Video: Nintendo Would Like To Remind You That 2DS Exists This Christmas

I don't want a reminder. I want you to let us forget and move on. Basically every 2ds game now is just a Switch game that could have happened.

In before the inevitable comments about how the kids are putting a brave face on the fact they didn't get a Switch

I still feel the 2DS/3DS has a place if your budget is limited or you want something more durable. I wouldn’t even consider buying a Switch for any hypothetical child unless they were 8-10 years old; and if they’ve proven themselves trustworthy of looking after it.

I would like to remind them that 3DS exists.

@Moroboshi876 This ^^

The pivot away from identifying the 3DS with.....3D.....makes me a sad panda.

@Kalmaro Agreed. They are putting too much effort in a console that doesn't have any future.
I believe the switch covers both home and handheld console for Nintendo. Ideally they would create a cheaper dockless and smaller version of the switch to replace the 3ds/2ds (my new 3ds XL has been gathering dust since the 3 March 2017 for some reason)

It's really not that much effort, and if holiday season is rolling around, why wouldn't you try to sell an $80 handheld with a massive library of great games? 3DS support is clearly slowed and the only game I was bummed was 3DS only was WarioWare Gold (which realistically wouldn't even work on Switch). I mostly play my Switch, but my 3DS still gets play and it's still a great alternative for families who can't drop Switch money. I know I was poor as hell growing up and the $80 2DS would've rocked my world.

Since I’ve owned a Switch, I’ve pulled out my 3DS each summer while I rode the metro in France. I put 50-75 hrs into some games and then it goes away again because I prefer my Switch games. I really ought to finish Xenoblade 3DS and Majora’s Mask but I’d rather play something a bit more updated on my Switch

if I were a kid my parents probably were more likely to gift me a 2DS/3DS for christmas than a switch

Planning to get a 2DS for my nephew and niece, they love playing it every time they visit me.

For some reason the 3DS is the only main console from Nintendo I've never owned. Might be that nowadays there's hardly any reason for me to game on a mobile device. Still, missing out on a Zelda and Metroid game seems to be something that needs to be rectified one day.

For everyone rolling their eyes at this... many families don't have $300+ to drop on a video game system for their kids at Christmas. There are going to be a lot of young ones waking up early on the 25th and discovering the magic of Ocarina of Time and Mario Kart. As a Nintendo enthusiast, this makes me happy... and is ultimately good for the company and its games long term.

I still don't get the "kill the 3DS" talk. Nintendo thinks it's still a stable business so just let them sell it. The 3DS hardly gets a new game these days, and they're mainly banking on old games to sell it. Just let it go.

I'd hate to be the one kid who got a 2DS instead of a switch...I love the 3DS but the switch is just better in most ways.

The tech in the 2DS/3DS is absolutely ancient. I mean decrepit. The 32-bit ARM 11 core in the system dates back to 2002, for god's sake! Even the cheapest $99 phone vastly outclasses it both in screen technology and CPU. Nintendo needs to create a new, compelling handheld. Period.

@Kalmaro All the 3DS games now are ports or localisations of Yo-kai Watch titles. What are you actually on about?

@BladedKnight Because, as we all know, the fun in games gets used up over time. A fun game seven years ago will be boring and dull now because the code will have become tarnished and dusty.

Looks like a gamecube. +1

The 2DS does have a future as a cheap entry level handheld but only if Nintendo is smart enough to launch super sale of software on the eshop. If the games cost almost half the price of the console then most people would just get a low-end smartphone instead. Since the extensive catalogue has already made up its cost, aaa titles for $10 or less, should just be gravy for the developers.

If the Playstation store can periodically have sales that cut prices of games 90%, then why can't Nintendo do the same. It's would made people want the handheld. And give it a second life or nine...

3DS doesnt has to die, it is a nice budget alternative.

Hey, if Nintendo can sell an old NES in today's world, I guess they may as well keep selling the 2/3DS as well.

@Sanangelo89 yes it does, at this point it's sucking the life out of the switch software wise, the sooner it gets cut off the better.

@Kalmaro "Basically every 2ds game now is just a Switch game that could have happened."

