matfx

The new and improved Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming devices were released in Japan last week, and it appears that they completely smashed through any sales expectations.
The new systems sold a combined 233,483 units during their launch weekend alone, according to a report from the Japanese video games magazine Famitsu, posted on NeoGAF.

The big surprise is the fact that the star of the show was the 3DS XL (dubbed 3DS LL in Japan), that shifted 172k units, while the regular-sized Nintendo 3DS only managed to sell 61k units.

The better sales performance of the bigger version of the device is mostly likely tied to the availability of a Monster Hunter 4G bundle. Monster Hunter is a very popular franchise in the Land of the Rising Sun, with Monster Hunter 4G managing to sell over 1.6 million copies to date.

Prior to the release of the new models, the Nintendo 3DS was still the platform of choice for Japanese gamers, dominating the hardware sales charts week after week. The device has sold 1.62 million units this year alone, with an average of 40k units per week.

In case you're wondering what all the hubbub is about, the new devices come with a beefed-up processor, a second analogue stick, some additional buttons, as well as built-in support for Nintendo Amiibo characters right out of the box.

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