Developer | Nintendo |
---|---|
Product family | Nintendo 3DS family |
Type | Handheld game console |
Generation | Eighth |
Release date | |
Lifespan | 2013–2020 |
Introductory price | US$129.99/AU$149.95 [3] |
Discontinued |
|
Units shipped | Combined (worldwide): 14.43 million (As of March 31, 2019) 2DS: 10.29 million (As of March 31, 2019) [4] New 2DS XL: 4.14 million (As of March 31, 2019) [5] |
Media | Physical and digital |
Operating system | Nintendo 3DS system software |
CPU | Dual-Core ARM11 MPCore, single-core ARM9 |
Memory | 128 MB FCRAM, 6 MB VRAM |
Storage | Included 4 GB SD card 1 GB internal flash memory Cartridge save |
Display | Upper: 3.53" LCD @ 400×240 px (WQVGA) [6] Lower: 3.02" resistive touchscreen LCD @ 320×240 (QVGA) [6] |
Graphics | DMP PICA200 GPU |
Sound | Mono speaker, microphone |
Camera | One user-facing and two forward-facing VGA cameras. |
Connectivity | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, Infrared |
Power | 1300 mAh lithium-ion battery
|
Current firmware | 11.17.0-50, as of May 22, 2023 |
Online services | Nintendo Network (Discontinued)
|
Dimensions | Width: 14.4 cm (5.7 in) [6] Height: 12.7 cm (5.0 in) [6] Depth: 2.03 cm (0.80 in) [6] |
Mass | 260 grams (9.2 oz) [6] |
Backward compatibility | |
Successor | New Nintendo 2DS XL |
Related | Nintendo 3DS |
Website | www |
The Nintendo 2DS [a] is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in August 2013, the device was released in North America, Europe and Australia on October 12, 2013. The Nintendo 2DS is an entry-level version of the Nintendo 3DS which maintains otherwise identical hardware, similar functionality, and compatibility with software designed for the Nintendo DS and 3DS. However, the 2DS is differentiated by a new slate form factor rather than the clamshell design used by its precursors and by lacking the Nintendo 3DS's signature autostereoscopic 3D display. The 2DS was sold concurrently with existing 3DS models as an incentive to expand the market for Nintendo 3DS games; former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé stated that the 2DS was primarily targeted towards younger players (such as those under seven), whom Nintendo had previously advised not to use the 3D functionality on the 3DS due to potential eye health concerns. The Nintendo 2DS's successor, the New Nintendo 2DS XL, was launched in 2017.
Reception to the Nintendo 2DS was mixed; while Nintendo was praised for how it priced and positioned the 2DS alongside its higher-end counterparts, much criticism was directed towards its regressions in comparison to the 3DS, such as a design that some considered less appealing than that of the 3DS, its lower sound quality, and its battery life. However, the 2DS's design was praised by some critics for being more robust and comfortable to hold than the 3DS, especially for its target market. Some critics also felt that the lack of 3D support was an admission by Nintendo that the concept was a gimmick; however, Nintendo has since stated that autostereoscopic 3D would remain a part of their future plans. The Nintendo 2DS was discontinued in Japan in 2019 [7] and in the rest of the world in 2020, along with the other systems in the Nintendo 3DS family.
Nintendo officially unveiled the 2DS on August 28, 2013 via a press release; members of the press were given a chance to demo the device in private prior to the announcement. [8] According to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé, the Nintendo 2DS is primarily aimed at a younger demographic than the Nintendo 3DS—particularly, those younger than seven years old; whom Nintendo had advised not to use the 3D features on the 3DS due to potential eye health concerns. The validity of Nintendo's claims were questioned by vision experts, however, who believed that the 3DS could actually help detect certain eye problems, and felt the warnings were for liability reasons rather than any realistic harm. [9] [10] [11]
With the 2DS, the company aimed to produce a device that would be "new, unique, different, and [bring] more people into this category that we love." Part of this goal was achieved by positioning the device at a lower price point than the 3DS; in the United States, the system retailed at US$129.99 on launch, in comparison to the US$169.99 price of the standard 3DS. [8] [9] By May 2016, the U.S. price had been lowered further to $79.99. [12]
As part of a promotional effort for Nintendo's late-2013 releases, the Nintendo 2DS was featured on The Nintendo Experience promotional tour at Simon Malls locations in the United States throughout October and into early November. [13]
The Nintendo 2DS was released in North America, Europe and Australia on October 12, 2013, the same day as Pokémon X and Y. In North America, it was available at launch in black models with Blue or Red bezels, while in Europe and Australia, it was available in white with red bezels, or black with blue bezels. [14] Each console is bundled with a 4 GB SD card and an AC adapter. [8] [15] Matching red and blue carrying case accessories were also released on launch. [13] With the release of the 2DS, Nintendo of America began to phase out the original 3DS, leaving the 2DS and 3DS XL as the only models still actively sold in North America as of its release. [16]
On December 7, 2013, the Nintendo 2DS launched in South Korea, in white/red and black/blue models that respectively included a digital copy of Pokémon X or Y. [1]
A Sea Green variant, with a white body and mint green accents, color was released in North America on June 6, 2014 to coincide with the North American release of Tomodachi Life . [17] Crystal Red and Crystal Blue versions, which feature a translucent front cover, were released in Europe and North America in November 2014 as a tie-in for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. In North America, the translucent models were also sold at a lower retail price of US$100 as opposed to the base US$129.99 price of the normal 2DS. [18] [19] On August 20, 2015, the U.S. price was permanently lowered to $100, and units began to be bundled with coupons for a digital copy of Mario Kart 7 . [20]
