Pokemon 3DS XL

The Pokemon franchise may be just two years shy of its twentieth anniversary, but it certainly isn't any less popular than it was back in 1996. Over 75,000 people are currently struggling through a cooperative game of Pokemon Red on Twitch, while gamers who prefer to spend their time in the current generation are using the recently released Pokemon Bank to transfer their old battle companions into the sixth generation world of Pokemon X and Y.

Although the staggering sales of Nintendo's 3DS suggest that most interested gamers already own of the handheld devices, an upcoming deal is about to offer a pretty good incentive to any consumers that are somehow still on the fence. Pokemon fans in particular will be rewarded by the promo...

A leaked Toys "R" Us ad spotted by Go Nintendo reveals a deal that offers consumers a chance to earn a download code for Pokemon X or Y with the purchase of a Nintendo 3DS XL or 2DS and one of six games. Pokemon completionists who have already picked up X or Y may be able to take advantage of the sale to upgrade to a brand-new handheld while grabbing the other the other half of the X or Y saga for free.

Lucky for consumers, the list of six games that can be purchased to trigger the deal includes a number of winners. Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Mario Kart 7, and Super Mario 3D Land are all great games that make the purchase a 3DS XL kind of worth it on their own. Yoshi's New Island and Lego City Undercover aren't too bad either.

Participants in the sale will also need to register the purchase on their Club Nintendo account between March 1st and March 31st. There's no confirmation of the deal from Nintendo yet, but it seems likely that the offer will be nationwide and not limited to just Toys "R" Us.

With a great library of games to choose from already, and new releases like Bravely Default getting solid reviews, it seems as good a time as any for gamers to pick up the handheld. A sale like this may also be just the motivation that some shoppers need to get around to upgrading from the standard-sized 3DS to the XL. I'm certainly tempted to finally make the switch.

Do you plan to use this deal as an excuse to upgrade to a new Nintendo handheld? Sound off in the comments.

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Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.

Source: Go Nintendo