Whenever anyone attached to Nintendo mentions they have an upcoming announcement related to the 3DS, I get a little antsy. As much as the kids and I enjoy our Nintendo Switch, it’s our 2DS/3DS systems that seem to travel with us everywhere–it’s been like that for as long as I can remember. This could explain why I’m always wary that the end of the now 6-year-old product line could be just around the corner.
To Nintendo’s credit, though, the company never ceases to reassure me that my fears are unfounded. Cindy Gordon, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Nintendo of America, was the most recent to smooth my ruffled feathers regarding the position of the aging 3DS within Nintendo’s growing new Switch and mobile ecosystems, saying:
With Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems and smart devices, we’re excited to offer people a variety of ways to have fun with their favorite Nintendo games and characters. If the history of portable Nintendo systems is any guide, we’ve seen that multiple systems can coexist in the marketplace at the same time. In fact, we just launched the New Nintendo 2DS XL system to round out our handheld lineup. By offering a range of devices at different price points and form factors, we can help people find and play the system that best fits their budget and gaming preferences.
And, of course, she’s right. The recently released New 2DS XL–which I quite like–certainly demonstrates Nintendo’s continued loyalty to the stalwart 3DS system and its legion of faithful fans. This commitment is only restated by their next handheld product release, a new (original) Nintendo 2DS system bundle.
This white-and-red Nintendo 2DS bundle (available August 25th) comes with New Super Mario Bros. 2 pre-installed, and it lists for the device’s longtime budget price of $79.99. Positioned alongside the New Nintendo 2DS XL ($149.99) and the New Nintendo 3DS XL ($199.99), it continues to round out a selection of dedicated portable gaming systems to fit any pocketbook.
The upcoming fall season will also be packed with plenty of 2DS/3DS titles for new system owners and longtime fans alike.
Monster Hunter Stories, a slightly more accessible introduction to the traditionally hardcore world of Monster Hunter, is slated to hit store shelves September 8th. Better yet, a special demo will be available via the eShop next month (August 10th) to give players an early taste of the Monster Hunter Stories experience.
It will be followed shortly by the return of legendary intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran in Metroid: Samus Returns. On September 15th, experience this reimagining of the stellar 1991 Game Boy title Metroid II: Return of Samus in all its side-scrolling glory.
Lastly, September 29th will see the arrival of Yo-kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters. Psychic Specters promises to offer the full Yo-kai Watch 2 experience, now expanded with new quests, new areas to explore, and even more weird, wonderful Yo-kai to battle and befriend. Players of the original Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls versions can even transfer their save data to this new game and pick up where they left off.
As you can see, the noble Nintendo 3DS isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Moreover, this fall is shaping up to be a particularly exciting season for portable gamers. So, even as the summer wanes and the arrival of a new school year looms large, charge up that system and get ready for even more fun from Nintendo’s successful and still satisfying dual-screened dynamo!
I wish they’d offer a bundle with the new 2DS XL. Considering the games typically run about $25 a pop, that makes the 2DS XL essentially $175 with a game vs $80 for the regular 2DS. Or looking at it another way, the 2DS console by itself is $50, vs $150 for the 2DS XL.
The budget Nintendo Selects game line (like the older titles typically bundled with 2DS systems) generally retail for $19.99, but newly released games tend to be closer to $39.99. Still, I agree regarding the idea of a New 2DS XL bundle. Perhaps we’ll see one closer to the holidays.
The whole point to the New 2DS XL & New 3DS XL is to not be bundled with any game. Only the original 2DS gets a game. I would rather see the New 3DS XL get a bundle while staying at $199, seeing as all the retailers were selling the New 3DS XL for $170 back in December 2015, but the New 3DS XL skyrocketed in popularity, so the price remains back at its $199 price tag, just because the New 3DS XL prints money. The original 2DS will be discontinued in Japan, but I think the New 2DS XL will get discontinued in America, and I think Nintendo knows it.
The deal to me at the moment is the Nintendo Switch. Portable. Current tech. Yadda.
The Switch is a fantastic system, and my family really enjoys it. There are certainly still supply problems and its current software library is a little slim, but I’m hoping both of these are remedied before holiday 2017.
All the games you mention have a great 3D effect, except New Super Mario bros 2, that one has a good 3D effect, but you’ll see far way more greater stereoscopic 3D in those 3 other games mention, that’s why the “New Nintendo 3DS XL” is the system to get, and why you should never recommend a 2DS to people.