The decision has been made: I'm getting a New 3DS (instead of a pink OG 3DS)

Actually, I already bought it. On Saturday. It won't be in my hands until late this week or early next, though, so I've got plenty of time to decide which of my six (yes, you read that correctly) cover plates I'll attach to this shiny new handheld first.

Don't take this to mean I'll never acquire the "pearl pink" OG 3DS I've pined for since that color was first announced, by the way. A part of me thinks I'll still buy one at some point--and possibly sooner rather than later.

Who knows, though? Maybe I'll fall head over heels in love with my New 3DS once it's in my hands and that will kill my interest in the OG variety once and for all.

Some of you may be wondering why I'm unsure if I'll love the New 3DS that's on its way to me.



After all, I bought a Japanese version of the system late last year. (Read about it in my post, "As I've always said, you can't have too many Animal Crossing-themed things or 3DS systems.")

The thing is, I've yet to actually use that system. Which, I realize, is completely ridiculous. Perhaps even insane. Rest assured I didn't purchase it to let it sit in a box. Truth be told, I'm terrified I'll screw up the process of transferring all of the games and saves from my gold Pokémon Center 3DS LL to my Japanese New 3DS, and that is what has kept me from playing the latter.

Thankfully, moving everything from my "flame red" OG 3DS to my North American New 3DS should go a long way toward helping me put those fears to rest. Assuming it does, I'll finally be able to put some of the Japanese 3DS games I've picked up over the last few months through their paces, as the saying goes.

In the meantime, do any of you own a New 3DS system? What do you think of it, if so?

As I've always said, you can't have too many Animal Crossing-themed things or 3DS systems

I try to be sensible when it comes to buying systems and games. A couple of months ago, though, I went overboard and ordered a whole slew of products from my favorite seller of current Japanese releases, amiami.

Specifically, I bought the games, systems and even accessories that can be seen in the photo below.

That pastel-covered box at the top of the photo contains the smaller "new 3DS"--the one that can be dolled up with a multitude of "cover plates"--that has been available in Japan for over a year now.

Below and to the right of the new 3DS box are a copy of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (or, rather, Doubutsu no Mori: Happy Home Designer, if you want to be perfectly accurate) and three packs of the first series of Happy Home Designer amiibo cards.

Just to the left of those offerings is a Happy Home Designer cover plate.



Above is another photo of the smaller new 3DS' lovely packaging. That little blurb in the upper-left corner informs interested parties that the system can be altered with kisekae plates--which I guess translates to something like "dress-up plates." (In the Western world, they're being called cover plates.)



And here's another look at Happy Home Designer's almost kaleidoscopic cover art. I really like how it brings to mind a child's playhouse.

The packaging that contains the Happy Home Designer amiibo cards is pretty ace, too, if you ask me. Sadly, I've yet to open the damn things.

I can't even tell you why that is--other than I've been busy with other things (wrapping up 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors being one of them) for the last couple of weeks and doing so just hasn't been a priority.

I promise I'll open them soon, though, and follow up the experience with a post that showcases photos of some of the adorable Animal Crossing--or Doubutsu no Mori--character cards that are contained within.

Finally, the Happy Home Designer cover plate that I mentioned earlier is highlighted in the photo above. Can you believe that it is what prompted me to finally pick up a new 3DS--as opposed to the other way around? Yes, I really am that sort of odd duck.

Now I just have to free all of these gaming products from their paper and plastic wrappers, put them through their paces, as the saying goes, and then report back here as to what I think of them.

In the meantime, have any of you bought or pre-ordered some version of Happy Home Designer--or are you thinking you'll buy one in the near-ish future? If so, let me know about it in the comments section below.

Capcom, Nintendo and Square are doing their darndest to suck me (and my bank account) dry

And here I thought this morning's Japanese Nintendo Direct was going to be a dud.

Instead, it ended with me adding a bunch of items--not just games, but systems and even accessories, too--to my ever-growing 3DS wish list.

Admittedly, a couple of the aforementioned titles that are going to be picked up as soon as is possible--which means the minute they're released--were announced prior to today's broadcast, but I wasn't sure about either of them until I saw them in action or saw their box art.

The 3DS port (of sorts) of Dragon Quest VIII is the game that I had to see in action before deciding to purchase it, by the way.

Speaking of which, its first trailer can be seen at the beginning of the Nintendo Direct. I don't know about you, but I think it looks pretty wonderful. Even if it didn't, though, I'd probably buy a copy of it just so I could experience the "pudding slime" spotted at the 2:07 mark firsthand.

Dragon Quest VIII will hit store shelves in Japan on Aug. 27. Here's hoping it somehow makes its way westward, too.



As for the 3DS game that I want to own now that I've seen its box art, that would be Doubutsu no Mori: Happy Home Designer.

Seriously, look at the packaging above and try to tell me it isn't fabulous beyond belief.



Actually, scratch that. This Animal Crossing spin-off's cover art is just fabulous when compared to the special New 3DS LL system (above) that's set to be released alongside it.

Even more fabulous, in my humble opinion, is the Happy Home Designer-branded kisekae plate that also will hit the streets of Japan on July 30.



You can rest assured I'll pre-order the latter as soon as someone allows me to do so--despite the fact that I've yet to pick up a New 3DS system.

This latest Nintendo Direct didn't focus only on already announced 3DS games, thankfully. A handful of surprises found their way into the broadcast, too, with the side-scrolling Guru Guru! Chibi Robo! and Monster Hunter X being two of them.

To be honest, as happy as I am that Nintendo's giving Chibi Robo another chance, I'm not sure I'll be purchasing this latest effort. (I'd far prefer an adventure that apes the series' original offering.)

Also, as nice as Monster Hunter X looks, I can say with quite a bit of certainty that I won't be adding it to my collection of 3DS games.



I can say with just as much certainty, though, that I'll be buying one of the other out-of-left-field titles that were announced earlier today--with the title in question being MonHun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura DX (aka Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village DX).

After all, I've wanted to play one of the MonHun Nikki games for ages, and I can't think of anything more appropriate than finally doing so on my Japanese 3DS.

(This kind of puts the copy of the first MonHun Nikki for PSP I acquired a short while ago in a precarious position, I guess, but what can you do?)

What did all of you think about this morning's Nintendo Direct? Did any accessories, games or systems stick out at you as "must buys"?