The Nintendo 3DS launched in Japan over the weekend, with all 400,000 available units selling out by the end of launch day on Saturday.

Queues of up to 750 eager Nintendo gamers were reported, and some shops had sold out of their allocated supply by 9.30 in the morning, according to Japanese industry site Nikkei (and helpfully translated by Andriasang).

Fortunately, a second shipment of the new handheld arrived on Sunday, helping to resolve the heavy queueing and satisfying disappointed gamers who didn't manage to pick one up the day before.

Nintendo is expected to shift 1.5 million 3DS units in Japan by the end of this fiscal year - that is, the end of March. It's predicting a total of 4 million units shipped worldwide.

Thinking of importing a Japanese Nintendo 3DS ahead of the European and American launches? Read our import guide to find out why you'd be crazy to do it.

The 3DS will be available in Europe on March 25th, and North America on the 27th.