Ever since the release of the New 3DS in late 2014 for Japan and Europe, and then in early 2015 in North America, there’s been a steady stream of people discussing why the standard version of the system made it to every region but North America. Fans of the handheld have gone so far as to reach out to Nintendo publicly through social networks, like Twitter, and email them more directly to ask that the smaller, slightly more customizable system, could receive a release in the remaining region. News at E3 came and went, and still fans received no announcement for the sought after system.

So, why the demand for this particular version of the 3DS? While many argue that they find the standard size a more comfortable fit for their hands, a large portion of the group speaking out simply desires the system for an aesthetic reason: the removable cover plates (also referred to as face plates). When the New 3DS was first announced in 2014, fans were stoked to hear that Nintendo took their love for customizing their favorite handhelds seriously by offering them the ability to change the front and back plates of the systems. And since that time, we’ve seen a nice string of new plates announced for the New 3DS.

Most recently, three New 3DS bundles have been announced across parts of the world, all which give North American fans more reason to writhe with jealousy over all the new customizing options!

Mario Bundle

South Korea will be receiving a Mario themed bundle that will include a white standard size New 3DS, the special edition cover plates and a pre-installed copy of Super Mario Bros. This bundle will hit stores on November 10th and will be available 188,000 won.

Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden Bundle

This Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden bundle includes a black standard size New 3DS, exclusive themed cover plates, a pre-installed copy of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden, and a digital copy of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden 2. It’s coming to Europe on October 16th.

Colorful Star Bundle

Japan is once again receiving another sweetly designed handheld with the release of the Colorful Star Bundle. This pack includes a white standard size New 3DS with cover plates decked out in stars and pastels. It will be available for purchase on September 17th for 17,000 yen.

As someone who enjoys personalizing my handhelds, especially when it comes to theme for my favorite games, I’ve remained at the edge of my seat for that long-awaited announcement about the standard size New 3DS coming to North America ever since last year. However, with the 3DS’ lifespan somewhat dwindling over time, and the anticipation building for news of Nintendo’s next generation system (codenamed NX), I question the likelihood of the release nowadays. I’ll continue to sit back and admire the cover plates from afar.

On a more positive note, seeing Nintendo’s attention to handheld customization in any respect gives me hope that the world may see even more advancements in personalization in the next generation of consoles– and maybe, just maybe, in every region.

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