• by Sarah Mahoney , March 24, 2011

With the much-ballyhooed launch of the Nintendo 3DS just days away, Best Buy, Target and GameStop are gearing up to make the most of the new game, which lets users see in 3D ... without putting on the goofy glasses.

Best Buy will celebrate the launch with a midnight party at its Union Square store in New York City on March 26, as well as host early openings at select locations around the U.S.

And Target plans to feature Nintendo 3DS trial stations in 1,200 of its stores, offering a chance to experience the new technology, and receive on-site support from Target's electronics and gaming specialists. It has also expanded its Electronics Trade-In service to include the Nintendo DS, in order to encourage shoppers to trade in their old Nintendo DS for a $50 store credit. (Its trade-in program already covers iPhones, iPods, cell phones and video games, as does the one at Best Buy.)

A spokesperson for GameStop say it is also hosting an in-store demo event on April 2 and will offer gamers $100 off the new Nintendo when they trade in an older model.

The new Nintendo device, with a suggested retail price of $250 and available for pre-order, has generated a lot of buzz not only for its gaming capabilities, but also for its ability to take 3D photographs and display them on its screen. (Nintendo has also warned parents that the device might hurt children's eyes, and so is suggesting kids under the age of 6 not play in 3D mode.)

But some are thinking the new technology isn't quite all as exciting as promised. After switching the 3D feature off, "I hardly noticed its absence; indeed, the games looked a bit crisper in 2D mode," groused a reviewer for the Boston Globe. "With most 3D titles, I found the 3D feature more of a gimmick than a game-changer."