Basically every 2ds game now is just a Switch game that will be ported in 2 years for double the price.

Fixed that for ya. 😉 Why sell a game for $60 now when you can sell it for $30 now and $60 in 2 years?

Nintendo would rather sell kids 2DS than Switch. They are selling it for $150 but it probably costs them next to nothing to make by now. And every kid who gets a 2DS this year will want a Switch next year or a New Switch the year after. But until then those kids will be buying old 3DS games that would otherwise go unsold.

The Switch Pokemon bundle is $400, any kids getting a $150 New 2DS XL this year aren't getting it instead of a Switch, they are getting it b/c their parents can't afford it or don't see the value in it. SSBU bundle is $360.

And in case you don't know, Frozen 2, the movie, releases next November 2019. 3DS will stick around long enough to get a licensed Frozen 2 game. Game may also be on Switch, but it will sell twice as many on 3DS.

Meh don't care put some of those DS games on switch!

Don't care. Move on Nintendo. That 20million Switch target is a long way off still,that should be the focus

I’m a gamer, so obviously my opinion is already skewed. But I imagine that if I were gift shopping, I’d be more apt to drop $80 on a 2DS and $60 on two games for less than half the price of a Switch without games. A kid that doesn’t have a gaming system or a ds is likely going to be more grateful to get a brand new (to them) gaming device with 3 games (2ds bundles a game) and some stocking stuffers than a system with nothing else. If they’re not, that’s be the kids’ fault.
But I don’t have children, and that’s just my opinion.

Why push the 2DS now? I bought a New 2DS XL this year too but don't get me wrong I am very happy to play some older games on it. It doesn't need new games that could have been on the Switch instead. Let the system die already and release a handheld only version for the Switch that is cheaper but can't be docked with unremovable joycons for those who can't afford the system.

@NEStalgia
Me too! Its crazy they completely forget the 3DS. It makes sense in a way they produce a cheaper version without the 3D just to milk it as much as its worth as a business move, but its sad times for sure.

Crazy to think the 3DS line will soon be older than some of those first time kid gamers getting their first handheld.....

Dammit Nintendo. Those poor children. Think of the children!!

@Angelic_Lapras_King well... The Gameboy was my first handheld. And it was already about 7-8 years old when I got it (it's one year older than me overall)

So it's not that weird.

@jockmahon and the ones that got angry:

Let's stop. Let's not do it again.

Kid takes the box and throws it back and screams where is my Switch

i have two kids and to the surprise of no one they prefer to play on the switch than on the 3ds even if my 3ds's library it's vastly superior at this point in time, its just better looking and modern. Just My two cents

Yo-kai watch 3, Persona Q2, Etrian Odyssey Nexus all the "reminder" I need.

I kind of want to hear Alex say all that, his voice is perfect

If Nintendo want to hit 20million switch units this financial year they need to stop pushing 2ds & 3ds

Lol. If I bought my kid a 3ds for this upcoming Christmas I’d feel guilty as a father.

Or 2ds for that matter

I like the cheap alternatives they are providing, I'll say. $80 for a Nintendo system and game is a good deal to go for.

My daughter is 10 and we still play ours (I have a new 3ds XL and she has the old 2ds model). I can tell you that even though we want a Switch, she REALLY wants a new 2ds xl. There are so many games that she still wants to play on this platform that I really don't see us needing to even get a Switch for a while.

The 3ds line is probably still in my top 3 consoles of all time.

Awful lot of aggression towards the DS line here. I for one am perfectly content with games releasing on the 2/3DS, as they offer a slightly different experience to Switch games. Plus they are way cheaper.

@Guitar_bard Yeah, 3DS had replaced SNES as my favorite console until Switch came out and replaced 3DS

At this point I might rank it:
Switch
3DS
SNES
X1X
PS4
NES (It was amazing in it's day but hasn't aged as well.)
Genesis

@subpopz You're not alone, I loved the 3D!

@rjejr A few things:

I'm fine with them doubling the price if them double the amount of work that went in. As in, better graphics, more content, etc.

What examples are there if 2ds games that came to the switch and got their price doubled?

Old man 3DS still bumming around

The gift could have been wrapped in some Christmas paper.

