While talking with Kotaku last week during E3, NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime made a point to explain that while Nintendo had nothing to reveal at the time, they’d “taken notice of fans’ desire” for the smaller 3DS model that never made it’s way here along with the revised XL model. While on the surface there may not seem to be any meat on the bones of this statement, when followed up with the statement “Pay attention to SKU’s (retail model numbers) in the coming months,” one can infer that a possible release – even if just a limited number – of the smaller 3DS redesign is a possibility.
So why all the fuss over a 3DS model? Well, the current XL redesign features a second analog nub, along with slightly revised and more powerful hardware. The smaller version seemed like a great alternative for gamers without tons of pocket or bag space, so it was understandable that gamers were let down initially when there were no plans announced for an American release.
Hopefully that’s no longer the case, and we’ll have more info to go on shortly.