Today In Retail Anarchy: You Can Get a Cheaper 3DS Right Now

Walmart strikes again.

Zelda 3D, Nuff said.

Because of this article, I went out yesterday and purchased myself a shiny new black 3DS at the local Wal Mart. I was surprised to see the lowered price, considering that I live out in the sticks. I decided to not open the box and sleep on my new purchase. Well, today after looking over the game lineup (read: lack of games) and not being that impressed with the games they're giving away to Ambassadors, I promptly returned it, unopened. So I guess I can say that I owned a 3DS now, albeit for slightly less than 24 hours. 
 
I'm sure that I'll eventually end up getting another one, but the lack of games is just a deal breaker for me at the moment. I hope Sony is paying attention to what's going on. I'm crossing my fingers for the Vita.

@Battletoad said:

And that's as much details as they give? What are the other ten untouched old roms? When would I get those? How many months from now? Buying today means: Getting half of the old untouched roms 3 weeks from now, the other half we have no clue what games

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/3ds/en_na/3dsambassador.jsp?menu=about&submenu=ctr-gi-amb-program-what-is

Ten of the 20 downloadable games eligible for free download by Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors have been announced so far. There will be a total of 10 NES Virtual Console games and 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games.

Only five of the ten NES Virtual Console games have been announced so far. They are as follows:

• Super Mario Bros.™
• Donkey Kong Jr.™
• Balloon Fight™
• Ice Climber™
• The Legend of Zelda™

Only five of the ten GBA Virtual Console games have been announced so far. They are as follows:

• Yoshi's Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3
• Mario Kart™: Super Circuit
• Metroid™ Fusion
• WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong™

@Battletoad said:

What are the other ten untouched old roms? When would I get those? How many months from now? Buying today means: Getting half of the old untouched roms 3 weeks from now, the other half we have no clue what games or when they will be available.

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/3ds/en_na/3dsambassador.jsp?menu=about&submenu=ctr-gi-amb-available-when

Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download ten NES Virtual Console games. Then, before the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors with ten exclusive Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games.

Confirmed! I just bought one for the lower price at Walmart!

Not enough reasons to buy now IMO. I just can't get excited for untouched roms. If they offered 10 3D-ified games, I would buy today. Hell, if they only offered TWO 3D classics and one was Punchout and the other was Link to the Past, I would buy now.
 
But not only these are basic roms of games that I physically own in my attic, and on my PC emulator, but I couldn't even get access to them until September 1st if I bought today? And that's as much details as they give? What are the other ten untouched old roms? When would I get those? How many months from now?
 
Buying today means:
Getting half of the old untouched roms 3 weeks from now, the other half we have no clue what games or when they will be available.
 
passing on the red 3Ds
 
possibly needing to glue pieces of rubber to my brand new $170 system so it's still-unaddressed defect of scratching the screen when closed can be fixed.
 
Still needing to wait until November to pick up the first 3Ds exclusive worth buying, assuming the very little shown about Mario Land 3D turns out to be good.
 
Still needing to wait for 3D movie streaming and decent 3D classics on E-shop.
 
I might wait for a redesign ( I WILL at least wait for a minor fix for the scratched screen issue for sure) I might not. But those old roms will not pursuade me to buy too soon. IF I cared about these roms supposed exclusiveness to those who buy before 8/12, there will be methods to play them on the 3Ds, if there aren't already.

Retail Anarchy is something only Alex would say.

This sucks for people who already have a 3DS. Like myself. Why the hell would they announce the price drop so far ahead of it actually happening.

And  it has nothing but ports of crap n64 games I already got  and have been sitting in my closet for years and exculsive games that suck more than the launch of the virtual boy and even less of them.  (and more 12 free games I already got and played  before oh joy another copy of Yoshi's island I already got 2 of them.)
 
No fucking thanks Wake me when this thing gets some fucking games, that is why it's not selling it's not cell phones  nobody gives a fuck until it gets games worth something  until then it is just an over price DS with  a 3d screen that you cant use on ds games anyway. 
 
Wooo fucking do it has the fucking worst zelda other than the CDI games  and the only starfox and zelda worth anything is on the SNES.
 
 This means only one thing nintendo you fucking machine won't sell even with the price drop until you get some fucking games  you do this with every launch and it's not going to work anymore. 
 
We will talk after that super mario 3ds witht he tanooki suit and kid icaras or something comes out until then fuck off your price drop won't work you should have just fuckign kept this thing a secret until at least those games was done and launched with them then maybe some people would have bought it for the over priced $250. 
 
And if you bought it at $250  when it had next to nothing and crap n64 ports on it you  deserve  to lose your cash and not get this deal and Nobody will give you sympathy for your clear thoughtless mistakes so stop whining nintendo should not give you jack if i was them I would prey on your dumbness and not even think twice.

OH SNAP.

This is why you don't announce a price drop in advance of the price drop. 

If they didn't ask Nintendo if they can do this then they may have severely hurt there relationship between Nintendo and themselves.  
 
 
lol remember wind waker? walmart doesn't care what nintendo thinks. and nintendo isn't going to stop selling things at walmart.

