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Nintendo 2DS - Impressions thread?

C

ColdBlooder

Banned
Remove 3D if old!


I got my 2DS yesterday and i thought i share my impressions. Also if you have one. Feel free to post yours!

2ds-seven6uuij.png



First thing i noticed that its actually way smaller than you would expect.

2ds-onebeu5r.png


Its very comfortable to hold. I especially feel like its the best of the 3DS family to play stylus heavy games on because you have alot of surface on the backside to hold on to.

The DPad is alright. Its not bad but i expect better from Nintendo. It feels a bit too mushy for my taste. The circlepad is identical with the one on the OG 3DS.

2ds-fivemguez.png


Without a shadow of a doubt: The 2DS has, by far, the best shoulder buttons on a handheld. Their big, round and easy to press. Interesting though, that the buttons are mounted on the top side and the actual button press is happening on the side. But no matter where you press them, They work.

2ds-fourxhu2s.png


The facebuttons are small but easy to reach. They have a nice feel to them although they feel a tad loose.

2ds-twoaiubw.png


The sleep mode slider enables sleep mode on the 2DS, since you can't close the system. The Powerbutton is so far away from the other buttons that hitting it accidently is impossible.

2ds-six80uvw.png


The Home Button is just a rubbery surface with a tiny tiny clicky button inside. You have to hit it right in the middle to activate it. Kinda wished the whole surface would be the button, but its not. It just looks like one.

2ds-threeu4u5a.png



The screen is nice. Colors pop and the image is bright and sharp. Although i heard people saying it looks a little washed out. IMO this is not the case. Viewing angles are good too. The soundquality dropped alot on the 2DS, since you only got a mono speaker. But that can be avoided with headphones. Stereo sound is supported through headphones.


Overall the Nintendo 2DS is a very good device. It feels really sturdy and well built. Although its a cheap entry device, it dosen't feel cheap. Despite the display lacking 3D, it dosen't feel like you are missing out on something because of lacking features. Gameplaywise it offers the same good experience you expect from a DS/3DS device.

Feel free to ask questions if you have any. Or add your own impressions if you got the device.

P.S.: Sorry for the image quality. Only had my cheap smartphone to take the pictures

EDIT: No idea how the question mark got into the title. Could a mod remove it please?
 
T

The_Joker1721

Member
Yup. I need one. I have an XL but this is just. I dont know something about this looks so good. I'll wait to see if they release a white one in the US. Thanks for the impressions man.
 
G

Groof

Junior Member
I might pick one up for AA5 and Pokemon later on, it's so tempting at the price. I'd rather have an XL, but if you guys's impressions are good then I might go for this instead. Still looks like a pretty silly device to me though!
 
C

ColdBlooder

Banned
I talked to others who got one and they liked it too. One complained that the sd card flap can be opened by accident when playing, although i never managed to do it.

Also playing it feels alot more like the OG Gameboy/Gameboy color because of the size.

If you can live without the 3D, this is a really good choice. But just to be safe, i would try it somewhere if you are unsure.
 
R

reptilescorpio

Member
Thanks for the rundown ColdBlooder!

If it had damn Stereo speakers rather than Mono I would be all over this thing, I rarely use headphones on my OG 3DS.
 
T

truestatic

Member
Does it manage to avoid the yellow tint of the newer 3DS/XL models? My OG 3DS has the cool white screen, and I could never switch to one of the warm tone models.
 
K

Kanyon

Member
My cousin got one of these today, surprisingly it's not that bad... I still think it looks hideous from a design perspective but the functionality works.
 
W

walking fiend

Member
I read OP and then thought with myself that I want one; then i remembered why I decided not to get one; fuck you NOA for not making the white one available.
 
B

Brianimaniac

Banned
Looks nice, but I would want the screen size from the XL, and though I almost never use the 3D on 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land is harder to play without it.
 
A

andromeduck

Member
it's probably been said a billion times but I'm still pretty salty about buying this for Pokemon

I'd much rather pay $150 for a PS Vita version
 
C

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
andromeduck said:
it's probably been said a billion times but I'm still pretty salty about buying this for Pokemon

I'd much rather pay $150 for a PS Vita version
Click to expand...
..... Wat? It's great for 2D games ala NSMB2, but where it really shines is Monster Hunter or Revelations, since it's very comfortable to hold and the shoulder buttons are easy to access. Really like it so far, very compact handheld.

Still think it should be 99 dollar/Euro though.
 
W

Wurst

Member
Thinking about getting this for Pokemon and Zelda.
I don't really have that much gaming time to spend and those two games might be the only ones for a while (maybe Mario, too)

But I feel like missing out on interesting tech (3D). Not for Pokemon, obviously. But what if I pop in Zelda or 3D Land?

