3DS XL, Professor Layton, Super Mario DLC, and more announced

Disappointed in Nintendo’s announcements for the 3DS at E3? All is now forgiven, as a whole slew of content, titles, and a new iteration on the handheld were announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation tonight.

The 3DS XL, which hits stores August 19, led the pack of new titles and confirmed projects for the handheld. It will be priced at $199.99 ($50 less than the original cost of the 3DS, and $30 more than its revised price).

The XL, and the new Super Smash Bros. game, are only the first line of announcements. For more Nintendo Direct news, head past the break.

The 3DS XL boasts 90% greater view area for both screens. The top screen is now 4.88 inches, and the touch screen is 4.18 inches. Predictions that the next version would have two analog sticks have proven to be false- the only major changes seem to be the layout of the Start, Select, and Home buttons. The models shown seem to have switched back to a matte finish from the slick, mildly sparkly look of the original, and it looks to be more rounded, as a counterpoint to the blockiness of the 3DS.

The upcoming Animal Crossing reappeared in the Japanese version of Nintendo Direct after its E3 no-show with some interesting new features. Animal Crossing 3DS will be compatible with Street Pass, allowing players to trade villagers over a local connection.  Sadly, the U.S. version of Nintendo Direct lacked any mention of the title, meaning that despite its planned release this fall in Japan, a U.S. release may not be forthcoming.

Fortunately, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is a title which will be coming stateside in November. A teaser trailer is now available, which shows only cinematics from the upcoming puzzle game.

Nintendo also continues to slowly wade into the world of DLC with New Super Mario Bros. 2 and the upcoming Fire Emblem. New SMB2 will keep a development team onboard after release to produce additional levels for players. Fire Emblem will take a more radical stance, allowing the player to purchase additional characters to join their army.

The Japanese Nintendo Direct touched on some titles not mentioned in the U.S. broadcast. Project X Zone, a tactical RPG bringing together Namco and Capcom characters; Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, an upcoming Square Enix RPG; and Dragon Quest X were all tapped for additional gameplay footage.

Nintendo also launched a playable demo for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance downloadable on the 3DS eShop.

Lastly, Nintendo confirmed some news we covered in May that Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 would use a camera app, now titled the Pokemon Dream Radar, to enhance the experience for 3DS owners. The additional Pokedex app, Pokedex 3D Pro, will also be coming to the North American release of the titles.

It’s like Nintendo forgot to bring its homework to E3 this year. It talked big about nothing for two hours during E3, shuffled its feet, and tonight, dumped everything it should have announced two weeks ago on a Nintendo Direct broadcast at the loss of a full letter grade. Next time, just say the dog ate it like normal people, Nintendo.