Reminder: Sign in to 3DS eShop by 11:59 PM EST tonight to qualify for 20 free 3DS games

The official cut off for the price cut on the Nintendo 3DS is very nearly here (though some US retailers have jumped the gun), as starting tomorrow all US retailers will change the 3DS price from $249.99 to $169.99. But before that can happen current 3DS owners have a matter of hours left to qualify for the 20 free, “Sorry we cut the system price in less than six months,” downloadable games from Nintendo. So here’s our friendly reminder to those of you out there that have yet to meet the prerequisite to get those awesome titles. How do you do it? Read on and all will be clear…

First off you need two things: your 3DS and an online Wi-Fi connection. If you don’t have one personally at home many places, like coffee shops, libraries, fast food restaurants, and other establishments have public hotspots that are either free or offer access for a small charge. Once you have your 3DS in the Wi-Fi zone, go to System Settings on the Home menu and in the top left corner you’ll see Internet Settings. From there go to Connection Settings and set up a new connection. The 3DS should then find the local wireless connection.

Once online, hop on the eShop if it’s already installed, though if you don’t have that installed yet, go to Other Settings in the System Settings main menu (where you found Internet Settings) and page all the way to the right and choose System Update. If you successfully got your 3DS online, it will download and install the update relatively quickly. When the 3DS restarts, the eShop should appear on the Home menu.

Once you get on the eShop your task is complete, as now Nintendo has proof from your logging in that you owned a 3DS before the price cut and thus earned the apology games. Most importantly: ifyou’ve ever logged on to the eShop before, you already qualify, so don’t rush on to the eShop today if you’ve ever gone on before. Nintendo already has the evidence that you got the system early, though if you want to download Donkey Kong for the Game Boy while you’re there, that’s totally cool.

Above: What the eShop looks like in case you forgot

One more time: if you haven’t signed on to the 3DS eShop before, do it now, before 11:59 PM EST (that means Eastern Standard Time, aka before Midnight on the East Coast of the US). If you do it after that time, you WON’T get the free games that begin to roll out at the start of September. One more time: Log in to the 3DS eShop before midnight Eastern Standard (go hereif you’re not totally clear on what Time Zones are) to qualify for the free games, and if you’ve been on the 3DS eShop before, you already are signed up. Good luck!

Aug 11, 2011