Nintendo has always been known to re-release updated versions of its handheld consoles like the Game Boy and DS, but the newly-announced New Nintendo 3DS (yes, New is actually part of its name) might just be one of the biggest console improvements Nintendo has ever released.
Virtually everything about the New 3DS has been revamped, from the new button design, invoking previous Nintendo controllers, to the bigger screen and improved battery life. However, the big game changer is the newly added C-Stick.
Taking its name from the second analog stick from Nintendo's Gamecube controller, the C-Stick sits above the standard face buttons and works as a substitute for a traditional analog stick. Nintendo head executive Satoru Iwata says the C-Stick is closer to a button than an actual stick, but was designed with the Gamecube version in mind and will serve much the same purpose. In Super Smash Bros. for 3DS the C-Stick will be used to unleash Smash attacks, just as it was used in previous Smash Bros. installments on the Gamecube and Wii.
A slew of smaller improvements and changes are also included. The system's game slot has been moved from the center-back of the console the the front left. Two additional shoulder buttons have been added, labeled ZR and ZL.
One of the coolest new additions is the ability of the New 3DS camera to detect the amount of light in any given area and adjust the screen's brightness accordingly. This will improve the system battery life. The actual 3D part of the New 3DS is also improved. Whereas on previous 3DS consoles viewing the screen from an angle with the 3D function on would cause the screen to appear blurry and distorted, Nintendo has enabled the system's gyroscope to detect player head movement and can now adjust the 3D so that blurring no longer occurs.
The New Nintendo 3DS boasts an improved CPU which will allow for better graphics and quicker download times, and sports a micro-SD slot on the back for extra storage.
So far the new system has only been announced for Japan, but no doubt it will be coming to America sometime soon. It will come in two models: The New Nintendo 3DS will be 16,000 yen ($154) and come in white and metallic black colors, while the New Nintendo 3DS XL will be 18,800 yen ($181) and come available in metallic blue or black.
