Nintendo has always had a special knack for making gorgeous themed cases for the 3DS. For the new model announced this morning, they're doing gamers one better: releasing standalone faceplates that allow you to customize your personal console.
Predictably, they look pretty great. This mushroom one is probably my favorite. It's like you're carrying your very own power-up around in your backpack!
I also like that they're getting into patterns, rather than just specific game themes:
That seems like a nice nod to gamers who'd rather not have the face of some famous video game character plastered across the front of their 3DS, staring out at whoever's looking at them on the subway.
Although, can you really say no to a face like this?
Or this?
As with the newly-announced 3DS, these don't have a street date for the U.S. yet. So far, Nintendo has put 38 of these bad boys on its Japanese website. Disappointingly, they're also only available for the 3DS and not the XL—though the XL will get some neat-looking metallic designs.
The prices range from 1,000 Japanese yen to 3,000, which is roughly $10-$30. Thirty bucks might sound like a lot (video games!), but I still think these would be a great thing to bring stateside for no better reason than they offer 3DS fans such as this blogger more diversity in their mobile gaming habits. I currently own a plain blue 3DS XL, for instance, and always find myself feeling incredibly envious whenever I see someone rocking one of the badass Yoshi or Legend of Zelda-themed case. Buying a new one isn't feasibly every time I get excited by, say, the new Super Smash Bros. model, however, since they still cost $300 each.
Ogle all of the new faceplates over at Nintendo's website.
To contact the author of this post, write to yannick.lejacq@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter at @YannickLeJacq.