3DS Drops to $169.99 from 12th August

Nice! I'm in.

And I got it at $250. What a waste of money

Wow, how nice for those fans who went out and bought a 3DS at launch. Just for that, I hope the VITA kicks the sh*t out of 3DS. I knew Nintendo was getting scared, but an $80 price drop less than 6 months after the system's launch...they must be terrified! LOL

Update: Okay we get some free games. I take it back Nintendo. Now I just hope the VITA kicks the 3DS a little bit.

169 dollars....great. The funny thing is that in some countries they still sell dsi xl for 175 euro something . I would be more happy if they announced something like Golden Sun 4, Dragon Quest XI, and some Final Fantasy 8 spin off or whatever though.

America gets a price cut? WHAT ABOUT AUSTRALIA!?!?!?!!? WE HAVE TO PAY $350 FOR HEAVENS SAKE!

Having paid £220 at launch, I can't say I'm delighted about this. The value of the 3DS is depreciating faster than my car!

I only paid £199.99 for my 3DS but if it means I get 10 free NES games and 10 free GBA games I'm more than happy. Bring on the good times.

UK getting a price drop to around £130/£150 so I've heard.

Blasted Nintendo. I want my money back!

look i love nintendo and i want the 3ds to do better than the vita. but this sucks major balls, really everyone who bought it at launch or up to this point and its like were getting a slap across our face. this freaking sucks!! at least something should be given to us for actually paying the original price.

289 euros in Finland. Ouch! But my friends will buy it sooner too if the prize drops and we can finally play multiplayer games so...

Corbs, you would hope the VITA kicks the sh*t out of the 3DS regardless of if this happened anyways.

Yesssssss...

80 dollar price drop is pretty low. I could understand a 50 dollar price drop, which wouldn't have made me feel as bad for buying one not long ago. You're welcome, Nintendo.

20 free eshop games for people that paid full price. Thats kinda sweet. Hope they put some more quality titles at the eshop though.

Aw, come on, we should at least get compensation!

Waiting in that store for the midnight launch was the longest two hours of my life!

Wait, I take it back, GIMME MY GAMES!

Now I'm REALLY glad I waited until a price drop!

Well, if I can get those 20 free games, this doesn't really bother me.

Australia's price drops from $350 to $250, but we get the same deal as both America and Europe. 10 NES games as of September 1 for free, while others will have to pay for them at a later date. And we get 10 GBA free before the end of 2011, which others won't be able to get.

Good deal ninty.

Ouch, early adopters just got kicked in the balls!

Except for the you know, 10 free NES games, 10 free GBA games.

I hope i will be able to get those free games.

Psh, I paid 250 for my 3DS and I could care less how much it hasn't entertained me. Now Nintendo does a 20 free game thing? TAKE THAT PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THE 3DS WAS A WASTE OF MONEY >=D and for anyone who buys this at 169 hahahahaha I got 20 more games and you got NOTHING XD

@26: You do

@NetrackSteven64: Couldn't someone that is on the fence about buying the Nintendo 3DS get both deals by buying it from a retailer a few days before, logging online and then when the price drops, go back to the retailer they bought it from and receive the difference?

The answer is: Yep, they sure can.

Now all Nintendo needs to do is drop the price of the software to $29.99 and it'll be set.

@ NetrackSteven64
You sound pretty bitter and are forgetting that anyone can decide to buy the 3DS NOW rather than in 2 weeks if they want the free games. We have a choice, you don't.
Also, I already have most of the 10 games announced so far, so not exactly worth the $80. I'm waiting out.

But the titles are connected to an account, not a 3DS, right? So you could get the 3DS, login, get the 20 free games, return your 3DS within the week, get a full refund (you're allowed to return any item within a week) and then buy it for 80 bucks cheaper.

@Aviator: Yeah, sorry about that. I actually missed that part of the article about the free games. I'm glad that Nintendo is doing something really cool to compensate the early adopters. Personally, I am more happy with the $80 savings but that is just me.

@Tasuki: It'll work, places would rather give you the difference you deserve than take back opened product they'd need to discount further to sell...and besides, it's within return policy, they have to honor it...unless they're idiots.

@tealovertoma: You could probably get away with just bringing in your receipt to most places for a return/rebuy. Be sure to call ahead on the day of the price drop.

Are you guys seriously happy because of 20 games, 10 of which are from the NES era(~25 years ago)? That's $4 per game, when they shouldn't even be worth 50 cents for VIRTUAL copies.

Well, uhh, congratz current and future 3DS owners, I guess.
I still have no plans to pick it up, though.

Is it permenantely going to be $169.99?

This is ridiculous. I paid $250 for a 3DS with button problems and have enjoyed all of one game for the past four months. Color me a sucker. Keep the virtual games — this is ANGRY-letter-to-Nintendo time.

I paid £160 during the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend sales. Throw in the additional free games and 3D Classics: Excitebike; I'd be churlish to complain.

@ Burning_Spear: You picked one up knowing the launch schedule, right?

