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Nintendo to launch 'Flame Red' 3DS

The new color for the 3DS will debut alongside Star Fox 64 3D, arguably one of the most anticipated launches for the portable this year.

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
Nintendo's new "Flame Red" 3DS portable.
Nintendo's new "Flame Red" 3DS portable. Nintendo

Nintendo will offer up a new flavor of its 3DS next month.

Dubbed "Flame Red," the upcoming portable will come with the same design as its predecessor, but will boast a red and black body. Nintendo currently offers a "Cosmo Black" all-black option, as well as an "Aqua Blue" version, which comes with a blue and black body.

Nintendo's 3DS, which launched earlier this year, features two displays, and allows users to play games in 3D without the need for special glasses.

The game and console maker often uses color to help promote its hardware. Last year, it offered a "Mario Red" version of its Wii platform to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. The company also offers a range of colors for its DS portable.

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But whether a new color on the 3DS will help the portable's sales remains to be seen. Last month, Nintendo released its fiscal first-quarter earnings, revealing that it had sold just 710,000 3DS units worldwide during the period ended June 30. In the U.S., it sold only 110,000 units.

To help jump-start demand, Nintendo said that it would drop the price of the 3DS to $169.99 from its original $249.99 price tag, starting on August 12. The device has also been discounted with similarly steep cuts worldwide.

Aside from new colors, Nintendo is also hoping that its upcoming software launches will make consumers want to buy the 3DS. Nintendo plans to launch Star Fox 64 3D, a remake of the Nintendo 64 classic, on September 9. That game will be followed by the launch of Super Mario 3D Land in November and Mario Kart 7 in December.

Nintendo's Flame Red 3DS will launch the same day as Star Fox 64 3D--September 9--and retail for $169.99.