In December 2015, it was announced that the 2DS would be released in Japan on February 27, 2016 to coincide with the Virtual Console release of the original Game Boy Pokémon games. They were made available in translucent red, green, blue and yellow versions with colored buttons. Each were bundled with the corresponding Pokémon game, a special Home Menu theme, a poster, and a code to obtain Mew on the bundled game, or Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, or Alpha Sapphire. [2]
On May 11, 2016, Nintendo announced that the U.S. price would be lowered to $79.99 effective May 20, 2016. [12] On September 15, 2016, the 2DS was released in standalone bundles in Japan, in blue, black, red, lavender, and pink color options. [21] On October 5, 2016, Nintendo announced refreshed versions of the stock Mario Kart 7 2DS bundles for the U.S. market (Crimson Red 2 and Electric Blue 2, based on the new Japanese variants), with "swapped" color schemes featuring red or blue bodies and black bezels. [22]
A new model of the 2DS, titled the New Nintendo 2DS XL (branded as New Nintendo 2DS LL [b] in Japan), was released in Japan and Korea on July 13, 2017, [23] Australia and New Zealand on July 15, 2017, [24] and in North America and Europe on July 28, 2017. [25]
Nintendo has presented versions of the console in black with blue accents for the North American market, and white with orange-gold accents for the Japanese, South Korean and PAL region market, [26] [27] [23] as well as a Japan-exclusive Dragon Quest XI limited edition. [28] Later, the White + Orange variant came to North America, as well as Lavender + White, Black + Green (both Japan-exclusive) as well as Poké Ball and Pikachu variants to coincide with the launch of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (the former also coming to that region).
In July 2018, a "Hylian Shield" variant was released as a GameStop exclusive in North America, bundled with a pre-installed copy of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds . [29] This came alongside an Animal Crossing: New Leaf variant for Europe and Japan, a red/black Mario Kart 7 variant in Japan, and the Minecraft Creeper variant exclusive to Japan. [30] The Minecraft Creeper variant was also sold in Australia and Europe.[ citation needed ]
A month later, in August, Nintendo announced a new version of the console in purple with silver accents, which would release in September 2018. Additionally, Nintendo confirmed that all future shipments of the Black + Blue, White + Orange and Purple + Silver models would come with a pre-installed copy of Mario Kart 7 . [31]
As of 17 September 2020, the New 2DS XL and all other remaining models in the 3DS family were discontinued by Nintendo. [32]
The Nintendo 2DS's hardware specifications are almost identical to those of the Nintendo 3DS; retaining features such as its GPU, CPU and memory, along with compatibility with games designed for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. However, its hardware still contains some slight differences. Unlike the Nintendo 3DS, which uses two display panels, with a lower touchscreen panel and a top dual-layered screen panel capable of displaying autostereoscopic 3D, the Nintendo 2DS uses a single, non-stereoscopic LCD touchscreen, which is overlaid with a frame mimicking the screen dimensions of the 3DS. [33] Despite its inability to display 3D content, the 2DS retains the 3DS's dual cameras for taking photographs in a 3D format. [34] The Nintendo 2DS only has an internal mono speaker, as opposed to the internal stereo speakers of the 3DS, although stereo sound can still be output through the headphone jack. [8]
The Nintendo 2DS's design is a significant departure from that of its precursors; while it is roughly the same size as its counterpart, the 2DS uses a "slate-like" form factor instead of the clamshell form used by the DS and 3DS. Its buttons are positioned towards the center of the device instead of near the lower screen, and its shoulder buttons are concave in shape and relatively thicker than those of the 3DS. The 2DS uses a switch for entering sleep mode in lieu of closing the shell, and the hardware wireless switch was replaced by a software toggle. [8] [35] [36] [37]
The Nintendo 2DS contains the same 1300mAh battery present on regular Nintendo 3DS systems. Despite not supporting the 3DS's automatic brightness setting ("Power Save Mode"), the 2DS was rated by Nintendo as having slightly longer battery life than the 3DS; Nintendo rated the 2DS as being able to play from 3 to 5.5 hours of 3DS games or 5 to 9 hours of DS games on a single charge. [6] [38] [39]
Aside from minor adjustments to reflect its hardware design differences, the system software of the Nintendo 2DS is otherwise identical to that of the 3DS, remaining compatible with all games released for the 3DS (in two-dimensional mode only) and DS (excluding those requiring the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot), and offering online features such as Nintendo Network for multiplayer and online gaming, Nintendo eShop for downloading and purchasing games, and SpotPass and StreetPass. [8] [13] [35] [40]
The Nintendo 2DS received mixed reception upon its announcement. Kotaku felt that the Nintendo 2DS might appeal to a certain niche of people who otherwise would not purchase a Nintendo 3DS, and that the lack of 3D support could indicate a cooling interest in stereoscopic graphics. [8] USA Today noted that some games that were designed with 3D in mind might not be as easily playable without the stereoscopic feature. [37] CNET, meanwhile, called the console an acknowledgement by Nintendo that 3D was an unnecessary feature and even a "tactical mistake". [15] NBC News called the 2DS a "peculiar choice" to gamers satisfied with the Nintendo DS line, and feared that it might take resources away from the less successful Nintendo console, the Wii U. [41]
