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Leaked pics of purported Nintendo 3DS hit Web

Several images reporting to feature the Nintendo 3DS have been leaked onto the Web. The device features a black finish and includes a thumbstick.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
2 min read

Game site 3DS Buzz published this and other photos that supposedly show the Nintendo's new 3DS. 3DS Buzz

Pictures claiming to feature the upcoming Nintendo 3DS have been circulating on the Internet today.

The images, which first cropped up on a gaming forum, show a 3DS boasting an entirely black shell. That version of the device was shown off by Nintendo last year. The company has also unveiled a version of the 3DS boasting a black bezel around the top display and a blue bezel around the bottom screen.

Unlike previous versions of the device, the 3DS in the leaked images seems to indicate that Nintendo has made the device's start, home, and select buttons flush with the plastic under the handheld's display. Other than that, the device seems unchanged from earlier models shown to the press.

Video game site 3DS Buzz was first to report on the leak, which allegedly comes from a worker in one of Nintendo's factories. A video of the device was posted to YouTube earlier today and was promptly taken down from the site. Other links to the video were working at the time of this writing, however.

The official Nintendo 3DS image.
The official Nintendo 3DS image. Nintendo

For its part, Nintendo hasn't confirmed that the device in the leaked images is in fact its 3D-capable portable gaming device, and has not immediately responded to a request for comment. But based on its design, and what we know of the handheld so far, it certainly seems that it is.

The 3DS is scheduled to go on sale in Japan on February 26. The company will sell the product, which allows gamers to play 3D titles without glasses, for around $300 in Japan. It's expected to be made available in the U.S. and Europe in March, though no price or release date have been announced.

Gamers who can't wait to get the device are able to preorder at GameStop stores now by plunking down $50.