After over a month of no online content except for SpotPass notifications, the 3DS will finally get its long-promised online features. Nintendo has announced that the 3DS will get a software update, enabling numerous new functions that take advantage of the handheld’s Wi-Fi capabilities.

Yes, the 3DS eStore will go up. However, it will probably be pretty sparsely populated for the first few weeks… first few months. Let’s go with months. On the bright side, when it goes up, a 3D remastered version of Excitebike will be available for free until July 7. The update will also add a Web browser and the free Pokedex 3D software, which will let players “collect” Pokemon data from various Spotpass and AR markers, and then look at Pokemon in 3D. Kind of neat. It leaves us to wonder if Nintendo will skip the previously-obligatory Super Duper Combination Pokemon release (Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, Platinum) and plan to push out a 3DS Pokemon game within the next year. We’ll see.

Until then, I’ll just be waiting for Super Mario Land 2 and Link’s Awakening DX on the 3DS eStore.