Nintendo 3DS Announcement Event

The date is official. The Nintendo 3DS will be available in North American stores on March 27. Reggie said so.

The system will cost $249 and be available in two colors: Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue.

The 3DS system includes several built-in games like Face Raiders which let’s you take goofy pictures using the system’s three cameras, Mii Maker which is what it sounds like, and 3DS Sound which lets you listen to music from your SD card.

In a move sure to please parents, the 3DS features an activity log which turns the console into a pedometer when closed that counts the steps you’ve taken to earn “gold coins”. You can then spend these coins in games. Brilliant marketing bullet-point.

The 3DS console also includes 6 augmented-reality cards or AR cards that work in conjunction with the two outer cameras to superimpose images and animations to the picture, like a fire-breathing dragon at your kitchen table.

The Nintendo 3DS is available now for pre-order at Amazon.