Japan gets all the best hardware bundles - that's just one of the things us westerners have to live with. As if to prove this universal truth, details have just been released regarding two fresh New 3DS bundles coming to The Land of the Rising Sun, and both look downright lovely.
First up is the Super Mario Bros. 30th bundle, which comes with a set of fetching cover plates that showcase many of the 8-bit sprites from the recent Super Mario Maker. We're not sure about you, but to us these plates rank as some of the best we've seen so far, and our fingers are firmly crossed that they make their way to the west at some point.
Next up is the Animal Crossing bundle, which comes with cover plates which were previously exclusive to Europe.
Finally, Japan is getting three new cover plate sets - a Hanafuda playing card style set which features a scene from Super Mario Bros., a modern-looking Mario and a modern-looking Yoshi. These all come out on December 3rd, costing 2160 Yen each. Which one takes your fancy?
[source twitter.com, via nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 46
That Mario Maker one is great, I wonder if this is a light hint of it coming to the 3DS.
These are hands down, the best cover plates I've seen so far.
Yeah... this is about the point I regret buying an XL.
Can't help but notice the absence of Pokémon costumes on the Super Mario Maker cover plate.
And this is even though Pikachu happily features on the Smash Bros cover art and cover plates.
The Mario Maker one is indeed awesome O.O
More than dedicated to that game it look like a love letter to the whole Nintendo universe and that's not bad at all!
Edit: I correct myself, it is bad! As @RupeeClock said Pokemon is missing, but even worse... What is Waluigi doing there?!
@-Godot Even if you buy the standard, the fact that these plates are Japan exclusive means you'll have a hard time getting them.
Super Mario 3DS bundle looks great!
The Animal Crossing one for sale in Europe so nothing new their. The 30th Mario one is AWESOME! and the other three are a bit average.
Ohhh I love the Mario anniversary set and the realistic Mario/Yoshi.
Wish they'd release a Toad cover
Pixel plate please!!
The 3DS is far too weak to be able to 'do' Super Mario Maker without drastically changing things.
It might look like a simple game on the surface, but there's a lot of memory and system resources being used in being able to play so many handcrafted levels.
On the other hand, that yellow pixelated Mario Maker 3DS looks great!
@Artwark they are not that hard to get. You can preorder from play Asia like I did with the Monster Hunter X and Hello Kitty ones.
I want all of them. I wouldn't be surprised if we did get the Super Mario Maker ones since it's the 30th anniversary and all.
I want them all.
The boo hanafuda card is my favorite. I'm tempted to import it and use that as the bottom and continue using the smash bros one on top
Now that Super Mario Maker faceplate is a thing I genuinely love the look of. It seriously makes me smile just looking at it. So cheerful, colourful, childish, whimsical, playful. Everything I love about gaming.
Nintendo, stop releasing so many with Yoshi! It's getting hard to choose... ;-;
@Yosher Buy them all! you can switch out once a week! LOL
Seriously though I hope these come stateside so I can add to my wall art (I have XL systems and despite the loveliness of the plates I can't justify a downgrade).
@-Godot I can comfort myself knowing that my ape-hands are cramped enough with the XL so the smaller one would be almost as impossibly fiddly as the thumb destroying original 3DS
But those are some wicked plates!
It's days like today that I am happy I bought the Animal Crossing HHD bundle from Best Buy in Canada. I don't like AC at all and I'd never use the plates it came with or the game. But I am so glad I bought the system for the different variety of plates. The regular system may release individually in NA but who knows. If those 3DS plates for SMM are released independently of that bundle, I will be importing those. I love having a regular sized N3DS to go with my N3DS XL
Play Asia has them all listed as coming soon with a November release date. I love the Mario Maker and the Hanafuda one.
whoa....that bundle would finally make me get a new 3DS...i wonder if the 30th anniversary could possibly come in a XL version over here in the west?