Great, price drop. Call me when there are games to play for it...

Not to be rude or negative, but Corbie's consistent "I hope the Vita kicks the sh*t out of the 3DS" comments on nearly every single piece of news that emerges concerning the system is making me want to "kick the sh*t" out of him. Why is he even still a reviewer/moderator here when he clearly does NOT like the system at all and is, at the top of his lungs, constantly bashing it?

This should shut everybody up now especially the parents! However getting it slashed you won't be able to download GBA games. Choose wisely.

Wow, like the iPhone price drop. I saw the news on TV this morning about a price drop and said to my wife, "wonder what it will be, maybe $229, b/c $199 seems like too much of a drop after 5 months." Wow, $169, that's INSANE. I bought a new PSP on Sat. and returned it Mon. b/c of too many hassles, maybe I'll get this instead now - I still haven't played Ocarina of Time or Star Fox or a bunch of other stuff coming out. $169? Just WOW.

Bring out the red one and I'll buy it immediately.

I hate to rain on your parades _{who am i kidding, I love it} but technically, these aren't 'free' , so to speak. We're paying $80 for them. Fortunately, the line-up is amazing, and they haven't announced it in full yet, but still. Not free. :3

YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sees that I won't get GBA and NES games
NNNOOOOO!!

@Mully: I get it and it bothers me too, but he's a Sony slappy, so I just rope him with the others. Plus, I think liking only the Wii of Nintendo's platforms is some contractual caviat that lets him stick around.

Sorry, Corbes, but at least my Shantae musings are good-spirited. =P

Graveheart's Shantae ramblings vs. Corbie's PSPortable/Vita ramblings... FIGHT! XD

I want my 80 dollars back Nintendo!!!!!!!!!!! Oh wait free games!!

@MasterGraveheart Gah, it just bugs the crap out of me. I know I shouldn't care but the fact that someone who can ban me is saying stuff that if I said, I could possibly get banned for just makes me want to scream. Or stop coming here.

@NetrackSteven64 Yeah, well I got it at Walmart for $80 less before August 12th, so I get the 3DS cheaper and the 20 free games. AHAHAHAHAHA! Maybe you shouldn't be so bitter!

Much needed to boost sale and not to mention to put up a good front again the onslaught of PS Vita.

This makes me feel sick. I highly doubt there's 20 games I want, that I would have actually dished money out for. And to think I haven't picked up my 3DS in weeks, already traded in the 3DS games I owned... I could have waited. Lesson learned. Going to go find something to kick now.

I see Nintendo isn't as stupid as they look. I was expecting a $30-$50 price drop, but this? I can really get behind this.

T.T Well atleast the 3DS gaming community is bound to grow! Just a few seconds ago I had a machine that was worth at least $170 used. Now I have a $70 machine. T.T

Nice! I'm glad I waited. Really. I waited because I didn't have the money, but this is more affordable. lol.

@Kevin Wait. So, I won't be able to buy GBA games either?

HELL YEAH! Free games ftw!!

This WILL get my friends to buy it. Now I understand the Vita's pricing. It seems Nintendo ripped us off!

Well this is great, I was expecting it to go down maybe to $200, not $170. I'll probably be getting one much sooner then I would previously (Of course it doesn't help that Sony has been draining my wallet for the past year and Uncharted 3, Twisted Metal, and Skyrim are still on the way). The Vita has peaked quite a large amount of interest in me, but $249.99 is a little much with everything else as well. Also, despite all the hype from Sony, they've never delivered on their portable devices that much, I hope they prove me wrong though

@36 Maybe the NES games, but the GBA games are a bargain at $4 each.

My friend will be happy about this.

I'm happy about 20 free games

Wow, did not expect that... I was thinking a $25 discount,

WOAH. Totally didn't expect that.

@Mully - You have read my preview of the 3DS games from E3, right? And to my knowledge, other than the few 3DS bugs I've experienced, I haven't said anything bad about the 3DS system. I think we have some touchy Nintendo fanboys around here is what I think. LOL And just because I like the VITA, doesn't mean I hate Nintendo.

I was expecting a price drop before the Vita launched, but this early? And an $80 cut? Nintendo must be desperate.

So now the 3DS is $170, and the Vita is $250. That is definitely a huge difference in price, with the Vita positioned as the "premium" handheld. It's exactly like last gen.

Now the 3DS is only $10 more than the DSi XL.

This is what I was waiting to hear. In my case, this is good and bad news. The good news is that getting another 3DS will be relatively cheap and painless as I can scratch that together in no time; the bad news is that since my 3DS was stolen previously, I don't get to get all of those freebies ARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHH RAAAAAGEEEE!!!! >

Ah well, I'll take what I can get.

I do wish Nintendo would make the GBA games available to everyone, even those who buy the 3DS system after August 11th.

I'm still a little pissed that I paid full price for it only to see the price drop so quickly but at least we get something out of the deal.

Hell yeah, maybe I can afford one now! C'mon red 3DS, let's get down to business..

