Going without a pre-order means you run the risk of not getting a 3DS system this Sunday. On the bright side, you do have the benefit of shopping around and trying to maximize your savings.
A number of retailers are offering bundles and discounts on games, and there isn’t necessarily a single best offer. Provided you live in a state that doesn’t pay tax on Amazon items, that looks like the cheapest way to go — buying the system gets you $25 off a launch game, but you’ll of course have to wait for it to ship next week. More impulsive types can head to Kmart and get $25 off a launch game with the purchase of a system, though that deal (like all in-store sales) is somewhat mitigated by the need to pay sales tax. The Toys R Us offer of buy one game, get 50% off a second seems like the way to go if you’re looking to stock up on games as quickly as possible.
Besides the usual avenues for selling systems, like Amazon and GameStop (both of which are offering up to $100 for DS trade-ins, depending on the condition and model), several other stores will be getting in on the action, albeit with less enticing offers. Target is offering a gift card of up to $50, while Toys R Us will give you as much as $75. Walmart will offer up to $100 like Amazon or GameStop, but only stores in certain states will be participating.
