Nintendo’s newest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS, is finally available in the US with a price tag of $250.

Nintendo's US division’s President, Reggie Fils-Aime, described the 3D-capable device as "the first mass-market 3-D device." The company expects the device to allow it to maintain its dominance in the handheld gaming systems market.

However, the Nintendo 3DS will have to face tough competition from other gaming devices, especially from smartphones, which are gaining popularity as gaming devices day-by-day. For instance, Rovio’s Angry Birds game is played by as many as 40 million smartphone users per month.

Mobile phone carriers Sprint Nextel Corp. and AT&T Inc. have already announced that they would be start offering smartphones with 3D screensin the near future. Just like the Nintendo 3DS, the 3D-capable smartphones will also allow users to play games in full 3D.

The Nintendo 3DS allows users to play 3D games without any need to wear special glasses. The dual-screen device is also capable of capturing 3D photos.