And its find for kids who have not had a DS before. The games will all seem new.

For the loyal fans who have a DS then maybe a commercial showing all the New games out this Christmas.

This looks like a company getting rid of its old stock.

@RainbowGazelle that they'd be better if they were for the Switch. Probably with an HD upgrade.

Father: son I know you've been wanting one of those Nintendo's for a while...
Son: yea?
Father: That's why your mother and I got you this!
child excitedly opens gift only to discover a 2DS

As a parent to a 4yr and 2yr old and an Uncle to a 6yr old - of which their dad asked me 2DS or Switch? - I am very well aware of the 2DS and glad it exists. I am not giving my 4yr old a switch (he doesn't even get to touch my switch unless to play Mario Kart on the TV). This commercial is aimed at parents with kids who are either too young to trust a $300 device with or on a budget.

The 3ds games resolution looks ridiculous in this time of 4k games... It, just doesn't go well.

@Whalehome I think that's what the Switch did for me.
I do love playing portable game on my 3DS since I don't have to be tied to a single location with them, even in my own house.

But that Switch already allows me that(even if not as portable as my 3DS) to play in that portable mode AND still plonk down on a couch to play a game I don't have to prop up with my hands the air to actually watch it.

So it's actually really hard to return to the 3DS's portable-only nature even for the games I do still love on it X_X
Now if there was some kind of TV adapter or casting feature that could be officially released I would say that may well change things a lot but with the Switch now existing with that out of the starting bundle box so to speak.... I don't see that happening anytime soon unless they really decide to make the 2DS an official side console meant to continue existing for an entire generation again.

@denis09
Oh, I have no doubt I will absolutely love owning a Switch, and we can afford one, it's just that there are so many great games between the 3DS and the DS, that even after owning 50ish games, my backlog is still huge.

The appeal of playing beefier games on the Switch is pretty big though.

I have owned so many consoles (almost every major one from the NES on until the last console generation), that I am really trying to teach my kid to get the most out of what you have, rather than just be spoiled like I was growing up. So, maybe part of it is trying to teach a little responsibility to both of us

@NEStalgia

That is a great list.

I think I am in a 3 way tie between the 3DS, Super NES, and the Xbox 360.

NES comes in still at a dose 4th though (maybe tied with the PS2).
However, I still have a huge soft spot for the TG-16. So many underrated games on that system.

What would you rather have if you were a kid?

A switch with one game.

A used original 2ds with twenty+ used DS and 3DS games?

Would cost about the same.

I remember getting a NES for Christmas one year, when the SNES was well into its reign of supremacy. Would have liked a SNES, but I understood it was too pricey at the time. Poured hours into Mario Bros 2 and Little Nemo: The Dream master. Happy days. If you can get past the "it's rubbish because it's not what my friends say I should have" mentality (and if your kid has that attitude on Christmas morning, they're a bit of a g!t), the 2DS bundled with one or two games is a great gift for a family on a tighter budget.

This is a travesty!

Why did my parents never present my handheld consoles to me this way?

@Moroboshi876, @NEStalgia: It's a marketing shift that I've unfortunately noticed for some time now. It's why I'm keeping an eye out for N3DS XL deals since I highly suspect that this is the last holiday season that they will be available.

@Roam85 Switch + smash

I'd be a happy camper. You act like people don't by systems for one game.

So many spoiled brats in this comment section raising even more spoiled brats.

The advert didn't sway anything, but I already intend to get one for my daughter this Christmas. Her older brother already has one (my old original generation 3ds, which he inherited when I upgraded to a New 3ds) and she is just starting to get into games. This isn't her being shortchanged, we already have a Switch, which she uses. But she wants to play the pile of 3ds games we already have on her own system, so asked for one of her own.
Just because you may not be the market they are aiming for, doesn't mean there isn't a market.

Ah yes, the great 2Ds game, Ocarina of Time 3D. :B

Too bad the 3Ds doesn't exist anymore according to Ninty.

Cya
Raziel-chan

They need kids to still play Mario Kart 7 now i they want some of those sweet late-cycle sales from Mario Kart 8 and Switch in general.

