Nintendo "Flame Red" 3DS Coming September 9

Nintendo keep teasing us with the red 3DS, originally included as part of the pre-launch line-up, and then quietly shelved in favor of the black and blue versions. Now the company has announced that the "flame red" 3DS will go on sale September 9, timed alongside the release of Star Fox 64 3D.

As with the existing 3DS models – after August 12  - the red version will carry the lower $169.99 price tag. Star Fox 64 3D is one of the big-name titles Nintendo hopes will help turn around the 3DS' fortunes; 830,000 of the handhelds have been sold in the US since its launch, a figure that Nintendo has admitted it is disappointed by. The sudden price cut, so soon after the 3DS went on sale, prompted an apologetic open-letter from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who blamed the fast-changing games ecosystem and the need to convince games publishers of the console's potential.

Star Fox 64 3D is one of four top-tier games that Nintendo has on the roadmap before the end of the year: Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and Kid Icarus round out the rest, each expected to be on sale in time for the holiday shopping season. Nintendo has also opened the 3DS Ambassador program, offering early-adopters free downloads and games to salve their hurt.