Nintendo details 3DS eShop

The 3DS has been on sale in North America since late March, but gamers looking to purchase new downloadable content via the eShop have had to wait. The portable's storefront was first slated for debut in May, but then was later pushed to June. Now, Nintendo has detailed the new virtual marketplace, perhaps making the wait worthwhile.

The eShop will launch on June 6 in North America (June 7 in Europe) and will be available to gamers by downloading a system update via the System Settings tab on their 3DS.

Once the update is installed, gamers will be able to access the eShop, where they can download a free remastered and 3D-enabled Excitebike until July 7. Gamers can also grab Pokedex 3D, a free application that lets Pokemon fans view their Pokemon Black and Pokemon White monsters in 3D.

In addition to the 3D-enabled Excitebike and the Pokedex 3D, Nintendo said it plans to open up the 3DS's eShop with Game Boy games Super Mario Land, Alley Way, and Radar Mission. While Nintendo regularly updates its WiiWare and DSiWare download hubs on Mondays, new content will arrive in the 3DS's eShop on Thursdays.

Also included with the update will be a Web browser for the 3DS. According to Nintendo, the Internet viewer will let gamers view Web pages in 3D, provided said pages are capable of rendering 3D. Additionally, Nintendo said gamers will be able to move from game to browser without much of a headache. Players can pause their 3DS game, enter the browser, and then go back to their game via the system's Home button.

According to a translation by gaming blog Andriasang, the 3DS's Web browser will not support Flash or PDF files. Further, players will be able to zoom in on JPEG images in the browser and save them to an SD card. Lastly, the Web browser will let gamers store up to 64 favorites and will have parental controls.

Gamers looking to make use of their Web browser or other 3DS online capabilities on the go can sync up their systems to Wi-Fi at 25,000 locations scattered across the country. Gamers will be able to connect to Wi-Fi at almost 200 Simon shopping malls, at more than 1,000 Best Buy locations nationwide, and, through an "expanded agreement" with AT&T, at 24,000 of AT&T's Wi-Fi locations.

Nintendo also announced that in the "near future" gamers will be able to download a new "short form" video application that lets them view "3D movie trailers, comedy clips, and music videos automatically received when the SpotPass feature is activated."

For more on the upcoming Nintendo 3DS eShop, check out GameSpot's What You Need to Know feature.