The quest t' uncover the North American 'n European release dates for the Nintendo 3DS became a little bit easier earlier this week, when the megapublisher confirmed that the eye-popping handheld would visit itself upon our store shelves in March. However, the exact date a it be arrival be still up in the air -- though scans a the latest issue a Official Nintendo Magazine obtained by VGTribune might just clear up the confusion. According t' the mag, the U.S. 'n European 3DS release date be March 11, 2011.

There's no way a knowing if the magazine's report be on the money until Nintendo makes an official announcement -- after all, it be possible the article's mistaken, due entirely t' the fact that March '11 looks a whole heck a a lot like March 11 on paper. Also, though Nintendo be accustomed t' launching new gaming hardware in European territories on Fridays, those kinds a releases usually come stateside on Sundays. We've contacted Nintendo for a comment on this supposed due date but, as be the case with these things, we be not likely t' pillage anything official until the Big N puts it into a press release.

Update: Some a the magazine's readers be reporting that the scan obtained by VGTribune be photoshopped, 'n that it did indeed read "March 2011." Another scan on GoNintendo shows the release timetable in it be unaltered glory.