Topic: Considering buying a New 2DS or 3DS XL

I am considering getting myself a New 2DS or 3DS XL for Easter but am undecided so I thought that I'd ask here for some opinions.

I mostly play retro games and was wondering what the retro selection is like for the 2DS / 3DS?

I have some cash on my Nintendo eShop account and I'm assuming that I can sign into the 2DS / 3DS using the same username and password that I use for my Switch and I would be able to use this money on the eShop and buy games there too?

Does the 2DS or 3DS XL have problems with dead pixels on the screen? I remember this being a major problem when the first batch of DS consoles came out in 2005. I had to get 3 different ones until I got one without a dead pixel.

If I did go with the 3DS XL, can I turn off the 3D? The 3DS seems to have a vast library of 3D Classics - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Classics. I'm assuming none of these would be 2DS compatible?

The retro selection is pretty good, with Virtual Console releases for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Sega Game Gear, NES and SNES. SNES is only available on the ”New” models for some reason.

Also, like you mentioned, there are a bunch of 3D Classics from both Nintendo and Sega. They are, like every other 3DS game, compatible with 2DS, just without the 3D.
The 3D can be turned off anytime on a 3DS using a slider on the side of the screen. I almost never have the 3D turned on at all, so I would do just fine with a New 2DS XL.

@JoakimZ thanks for the reply.

So there would be no point in me buying a 3DS if I was going to turn off the 3D? I just assumed that the 3D classics only worked with the 3DS because of the name.

@wasilewski Yes, the 3D is always optional in all 3DS games, even the 3D classics. So if you know you’ll never want to use the 3D, you’re just as well off with a New 2DS XL.

Thanks @JoakimZ and @DiscoGentleman.

I can use my eShop money that I have on the account I'm signed into on the Switch on the DS, right?

@DiscoGentleman Perfect. thank you!

Get the New 2DS XL. It's $150, and you get the fuctionallity of the New 3DS/ New 3DS XL. You also can swap microSD cards faster, you don't have to unscrew and remove the battery cover to do that, and its harder to eject the game on accident (it's underneath a covering, next to the microSD card slot.) If you link your Nintendo Network ID, you can use the money on it to buy games, and the retro selection through Virtual Console is vast. And, due to the price point, you can afford an extra physical game if you desire to get one when getting the New 2DS XL cause, unlike the New 3DS/ New 3DS XL, you aren't paying $200-250 for the handheld itself. Might I suggest Xenoblade?

@Aiodensghost Thanks for the reply! I don't really like RPGs at all, I prefer games that I can play in short bursts and ones that I don't have to spend ages exploring on.

I would probably spend the money on a copy of Tetris Ultimate or an eShop voucher.

@wasilewski I'm an RPG powerhouse when it comes to games, cause when I was younger I was indoctrinated with the "RPG's are superior" doctrine from my uncle. So of course, I play a lot of RPG's, Minecraft, and Terraria. IT WAS GREAT when those two came to the 3DS, and in fact I waited on those to come out!! Mario Kart 7 would be a great choice to pick up, as well as any Kirby or Donkey Kong game you find. If your willing to scour eBay, try to find a DS copy of N+. N+ is worthy of the title of one of the hardest platformers in the world, and it has its flash game counterpart, as well as N++ on PS4 and PC (I got the Ultimate Edition, being an N+ veteran myself.)

@Aiodensghost I love Donkey Kong so will definitely be picking anything DK related up. I will check out N+, this is the first that I'd heard of it - thanks for the recommendation.

@wasilewski All I ask is that you don't throw your system.