@davidevoid I honestly Don't think it will, Nintendo can't port every major hit on wii u to 3ds, let wii u keep the few wii u games it gets
Just as I was leaning more towards the XL version these plates come out. I want the bigger screens because I have the regular 3DS but I also don't want to miss out on the coverplates. Decisions, decisions...
@Lady_rosalina I would agree, but I think it could work and I don't think it's out of the question. They have been blending the handheld and home console worlds together for a good few years now what with the Wii U getting DS games and both 3DS and Wii U getting Xenoblade Chronicles... then we have the NX which could be something slap bang between a home console and a handheld.
@BakaKnight Very good spot, perhaps Walugi Amiibo for Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is incoming.
@davidevoid Might not mean much, they have a Splatoon plate, too.
@Artwark Amazon and eBay sells them.
@MrGuinea I regretted getting an XL instead of the black/gold Zelda 3DS. The screens are larger, but the resolution is nowhere near as crisp as the smaller screens, and starts to fatigue my eyes. Also, if you like to keep your handhelds in your pocket like I do, the XL is a lot heavier and bulkier. Only pro for me is that the XL has a much nicer stylus (same as the Wii U).
That Mario Maker cover plate kind of makes me want to buy a 3DS...
The hanafuda plates are adorable!
@Artwark
I import plates all the time from Japan.
Many Japanese sites ship to US, and you can buy from Amazon Japan once you set up an account with a forwarder. Which, if you import a lot of stuff (and I do- amiibo, faceplates, Nendoroids, etc) it's well worth doing.
These will go nicely with the Monster Hunter X and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon faceplates. As if I'll ever take my Fire Emblem plates off lol. Got like 10 extra faceplates just piled up because I love the FE ones so much
Not buying a New 3DS unless a Pokémon bundle comes out with whatever the next game is. Until then sticking with my regular black XL.
8-bit Little Mac, Squid Kids, and R.O.B.: I must have those plates. I so hope we get this for Black Friday in NA.
I think I am definitely pre-ordering the Mario Maker one (faceplate only) from Play-Asia for such time as a tempting N3DS bundle releases stateside!
@davidevoid
I do get what your saying and I can say that if they done that it would cannibalize potential wii u sales, there wouldn't be any appeal on the wii u, smash, hyrule warriors, Mario kart and all the annual console releases, you can play those games on the 3ds what's the point of them being on wii u besides having pretty graphics. It's no wonder why 3ds sells better. get all wii u games on a cheaper console for a cheaper price.
"Nice", but I'm still expecting them to release red Mario themed limited edition New 3DSes as per the tradition started 10 years ago with the 20th Anniversary Game Boy Micro and continued by the 25th Anniversary DSi XL.
The 8-Bit and AC are so beautiful... 0_0
I want that Mario 30th 3DS.
I think that Mario Maker pattern looks fantastic, but I'd want it on a New XL. I'd even gladly buy another New XL if they release it in the US.
NOW COME ON....
Everything about this is screaming BUY ME... In drooling... Why can't we just have this?
Maybe it's time for me to import a Japanese 3DS?....
@NintendoFan990 right? My god if you grew up with Nintendo this thing beckons to every emotion and just.... Everything ugh.
I even love the box....
Those super Mario maker plates alone would make me get a new 3ds
Need and want that mario maker cover plate with all my being.
My favorite set of cover plates is the third one. Oh wait, those are ads.
Also, that 30th anniversary cover plate is beautiful.
I feel they can port Mario Maker to 3DS, but surely they would have to limit how many enemies and objects you can place (I haven't really tested the limit yet on Wii U but based on what I've seen in 100-Mario challenge, I imagine it's a very large amount).
If I get a black N3DS, I will definitely import the hanafuda one.
I so want it! Hope they will sell them separately.
@ninty4thewin They were released separately everywhere in Europe, except the UK, because of Nintendo's UK Shop wanting them only to be available via console bundles.
I was never interested in any of the Mario faceplates seen thus far (and I'm a huge fan of the plumber...). The Super Mario Maker faceplates, on the other hand, I gotta get into my hands.
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