And they said it would never happen: I (finally) got a Switch!

Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram likely already know this news, but for the rest of you: I finally got a Nintendo Switch!

Shocking, I know. Especially since I never bought a Wii U despite regularly saying I would do just that. Also, back when Nintendo revealed the Switch, I declared I likely wouldn't purchase one until its price dropped to at least $250. I've also suggested on more than one occasion that I'd prefer to wait for the inevitable hardware revision to be released before I pick up a Switch.

Well, all of that went out the window after a Super Mario Odyssey Switch bundle was announced during the most recent batch of Nintendo Directs. (Read this post for some of my thoughts on those broadcasts.)

That's not to say this bundle caused me to go weak in the knees or anything like that. I'm probably as interested in Super Mario Odyssey as the next Nintendo fan, but I'm not so interested in it that I'm champing at the bit to own a pair of "Mario red" Joy-Con controllers or a Super Mario Odyssey-themed carrying case.



However, when I realized this bundle was going be pretty widely available--you can still pre-order it via gamestop.com--I couldn't help perk up a bit.

So, I pre-ordered it. Within days, maybe even hours, though, I discovered Walmart had almost surreptitiously started selling a Splatoon 2 bundle.

This same bundle--featuring a copy of Splatoon 2 as well as a set of neon green and pink Joy-Cons and a Splatoon-branded carrying case--has been available in Japan for some time now, but Nintendo of America's never even breathed a word about it since the game's late-July release, so I assumed it wouldn't be an option for me. (To be honest, I'm not entirely sold on Splatoon 2. I am, however, sold on the pink and green Joy-Cons.)

Anyway, everything changed once I knew about the availability of this Splatoon 2 bundle. I kept an eye on it for a few days and after it became clear it wasn't going to sell out immediately, I canceled my pre-order for the Super Mario Odyssey bundle and pre-ordered this one instead.



It arrived yesterday, but I've yet to even open the box, let alone turn on the Switch and give it a go. Don't worry, I plan on doing that soon, though perhaps not for a few more days. I want to wait for the screen protector I just bought to arrive (and be applied) before I put this lovely piece of hardware through its paces.

Once that's out of the way--watch out! The first thing I'll do is make my way to the Switch eShop and download the Octopath Traveler demo. (See the latest Octopath Traveler trailer and read some of my thoughts on it here.)

After that, I've got to decide what I'm going to do with the Splatoon 2 download code that's packed inside the pretty box seen throughout this post. I want to play the game at some point, don't get me wrong, but at the moment I think I'd rather use whatever money I could get for it on something else (like a physical copy of Super Mario Galaxy).

Do any of you have a Switch? If so, what do you think of it? Also, do you have any advice or recommendations to share with a newbie like myself? If you do, please share them in the comments section below.

Help me decide if I should buy (another) OG 3DS or New 3DS

Here's the thing: I've been itching to replace my "flame red" OG 3DS for ages now.

The main reason, of course, is that I never really wanted a red 3DS. I wanted a pink one. I won't bore you with the long-winded story about how and why I ended up with a red rather than a pink 3DS, but the gist is that I've never quite been able to quash my longing for the latter.

Another reason I want to replace my not-pink 3DS: its bottom screen features so many scratches and scuff marks--thanks to games like Maestro! Jump in Music--it's starting to drive me batty.

And then there's the fact that Nintendo just tossed the ROM for its cult-favorite SNES RPG, EarthBound onto the North American eShop--and made it only playable on New 3DS systems.

That last comment might prompt some of you to wonder why I'm asking for your advice as to whether I should buy another (this time pink) OG 3DS or one of the smaller New 3DS units. After all, if I choose the first option, I won't be able to enjoy on-the-go EarthBound in a fully legal manner.

This is true, of course, but I can't say it's done much to sway me one way or the other. I guess that's due to the "power of pink"? OK, so it's also probably due to the fact that I've grown pretty fond of the OG 3DS' design in the last few years. (I used to despise it, especially in comparison to the wonderfully sleek cases that house Nintendo's DS Lite and DSi handhelds.)

Whatever the case my be, I'm all sorts of confused about which model of 3DS I should buy in the next few days, so I'm asking for some input.

Which device would you pick up if you were in my shoes: a "pearl pink" OG 3DS or a non-XL New 3DS?

A custom-made pouch and a review copy of Curses 'N Chaos: two reasons my Vita's going to be played a whole lot more in the coming weeks

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned my pink-and-white Vita all that much since it arrived on my doorstep earlier this year. (You can read about it, and see some snazzy photos of it, in this post.)