Some technology writers have expressed concern with the physical appearance of the 2DS: CNET considered the console to be significantly less aesthetically pleasing than its other models, [15] though some reviewers have generally found it to be comfortable in the hand. USA Today referred to it as "surprisingly comfortable". [37] Kotaku noted that while it may look bulky, it was pleasant to hold even with one hand. It also noted that buttons on the unit were easily accessible, and that their placement on the upper half of the console directs the eye toward the upper screen. Overall, the publication felt that the build quality was good. [8] GamesIndustry also described the controls as considerably more comfortable than that of its predecessors. It also noted that the console had thick shell rather than the thin Nintendo 3DS, and that the lack of a hinge added durability. The publication felt that the design resembled "an unholy union of a Game Boy, the Wii U GamePad, and a DS." [14] USA Today and CNET both had some concern over how to protect the screens, since there is no clamshell to close. [15] [37]
In response to the 2DS using one physical display divided to emulate two, Kyle Orland of Ars Technica believed that Nintendo had missed an opportunity to produce a full-screen gaming tablet using the 2DS's form factor; which would have enabled future games and apps to use the entire screen area (which he estimated to be around the 5-inch range used by phablets), still allow backward compatibility with games designed for the folding 3DS and DS, and enhance the ability to port existing smartphone games to the platform. However, Orland also noted that introducing such a product could fragment Nintendo's portable gaming ecosystem for existing 3DS users—and that it was too early in the 3DS's life for Nintendo to introduce a successor. [34] Nearly 3 years after the release of the 2DS, Nintendo would ultimately announce the Nintendo Switch—a "hybrid" gaming tablet with detachable wireless controllers, and support of a docking station for use with a television. [42]
Calling it a "smart move" to redesign the Nintendo 3DS so as to lower costs, Wired felt that the 2DS might enable Nintendo to sell the console at a significantly lower price with a significantly higher profit margin. [43]
The Nintendo 2DS has received mixed reviews. While pricing and form-factor were generally considered ideal, the console's aesthetics and battery life were widely criticized. The Telegraph noted that the lack of hinges in the console improved its robustness, and that rounding out the footprint makes it an ideal handheld for children. However, the publication criticized the console's mono speaker, which offered a lower sound quality than its predecessors. It also criticized the battery life, which it described as being the same as the original 3DS model. On the other hand, it praised the screens' brighter display and wider viewing angle, despite their not being as large as those of the 3DS XL. [40] Eurogamer reinforced the idea that the Nintendo 2DS isn't aimed at "seasoned players" or current Nintendo 3DS owners, and felt that the system wasn't produced with aesthetics in mind. The publication also criticized the resistive touchscreen, which felt outdated, the mono speaker and battery life. However, Eurogamer felt that the system is much more comfortable to hold than the Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL. [44] Analyst Piers Harding-Rolls felt that the Nintendo 2DS would help Nintendo broaden its market, and believes that third-party publishers will have more commitment to the platform moving forward. [45]
Following the system's launch, Nintendo stated that the release of Sonic Lost World would boost Nintendo 2DS sales, labeling it as a "must play" title. [46] On October 31, 2013, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata admitted that the Nintendo 2DS lacked awareness among prospective purchasers. Additionally, he went on to say that some potential consumers believed that the product was too large and heavy to carry. However, Iwata stated that the system was well received among those who had purchased it. [47] Despite the 2DS's lack of 3D support, Satoru Iwata insisted, during Nintendo's 2013 third quarter investors Q&A, that the company "will [not] abandon 3D or cease to make new propositions in 3D", as it will continue to sell the existing Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL platforms. [48] However, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds producer Eiji Aonuma revealed in an interview that the game had minor changes in development due to the lack of 3D on the 2DS. [49]
Sales of the Nintendo 2DS surged three weeks after launching in the United Kingdom, after retailers cut its price due to poor sales. The system was available for around £110, but major retailers including Argos, Amazon and Tesco cut the system's price to under £100 to coincide with the school half-term. [50] As a result, sales of the Nintendo 2DS increased by 64% week-on-week, making it the UK's best-selling console of the month, without combining the sales of the Nintendo 3DS and its larger counterpart. [51] During the third quarter of 2013, video game retailer GameStop reported that worldwide hardware sales grew by 15.3%, mainly due to strong Nintendo 2DS and 3DS sales. [52]
The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2001, and in mainland China as iQue Game Boy Advance on June 8, 2004.
Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version are 1996 role-playing video games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments of the Pokémon video game series, and were first released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, followed by the special edition Pocket Monsters Blue later that year. The games were released internationally in 1998 and 1999 as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, while an enhanced version named Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition, was released in Japan in 1998 and in other regions in 1999 and 2000.
The Nintendo DS is a 32-bit foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem, a built-in microphone, and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles.
Pokémon is a Japanese series of video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company under the Pokémon franchise. It was created by Satoshi Tajiri with assistance from Ken Sugimori. The first games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, were released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, later released outside of Japan as Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version. The main series of role-playing video games (RPGs), referred as the "core series" by their developers, has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. The most recently released core series games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, were released on November 18, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch.
The Virtual Console is a defunct line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on past home and handheld consoles and were run in their original forms through software emulation, therefore remaining mostly unaltered, and could be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo eShop for between 500 and 1200 Wii Points, or using real currency, with prices depending on the system, rarity, and/or demand.
The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.
The Nintendo DSi is a dual-screen handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival was Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP). The fourth iteration, entitled Nintendo DSi XL, is a larger model that launched in Japan on November 21, 2009, and worldwide beginning in March 2010. Development of the DSi began in late 2006, and the handheld was unveiled during an October 2008 Nintendo conference in Tokyo. Consumer demand convinced Nintendo to produce a slimmer handheld with larger screens than the DS Lite. Consequently, Nintendo removed the Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridge slot to improve portability without sacrificing durability.
The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, produced until 2020. The system features backward compatibility with the Nintendo DS's library of video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.
Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure, known in Japan as Battle & Get! Pokémon Typing DS is an educational typing video game developed by Genius Sonority and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. A spin-off of the Pokémon series, it was released in Japan in April 2011 Europe in September 2012 and Australia in January 2013. The game is notable for being one of the few Pokémon titles released in English to not release in North America.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served as the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases. The service was discontinued globally for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in March 2023, continuing only on the Switch.
The eighth generation of video game consoles began in 2012, and consists of four home video game consoles: the Wii U released in 2012, the PlayStation 4 family in 2013, the Xbox One family in 2013, and the Nintendo Switch family in 2017.
The video game developer and publisher Nintendo has engaged in a variety of marketing campaigns, ranging from early efforts to appeal to teenagers with "Play It Loud!" to the more open-ended "Who Are You?" campaign. Nintendo also sometimes markets its various consoles and games with lavish promotions.
Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are 2013 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the sixth generation of the main Pokémon game series. First announced in January 2013 by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata through a Nintendo Direct, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were released worldwide in October 2013, and they were the first Pokémon games to have a simultaneous global release.
The New Nintendo 3DS is a clamshell design handheld game console produced by Nintendo, originally released on October 11, 2014 in Japan and rolled out to all major global markets by September 25, 2015. It is the fourth system in the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles, following the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, and Nintendo 2DS; notably it is the first with hardware improvements. Like the original 3DS, the New Nintendo 3DS also has a larger variant, the New Nintendo 3DS XL.
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are 2016 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the seventh generation of the Pokémon video game series. First announced in February 2016, Sun and Moon were released worldwide on 18 November 2016, commemorating the franchise's 20th anniversary. A pair of enhanced versions, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, were released for the same consoles on 17 November 2017.
The New Nintendo 2DS XL is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It is the sixth and final system in the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles, and was released in Australia and New Zealand on 15 June 2017, in Japan and South Korea on 13 July 2017, and in North America and Europe on 28 July 2017.