Nintendo 2DS Review – Cheaper, but not Cheap

Just a couple of months ago Nintendo announced the 2DS out of the blue. With no 3D, a confusing name and missing the clamshell shape of the 3DS, no one really knew what Nintendo were thinking. Until we saw the price.

The Nintendo 2DS throws away what was the biggest talking point about the Nintendo 3DS early on it its life, the stereoscopic glass-less 3D display. The 3D visuals were a talking point for two reasons, on one hand it was an interesting and novel idea and two it was going to rot your eyes out. Well that didn’t happen.

Now two years after the system’s release Nintendo is releasing a console without the 3D screen. Is it because the novelty value of 3D gaming has worn off or the second talking point? Did the fear of 3D hold back the 3DS from repeating the history of the 2D? Honestly we’re never going to know why outside of what the PR message is going to be and that’s alright because without 3D the Nintendo 2DS is exactly what it needs to be, a cheaper and more child friendly console. An entry level 3DS system, one that’s going to confuse people at retail.

It is a Nintendo system though, it’s to be expected these days.

Simply put, the Nintendo 2DS is a Nintendo 3DS that is missing the glasses-free 3D effect and doesn’t have a clamshell design. That’s something every Nintendo handheld has had for nearly a better part of a decade and it feels weird to go back on it.

The 2DS has the same size screens as the original Nintendo 3DS, they’re the same quality which isn’t the best of screens out there today in consumer electronic piece, but for the time and for the 3D effect they had to originally provide, they’ll do. The screens are on the same angle this time around which isn’t a problem but still a little difficult to adjust. Without a clam shell design the weakest part of the construction is plastic cover on the screen.

The build of the system is fantastic, its feels solid and the matte finish will keep clean compared to the glossy surface of the original 3DS. The system is in the shape a wedge with the larger side up in the triggers toward the top of the device, it looks awkward to hold but slides in quite nicely. It’s always good to get your hands on a fresh circle-pad and the 2DS one is just as good as you’re going to get elsewhere, the D-Pad though is certainly more squishier and probably the weakest part of all the buttons. The home button on our unit is on an angle, it appears to be just a sticker over a button which hopefully won’t come off.

Personally though playing something as intense as Mario Kart 7 gave me cramps, and the corners dug into my palms. I don’t have the biggest hands in the world either, but then again I type on a computer 12 hours a day so my hands are likely to be that of an 80 year old. The bottom touch screen feels weird to reach to simply because its below the top 50% of your hands, which could make some games weird, but won’t pose a problem for the majority of people.

Because of the new design there’s a couple of other changes, since the system can’t shut there’s sleep switch which works just as the name says. The wireless switch is now software based and the replaced the ‘power saver’ option on the home menu. The system also only has a single mono speaker. Although loud it’s not the best quality – the voice and music sounds shallower and emptier than on a 3DS XL.

The battery life of the 2DS is about the same than the original 3DS. After a good afternoon of trying various games the system was ready for death soon after we charged it completely for the video review you see above. You would think removing the 3D effect would help the battery but Nintendo instead downsized the battery included, there’s cheap and there’s that. The 2DS will out live a 3DS with its 3D effect off, but not by much.

The Nintendo 2DS isn’t for everyone and it’s not meant to be. It’s unashamedly made for children and it’s meant to be cheap as possible. The still terrible battery life, the mono speaker and lack of 3D whether for political reasons or simply to be cheap will attest to that. But just because it is cheap, doesn’t mean it’s cheap. It’s still 3DS in a different shape, it’s well built and has a great typical quality Nintendo feeling. If you can’t afford a 3DS XL then you really do have a choice between this and the original style 3DS.

Review hardware purchased at retail.