Nintendo 2DS Gets Price Drop Prior To Holiday Shopping Season
Just as kids are heading back to school and before the holiday shopping rush begins, Nintendo is dropping the price on the kid-friendly Nintendo 2DS. Parents, gamers, and savvy-shoppers alike can now purchase the handheld at the reduced suggested retail price of $99.99, which is about $30 cheaper than its original price of $129.99. The new, lower price goes into effect on August 30, 2015.
One of Nintendo’s best values is getting better! On 8/30, the price of #2DS, which includes #MK7, drops to $99.99! pic.twitter.com/G3gFWZX9bZ
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 20, 2015
Bundled with the Nintendo 2DS is a digital copy of Mario Kart 7, adding just a bit more value to the deal. The Nintendo 2DS console plays all Nintendo 3DS games, but lacks the 3D visual effects and functionality of its more costly predecessor. The New Nintendo 3DS XL is double the price of a price-dropped 2DS at its current suggested retail price of $199.99. For the extra money, gamers get all the latest portable features currently available on a Nintendo handheld, including a built-in amiibo reader. Amiibo figures can still be played with on a Nintendo 2DS system, but that functionality requires an accessory called a Nintendo NFC Reader/Writer that is sold separately.
Like a 3DS, the 2DS features dual screens, but where the handheld differs significantly in its physical appearance is its hinge-less, one piece design. In that regard, it is almost like a throwback to the original, old school Game Boy. Nintendo introduced a compact handheld gaming system with its Game Boy Advance SP device, and with it the hinged screen. Although Nintendo products are well-known for their dexterity, a hinge (no matter how sturdy) is a potential point of failure and breakage. Paying hundreds of dollars on a gaming console and its proprietary games knowing it is likely to break due to routine, rough handling by children is a legitimate reason for many parents to opt for a DS over a 3DS.
The only thing cooler than building custom robots is battling them on your #3DS! #LBX launches 8/21! pic.twitter.com/1L9CLLWUVk
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 20, 2015
Although the 2DS has its pros and cons, the portable system is likely to attract the attention of gift buyers this holiday season due to Nintendo’s family-friendly holiday release schedule. Several titles made with younger players in mind are coming to the Nintendo 3DS family of systems (which includes the Nintendo 2DS) this fall and includes games like YO-KAI Watch, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, and the newly-released Little Battlers eXperience.
[Images courtesy of Nintendo]
