Nintendo announce the 2DS?

It's probably no secret to those who know me but I am a huge fan of Nintendo. I grew up with Nintendo, I play Nintendo and even though I enjoy Microsoft and Sonys console offerings, I will always buy Nintendo first. That being said, Nintendos latest move had me a little confused. Read on..

Introducing the Nintendo 2DS... It's a 3DS minus a D. That's right, it only plays 3D software in 2D. It's being released on Oct 12th and is clearly targeted at younger kids and people yet to make the jump to Nintendos next gen handheld.

It's coming in at about $70 cheaper than a 3DS XL but apart from the price point, the system doesn't have much to offer over its previous counterpart.

For starters, there is no improvement on battery life despite the lack of 3D and smaller screens. The system will play the exact same as an XL with the 3D off and still features online capabilities. It does however, take a hit in the sound department reverting back to mono speakers.

Another huge design change is the system doesn't fold in half any more resembling a tablet. In theory this makes the 3DS less portable than its counterparts and due to the button positioning, may make it awkward to hold.

Since aside from the price, it offers no advantages, I feel Nintendo should have put their R&D money into making the standard sized 3DS cheaper instead of making a cut down 3DS. Considering the disastrous Mini Wii launch, I was surprised at the 2DS from a business standpoint.

So far reactions have been rather lackluster... I'm sure come Pokemon launch, parents will see the value in the system when they have to upgrade. As for this gamer, I'm going to stick with my trusty 3DS XL.