If you waited to purchase a Nintendo 3DS, you may have found that the new product has some bugs.
Several news outlets are reporting users encountering a screen that says “An error has occurred. Hold down the POWER button to turn off the power, then turn it on and try again.”
The new screen, dubbed a black screen of death on message boards, is popping up on many of the new handheld gaming systems shipped and sold Sunday.
PC World writer Matt Peckham was among those hit with a “black screen” error. “It’s happened to my review unit just once so far. I was dropping out of Face Raiders after clicking the “Home” button,” he writes in a post recounting the incident.
As Kotaku and PC World both point out, it’s hard to tell how widespread an issue this black screen has become. Having played with the 3DS for a couple weeks now, we have yet to witness any errors, including a “black screen of death.”
Nintendo’s troubleshooting website for 3DS offers details on what to do if your handheld locks up or runs into another issue.
Meanwhile, how difficult is it to snag a 3DS? Gamespot spoke to representatives from GameStop, Target and Toys “R” Us, and all three say there are plenty available. A Target representative told the gaming site the most popular games so far have been Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Pilotwings Resort and Lego Star Wars III.