Can't stand that 3D? Nintendo's got you covered. Introducing the 2DS

[Tenchi Ryu]

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/28/nintendo-2ds-plays-all-3ds-ds-games-in-2d-ditches-clamshell/

The design is fucking oogly, but the cheap bastard in me is tempted to grab it to play 3ds games finally.

[Morgeil]

Ugh, hate the design. The 3DS can easily be shut and slid into a pants pocket, but trying to carry this thing around looks like it would be all sorts of awkward.

Though I completely understand and agree with why this was developed.  And I'm impressed that Nintendo is serious about making a handheld that addresses the parental concerns over the 3DS (possible damage to vision, etc). And Nintendo has always been very successful with their handheld market, expanding and focusing on that would probably be a good move.

The really interesting observation about this, however... is the acknowledgement of the existence of both a children AND teen/adult's handheld demographic, and that lumping them both into one broad category is probably not going to work anymore.  That both fanbases are distinctive enough from each other to warrant making separate portable consoles to target them.

[shades of blue]

It looks like cancer to me. Under it's skin is a single touchscreen panel, which is why the thing does not fold like a DS/3DS. So that really helps to cut down costs, but at the same time it just makes the object too bulky. Gotta say, I wouldn't buy it just to same a mere 40 bucks. Hell, if I wanted to save that much, I'd just get a used 3DS.

[SimmyC]

And the 3DS... you can turn off the 3D part.

I was hoping for a cheaper 3DS without the 3D because yes, I am a cheap bastard (though cheap by necessity. That awesome job that pays well is still eluding me). And I was excited that maybe, I'll get it until I saw the design. But making it a non-clamshell style? Really? And it isn't just the fact that it's a single unit that bothers me. But also the placement of the buttons and directional pad.

I might as well spend that extra $40 for the 3DS then.