That isn't because I'm at all unhappy with it, I promise you. On the contrary, I love the darn thing to death. In fact, it's possible I love it too much.

What do I mean by that? Well, as I've stated elsewhere a few times before, I'm so used to laptop-esque handhelds like the 3DS, DS and even the GameBoy Advance SP that a system with an exposed screen like the Vita kind of freaks me out--to the point that I keep mine wrapped up and in its box whenever I'm not playing it.



(Admittedly, I own two PSPs and have had at least one of them for a few years now, but both came with scratched screens and so I've never obsessed over them like I do my Vita.)

As you probably can imagine, keeping a handheld stowed away in its original packaging doesn't exactly promote regular play--which should help explain my lack of experience with the Vita so far.

That's all in the past now, though, thanks to the snazzy, padded carrying pouch my neighbor friend, Gina Gallaway (her husband is Brad Gallaway, managing editor of GameCritics.com), recently made for me. As you can see in the photo below, it beautifully complements my oh-so-precious Vita.

Anyway, now that I have a case (or pouch, or whatever you want to call it) that can protect my Vita from dust and scratches and other such things, I'm keeping it at the ready.



Which means, of course, that I should be able to put a good amount of time into the copy of Curses 'N Chaos that the folks at Tribute Games kindly sent to me a week or two ago.

That's not to say I haven't put any time into it yet. Actually, I put about an hour into Curses 'N Chaos last weekend, but I'm not sure that was enough for me to come to any solid conclusions about it.

As for my not-so-solid conclusions: well, based on what I've seen and heard and felt so far, I've got to say I'm a bit surprised--and I don't mean that in the best of ways.

Don't get me wrong, Curses 'N Chaos both looks and sounds wonderful--as is the case for every Tribute Games release I've encountered to date. It feels good, too, truth be told. As of now, though, I'm not sure I'd say I'm finding it all that fun.



You see, I came into Curses 'N Chaos expecting that it would be some sort of Ghosts 'n Goblins or Ghouls 'n Ghosts clone. While it Tribute Games' effort ably apes the aesthetics of those Capcom classics, its gameplay is a lot more limited.

Specifically, while the aforementioned quarter-munchers have sprawling, side-scrolling levels, all of the ones included in Curses 'N Chaos are single-screen affairs. Because of that, Curses 'N Chaos is more of a "score attack" sort of game. That's all well and good, but I'm not really a "score attack" kind of guy.

So, for the moment I'm not exactly feeling this digital title (which can be played by PS4 owners, too). I'm not giving up on it, though--not by a long shot--so look for me to share additional impressions on it in a future post.

Have any of you played Curses 'N Chaos? If so, what do you think of it?

Nice Package! ('Noble Pink' Nintendo DS Lite)

Considering all of the love I've shown for the Nintendo DS over the years (especially this past year, as I've devoted an entire series of posts to it), you might think that I'd have a whole slew of systems that are dedicated to playing its wonderfully diverse catalog of games.

In fact, I've only ever owned or played a single DS system--that being the white DS Lite I semi-begrudgingly bought (I wasn't all that keen on Nintendo's first dual-screened handheld until I finally experienced it for myself) sometime in 2007 so I could play Animal Crossing: Wild World while traveling for work.

Although I've barely put any time into Wild World in the ensuing years, I’ve spent hours upon hours with the aforementioned DS Lite--which continues to chug along like I only pulled it from its box yesterday, I'm proud to say.



Still, as much as I love its sleek design and its diminutive size, I recently came to the conclusion that I’d love it even more if it were a bit more colorful. Specifically, I'd love it even more if it were a pretty shade of pink. Which initially struck me as kind of funny, as my mom has had a pink DS Lite for ages, and I never much cared for the particular hue that Nintendo chose for its casing.

For some odd reason, though, I recently had a change of heart that prompted me to see the "coral pink" DS Lite ("noble pink" in Japan) in a far more appealing light.

So, when I came across an eBay auction for a (mostly) complete-in-box "noble pink" DS Lite a month or so ago, I naturally couldn't keep myself from bidding on it.

Anyway, imagine my surprise when I was able to win the auction in question with a bargain-basement bid (in my humble opinion) of $25.



As I alluded to earlier, the Japanese DS Lite I acquired as a result of this online shopping extravaganza can’t really be described as “complete in box.” Oh, a box was included, as you should be able to see in the photos shared throughout this post, and a pretty-in-noble-pink DS Lite system was included, too, but that’s about it. In other words, it didn’t come with an instruction manual or any of the pamphlets and fliers that Nintendo usually stuffed inside this product's packaging.

