Nintendo 3DS (photos)

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime introduces the Nintendo 3DS.

"3D for everyone" is Nintendo's angle on the advantage of glasses-free 3D technology.

Much like the Nintendo DSi, a focus on photos, music, and games on the 3DS aims to take on the versatility of devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

The Nintendo 3DS launch colors in the U.S.: aqua blue and black.

At last, a telescoping stylus.

A look at the interface of the 3DS, with its square apps, resembles a cross between the Wii and Apple's iOS.

Any game can be converted into 2D by adjusting the depth slider, just in case your eyes start feeling fuzzy.

Madden on the 3DS plays much like its console cousins, along with impressive 3D depth.

A handful of the third-party launch games for the Nintendo 3DS.

A built-in pedometer and activity meter add a fitness element to the 3DS.

The clever Mii Maker converts your photo into a convincing Mii-alike, no artistic skills required.

Face Raiders! An unfortunately named preinstalled game on the 3DS.

Augmented-reality gaming is surprisingly effective on the 3DS, thanks to a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, and innovative use of the 3D display to create games on the fly from specially coded cards placed on a table or other surface. An archery game is preinstalled on the 3DS.

The eStore for digitally downloaded games will include a virtual console archive of Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles. Users can search by franchise, such as Mario, and find a timeline of all available games.

The 3DS will cost $249 at launch, more than the Nintendo Wii and the lowest-priced iPod Touch. Nintendo claims people feel that the 3DS is worth at least $300 to $400.

The aqua-blue 3DS, close up at the Nintendo event in Soho, N.Y.

Another angle.

The 3DS from the side. It's thicker than the Nintendo DS/DSi.

The 3DS has three cameras: two on the back for 3D pictures, and one on the interior for facial recognition and self-portraits.

The black Nintendo 3DS.

A look at the side, including the SD card slot.

A look at the back of the black 3DS' lid.

Angling around for motion-based gaming in the periscope mode of Nintendo's Steel Diver.

The 3DS will come with a 2GB SD card packed in the box, presumably to encourage downloads from the eStore. Also, Nintendo will finally allow transfers of previously downloaded games from another DSi.

A look at the twin 3D camera lenses on the back lid of the 3DS.

In bright light, the 3D effect still looked good, but the glossy screen threw a lot of glare.