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Rebound of the Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo is really trying to heat things up this holiday season for the 3DS.

As of right now you can buy a 3DS in either Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue, but starting September 9^th, alongside the new Starfox 64 3D game, you can pick up a 3DS in Flame Red. Now buyers will have three distinct color schemes to choose from this holiday season.

All of this comes on the heels of the new $169.99 price tag of the 3DS starting August 12^th, although retail anarchist Walmart has decided to already offer the handheld at the discounted price today.

"Nintendo 3DS is poised to be on fire for the holidays, with its new suggested retail price, great games and our new Flame Red color," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "With major upcoming releases in the  Star Fox, Pokémon and Mario series, in addition to downloadable offerings from Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Video and Netflix, the system offers new and fun experiences to owners on a daily basis."   

Now, Mr. Fils-Aime’s opinion is great and all, but what Nintendo needs, and will always need, is support from third party developers. Fans who bought the system at launch might feel a bit betrayed, but everyone here will benefit with the aid of third party software. Good thing at least Ubisoft is on the 3DS’s side,

"Nintendo 3DS is an amazing piece of technology that offers players incredible 3D games without the need for special glasses. Beyond that, it's an affordable dedicated gaming machine. Simply put, Nintendo 3DS is a fabulous device," said Laurent Detoc, President, North America, Ubisoft. "Ubisoft has been a big supporter of Nintendo 3DS since the beginning with eight Nintendo 3DS games released to date and another eight games coming out before the end of calendar year 2011."

I expect the 3DS to really hit its stride before 2011 is over. The price cut may have been risky from a reputation standpoint, but as a business decision, I think it will work out just fine for Nintendo.