This would be so amazing if I wanted one!

@Warchief said:

The problem with buying a 3DS is that you then own a 3DS.

Perfect.

@ThePilgrums said:

@Nomin said:

I'll stick to my emulator, thanks.

A DS emulator, maybe. A 3DS emulator doesn't even exist yet. You do realize it's more powerful hardware and not just a DS with 3D, don't you?

Maybe he means his N64 emulator ; )

@axiomatiq said:

This would be so amazing if I wanted one!

Nailed it.

This would be so amazing if I wanted one!

But my smartphone is good enough.

I got mine today. One walmart near me still had it for $250 and another had $170. I was planning on getting one later since the price went down, but I couldn't resist the cheaper price and free games.

BTW do we know the games yet?

I am waiting for a 3DS Lite.

I actually went to Walmart to get one... and they were still selling it for $250.

Got mine for 169.99 at Costco.

Not at walmart. Anywhere else, maybe.

GOT MINE!

@ThePilgrums said:

@Nomin said:

I'll stick to my emulator, thanks.

A DS emulator, maybe. A 3DS emulator doesn't even exist yet. You do realize it's more powerful hardware and not just a DS with 3D, don't you?

For the free games.

Also hardware power has nothing to do with it. It's all the how and not the with what when it comes to emulation. It takes time to create an emulator and I am willing to bet the 3D is the hardest thing to work with for an emulator.

Anyone know if this applies to Canadian Walmarts aswell?

No walmart around me and their website only does preorders. Looks like no free 20-games-that-I-can-emulate-on-a-calculator-anyway for me!

@Nomin said:

I'll stick to my emulator, thanks.

A DS emulator, maybe. A 3DS emulator doesn't even exist yet. You do realize it's more powerful hardware and not just a DS with 3D, don't you?

My Walmart hadn't dropped the price yet but said they would drop it tomorrow on the 10th, however I went ahead and bought one because they can match the price drop as long as you bring in the receipt within 7 days and just credit it back to the card. Now I just need to find out how exactly to get those free downloadable games!

Look at the flock squabling over money! Already clocked 90+ hours on SSFIV3D, like John Hammond before me, I spared no expenses.

Oh and I'll be getting a Vita at launch too!

The point being: make up your own mind but don't judge people based on their decisions to overpay for shit they want.

I want to get one because this is a great deal, but at the same time I kinda don't. I have a DSI XL and a Lite, both of which I hardly ever play anymore and there are no 3DS games that I must have right now. Going to take a reluctant pass. Not a bad deal for anyone who actually cares about whats out there right now.

Totally just bought one today. The Wal-Mart I went to had a full shelf of 'em.

@kollay said:

Vita.

Believe.

What I "believe" about the Vita is that it's too powerful/expensive for a handheld and will sell even worse than the PSP and the 3DS. Not dropping that kind of cash on something most developers won't support, like the PSP.

(But I know you're just trying to start "Console Wars" nonsense and have no actual interest is discussing the 3DS in a 3DS article comment section. :P)

The problem with buying a 3DS is that you then own a 3DS.

This is completely unfair to the Ambassadors.

Omg Nintendo are going to be pissed lolol, this year so far has been a FAIL for them! Lets hope the Wii U doesn't head onto the same path as the 3DS...  
(It will)

I hope they went through Nintendo with this because it definitely looks like an asshole move by wallmart against Nintendo. Nintendo have tried extremely hard to make those that bought early not feel insulted and hurt (which they shouldn't anyway becaus eeven if they weren't given free games, they wouldn't be getting any better games or online if more people didn't buy the machine). And now Wallmart has negated it for a cheap short-term gain. If they didn't ask Nintendo if they can do this then they may have severely hurt there relationship between Nintendo and themselves.

Heading out to Walmart right now to buy one for $162.14, which is with 6% sales tax and my 10% employee discount card :D

I don't think i'll ever get another handheld again. The last one i had was a PSP i got at launch and only bought 1 game for it, the Vita is gonna be DOA especially if the Iphone 5 or any other good Android or WP7 phone comes out within a reasonable timeframe of that thing.

@crusader8463: Stop being poor.

The problem with buying a 3DS is that you then own a 3DS.

Fuuuuuuck.

ANARCHY  :P

at least they dropped the price, here in Mexico the 3DS originally retailed for 5000 pesos = 420 US dollars, and after the price drop its 4000 pesos = 336 US dollars. what a joke, they made the pricedrop nearly a month ago though, so they may drop it a little bit further after this, I wouldn't expect that though; IMO one of the reasons why the 3DS has made so badly is because how different the prices are in other countries, nobody in his sane mind would buy a 3DS for 336 bucks, here in Mexico it is selling practically nothing, while the originally DS was reasonablly priced and it sold pretty well.

Then get to Walmart, stat.

Never. Not for an $80 savings. Not for anything.

quick, everyone rush to walmart right now so they can have free accss to 10 old untouched roms 3 weeks from now, and 10 more unrevealed old untouched roms at some unspecified date in the future!

Same thing in the UK, pretty much a few days after the announcement was made the price was dropped to £150.