Besides, there are a lot of game on 3DS that aren't on Switch, and it costs half or less. Still viable to both sell and buy.

@JohnnyC
Played my MasterSystem well into (an past) the life of the MegaDrive. ^^ And man, Dream Master is an amazing game!

@Kalmaro "What examples are there if 2ds games that came to the switch and got their price doubled?"

Good question. Looks like you've got me on that one. Best I can find is FE Warriors, $40 on 3DS, $60 on Switch, so only 50% more, not double. Hyrulfe Warriors was more on Switch than 3DS but that was on Wii U first for $60. I thought they had raised the price on Captain Toad but that was only $40 on Switch as well.

So I Was wrong about the doubling, but I'm still going to stick with my overall premise that Nintnedo is more than happy to sell 2DS ro 3DS this holiday, b/c they know those are potential Switch owners in the future, and they'll have enough Switch sales regardless. Those 2DS and 3DS sales aren't lost Switch sales, they were never switch sales, they are lost Lego or doll house sales. And also any game Nintneod did deicde to make form her eon out on the 3DS could be ported to the Switch later, so they can potentially sell it twice. Not for double the price, but still sell it twice, so even at the same price it's still double the money. And while there havent' been many 3DS port son Switch yet, that's bc/ the 3D Sis still selling and the Switch is getting Wii U ports on a regular basis. Once the 3DS fades away and they run out of Wii U games to port we'll see some 3DS games on Switch. I'm thinking Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Kid Icarus, Lugi's Mansion 2, maybe some Mario games. The time will come, but not yet.

Holiday 2019 may see a 3DS ad or two, but I'm not expecting anything holiday 2020 when it's cheap old Switch and expensive New Switch.

@Kalmaro that would be the one game to go for.

@BladedKnight I guess. I don’t know, I always liked having a lot of games.

Also I suppose anyone could point out if you get switch online, you get 23 games.

@rjejr I'd like to say that them banking on the 2ds to get future Switch sales is a bad idea but it seems logical and I'm sure Nintendo knows more about making money than I do.

I think Nintendo want to remind people they still have lots of unsold 2DS consoles they need to get rid of,er I mean sell as the console figures in their plans ahead.

@Guitar_bard sure, I wouldn't want to take a switch outside as it is bulky rather than fit in a pocket (OG 3ds)/handbag (xl models) or risk someone messing up with a drop (3ds can close screens together) or losing one of the joycons. Never really got the point of getting a new system given Nintendo halfasses bundles anyway.

@Kalmaro They do know how to make money, I'll give them that. Though I do sometimes wonder how much more money they could make if they were REALLY good at making money? But they don't like taking risks, they're the tortoise, not the hare.

Not everyone has £280 (minus £30-£50 for ONE game) to spend on a Christmas gift for their children.

The 2DS is an amazing value device - it has a wealth of content, is well built and comes in lots of good bundles starting from £80.

It's not just an easy money-maker for Nintendo, but it's the perfect gift for any young child who is making their entry to Nintendo.

@Emperor-Palpsy I agree, Nintendo has the right idea pushing the 2DS as a cheaper alternative. There are a lot of privileged individuals on this comment thread who do not realise that a lot of families struggle with basics such as heating bills and while as parents we want to spoil our children, getting three square daily meals on the table is the priority not the high specs of modern gaming.

For the price point, the 3DS line makes video gaming accessible to poor people. And the library means that these are high quality games which are affordable to everyone, regardless of background.

I did not grow up in a rich household but remember my B&W Gameboy fondly. If it wasn’t for that system’s affordability I would never have joined my peers in the video game world.

I always see the cheaper smaller dockless Switch idea and, I mean, I suppose it makes sense because plenty of devices have two entry points, but usually it’s at different levels of internal hard drive space, not cutting huge features out (the 2DS sorta does this but 3D is a purely aesthetic feature). I mean, I guess they did a Wii Mini, idk how that sold... but I just think of the fact that if the person ends up wanting to playing Switch games on the TV later on, they’d have to buy a whole new console, though I guess that’s good news for Nintendo. But then there’s also the handful of games that don’t function in handheld mode (pretty sure this includes Super Mario Party). I see that being a Wii U problem all over again, with parents buying these games for their kid and not realizing their dockless Switch can’t really play them. It creates a bit of confusion... though I suppose Nintendo wouldn’t necessarily care there. I have no idea how likely a handheld-only Switch is, but by the time we get one there’s a good chance we’ll have other first party games that don’t play in handheld mode, and while they can do their best to advertise it clearly on the front of said games, they can’t retroactively change the boxes of the games already on shelves...

