The Next Nintendo Handheld Loses A Dimension And A Hinge
Introducing the Nintendo 2DS. It’s fairly self explanatory on the 2D front, but the biggest change is the form factor. This is a wedge design, retaining the dual screens, but losing the ability to fold. It also loses a speaker, going mono for audio, and loses the ability for those who picked up the second thumbstick attachment to connect it to this new device. The design looks solid overall, but the size and static form factor make me question how adopted this will be by fans of portability.
Since this is built in a more sturdy fashion, drops the fear-inducing 3D function, loses the biggest point of failure with the hinge, and drops the price point to a mere $129, this is clearly designed for parents to give to their young kids alongside the next generation Pokemon entries releasing on the same date.
The screens are the same size as the original 3DS, which is great and all but I think a lot of people were hoping for a ‘micro’ version in line with the wonderful Gameboy Micro. Considering a drop in price to $129 and the drop of the polarizing 3D feature, they may actually gain some traction with the 2DS.
The Nintendo 2DS is available in Red and Blue (identical to the original 3DS XL color options) on October 12, 2013, for $129.
Check out the reveal trailer from Nintendo and tell us what you think!
