The Nintendo 3DS Situation gets Interesting

Despite Nintendo’s claim it has sold more than 830,000 3DS units in the US, Nintendo stock is currently still at a disappointing 5-year low.

I know I have been flirting with the idea of 3DS ownership since its launch in March. However, the 3DS has yet to blow my skirt up. (Figuratively, I assure you. I wouldn’t be caught dead in a skirt until early fall.) It appears as though I am not the only gamer flirting with the handheld system and the Nintendo marketing department knows it. Nintendo recently announced that they will be rewarding 3DS owners by bestowing upon them the honorable title of “Nintendo 3DS Ambassador.” Anyone who owns a 3DS system and connects to the Nintendo eShop before 11:59 PM EST on August 11^th, 2011, will be automatically inducted into the “Nintendo 3DS Ambassador” program. This prestigious sounding club will grant its members access to 10 free NES Virtual Console games on September 1^st. These titles include The Legend of Zelda, Ice Climber, Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong Jr, Ice Climber, and Balloon Fight. Also included in the program is free access to 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games before the end of 2011. According to Nintendo, access to the GBA games (which include Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Metroid Fusion) is exclusive and will not be available to anyone outside of the program.

What’s with this magical Cinderella deadline of August 11^th you ask? Nintendo also announced that on August 12^th, the price of the 3DS will be drastically dropped to $169.99 in the states, and 15,000 Yen in Japan. Although the new price of the system in Europe has yet to be announced, sources claim the price will be similarly reduced approximately 30%.

It appears as though Nintendo is finally making a concerted effort at blowing up my (completely figurative) skirt. These announcements, coupled with this year’s 3DS lineup (including Super Mario Land 3D, Mario Kart 7, and Star Fox 64 3D) are making an offer that is tough to refuse.

Now, the only decision I have to make is whether or not I want to be an “Ambassador”. The title sounds like a lot of responsibility, but I’ll do it if I get to wear a cool robe.