Wii U Getting a Price Drop, Also There Is a Nintendo 2DS Now [UPDATE]

I will respectfully fight you sir!

I didn't see that it was kind of a wedge. Would make a pretty good door-stop!

In all seriousness, if it only folded over to be more compact, I would probably buy this. I've always been turned off the 3ds because any time I tried it, the 3d just didn't work for me, and I didn't like the idea of paying for a prominent feature I wouldn't use.

If it comes with a toast skin/paint-job, I'm in... but I'm holding out for an official Pokedex version with a Pokemon Red/Blue/Green/Yellow combination 3D HD remake. I just got a WiiU Deluxe... Super Mario World is fun.

Nintendo, seriously guys, its time for your intervention. There are so many things, simple things, cheap things, you could do to get yourself back in the game (I even wrote a blog on it for crying out loud) and your plan is to make an ugly version of the one thing you're doing well? Are you even trying at this point?

I do not own a 3DS, so I may be part of the target market.

But I can't come up with one good reason for this thing to exist.

Price, the obvious one, leads to a poisoned 3DS well.

So, people not part of the choir: give me 1 good reason for the existence of the 2DS.

I'd buy one if the screen flipped down.

They're increasing the install base, capitalising on the popularity of the 3DS and lowering the barrier for entry. Wouldn't be surprised if it's a huge success?

So is the 2DS more like a DS lite, DSi, or DSi XL?

Nintendo is such a joke these days...

Iwata needs to be fired. Reggie needs to be fired. Their entire senior staff needs to be fired. Jesus H. Christ... this is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever seen a game company do. And lately we've seen a lot of stupid shit.

It's 40 dollars less. 40. Fucking. Dollars. It doesn't have the clamshell design so it's going to make carrying it around next to impossible. It's ugly. It loses functionality which could be turned off by moving a goddamned slider.Honestly. Those things alone are worth the 40 extra dollars.

I hope they lose a fortune on this thing. I really do. I'm going to shortsell Nintendo stock right when this thing starts coming out and tanks. And it will tank. Parents will go into stores and see the 2DS and the games. They'll see all the games labeled for the 3DS. They'll immediately go to the 3DS instead. They won't be able to sell these things except to enthusiasts that know the difference, and an enthusiast will get the 3DS!

OMG! Jimmies have been rustled. This is fucking DUUUUUUUUUUUUMB.

Wow, that 2DS sure looks weird. The pictures from the side aren't so bad, but the face-on shot is so strange looking!

This is definitely not for most people; as Reggie has said it is aimed at the under-7 market. Which does make sense to me; I certainly have not been willing to trust my younger cousins with my 3DS :)

They've got an uphill battle on the PR front (it doesn't seem like kids these days are as hot for Nintendo as I remember being) but with the right spin it could work ("it is impossible for your kid to spend $100 dollars on in-app purchases on 2DS"). I'm pretty sure these things are super-cheap to produce compared to the 3DS so it is probably a good way to bolster profits through the holiday season.

Hopefully I'll get more streetpasses as a result.

No it's a 3DS that doesn't do 3D, it still plays 3DS games so in no way is it really more like a DS, except it doesn't do 3D; by your logic does that mean a Vita is like a DS too?

This thing looks like a piece of shit and I find it crazy anyone would purchase this over a regular 3DS as they are automatically more sturdy and kid-friendly because of the clamshell design. It's a shame Nintendo have gone backwards after making the very nice 3DS XL after the original 3DS design left a lot to be desired, now this thing is here.

Then just buy a normal 3DS and turn the 3D off. Done.

As a person with unequal left right eye strength, the 3D effects gave me awful headaches, so I passed on the 3DS. If the 2DS was a slim little clamshell design that felt like an design upgrade I'd buy one in a heartbeat. But that solid-slab design... just... why? I'd be embarrassed to be seen with it. Just... why?!

Never going to happen they don't go back on Pokemon games only forwards you'll see a Ruby and Sapphire remake loooooooong before they ever even touch gen 1 again.

Holy shit, this wasn't a dream.

Anyway, no hinge?! What the fuck! This would have been an auto-buy if they would have just made it properly!

Power move

wheres the 2nd stick! and removing the clam shell design seems like a pretty bad idea, and a 2ds would be great, if the extra processing power used for 3d made the games look better, which wont happen with this obviusly :(

I've been on the fence for about a year now about getting a 3DS. I was waiting for a new version - brighter screen, better resolution, better battery, different build materials, whatever. A simple hardware update would have tipped me over the edge. This 2DS... yeah it's not going to do it for me.

Apparently the lack of clamshell allows them to build the 2DS from a single, larger screen and just cover some of it up with the plastic. This is supposedly much cheaper than building it from two independent screens.

Edit: Worth noting that although I heard this from a reasonably informed source, I'm unable to personally verify it. Take it with an appropriate amount of salt.

