Unboxing the Nintendo 3DS

Something exciting arrived at the CNET Australia offices this morning ... and because we're so loving and sharing, we'll even show you what we found inside the box.

Included in the package from Nintendo were two of the 3DS launch titles for us to try out: Nintendogs + Cats and Super Street Fight IV 3D. Bonus!

Opening the box, we discover... papers?

It seems to have a more-than-usual quantity of instructions and manuals.

The AR cards, which are detected by the external camera for use in AR games (some of which are preloaded onto the 3DS) feature a range of notable Nintendo characters.

Ta-da! Several layers of box and packaging later, we finally get to the 3DS itself. It looks pretty unprepossessing like this.

Opened up, you can see the round joystick on the left above the D-Pad, as well as the Select, Home and Start buttons below the screen and the difference in size between the top and bottom screens.

Also in the box we found this: the quick-drop charging dock, which neatly fits the 3DS whether its open or closed.

The 3DS charger plugs into the back.

The left side of the 3DS is where you'll find the volume control and an SD card slot.

On the other side is the Wi-Fi toggle and, just above it, the sliding adjuster for the 3D display.

Two cameras on the case allow you to take 3D autostereoscopic photographs, which you can then play with and edit.

A telescopic stylus slides into a slot on the back next to the cartridge port. The 3DS cartridges are a bit thicker than the DS cartridges, and have a tab in the top right corner.

Look at all those buttons!

The Nintendo 3DS launches in Australia on 31 March for AU$349.95 RRP.