Nintendo 3DS software update adds StreetPass Relay function

The latest software update for Nintendo 3DS — version 6.2.0-12U, for those keeping track — was released today, bringing new StreetPass functions to the handheld. As promised in a recent Nintendo Direct presentation, 3DS owners will now be about to "relay" StreetPass data at Nintendo Zone locations.

Instead of requiring players to StreetPass in real-time through a local wireless connection, the new relay feature lets players StreetPass wirelessly with the most recent Nintendo 3DS owner who visited a Nintendo Zone hotspot. In North America, Nintendo Zone hotspots are available at Best Buy, Simon malls, Future Shop and AT&T wi-fi hot spot locations, which can be found at Starbucks, McDonalds and Barnes & Noble.

The expanded StreetPass features will likely aid Nintendo 3DS owners in racking up new friends for recently launched Mii Plaza games Mii Force, Flower Town, Warrior's Way and Monster Manor.

The latest software update for 3DS also comes with the requisite "improved system stability and usability."