All of the people begging for dual sticks really need to recognize that 3DS games still have to work with every version of the 3DS. Programming a game that plays optimally with dual sticks might be well and good for people who get that specific version but it'll play like shit for everyone else. It's exclusionary and would be a really dumb move business wise. Dual sticks just isn't going to happen until the next handheld comes out if it's going to happen at all.

As someone with giant hands, that 2DS looks way more comfortable to me than the clamshell design just because of the extra real estate. I might pick one up when I can get it for $100 or so.

I'd buy a 3DS at $130. I will not buy a 2DS. The actual 3d without glasses is the main thing I wanted to mess around with besides getting my Mario and Zelda on.

And I felt this way before I noticed that it doesn't fold clamshell style. That's hilariously terrible. Not only is it not as portable any more, making it look like a tablet only draws attention to the fact that it has about half of the screen real estate of a tablet.

It's a blow to both form and function at the same time. The design team should step down in shame.

I think the 3DS is a brilliant move. Nintendo knows who is buying their systems and this is a perfect way to get parents to buy a Nintendo Handheld with a ton of quality games already in the library. Also, bundling a Wii U with Wind Waker download is smart, this way they lose no money on the free game.

@jimmyfenix: lol

Considering you can buy a refurbished 3DS on Nintendo's official site for $120, the only reason why anyone should want this is for the design.

And boy, what a design.

99$ please will buy for earthbound + secrete of mana + old zelda games

I was just thinking how the problems with the 3DS were 3D, a hinge, and that it's $40 too expensive. Oh, Nintendo, you've done it again!

I, uh... may have ordered that Wii U/Wind Waker HD bundle.

The 2DS is a brilliant idea by Nintendo. It's like the perfect child's toy. Parents won't feel intimidated giving this slab of plastic to their kids, with a copy of Pokemon to boot.

Nintendo ... killing em softly :)

What a season indeed.

I'm sure I'm not the only one throwing this out there, but how does one fit one of theses comfortably in your pocket? From what I can see, you don't. It would make more sense for them to spend the extra 10 bucks and make it hinged. Which then brings back the question of why not spend just a tiny bit more and get a regular 3DS. I appreciate the idea Nintendo, although I don't feel you executed it quite properly.

I will never buy a 2ds. I do want a 3dsxl though. and im still undecided on the wii u, although I would love to own every console I just cant see me spending 300 bucks to play one Mario game (since 3d world is about the only thing im interested in) I think I will just buy a new gpu for my gaming rig. im running a 6870 and its really showing its age. I might get a ps4 though the new infamous looks really rad

Wait, so I'm going to buy this system so the whole gimmick of the 3ds games will be nullified? oh, but I can play my regular ds games on it too? But wouldn't that mean that I already have a regular DS that i can play the old DS games on??? And don't I already have a 3D slider on my 3DS that I can use to turn off the 3D effect anyway? OH, this one is bigger too, so i can't really fold it up and take it places... my brain hurts. I seriously thought this was a joke when I saw the announcement.

Somehow I feel like there is a relation here... hmm.

I might buy a 2DS. I don't care about 3D and $129 is not a lot.

Even with that slab-like design?

My son is 6 and wants a 3ds. This is definitely a likely candidate.

And to @br4dl3i9h, the Wind Waker HD bundle is the first thing that's got me seriously thinking of a Wii U.

I feel like Nintendo is trying to turn things around, I just don't know if it will be enough.

I find it hilarious that people think Nintendo is somehow incurring a lot of risk by releasing this. It's a niche product with an attractive price point that will probably turn a profit.

There is a lot of irrational hatred toward Nintendo that even Giantbomb can't escape.

No price drop in Australia or Wind Waker HD bundle. Thanks a bunch Nintendo.

I was expecting a $199 price point and even then I doubt I'd be interested in 8 year old technology.

The '2DS' is just plain silly. Having said that, I've always been curious of a few 3DS games, but could never be convinced on spending the dough on a 3DS, 130 bucks is cheap enough for me to check it out...
...not since the GBA had Nintendo seen a dime from me, but I'll be picking one up. Well played Nintendo.

I like the design, it looks great in white with the color trim. It also looks way more comfortable than the 3DS/XL. The screen size is the only bummer, though.

Also: targeting kids and all that jazz, it's a fine idea

2DS? Is this a troll article?

What? God Nintendo just stop doing things your making me want to get rid of my 3ds, I mean Microsoft has been on the back peddling thing a lot lately to but at least that felt logical. This just seems desperate, and extremely misguided maybe even more so then when you tried basically the same thing last year. Does the lack of closing it really make it that cheaper it seems like a shitty sacrifice, it would make me write off this thing entirely.

actually I just realized what this is, it's a gameboy pocket.

I'm very much attracted to the idea of a cheaper 3DS, without the 3D but I would never buy it when its that ugly. It looks like a Fischer Price toy.
Wind Waker HD bundle sounds pretty fantastic though.

Why don't you just get a 3DS and turn the 3D off?

I'd rather just pay a little more and have the option for 3d.