Power up!

Whether you love or hate the Fisher Price-style design of the robust 2DS, we can all agree on the need for longer battery life in our handheld devices. With that in mind, Mugen is just about to release a battery upgrade for the 2DS that doubles the capacity of the internal power cell and costs a princely $89.99 (which works out as about £52.99).

The package comes with a replacement rear shell, new bigger battery and a magic screwdriver for fitting it. This is easier to install than it sounds and instantly offers a longer-lasting Nintendo handheld. Simply unscrew the existing rear cover (it should be noted that this likely invalidates your warranty) pop out the old battery, pop in the new one and screw the new rear shell back on.

The result is a slightly chunkier (and top heavy) unit but one that remains pretty close to Nintendo’s original design. In fact, seeing this made us wonder if there may be a 3DS XL in the works from Nintendo itself.

Either way the attention to detail here is to be applauded. Not only are the colours matched to the original 2DS casing, but the quality and materials used also look spot on. Similar to Mugen’s 3DS and 3DS XL replacement batteries, the result is a little heftier but no less pretty.

The new battery offers 2500mAh as opposed to the original’s 1300mAh, which pretty much doubles the battery life. As you can see in the video there is quite a bit of unused space that made us wonder if the replacement battery could have been larger – Mugen's 3DS XL solution boasts a 5800mAh capacity. We suspect that squeezing in an even bigger battery would have resulted in a less aesthetically pleasing design, though.

As it stands, the new rear cover not only looks in keeping with the overall design but also grants the 2DS a customised sensibility. Kids like the idea of having a unit that looks unique and different from others, while adults will like the idea of not having to charge it up as often.

Are you convinced? Is the extended battery life worth the upgrade price, or do you think it compromises the 2DS’s clean lines? Would you buy an official 2DS XL? Let us know with a comment.