It still feels like yesterday when Nintendo first introduced the 3DS to the world. The Big N sent out a short, simple press release about the system, yet that alone was enough to generate a huge amount of buzz about its potential. After all, it had been six years since Nintendo last released a brand new handheld.
Then E3 came and went, and the anticipation for the 3DS only increased. Nintendo truly delivered on their promise of creating a portable 3D gaming experience without the need for glasses. First and third-party support seemed incredible, marked by marquee names such as Resident Evil, Kingdom Hearts, and Metal Gear Solid. To top it off, it was later revealed that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – one of the most revered and cherished games of all time – would be released with enhanced graphics and features.
A couple of big 3DS-related events followed – the “Fall 2010” conference and the January blowout – and we learned about some very interesting features. The 3DS is the first Nintendo handheld to support multitasking, for instance, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief once Nintendo said that only one Friend Code would be needed for the system and would not be game specific.
That leads us to today. By the time you’ve starting reading this, you’re either in Japan/Europe and have the 3DS in your hands, or you are in North America and are right about ready to pick your system up from GameStop. It’s been over a year since the 3DS was announced, and it seemed as though the system was so far away. Yet here we are – launch day!
So, that leads me to one quick question (well, maybe more than one…): Did you purchase the 3DS? Are you going to pick up your system at midnight, or are you waiting for the morning? It’s also certainly possible that many of you aren’t buying the 3DS just yet. In any case, feel free to share any launch stories here and share your first experiences with the 3DS!
