Just a couple weeks after all the big events at E3, Nintendo still isn’t done making announcements. Via a Nintendo Direct video on Thursday night, the company revealed there is indeed a new, bigger version of the 3DS coming… this summer in fact. That’s not all they revealed however, so here’s a breakdown of all the big announcements.

3DS XL

First, let’s talk about the XL. The system is overall 46% bigger than the current 3DS, and its screens are 90% larger. The system will also feature a longer lasting battery, and comes with a 4GB memory card for all the stuff you’ll be downloading from the e-Shop (which we’ll get to in a moment). As an extra bonus, it will also come with an AC adapter, which is nice because the rumor is the European and Japanese launches may not include that. The new larger system releases on August 19th, the same date as New Super Mario Bros. 2, and it will come in red and blue (Europe will also have a silver option). While a system with bigger screens and more battery power is nice, the first thing many will probably notice is there isn’t the much ballyhooed second circle pad. No word yet on whether the Circle Pad Pro is also getting an XL update, but since Nintendo went through all the trouble of a modified design that’s bigger (and therefore ostensibly has more room), the lack of the second circle pad seems rather glaring. Will bigger screens improve the 3D experience? We’ll let you know as soon as we get our hands on one.

The Games

Now, along with the new XL system, Nintendo also had plenty of announcements about games, including Castlevania: Lord of Shadows - Mirror of Fate which is coming this Fall, Skylanders Giants which has over twenty new figurine for kids to bug their parents to buy them—including some that light up—and is also coming this Fall, Adventure Time: Hey Ice King, Why Did You Steal Our Garbage is coming this Fall, Lego Lord of the Rings hits the 3DS this Fall and features dialogue straight from the movies, Scribblenauts Unlimited on the 3DS will use StreetPass to allow you to swap creations with other players and release this holiday season, Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion hits the 3DS on November 18, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed not only features vehicles that transform (which is always cool) but will also feature Danica Patrick as a playable character and is coming this holiday season, and Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance is coming July 18 and supports the Circle Pad Pro (which is odd since I’m not sure if it works with the new XL system). This game will also come, for the first time ever in North America, in a special collector’s edition, and there’s a demo of it available right now in the e-Shop. Professor Layton is also coming the the 3DS in The Miracle Mask. What’s interesting about this game is when it releases in November, it will get free DLC; new puzzles, every day, for free, for a year. Wow.

It was also confirmed that a new Super Smash Bros. game is in development for the 3DS and the WiiU, and that Namco Bandai is helping with it to help get it done in a “timely fashion.”

For the Wii

The good ol’ Wii was also mentioned. It’s getting a special 20th Anniversary gift for Kirby. Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition features six Kirby games all in one. It also has an interactive Kirby timeline so you can learn all about the little pink blob and his adventures over the years. Plus, the game will also come with a Kirby soundtrack and a full color book. Good stuff for Kirby fans.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

There was plenty of news about the new… uh… New Super Mario Bros. game. It’s going to be a coin collector’s dream come true. The new gold flower lets you turn blocks into coins. There’s a new gold brick that allows you to collect even more coins as you run while wearing it on Mario’s head (yeah, you read that right). And there will be special Coin Rush stages; you get one life to get as many coins as possible, and you can swap your records and challenge them with your friends via StreetPass. Plus, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is also getting some DLC with new Coin Rush stages that will be introduced soon after the game’s release. Looks like Nintendo is fully jumping on the whole DLC train.

Pokemon

And there was plenty of Pokemon news as well. Some footage was shown from the new Pokemon Black/White 2, but more interesting were some new Pokemon features coming to the e-Shop. Pokemon Dream Reader is a new AR game that will allow you to capture some rare pokemon and transfer them to your game in Pokemon Black/White 2. They’ll be some pretty rare ones to capture as well. The Pokedex is also getting an update with the Pokedex 3D Pro, which will have info on when pokemon evolve and which ones they’re strong and weak against. So lots of Pokemon to look forward to later this year.

So lots of news pouring out of Nintendo, but what do you think of it all. Are you excited for the DLC? Is a new XL 3DS is a good idea? Share you thoughts in the comments below.

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