Round Table: 2DS Reactions

Earlier this week, Nintendo announced a brand new addition to the 3DS family: the Nintendo 2DS. Unlike its sister handheld, the 2DS lacks the 3DS’s clamshell design and distinctive stereoscopic capability, able to display images only in two dimensions. Needless to say, the announcement took a lot of fans by surprise, with reactions to the console ranging from outrage to sheer perplexity. Now that we’ve had a few days to dwell on it, though, what does the staff think of the 2DS?

Mel Turnquist

The idea isn’t a bad one. There are some of those who don’t use the 3D, like myself (it gives me a headache and with glasses, that just heightens). So a 3D-less handheld would be nice. And if it came cheaper than the 3DS, that would be bonus points.

However, I have a problem with the design. Why not just make it like a 3DS? Why does it have to look like a block of plastic with two screens on it and some buttons? I guess maybe because they don’t want to make it look the same, but that design is just really annoying. I wouldn’t really get too cranky about it being unnecessary because I know some folks who still want to grab a 3DS but aren’t too into the 3D. This could save them a few bucks.

So all in all, a good idea with terrible design.

Marc Deschamps

See, I gotta go ahead and disagree with Mel, here. I like the design. Nintendo was clearly looking for something a little closer to a tablet, and I think it works. Personally, you won’t see me trading in my 3DS because I like the 3D aspect, but the idea is a really interesting one. You give everyone the option of a cheaper handheld, and you get it in more hands, just in time for Pokémon. Smart move. Plus, there’s a better battery life, which both the 3DS and Wii U are in desperate need of.

Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t have my reservations. First of all, it’s a terrible name. Sure, it makes the most sense, but it also makes the system sound inferior. No one in history has ever used the expression “two-dimensional” and meant it as a compliment. That’s a hump that Nintendo is going to have to get over. I’m also a little worried about what this means for the 3D capabilities of 3DS games should this thing take off. It’s no secret that a lot of developers have phoned in the 3D in a lot of titles, and a successful 2DS would give them a lot less incentive to put an effort in.

I’m intrigued, for sure. It’s a curious move, overall. Should make for an interesting Christmas, no doubt about it.

Kyle England

I’ve never seen such a polarizing device reveal. The Nintendo 2DS is looking to be a very interesting device, no matter how you look at it. It came out of nowhere into a time that’s already crowded with Nintendo launches all around. Seriously, with 2DS, the Wii U price drop, and all of these new games, 2013 is shaping up to be Nintendo’s busiest holiday in years. The big guns are coming out for Nintendo stay relevant amidst the launch of the other next generation consoles in November.

Anyways, back to the 2DS. Some are calling it an abomination, but I think it just needs to grow on us. Personally, I find the design to be very cool. The 2DS hearkens back to the Game Boy with its flat front and tall profile. In fact, I think this thing might be incredibly comfortable considering all the room it has for your hands. One thing I do see as a problem is the space between the screens; this might make some older DS play kind of funny because they accounted for the old gap. And I can’t see a sideways game like Brain Age or Hotel Dusk playing very well on this thing.

But like Marc, I worry about the thing’s name. Nintendo just might fragment its market even further with oblivious parents wondering “where’s the 2DS games? These games say 3DS on the cover!” I suppose an update to the box to say “Plays on 2DS” will work for the games. I’m not too concerned about the dropping of the 3D function either. The more I play 3DS, the more I find myself dropping the slider down. There’s just some games that don’t need it. I’ll keep the 3D cranked up for Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star, but that’s about it. Besides, the big market of 2DS, young children, shouldn’t be staring into those 3D screens and ruining their eyeballs.

However, in the end, the 2DS will be a success. It’s a great way for people hesitant about 3DS to break into the fold. Also, with the device dropping the same day as Pokémon X & Y, it might as well be named the “Nintendo Pokémon Machine.” As a dedicated Nintendo hardware fanatic, I’m excited for 2DS. If only North America could get the white and red version…

Andy Hoover

Kudos to Kyle for bringing up those warning labels telling parents that if their child is under the age of seven then their underdeveloped eyeballs will explode in geyser of vitreous humor, because I think that line of thought is going to bring us closer to what Nintendo is most likely thinking. 2DS is aimed squarely at younger children, and maybe a little at value-minded customers, otherwise known as cheapskates.

I think the lack of 3D isn’t the only indication of Nintendo’s target market; the bigger, bulkier design doesn’t do much to make people like me to take notice, but if I were a parent then I would see it as a much sturdier device. Nintendo has always made tough products, but as well made and convenient as the clamshell design of all their handhelds since GBA SP has been– excluding the GBA Micro, of course– you cannot deny the fact that they are extremely fragile compared to the original brick-like Game Boy. I also think the lack of portability isn’t a substantial worry for this market either because kids are really quite small. Would even a normal 3DS fit in the pocket of a kid younger than seven? Nintendo is expecting the 2DS to find a home in kids’ backpacks.

And then there is the cost. Remember, as much as we try to deny it, Nintendo is competing with smart phones and tablets, especially among younger generations who are more familiar with Angry Birds than Mario. So as a parent wanting to get their kids a gaming device, I can understand the appeal in spending roughly the same or a little more to get something like a Kindle Fire or Google Nexus 7, a much more well-rounded device that handles multimedia better and is infinitely more practical. However, if we are all of a sudden talking about a $70 difference, then that can be quite compelling.

Oh, and Pokémon. I don’t think that really needs any more explanation.

What about you? What do you think of the 2DS? Are you a fan of its design, or do you think it’ll only fragment the 3DS’s market? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!