a near-perfect gaming device, even if it does end up doing only mediocre business like its predecessor.

If games are that dangerous, gaming on a cell phone must be even more so. You will turn violent and get finger cancer from the radiation all at the same time.

It's too expensive. The games themselves are too expensive at this point (3rd party games will get more reasonable, but popular Nintendo titles won't, even if they are repackaged in red boxes). I am pretty indifferent to 3D, and found myself disappointed in the 3D effect when I saw it in person. I saw it, but it didn't impress me. This is annoying when the 3D effect is the main reason the system is so expensive and has such a short battery life.

I might spring for a cheaper redesign if the games deliver. I might skip this generation of Nintendo handhelds completely. I don't play DS games as often as I used to and there are more than enough DS games out there to keep me entertained for years of occasional play.

Hmm...I think the red box without the price drop is STUPID, but the DS Lite price drop is tempting. Mine is a bit scratched up, and my wife's is having some hinge problems. I was starting to consider a DSi XL, but now I'm not so sure....

I love how thoughtful all the opinions have been here. I think the best argument against digital-only is the lack of wireless internet in many parts of the world.

The second problem of course is the fact that you can lose your purchases if they are made unavailable. While I do prefer my Droid for on-the-go gaming, EA Mobile recently pulled a fast one, selling some of their titles for 99 cents at Christmas time and then pulling those versions of the games off the market shortly afterwards. The three titles I bought on sale are the only three games I wasn't able to get back when I had to get a replacement phone. While I do miss Need For Speed Shift, I refuse to buy it again--or any other app by EA Mobile. It's a perfect example of what some of you all are talking about. They walked off with my 3 bucks, but they lost a customer for life.

I still like the compromise of having plenty of memory on the system and giving consumers the option to buy their games retail or download. The one thing that companies are being slow about is passing the savings on to consumers, completely failing to realize that the appeal of download-only lies in the lower price.

Personally, I'm starting to actually prefer gaming on my Droid to gaming on my DS. I'm learning to adapt to onscreen buttons and the games provide the quick bursts of fun I'm looking for on the go. A few games, such as Game Dev Story, completely suck me in the way the deeper cartridge games do but at a MUCH lower price. When I'm ready for Mario or Zelda, I have a Wii. I don't NEED to have every iteration of those franchises to have fun, which is ultimately all I care about.

My students have a lot of electronic devices. Mostly phones, but I also have to tell students to put away a LOT of iPod Touches. I can count on my hands the number of DS and 3DS devices combined that I've seen in my classroom in the past few years. I think the 3DS may eventually take off, but only with better software AND better hardware; not to mention a lower price. And if it doesn't take off, that will be Nintendo's cue to adapt to a changing marketplace and change what it does.

High price. Lack of games. What did Nintendo really expect? It took two generations on top for Sony to get overconfident. Nintendo got overconfident after only one.

Honestly, there's just something about this system that doesn't appeal to me. I wish I could put my finger on it. I'm not even all that interested in a new Nintendo console after the Wii unless it's just really amazing. I still prefer Nintendo games to Playstation and Xbox games, but I'm just not ready to shell out for more hardware yet again.