Update (28 March): The local 3DS is region-locked to North America. The recommended retail prices for 3DS games on launch day is SG$59.99.
Original: The Nintendo 3DS is launching in Singapore on 28 March, on the same day as the US (taking into account timezone differences), with a retail price of SG$399. Maxsoft, the Southeast Asian distributor for Nintendo products, will be holding an overnight 3DS launch party at Funan, Challenger, on 27 March.
According to SGcafe, the bundle pack on sale in Singapore will contain the console, charging cradle, AC adaptor, Augmented Reality (AR) cards, a 2GB SD memory card, a stylus, and a Hori screen protector. There are currently only two colours available on launch: Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue.
Maxsoft will also be providing a one-year warranty for the 3DS, which is a drastic improvement from the company’s previous three-month warranty for the old DS Lite.
Unfortunately, Nintendo has implemented a region-locking system for the 3DS, split into three regions: North America, Europe / Australia, and Japan. There is no information from Maxsoft regarding which region the local 3DS will be region-locked to, although based on common sense, we can assume that it should be North America.
The list of local launch games for the 3DS are as follows:
- Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
- Steel Diver
- Pilotwings Resort
- Nintendogs + Cats
- Asphalt 3D: Nitro Racing
- Rayman 3D
- Tom Clany’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
- Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
- The Sims
- LEGO Star Wars III
- Samurai Warriors Chronicles
- Madden NFL Football
My thoughts: The SG$399 price tag sounds just about right, I was honestly expecting Maxsoft to inflate it to SG$450+. However, do remember that 3DS games are quite pricey: The recommended retail price for a 3DS launch-game in the US is US$39.99. If you do the Math and factor in distributing/publishing costs, converted to Singapore money, we could be looking at close to SG$60 per game.
As a fan of the previous DS Lite console (and its impressive selection of memorable games), I will be following the launch of the local 3DS closely in the coming days. Stay tuned for more updates.
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