Image from Black Friday 2011's GameStop ad.
I first spotted the Special Edition ‘Zelda’ Nintendo 3DS bundle when I was putting together ZDNet’s Ultimate BlackFriday 2011 Guide to Steals and Deals last week, but I did not want to confirm until I got the official word from Nintendo. Of course, eagle-eyed ToyBox readers already saw this little gem buried in the GameStop and Best Buy flyers I linked to in my post.
Image from Black Friday 2011's Best Buy ad.
It looks like Kotaku’s sources at Best Buy has just confirmed the limited edition box set is coming to America after all. When the gorgeous gold-on-black 3DS was announced for just the European market last week (due for release on November 25 no less), many gamers in the U. S. were miffed that they were being left out of yet another piece of Nintendo history. (Let’s not even get into all the cool prizes Japanese Club Nintendo members get to win over there.)
As part of Nintendo’s year-long celebration of the Zelda franchise’s 25th anniversary, this 3DS bundle features the handheld console decked with the iconic Zelda trimmings, as well as a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the 3DS. (There is also a separate Nintendo Wii bundle featuring a gold Wii-mote for $69.99 that is launching this weekend.)
GameStop is offering the set for $199.99 or a reduced price if you’re willing to trade-in your previous-gen DS (between $99.99 and $129.99), while Best Buy will just charge you a flat rate of $179.99. Considering the stand-alone 3DS is already $169, an extra $10 for a box set that includes a game that is worth $40 is quite a good deal.
At the moment, all signs are pointing to this 3DS bundle debuting in America on Black Friday, which is exactly a week from today. Unless I hear otherwise from Nintendo America, I know where I’ll be lining up to work off my turkey dinner next week. What about you?
[Source: Kotaku via The Verge, Black Friday 2011]
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