Zelda 25th Anniversary Edition 3DS coming to US

By Staff

[UPDATE] Nintendo confirms special $200 hardware bundles for Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D Land to launch on Thanksgiving Day.

Nintendo of America may be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Zelda with a new 3DS, if scans of retailers' Black Friday ads are accurate. As spotted by Kotaku, scans of Best Buy and GameStop circulars for Black Friday advertise the hardware bundle as appearing on store shelves in time for the traditional post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping kickoff.

Each retailer lists a $200 regular price for the package, which includes a black 3DS with a gold Zelda Triforce design on the lid, along with a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. However, Best Buy is advertising a sale price of $180 for the package.

Link isn't the only Nintendo mascot receiving the bundled hardware treatment, as the ads also show Super Mario 3D Land packages. However, those appear to include a standard Flame Red 3DS system. (Nintendo recognized Mario's 25th anniversary last year with redesigned Wii and DSi XL bundles.)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D launched in June and sold more than 1 million copies in its first two weeks on sale. For more on Link's revamped adventure, check out GameSpot's review.

[UPDATE 11/21]: Nintendo today confirmed both the Ocarina of Time 3D and Super Mario 3D Land bundles will launch in the US on November 24, Thanksgiving Day.

91 comments
mr_squibble
mr_squibble

Just set up my Zelda 3DS yesterday. It's a very nice little unit. The Zelda graphics look classy, and it has some nice gold touches on the buttons and on the trim. The free downloadable 3D Pokedex app is rather nice for Pokemon fans. I'm looking forward to trying out some more 3DS games and downloading a few things from the 3DS shop. Just wished the battery lasted longer, but at least it only taks ~3.5 hours to charge.

HyabusaRyu
HyabusaRyu

it's like nintendo is telling us: BUY IT OR DIE!!!!!!

SicklySunStorm
SicklySunStorm

I have one of the Black Zelda ones on the way, but my wife is putting it away for Xmas.... interestingly, the bundle with Mario 3D here in Europe comes with a plain white 3DS, not a red one. Can't wait to give the 3DS a spin on christmas day!

Tazmania89
Tazmania89

@raphaelcoelho15 yes the 3DS works with WPA :)

raphaelcoelho15
raphaelcoelho15

@Tazmania89 Oh sorry but, another question. Does 3DS works with WPA ? I know that DSi works but DS Lite doesn't and this make me really mad LOL

oUNKNOWNo
oUNKNOWNo

The zelda one looks awesome :O I want it.

Blazakenki
Blazakenki

Il just leave my wallet on the table here. Nintendo help yourself. Just make sure i get me one of d'em new 3DSs yah hear?

Tazmania89
Tazmania89

@raphaelcoelho15 1- They are almost in the same size. 2- all DS games will work on the 3DS but they wont be in 3D though. 3- yes you can trade pokemons or battle using the 3DS system with a DS system. i hope that helped ^^

raphaelcoelho15
raphaelcoelho15

well I was thinking about buying a 3DS but i got some doubts. Does 3DS is bigger than DS Lite? A game like mario kart o pokémon for DS systems works on 3DS systems and it worls in 3D or only some DS games? And the last question is, When we play pokémon and we want to trade we use 2 DS systems one close to another and trade or battle, etc, Does it works with a 3DS system and a DS system?

fireycheeseball
fireycheeseball

@pokemonblackftw lololol your name screams hypocrisy

TrueProphecy22
TrueProphecy22

That's one of the sexiest handheld paint jobs I've ever seen.

hotdiddykong
hotdiddykong

Guys, if Nintendo wanted a "Revision", they wouldve done it by now, and its not coming anytime soon either.

hotdiddykong
hotdiddykong

@wiidsduelpack Wow, you REALLY want to throw them off, That doesnt change the fact that THEY ARE NEW IP's, your BSing. If Kid Icarus uprising is NOTHING like Kid Icarus, doesnt that technically make it a new IP? dude think!

wiidsduelpack
wiidsduelpack

@hotdiddykong Do not mention I.P's as there is no Starfox, F-Zero on the Wii. Kid Icarus has not launched and that looks nothing like Kid Icarus. It only has its name. Elite Beat Agents and Sin and Punishment are franchises Nintendo will rarely use after their abysmal sales. / After Other M, Metroid seems like it will go downhill. That leaves the big N with Mario and Zelda and Mario Party has been milked to death by Nintendo.

mamelon2012
mamelon2012

Ok, so if being an ambassador didnt suck after the price drop, trust me it definitely sucks now.

hotdiddykong
hotdiddykong

@wiidsduelpack That shows how weak peoples sights are, Nintendo has Many IP's and some of them you ignored, Elite Beat Agents, Rhythme Heaven, Sin and Punishment, Kid Icarus Uprising, and more, People need to stop being Blind and stop staying Crap like that.

wiidsduelpack
wiidsduelpack

@hotdiddykong I was at Vgchartz, and they had a thread of why you hate the Wii. I realize that this is the 3DS, but some of the strongest points to me is that Nintendo got $13 billion of the Wii (Iwata) and there has been no new I.P's. / I have seen no new original good I.P from Nintendo. The same Zelda and Mario from 25 years ago.

mr_squibble
mr_squibble

Heading over to Gamestop to preorder this today. Been sitting on some birthday cash and store credit for some time now and it will cover the purcahse. I was thinking about waiting for a 3DS Lite, but I don't want to miss out on the growing library of fun 3DS games. I love dedicated handheld gaming!

FallenOneX
FallenOneX

If this doesn't inspire you to go get one this weekend, then you probably won't buy one until another price drop, if at all. No, it's not the greatest system ever made, but it has lived up to what they said it would be. In the next 3 months, there's more than a few worthy games coming out for the 3DS.