Of course, who in 2015 really needs an instruction manual for a DS Lite, especially one that’s totally, or at least mostly, in Japanese? Not me.

Even if I were the kind of guy who refused to buy anything but undeniably complete-in-box gaming products, though, I’d have shoved aside those irrational feelings in favor of picking up the lovely DS Lite shown in the snapshot above, as the hardware, in particular, is in pristine condition.



If I were to guess, I'd say the system's never been used. At the very least, its previous owner either has the softest skin ever or wore gloves while playing it, as the outer shell is free of the usual smudges and scuff marks. Also, he or she must've obsessively ignored the lower touch screen, as it has absolutely no scratches on it.

Is this beauty going to be my new go-to system for DS games? Sadly, probably not, but don't take that to mean it's going to sit in a cabinet, forever unused. I'll definitely pull it out and put it through its paces now and then, but for the most part I'll turn to my trusty OG 3DS when I want to play DS carts, as I love the more modern hardware's ability to track playtime.

Are any of you aficionados of the DS Lite's packaging--or, more likely, of the DS Lite itself? If so, let me (and others) know why in the comments section below.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears ... as well as your Vita game recommendations

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you've already heard this thrilling piece of news: I recently bought a Vita!

Actually, I bought it quite some time ago, but it took its sweet time getting to me. Plus, after it finally arrived in my neighborhood, it had to sit at the local "carrier annex" for a full week before I was able to come rescue it. (Which is what happens, I guess, when you go from being a full-time freelancer to having a full-time office job and thus no longer have the luxury of pretty much always being home when such packages arrive.)



Sadly, I haven't been able to do much more than charge its battery, start it up, set it up, download a couple of PSP games from my PSN account (Patchwork Heroes being one of them) and connect with a few pals between last weekend and today.

I'm planning to spend a lot more time with it late next week and the following weekend, though--right after I wrap up the class I mentioned in yesterday's post about my Solitiba and Katamari Damacy doodles, basically. 

As for what I'll be playing once I finally give my Vita the attention it deserves: well, I'll probably begin with Danganronpa, although it's possible I'll also download and play a bit of Magical Beat, Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines or Pix the Cat.

Given that my gaming wish list is sorely lacking in Vita titles at the moment (it includes the ones I just mentioned, of course, as well as a handful of others), I thought I'd ask all of you who also have Sony's PSP follow-up to share with me any recommendations you may have for a Vita noob like myself. 

Should any must-play Vita games come to mind in the next few hours, days or even weeks, please share their names in the comments section of this post.

It's totally Tiny Cartridge's fault that I bought these 'Cyber Neko-Nyan' silicon covers for my 3DS XLs

Late last year, the Tiny Cartridge crew published a post about Cyber Gadget's adorable cat-themed "silicon covers" for the 3DS XL.

Being the crazy cat- and 3DS-lover than I am, I included a couple of these accessories on my birthday and Christmas wish lists. Apparently they were deemed inappropriate present fodder, though, so I ended up buying two of them for myself shortly after the holidays.



The pink and tortoiseshell covers shown in the photos above and below are the results of that early-2015 shopping spree.

I slightly prefer the tortoiseshell one (buy it here), I have to say--which is sure to shock some of you. (Hell, it kind of shocks me, given my love of all things pink.)

The entirety of the tortoiseshell cover can be seen above. I love how it even has a little nub of a tail on its backside. (Not that I often look at the bottom of any of my 3DS systems.)

Here's a shot of the pink cover's packaging--which isn't nearly as precious as the tortoiseshell version's packaging, but what can you do?



Also, it has to be noted that the pink cover (buy one here) doesn't feature a tail on the underside. Bummer.

A number of additional designs (breeds?) are available, by the way, so if you'd rather encase your 3DS XL or LL in a black or white or tabby silicon cover, head over to amazon.com when you have a chance.

'Yr Surprising No-One'

I'm not entirely sure what inspired artist melonjaywalk to produce this lovely piece of art, but I think it may have been Far Cry 4's controversial cover imagery.

Of course, it's possible I'm just reading too much into this quote, which Francis (melonjaywalk's actual first name) posted alongside his pixelated painting:

"I feel lame to the max seeming as the only way I could identify a character as 'gay' in this is via the colour pink, but I guess being obvious is better than abstraction at this point."