YES! Right when I get a job too

finally a perk for being poor!!

Great! Picking mine up then!

now I want to get a 3ds more than ever, I can buy one before august 12, and not have to worry about buying a game right away because I'll have 20 games, or wait till august 12 and not pay over $200 for the system, use about 30-40 to buy a game and still have some change in my pocket.

Now THIS is a deal. Way to destroy expectations Nintendo.

I guess I'll be getting mine then. I'm gladd I waited, I don't think those 20 free games make up for the $80 difference, especially because I already have them in their original formats.

Man... I HATE the fact my 3DS was stolen. It wouldn't be so bad if the GBA games would be made available later on. I mean, I predicted that the 3DS would get GBA games, but NO PLANS announced. Really? WTF

i might finally get a 3ds now. nintendo has gone all in and is ready to gamble on this holiday season to get the 3ds going. can't beat 169 for all the features that this system provides. the software quality is high so far and will get even higher and its not even a year old yet. so its on now..

Cool ! Now if only they`d add Pro Wrestling, Punchout and Kid Icarus to the "ambassador" list.

I sort of have that twisty feeling in my stomach right now.
I boutght a 3DS, about an hour ago. Thankfully, the futureshop I was at was having some sale and marked the 3DS down to 199.99 for 3-4 days.
So on that front I'm glad I saved some money anyway. I am also really looking forward to the NES and GBA titles.

Well I am a bit peeved about still paying an extra 30 bucks for mine, to me 30 dollars isn't that much of a difference. My heart goes out to the early adopters, 80 dollars is (whistles) a lot.

My prevailing opinion though is that now I think Nintendo has a sense of humor. Now the PSP Vita with be 249.99, and the 3DS 169.99. This alone will turn so many people towards good ol Nintendo.
Also, if you have an after school/ part time job, you'll make up the difference in no time.

My husband and I have wanted a DS for a long time, and we finally had some extra money and decided to buy one at the beginning of summer. We couldn't really afford the 3DS and still have much to spend on games, so we went with a DS Lite. This news just makes me sad. I certainly wasn't expecting a price drop so soon, or I might have put off getting a DS until August. Sigh.

This is scary. I had a strong whim to buy one yesterday, but I put it down.
Thank God.

I've been holding out on buying a 3DS until I thought the time was right. This almost convinced me it was time. . . but I've regained my composure, and am willing to continue waiting for my Flare Red!

HA! take that vita!
@Robo-goose: i LOLed when i read that.

is it only a day or forever

I'm not in till they lower the price of games. Thats the most important price change they need to make.

Oh dip! Looks like I might be finally getting a 3DS! But I still have to decide whether to pick up a Japanese system, or to import an Americranian one...

@Metal_Slugger Most of the games are only $5 to $10 more than DS games. Rolls eyes

This is very good, but I still don't see myself getting one, atleast not this year.

Nice Job, Ninty. If we beat Sony last generation, we can beat 'em this generation.

@R-L-A-George - Seriously rolls eyes? Anyways yeah games are the money pit I'm not about to get sucked into. Unless they are top notch games which I don't see to many of. I would rather pay more for the system than the games. I think $10 dollars more is a huge price hike from DS which are already overpriced as well. These games should not be anywhere near console game prices. I would love to try this system I am sure it's a blast but I can't justify the spendings. The way the economy is headed Nintendo is going to have a hard time with sales. I want to see price reduction in Nintendo exclusive games this would really make the difference.

@Metal_Slugger They are better quality than most of the DS games and are more able. We are lucky they were not hiked up to $50 to $60, Mr. Shovelware.

@R-L-A-George- My main concern is the price of nintendo games. Thats the reason I prefer Nintendo over other brands for the most part. If Nintendo raised their prices that high they would be in serious trouble. If they want to succeed in these times they need to take heed, and listen to their consumers. Games are a luxury not a necessity. Even a $5 dollar decrease on Nintendo games would be much more appealing. Mr. Shovelware?

@Metal_Slugger Yeah true, I'd like to see Bust A Move drop $10 among a few others but SSFIV3D was worth its price.

Maybe because of this, the Wii U will launch at a price closer to $250 than say $350?

Hopefully this will help Nintendo out. Plus serve as a warning to Nintendo not the bomb the Wii U launch. Have at least 2 Wii U must have games at launch. The 3DS didn't have a "must have" game. Closest was Street fighter 4 3D edition (8.5) and maybe Tom Clancy future soldier 3D (8.0) but both are niche titles with a certain fanbase. If Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D edition was ready at launch. 3DS sales might have been different. Plus better advertising to show the 3DS is a new system and not just a slightly upgraded DS.

It would be awesome if this price drop would help nintendo get the sales they need. I am definately going to get one now!

Finally! This is very good news! It certainly will give the holiday sales a massive boost!

I guess the European price will be 170 Euro's, wich makes it as cheap/expensive as the original DS. I don't know if I'll buy it this year, but it certainly becomes a option now!

dang it, i cant use internet on my portables because my stupid parents wont let me, no free games for me