SicklySunStorm
SicklySunStorm

Very tempted to finally take the plunge, but I know as soon as I buy one of these nice shiny black/gold Zelda 3DS's, the new spangly, thinner, lighter, better model will come out.... for two thirds the money I just paid too(!)

Cassed
Cassed

@Triton That's a good strategy, I just wait for the revision of the revised system , but my friends usually hold off until the sequel to the revision of the revised system, because they don't like to be behind. My idiot friend suggests the best strategy is to either buy one and be happy or buy none; doesn't he know anything about obsoletion?

VlVlsectVl
VlVlsectVl

@warhawk They've sold like 6 million of them worldwide so far. The only person I know with one is my friend's 8 year-old daughter. I played it for a minute and I went cross-eyed. I'm still tempted to buy the Zelda bundle @ Best Buy Friday.

Xhawk2004
Xhawk2004

Was hoping this would happen, just NOT in this color scheme. You could just get some decals and apply them to the existing Black 3ds and get something similar. Would have been MUCH better to make a gold 3ds and then add the decals in a darker color. Total fail ... I'll just stick to my launch blue 3ds for now.

warhawk-geeby
warhawk-geeby

Hows the 3DS selling at the moment? That's a serious question - I'm intrigued. I still don't know a single person that owns one :?

Triton
Triton

Old news, better late than never I guess Gamespot. I will wait for the revised system. They will have better games by then. That's the best thing about big "N" just wait the love to crank out revised / same tech hardware.- Not to mention all the colors.

D3dr0_0
D3dr0_0

If I do get a 3DS I'll make sure this will be the one I pick.

Shadow_Fire41
Shadow_Fire41

hope its around a while.......i ain't got money right now.

Dragon_Nexus
Dragon_Nexus

@ZeroX91 That's going to be about 4 years away. They need to release the 3DS Lite first in a year or two.

ZeroX91
ZeroX91

Looks sexy but im still holding out for the 3dsi (you know the inevitable update)

thereal-15-cent
thereal-15-cent

I'm glad I didn't already buy a 3DS. Hopefully it will be around for a while, i'll buy it when I can afford it.

darkfiercelink
darkfiercelink

I'm getting this for sure. I haven't got a 3ds because i knew they going to release a zelda ds >w

COPMAN221ISBACK
COPMAN221ISBACK

Just to give you an example, Wiimote with add on Wiimotion plus. How hard did they push that add on and now they have a controller with it built in. Hmmm, Why would they even make the add on unless they realized they left something out or the controller was not as responsive as they wanted it to be. Again I'm not bashing Nintendo but I guess I am wrong for pointing out the obvious. Wake up people it's going to happen sooner than you think..

rich_stokesy
rich_stokesy

Surprised this special edition hadn't already been announced for US and Canada really, the UK and Europe has known about this for a few weeks. Pre-ordered mine about two weeks ago, looks the business!

calvinsora
calvinsora

Wow, that's a sweet 3DS. But I'm pretty cool with my electric blue one, quite fine indeed.

Shytink8965
Shytink8965

@GamingClone I have to agree with you on that. Everyone who played the first Luigi's Mansion game has to wait for a decade for the sequel. Anyways, it's a beautiful design for the 3DS, but there's one problem. I got mine in aqua blue 2 months ago

-Squirrel-
-Squirrel-

I knew they'd do this and I'd want it, but I was a day 1 buyer and I don't regret that for a second. This is a must buy I'd say for anyone who doesn't have a 3DS yet tho. For those wanting on a "3DS lite", perhaps by next Christmas Nintendo will have a new version, no sooner. And I'll probably buy that one too and transfer over all my games, just like I did with the DS and DS lite. Tech gets updated over time, that doesn't mean you never adopt it. Perhaps you shouldn't get the "lite" update either, since ya know there might be another update after that like the DSi was. But then you might as well wait for the next handheld if you do that... If the 3DS follows the DS model, after 2 years there will be an update, then 3 years another. Waiting years to buy a system may seem like you're saving money, but you're also missing out on years of games and experiences.

CarlaBeat11
CarlaBeat11

I don't really want a 3DS but this is beautiful...

JtAgentX
JtAgentX

Nintendo would be the last company I know of that would rush back to the drawing boards and release a redesign for a console they JUST released on to the market just because a few complains...They didn't add a camera and music playability on the DS until 2009, almost 5 years after the original....

ammathil
ammathil

AND.................there went all my x-mas funds 4 my self

COPMAN221ISBACK
COPMAN221ISBACK

I don't understand why people are hating on the obvious. I'm not bashing Nintendo but you have to be pretty foolish not to think that they will not make a 3ds with dual sticks. As for those who say it just a "peripheral", Why make it then if it was never needed or did Nintendo just realize they need it and should have done it to begin with. Thank you..

FallenOneX
FallenOneX

@ Super-Poke-Bros I know that will work for the other games I have downloaded (most of them according to the last time I checked, months ago), but they might not let me transfer the Ambassador games or status. I'll check on it though, and thanks for the reminder.

dxdevilex0
dxdevilex0

@COPMAN221ISBACK Not all games will use the slide pad expansion and the games that use it just adds another option in the controls,it would still be able to play without the slide pad expansion.

pizzamuncher
pizzamuncher

@COPMAN221ISBACK But they wouldn't make a peripheral at all if they were going to make a new one. I fail to see why two slide pads is even necessary. Most 3DS games control fine, as well as console games do. That's why it is a peripheral and not built-in.

ToTs_00
ToTs_00

@Spacerac If you ask me if it wasn't for the terrible fan reaction to Other M I think Nintendo would be celebrating the Metroid anniversary also instead of keeping it out of the spotlight.

Conversation powered by Livefyre

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!