The sprites included in this acrylic-on-canvas creation were pulled from 1995's Super Bomberman 3 (SNES/Super Famicom), by the way--which is one of the few Bomberman games I've yet to experience.

Anyway, if you'd like to check out more of melonjaywalk's stuff--and why on earth wouldn't you want to do that?--saunter over to his deviantart.com gallery at your earliest convenience.

See also: 'Don't get yr hopes up'

You know you're an odd gamer when it's 2014 and you're seriously considering buying a metallic rose DSi XL rather than something more current

I know I suggested at the tail end of 2013 that I wouldn't be buying any new systems this year, but I'm seriously considering tossing that pseudo-promise into the trash so I can pick up a metallic rose DSi XL.

Granted, the DSi XL isn't really a "new" system like the PS4, Vita and Wii U are, and those are the kinds of systems I was referring to when I made the aforementioned end-of-the-year proclamation, but if I were to be completely honest I'd admit my original plan was to avoid buying any new systems, period, in 2014, so I feel kind of like a putz for even considering picking up a DSi XL sometime within the next 12 months.

All that said, I really want one. Especially one of the metallic rose variety. 

Why? Well, I've always wanted one, for starters. And then there's the fact that I've always preferred playing games on original hardware. (As in, I'd rather play GBA games on an actual GameBoy Advance system than on a DS, just like I'd rather play DS games on an actual DS than on a 3DS.)

The question is: should I just get over myself and play all of the DS games I recently picked up (and I picked up a bunch--look for posts devoted to them in the coming weeks and months) on one of my 3DSes? Or should I blow $150 just so I can avoid obsessing about the "black bars" and such?  

Five more favorites: Japanese Game Gear box art

Last week around this time, I published a post devoted to five of my favorite pieces of Japanese Game Gear box art. Today, I'm publishing another.

Don't worry, this one features absolutely no purple-tinged cover illustrations--although it does feature a few pink ones.

Nazo Puyo: Aruru no Roux--There's a whole lot to like about this piece of box art, in my estimation. First, there's the giant photo of a plateful of curry. Then, there are the illustrations that depict the titular Arle (Aruru) and her pal Carbuncle as chef and, uh, a curry-loving flying-carpet rider. Finally, there's the flashy and fun logo.

Pengo--OK, so the bird in the cover illustration above looks more like a duck than a penguin (and I'm pretty sure the protagonist of this classic game is supposed to be the latter), but the rest of it is so cool that I'm giving it a pass.

Phantasy Star Adventure--This game's box art can't hold a candle to that of its counterpart, Phantasy Star Gaiden, but I think it still deserves a spot in this post. If only the main illustration took up the entire cover...

Psychic World--I've never much cared for this title's gameplay (or graphics, to be completely honest), but I very much care for its cover imagery. That its border is a pleasant shade of pink just adds to its allure in my mind.

Putt & Putter--I know what some of you are thinking in regard to this selection: "It looks like one of those nasty posters that appear in movies from the 1980s!" I can't disagree with that assessment. Still, it appeals to me. I'm guessing it's because of that retro-tastic logo.

See also: five favorite pieces of Japanese Game Gear box art

Dear Nintendo: bring the hot pink 3DS XL to the US and I promise I'll buy it to replace my OG 3DS

I know I've said this before on Twitter, and I may have said it here as well, but I'm going to say it again anyway just in case putting it out there two or three or four times actually makes some sort of difference: I really hope Nintendo brings the hot pink 3DS XL to North America sometime next year. (The earlier in the year, the better, of course.)

Why? I want to buy one so I can replace my red OG 3DS.



Yes, I already have one of the pink-and-white 3DS XLs that were released last winter. I'm not willing to transfer the games and info currently taking up space on my OG 3DS onto that XL, though, so my only option--since I vastly prefer the XL's huge screens to the OG's puny ones--is to pick up another XL.

And if I'm going to buy another XL, it has to be one of the hot pink--or maybe I should call it Pepto-Bismol pink--ones that first saw the light of day in Europe earlier this year.

If any of you are similarly jonesing for this assertively hued 3DS, by the way, you may want to check out the rather fabulous photos blogger Sparkly Vodka published this summer.

I'd rather own a Hello Kitty Dreamcast, but this pink 'DUX 1.5' one is pretty rad, too

I have to admit, I didn't even know a game called DUX 1.5 existed until I came across this post (on artist Oskunk's blog) about a Dreamcast custom-painted to look like the title's cover imagery.



