I'm on the verge of getting one. If they drop the price again i'll just wait for next year, that way I get one for $99.

Pretty desperate move. Nintendo has some balls to do such a big price cut, second one this year!?

3DS one? Well, it's the first this year.

Last one was august 2011.

It`s not NOA and NOE who want to sell more DS', it`s just that those markets still want the system.
But that`s not the whole story, in Japan 3DS is getting great games from Nintendo and 3rd parties. Not only that, but Nintendo has been pushing the great games with specially made bundles and that the other two markets aren`t getting all the great 3rd party games (that the market desires) and the special bundles aren`t there too.

Japan is the best market for 3DS because it has what a system needs to thrive: great games.
And until 3DS does that in the US and Europe, 3DS will sell well, but nowhere near, in comparison, to what the consoles does in Japan.

Not everyone goes with the cheaper option just because it`s cheaper. It`s that they don`t see enough value in the other console, in this case, 3DS.
There is a difference betwee DS and 3DS, but at the same time, 169/199$ isn`t a price that the mass market can`t afford.
To me that difference must be made even in the smallest things like the shape of the hardware and boxarts.
Remember the confusion when Wii U was introduced? Remember how so many people, even the media, thought Wii U was just the tablet and how it was for Wii? When you fail to make your product stand out from it`s predecessor, confusion will occur.

which one do i get can these both play older ds games???

Indeed both of them can.

Some things to consider:

• The XL version has way bigger screens and superior 3D effects.
• The original version has superior sound: Both louder and clearer.
• The XL version has a slightly yellowish screen due to the screen size. (Though it's basically only visible when no other colors than white are displayed. Not to mention how the eyes get used to the tint after a short while.)
• The original version has inferior battery life. Roughly one hour shorter than the XL version.
• The XL version is more expensive, but also has far better Start/Select/Home buttons (along with the previously mentioned screen size benefit)
• The original version scratches the upper screen with the touch screen's frames when closed, resulting in this, in the most extreme cases:

New info from CAG

Edit: After having more time to review the info I got with another person, I have decided to remove the part of my post suggesting this is a MSRP. The $139.99 is legit and will happen in 2 weeks from at least one retailer but the info I have is kind of confusing on if it is a MSRP drop or just a retailer discount.

I think this will help the 3DS sell more in parity with the continuing sales of DS.

As you may know, the DS has been outselling the 3DS by a hefty margin and even the Wii might manage to outsell the Wii U if shortages constrict supply.

So everything is selling...

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AGAIN?

finally as cant seem to find any bundles for 3ds that i like in new zealand, Does anyone know if this is a worldwide discount? if so will hold out to see what comes out as dont want to pay 100 for Mario Kart 7, pretty poor at moment.