The next generation of handheld gaming has arrived! The Nintendo 3DS is here. But, what’s in the box?

I got my 3DS today. In this post I am going to show you what comes in the box. I am fully charging my 3DS overnight and tomorrow I will be back with pics of the system in operation and impressions of the start-up and included software.

So, now, to answer the question posed at the beginning of this post, here’s what’s in the box.

By the way, the system is available in two colors Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black. I have chosen the Cosmo Black system.

So, to start, here is the box front

And here is the back of the box

And, when you open the box, here is what you will find inside. (Note: The instruction book and owner’s manual package comes packed on top of the other items in the box)

Now, let’s go through the contents one piece at a time.

Nintendo 3DS System

The star of the show. The system is slightly thicker and heavier than previous incarnations. It features two cameras on the front, more pronounced shoulder buttons and an analog pad. A more in-depth analysis will be conducted tomorrow

[nggallery id=247]

Charging Cradle

This is a great new touch from Nintendo, giving you an alternate way to charge the system. The AC Adapter is plugged into the back of the cradle and then the system is plugged into the cradle. It seems to fit fairly securely in the cradle.

[nggallery id=248]

AC Adapter

This is fairly self-explanatory. It’s the standard DS charging cord.

[nggallery id=249]

Stylus

The new stylus is a huge improvement. It is now metal with a rubber tip, making it much less likely to scratch the screen. In addition, it now telescopes, which means you do not have to hold it quite as close to the screen as before. I’m really pleased with the overall look and fell so far.

[nggallery id=250]

2 GB SD Memory Card

This comes pre-installed. It is a standard SD card.

6 AR Cards

These cards are specially encoded game cards. When viewed through the system’s 3D cameras, a game will appear to “pop out” of whatever surface the card is resting on. I am looking forward to trying these out. There are 6 cards, each carrying the image of a classic Nintendo character or item. They are: the ? block, Mario, “Wind Waker” Link, Kirby, 3 Pikmin and Samus Aran.

[nggallery id=251]

Instruction Manual and Quickstart Guide

The manual may look huge, but don’t worry, it’s in 3 different languages.

That’s what you get for your $249.99. Now, I know your next questions are  “what does it do?” and ” how well does it do it?” And, the most important question of all, “is it worth my money?” I promise all of these questions will be answered…tomorrow, after my unit is finished charging.

So, the 3DS is here, and the full review is coming. Keep checking back as more impressions are posted.