Is it my favorite of Oskunk's custom-painted consoles? No, but it deserves kudos both for introducing me to a curious-looking shmup and for bringing the world yet another pink console.



In a perfect world, though, I'd play this game--and maybe its sequel, too--using the pink Hello Kitty Dreamcast that I don't yet own (but hope to acquire sometime in the not-too-distant future).

DS and 3DS designs for your Animal Crossing: New Leaf digs

For what I'm pretty sure is going to be my last post devoted to system-inspired Animal Crossing: New Leaf cushion designs, I decided to switch things up a bit.

Do these dual-screened creations look as good as their console-based predecessors when applied to cushions? Maybe not, but they're still pretty adorable (or at least that's how I feel about them).

One quick note before you critique them yourselves: the DS Lite designs, in particular, should be considered works in progress. I may eventually put a bit of a border around the edge of each of them to give them some more visual heft, for instance. Or, I may make it appear as though they've been paused mid-game by swapping out their currently gray screens for something that looks like, say, Tetris DS.

For now, though, both of the DS Lite designs that can be seen below will remain borderless and powered down.





Here's how the pink DS Lite design looks after being applied to a cushion (by Cyrus) and then plopped onto the floor of the busiest-looking living room you've ever encountered. (It's near the lower left-hand corner, by the way, in case any of you are having a tough time spotting it.)



The 3DS designs I came up with were a bit more successful, I think. I especially like the Midnight Purple one, of course, although the Flame Red one is pretty nice, too.





I know the details of the Flame Red 3DS design appear overly muted in the screenshot above, but I promise you they're far more evident in-game. 

 

Finally, here's a shot of the Midnight Purple 3DS sitting on the floor of my male New Leaf character's robo-themed bedroom.  

See also: Famicom and NES designs; Mega Drive 2 and Saturn designs; Dreamcast (original) and PC Engine designs; PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Hello Kitty Dreamcast designs

The GameBoy of my dreams? Quite possibly...

The only way this custom-painted GameBoy could be any dreamier, in my opinion, is if its design were inspired by Nintendo's Balloon Kid rather than its long-running (and long-loved) Kirby series.

That said, it's still pretty dreamy in its current state, don't you think?



Additional photos of this beauty can be encountered on artist Oskunk's blog, custom-art.blogspot.com, by the way--including one or two that show its (possibly even dreamier) backside.

See also: previous Oskunk-centric posts

Pink and blue Animal Crossing: New Leaf 3DS XL pouches for everyone! Er, I mean, everyone who lives in Japan :(

Ah, yes, it's that time again. What time, you ask? Why, it's the time when I whine about how much more awesome the Japanese Club Nintendo is than its North American or European counterparts.

Case in point, the following Animal Crossing: New Leaf pouches that (I believe) were just added to the Japanese Club Nintendo rewards catalog. 

I mean, I'm sure they'll pop up on eBay sometime soon enough, so those of us currently drooling over them can just pick up one there, but I'd prefer to use some of the Club Nintendo points I've been stockpiling for the last year or so, if at all possible.

(Via japanese3ds.com)

Here's a pink-and-red equal sign I can get behind

I don't know about you, but my Facebook wall has been awash in pink-and-red equal signs like the one below since early yesterday.

For those of you who haven't experienced the same, here's the gist: in an effort to show that they support marriage equality (aka same-sex marriage), swarms of people have been changing their Facebook profile photos to that of a pink-and-red equal sign that apes the Human Rights Campaign's omnipresent--in my 'hood, at least--blue-and-yellow logo.

Although I haven't joined that crowd for a number of reasons (I'm not a fan of HRC, for starters), I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to do so after coming across this altered version:

By the way, as far as I can tell, a chap named Derek Eclavea is responsible for this awesome creation (while one of my Facebook friends, Eric Starker, is responsible for turning me onto it).

Should you want to read a bit more about these pink-and-red equal signs, may I suggest checking out the following blog posts: 'Don't Let That Red Equal Sign Become a Hollow Gesture' and 'HRC’s Branding Attempts'

Acquisition #149: Binary Land (Famicom)

Full disclosure: I went on a bit of an eBay binge shortly after the holidays and ended up buying a bunch of Famicom, GameBoy Advance, PlayStation and even PSP games.

The game seen in the photos below--Hudson Soft's Binary Land for the Famicom--was one of the aforementioned pick-ups.