If your kid is really young a 2ds is fine. But once they are old enough that they are talking to other kids, hearing what is new and popular most kids are going to want a switch... if they want something that can be played on the go at all. Many ask for one of the twins. You at least want the option to play the latest games. I had a small gaming library as a kid but I always got the latest system within 2 years of release. I at least wanted to be able to get the new game from blockbuster if nothing else.

I can think of much worse pressies than a 2DS and a copy of Warioware for Christmas.

This seems like the final push out the door for the 2ds tbh

@electrolite77 Contradictions are fun!

@Emperor-Palpsy Or videogames, in general. KSSU, SF643D, Tetris DS, even the freaking Louvre, all at one's fingertips.
That said, the non-clamshell models are absolutely bizarre and only portable in a backpack or something.

@electrolite77 im also really fun at parties and at least Im not trying to overcompensate my lack of parenting skills by spending $300+ on a gaming system for a 5 year old that would have much more fun with a $80 2ds and a ninja turtles bike. But hey dont let what you read on the internet ruin your day, take care sweetie.

Virtual Console...

I don't really need a 2ds, I don't have enough money to get a switch and i already have a 3ds XL sooo.

...Remember back then when I said Nintendo wasn't going to ditch the 3DS stuff anytime soon?...Yeah...

It's a great budget system and certainly more durable for children.

@NewAdvent There's no shame in that. Alongside ownership of the Switch comes access to instant classics such as Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild, among others.

I get why this exists, but I hate the design of the 2DS XL. It's ugly. I prefer the 3DS XL heavily over it because of it...

I'm still playing Yokai Watch on my old 3DSXL with YW2 bought a long time ago yet to be played, so yes, 3DS/2DS is still a thing for at least one person in the world

And even though I already have a Switch, I really wish I could buy a N2DSXL just to refresh my console before it stop being produced, my old 3DSXL is also OLD.

I’ve not played my 3DS in at least 4 hours. Maybe 5.

It's not a bad idea getting a 3DS these days, even with no big releases in the future we already have a great catalogue to choose from. Problem is people don't need a reminder of the 2DS existence. They're well aware. In stores you almost find 2DS only, not 3DS. And worse: many parents can't even tell the difference between the 3DS/2DS and the old Nintendo DS. So they don't even know about the stereoscopic 3D, nor the ability to just turn down the 3D effect, which was the only thing people with visual handicaps needed. And more and more people, children included, don't know about the 3DS anymore.

Anyway, whatever version of the system, the strategy, as said by Nintendo itself, is selling the older console because it's cheaper, much cheaper in fact, and they think it's better suited as a console several members of a family will have at home, instead of a 300€+ console that families will probably buy just once.

That doesn't mean children don't desire it, and I know they ask for it and because of the price parents have to say no.

yawn im too busy playing Runescape mobile to care right now.

Maybe next year.

Haha, I agree on good games, but there are plenty

I have worried about their business fragmentation too in the past, but I almost think Nintendo needs multiple systems, so that one's success can carry the other. In the past, their handhelds have definitely cushioned the fall of their home console sales, at least compared to their competitors.

That said, I haven't met a Nintendo system I didn't like

@huyi Lol thats not true, the 3DS isnt holding the Switch from anything, you arent saying this from a business perspective.

The 3ds still sells very well and its popularity shouldnt be denied. if it still has a potential to sell 1 million a year why stop selling it? If you were nintendo you wouldnt do that either (no sane person would do that).

a lot of people who buy a 3DS that arent interested in a Switch (because of price, games or combination of that).

@Sanangelo89 exactly!!! Plus the New models have still great potential. All the latest releases prove clearly that the 3DS has still much to offer as a system which is different in every way than the Switch and best Switch alternative.