Whenever there’s a big new franchise release coming to the 3DS (or the DS before it), you can always count on Nintendo to ship a special edition hardware companion. Well, Yoshi’s New Island is launching next Friday, and right on cue Nintendo has announced plans for a Yoshi-themed 3DS XL system.
The Yoshi Edition Nintendo 3DS XL will ship day and date with Yoshi’s New Island on March 14. The $200 system is green with a white backside, featuring an image of Yoshi emblazoned on the front leading a trail of Yoshi eggs displayed across the back of the system.
The only bummer is the fact that this system does not come in a bundle featuring a digital copy of the game like many previous themed 3DS systems. If you want the matching pair, you’ll still have to fork over $39.99 for a sold-separately copy of Yoshi’s New Island.
Pre-orders for the Yoshi Edition Nintendo 3DS XL are now available in the US at Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Toys R Us and Walmart. Point your browser to this page for a list of participating retailers and the corresponding pre-order links.
Nintendo sent over a massive pack of screenshots from its latest Nintendo Direct web stream a couple days ago, so that’s where things begin on this edition of Screenshot Saturday. Nintendo fans are in for a real treat with new pics from Wii U standouts like Super Smash Bros., Monolith Soft’s RPG tentatively titled X, Bayonetta 2, and Mario Kart 8, as well as upcoming 3DS titles like Yoshi’s New Island, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Mario Golf: World Tour, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, and more.
Nintendo games grab the headline, but you’ll also find updated galleries for the PS4 version of Final Fantasy XIV, South Park: The Stick of Truth, indies like Broforce and Cloudbuilt, a selection of newly announced PS3/Vita titles from NIS America, and DLC updates for heavy hitters like Assassin’s Creed IV and Borderlands 2. Plus more!
Super Smash Bros. (3DS, Wii U):
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‘X’ (Wii U):
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Bayonetta 2 (Wii U):
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Mario Kart 8 (Wii U):
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Yoshi’s New Island (3DS):
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Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS):
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Pokémon Battle Trozei (3DS):
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Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS):
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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U):
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NES Remix 2 (Wii U):
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Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (3DS):
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Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball (3DS):
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Steel Diver: Sub Wars (3DS):
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Squids Odyssey (3DS, Wii U):
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Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Guild of Rogues DLC (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One):
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South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC, PS3, Xbox 360):
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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PS4):
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Borderlands 2 Headhunter 5: Sir Hammerlock Versus the Son of Crawmerax (PC, PS3, Xbox 360):
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Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PS Vita):
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Fairy Fencer F (PS3):
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Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited (PS Vita):
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Battle Princess of Arcadias (PS3):
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Broforce (PC, Consoles):
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Earth Defense Force 2025 – Special Ops Mission Pack (PS3, Xbox 360):
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Cloudbuilt (PC):
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The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (PC, Mac, Linux):
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The Blackwell Epiphany (PC):
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World of Speed (PC):
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Hook up with the nearest Nintendo travel agent and start planning your next vacation to Yoshi’s New Island. All you need is a Nintendo 3DS and an eagerness to go on an eggscellent platforming adventure alongside Yoshi and his precious Baby Mario. The only problem is, I don’t know a specific date to plan around yet. Nintendo’s E3 master press release says the game is scheduled for this holiday season, while the game’s fact sheet lists a 2014 launch date. I guess that means we can expect it either late this year or early next, but I’ll keep an eye out for additional details in the coming months and let you know once a firm release is set.
It’s been close to seven years since the last Yoshi’s Island romp hatched on the DS. In that time, Yoshi has learned some new tricks. He can still Flutter Jump, Ground Pound and Egg Throw with the best of the anthropomorphic dinosaurs, and now he has mastered the ability to hurl super-sized Mega Eggs that fill the screen and crush everything in their path. The series’ hand-drawn aesthetic is also expanding to include additional artistic styles, such as watercolors, crayons and oil painting.
See, look how delightful Yoshi’s New Island is. It’s like taking a vacation inside a child’s arts and crafts project.
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