In something of a surprise announcement (not in the least because Nintendo chose to only host a Japanese Nintendo Direct web broadcast, in the hopes the rest of the world wouldn't notice), Nintendo have revealed two "new", upgraded handheld consoles coming to Japan on October 11th, the imaginatively named 'New 3DS' and 'New 3DS XL'. Both of these new handhelds are the same size as their current counterparts physically, and will run all of the same games as the existing models, but come with a few significant new features and tweaks, as well as their own exclusive games. That said, these are not true successors to the 3DS - instead, they're kind of a 1.5 extension.
The first thing that jumps out about these new models is that they both have a new analogue stick and a great deal more buttons than their predecessors. Integrating the unwieldy (and hardly used) Circle Pad Pro add-on into the console itself, the new 3DS and 3DS XL come with a second analogue nub, pictured below, and a second pair of shoulder buttons, allowing for more complex games, with more complex controls.
The C-stick is reminiscent of the stubby C-stick on the Gamecube controller
The new, secondary analogue control stick is known as the C-stick (which takes it's name from the Gamecube's secondary stick, a good sign indeed), which in itself was short for camera stick - or in other words, the camera controls. However, at first glance, the placement of the new C-stick does appear to be in a rather cumbersome position - it's up at the top right of the device, near the screen hinge, and it appears to be placed even higher up than the main left analogue stick. You'll probably need to spend a bit of time practising your right hand thumb aerobics to get used to it (especially without hand cramp), but Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's President, assures us that the C-stick will be easy to use. Of course, he would say that.
The new colourful face buttons look rather snazzy...or should that be SNES-y?
If the C-stick takes inspiration from the Gamecube controller, then the new buttons are certainly inspired by the good ol' SNES. With a more colourful, retro makeover, some have speculated that the buttons may be a hint that SNES virtual console games might come to the new handhelds, letting you play a range of classic (if overpriced) games from one of Nintendo's most popular old home consoles on the go. We'll have to wait and see. Additionally, on the back of the new systems, there's two new shoulder buttons, ZL and ZR, which are located inwards from the original shoulder buttons of the 3DS/2DS.
The New 3DS models will also apparently offer better battery life, with the 'New' 3DS promising 3.5-6 hours (a slight upgrade on the original's 3-5 hours), while the 'New' 3DS XL boasts up to 3.5-7 hours, which again, isn't too far away from the original's 3.5-6 hours. As another minor tweak, the new handhelds also come with a Micro SD slot under the back casing, as opposed to the current standard SD slot, allowing for extra storage space.
As you'd likely expect from an upgraded console, the screens have been given an overhaul too, with both now able to adjust to ambient light, and a greatly improved 3D effect, which will be visible from multiple angles, rather than one sweet spot, and will apparently feature a lot less cross-talking, where you end up seeing the left eye's image with the right eye, and get an effect that's pretty close to double vision. It was a pretty serious drawback, and one of the things we picked up on when the 3DS first launched - but, oddly, that most other places didn't mention - so we're glad to see it go.
Speaking of screens, the bottom screen has an inbuilt NFC (Near Field Communication) sensor to support Nintendo's answer to Skylanders/Disney Infinity, Amiibo. You can put your Amiibo figures directly onto the New 3DS bottom screen to use in-game with titles such as the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, without having to use the add-on sensor Nintendo have launching later this year for the old 3DS/3DS XLs.
In a bit of an odd move, it seems Nintendo will also be automatically regulating web access from the new device, filtering out pages to "prevent children from looking at harmful websites", although this can be overridden by paying a fee when registering a credit card. In Japan, that's about 30 yen, which works out roughly at 17p for us.
Perhaps the best thing about the new consoles, though, is that they're going to be incredibly customisable. Both the top and lower face plate can snap on and off, and will be interchangeable with a wide range of designs available at launch. Ranging from designs of your favourite neighbourhood turtle stomper/plumber, to characters from Animal Crossing, and more abstract patterns and designs, there's a pretty impressive selection available, although somewhat predictably, there's one big drawback. The shells will only be compatible with the 'New' 3DS, not the 'New' 3DS XL - so if you buy the flagship, more expensive model of Nintendo's latest handheld, you'll be getting less features. Makes sense, right?
The 'LL' size shown here is the Japanese equivalent of the European XL size
Perhaps the biggest new addition, though - and also the most worrying, for those who're quite happy with the consoles they already own - is that of a faster CPU, or processor, which will not only allow for faster game downloads, but will also be put to use in new, 'New' 3DS and 'New' 3DS XL exclusive games.
Fragmenting the market, and making it so only those who buy in to the incremental upgrade of the machine can play the full range of 3DS games, there's already at least one 'New' 3DS/XL exclusive game, in the form of the newly announced Japanese RPG Xenoblade Chronicles - and apparently, there's more to come.
At this point, it's perhaps best to keep in mind that commentators have speculated for a while that part of the reason the Wii U hasn't sold well is that people can't differentiate it from the Wii because of the name. While that would be a watertight argument if "new" iPhones didn't sell like hot cakes, despite having incredibly similar names (and features), you have to spare a thought for the average consumer here.
What they're now faced with is five different consoles, all with very similar games, all that will play all 3DS games, but only some that can play 'New' 3DS games. Despite being called a 3DS, the 3DS can't play 'New' 3DS games. Despite not being called a 3DS, the 2DS can play 3DS games - just without the 3D - but it can't play 'New' 3DS games. And even when they're a year or so old, the 'New' 3DS will still be called the 'New' 3DS. Confused yet? Good, because we certainly are, and you can only imagine that this is the sort of thing that unfamiliar parents at Christmas time could potentially have nightmares about; having to make sure they get exactly the right games and accessories for their children's specific DS system, amongst a multitude of similar sounding DS products and games.
While they do look like significant upgrades from the standard 3DS and 2DS, the 'New' 3DS and 3DS XL will have to tread very carefully to avoid completely confusing the market. Perhaps most worryingly, the promise of 'New' 3DS exclusive games has the potential to cause trouble, as consumers are either faced with shelling out on an (admittedly nice looking) new console, perhaps only a year or two before Nintendo reveal their true 3DS successor, or missing out on games. You can only feel for people who've just bought an XL, only to be faced with the surprise news that their investment is now outdated, and within the space of a year, it won't be able to play the latest Nintendo games.
Of course, Nintendo realise people will be feeling like they've had their fingers burnt. That's why they've done their best to keep the announcement under wraps over here. If people knew a new model was on the way, it would only hurt sales this Christmas - and seeing as we won't be seeing the new model until well in to 2015, Nintendo will be hoping the general public remain oblivious to its existence. That's why the Nintendo Direct was only in Japanese.
With a bevy of new upgrades, the 'New' 3DS and 'New' 3DS XL arguably represent the 3DS's ultimate form - a refined, perfected version of a machine that's lasted us well over the years. Perhaps most exciting, though, is what this means for the future. Nintendo handhelds, at least recently, have always gone through three revisions. A year after the DSi launched, Nintendo revealed the 3DS. And that could well make this the harbinger of a proper, new Nintendo handheld.
New hardware now, and a proper 3DS follow-up in the near future? Time to start getting excited.
