NintendoGeneration 8
Nintendo 3DS
2011
AU Release
31 March 2011
AU Launch Price
$349 AUD
~$475 today
Units Sold
76M
Technical Specifications
Processor
ARM11 Dual-core (268 MHz) + ARM7 (134 MHz)
Memory
128 MB
Storage
2 GB SD card (included)
Media
3DS Game Card / eShop
Best-Selling Nintendo 3DS Games
Global lifetime sales
Cultural Impact
The Nintendo 3DS launched at AU$349 — expensive for a handheld — and failed to excite at first. Within six months, Nintendo dramatically cut the price and apologised to early adopters with free games via the 'Ambassador Program'. After the price cut, it became a massive success. Its glasses-free 3D screen was a novelty that proved more useful for some games than expected. But the real story was the library: Pokemon X/Y, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Monster Hunter 4, and the fantastic remake of Majora's Mask made it one of the best-supported portables Nintendo ever produced.
Did You Know?
Nintendo cut the 3DS price from US$249 to US$169 just five months after launch — a 32% cut — and gave 20 free games to early adopters as an apology
The 3DS's StreetPass feature automatically exchanged data with other 3DS owners you passed — creating a passive social gaming experience
Animal Crossing: New Leaf sold 12 million copies on the 3DS, proving the series was more than a niche title
From the Same Generation (Gen 8)
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