I know a good number of you won't believe me, but I didn't buy this one because of its overt pinkness. In fact, it's one of my favorite Famicom games (here's a video of its first stage), and the only reason it took me so long to add it to my collection is that complete-in-box copies of this unique, arcade-y title don't seem to pop up on eBay all that often.



Sure, this copy's box is kind of banged up, but I don't mind. Actually, I like that its previous owners showed it some love.

Here's a better look at the game's awesome box art, by the way:



It's hard to hate on a game that features a pair of adorably pastel penguins, isn't it? It's also hard to hate on a game that has a logo made up of a number of hearts.

Or at least it's hard for me to hate on a game that meets such criteria.



Going back a bit to my comment about the love this copy of Binary Land was shown by its previous owner(s): as you can see in the photo above, the back of its box features a smidge of handwriting. I don't suppose any of you can suss out what it says?

Regardless, expect to see a number of "Acquisition #123" posts in the coming weeks that focus on the remainder of my recent eBay haul.

See also: previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Reed Bond's 'Pink Yoshi'

Remember the "Sexy Shy Guy" I wrote about a few days ago? (Check it out here if you don't.) Well, it appears it was part of some sort of concerted effort by the folks behind the Drawed Goods site to illustrate characters from the Super Mario Bros. universe.

Another of the pieces created as part of the aforementioned effort is the one seen below (and here):

It was made by Atlanta-based artist Reed Bond and is, in my humble opinion, the definition of "adorbs." (I'm especially fond of Yoshi's side-eye.)

To see more of Bond's work, hop on over to his tumblr--reedicule.tumblr.com--when you have a second. Also, I'd highly recommend checking out drawedgoods.com while you're at it.

One import system I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now

OK, so I did tell you a bit about it--in this post. But I didn't tell you much about it, did I?

What more do I have to say about it, you ask? Well, how about this: I wasn't planning on picking up a "misty pink" Japanese 3DS until sometime later this year. Until I came across an auction for the one you see in the photos below.

As for what prompted me to place a bid on said auction: I can't remember what the starting bid was, but it was quite a bit less than what Japanese 3DSes tend to sell for in the States.

What I do remember is what I ended up paying for it--a smidge less than $150. Even after shipping was factored in I paid less than I would have for a North American version of the same system.



I know, I don't know what prompted the folks at PlayAsia to offer up such a deal either, but I gladly took advantage of it.

Sadly, all I've done with it so far is downloaded a bunch of Japanese demos. I'm planning to buy a few Japan-only eShop games in the coming weeks, though, so once I do that I'll write about them here.

I'm also hoping to purchase my first Japanese 3DS retail game sooner rather that later. I haven't yet done so because I'm still unsure as to which one I want.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigina Orb is the frontrunner right now, although Osawari Tantei Nameko Daihanshoku (a puzzler based on the characters of the Touch Detective series) and even Zoo Keeper 3D are distinct possibilities, too.

See also: '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now'

Happy birthday to me!

I know it's a bit uncouth to wish oneself a happy birthday, but don't judge me too harshly. There's a point to this, er, self-celebratory post, after all.

As for what that is: Well, it's to point out that I recently bought myself (using birthday money from my parents) one of those pink-and-white 3DS XLs I've been fawning over since the Japanese version was announced in late August.

Here are two photos of the system's rather stylish packaging:

And here's a snapshot of the system itself:

Oh, and here's how it looks when it's open and about to play a game:

Don't fret too much over that yellow-ish bottom screen, by the way; in reality, it isn't noticeable (or at least it isn't to me).

What do I think of it so far, you ask? Let's just say I have a feeling that, from now on, I'll only pick up my original 3DS when I want to play it while I'm out on the town. In every other situation, though, I'll be reaching for the beauty you see in the photos above.

In the flesh: PINK x WHITE 3DS LL

I wish I could say I filmed the unboxing video seen below (and here), but, alas, I didn't. Who knows, though, maybe I'll be able to make my own before the year is over?

The question is: Will my unboxing video focus on a Japanese or a North American pink-and-white 3DS XL/LL?



Actually, after the pair of "Chotto Nintendo Direct" presentations (this one announced a trio of new 3DS LL color variations, while this one revealed that a number of previously released retail games will be added to the Japanese eShop on Nov. 1) that were broadcast last night, an even better question might be:

Will my unboxing video focus on the aforementioned pink-and-white XL/LL or the just-announced Animal Crossing-branded LL that'll hit store shelves in Japan on Nov. 8?

See also: 'Welp, it seems I'll be buying a 3DS XL a bit sooner than I initially thought I would'