I'm not sure. Would like to get a 3DS XL, but it seems too dear for my purposes.
 
B

Burnburn

Member
Played with a 2DS at an event.

Wasn't thinking about getting one, and that little session did not turn that around. Honestly, I would be all over a 2D 3DS, but this one really didn't do it. Buttons are too small and squishy, and the D-pad too. They should have just gone with the XL circle pad instead of the OG one. Shoulder buttons are way too high, when I was playing with the D-pad I couldn't reach them at all. Having to click on the side for the shoulder buttons just felt weird, but I guess that's something you have to get used to. Only positive thing I have about the 2DS is the placement of start and select, and that's just because they are in a horrible spot on the XL and OG.

Unless you're really short on money and can't afford to spend a dime more, just get a XL or OG 3DS.
 
G

gogogow

Member
Wurst said:
Thinking about getting this for Pokemon and Zelda.
I don't really have that much gaming time to spend and those two games might be the only ones for a while (maybe Mario, too)

But I feel like missing out on interesting tech (3D). Not for Pokemon, obviously. But what if I pop in Zelda or 3D Land?

I'm not sure. Would like to get a 3DS XL, but it seems too dear for my purposes.
Click to expand...

The OG 3DS really isn't that much more expensive, it's only $30/€30 more, you get 3D, clamshell design and much better build material, which really justifies the difference in price.
If the 2DS was 99 I could understand, but it's 129 vs 159.
 
C

Cerity

Member
cw_sasuke said:
..... Wat? It's great for 2D games ala NSMB2, but where it really shines is Monster Hunter or Revelations, since it's very comfortable to hold and the shoulder buttons are easy to access. Really like it so far, very compact handheld.

Still think it should be 99 dollar/Euro though.
Click to expand...

shines for monster hunter....?

I was thinking about it a few days ago and still can't imagine it unless you exclusively use the L trigger for camera, which still seems a little awkward.
 
W

Wurst

Member
gogogow said:
The OG 3DS really isn't that much more expensive, it's only $30/€30 more, you get 3D, clamshell design and much better build material, which really justifies the difference in price.
If the 2DS was 99 I could understand, but it's 129 vs 159.
Click to expand...

Seems like stock are getting low for the OG 3DS, at least in Germany. Amazon lists it at 199 dispatchable in 2-3 weeks.

It's more like 129€ vs. 188€ (3DS XL)
 
B

Boken

Banned
Burnburn said:
Played with a 2DS at an event.

Wasn't thinking about getting one, and that little session did not turn that around. Honestly, I would be all over a 2D 3DS, but this one really didn't do it. Buttons are too small and squishy, and the D-pad too. They should have just gone with the XL circle pad instead of the OG one. Shoulder buttons are way too high, when I was playing with the D-pad I couldn't reach them at all. Having to click on the side for the shoulder buttons just felt weird, but I guess that's something you have to get used to. Only positive thing I have about the 2DS is the placement of start and select, and that's just because they are in a horrible spot on the XL and OG.

Unless you're really short on money and can't afford to spend a dime more, just get a XL or OG 3DS.
Click to expand...

you must have really small hands
 
G

-GJ-

Member
Got mine in the mail yesterday and so far I love it. I thought it was an ugly thing when I first saw the pictures, but the moment I held it in my hands I thought it was beautiful.

I have pretty big hands, so I thought I would be getting cramps in my hands again like with the OG 3DS, but I was wrong. This thing fits in my hands perfectly. The buttons are placed great, your fingers fall right into the L and R bumpers and the thing I love most about it; your hands are holding the whole device. No more holding a small part of the device with a wobbly screen on top. It feels like I'm playing the OG GBA, in a good way. The build quality of this thing is amazing and it feels way stronger than the 3DS or 3DS XL

Even though I still prefer the 3DS XL because of the bigger screens, I would wholeheartedly recommend the 2DS over the original 3DS.

edit: I see people talking trash about the d-pad/buttons. Personally I think they feel great and way better than the d-pad/buttons on the 3DS and 3DS XL. They feel more like GameBoy buttons. You don't have to 'click' them like on the 3DS (XL).
 
J

jonno394

Member
looks great and will probably buy a 2DS next summer so that i can keep up my run of owning every zelda game at some point. ive just bought a vita and have dozens of games to play so can't justify the purchase atm until i clear some of my backlog but I'll get this over the OG and XL as i can't view 3D anyway.
 
O

omg_mjd

Member
How does it feel when playing games with the 2DS on its side like a book? I don't own a 3DS yet but I remember there were a few DS games like Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword that played this way and required you to control with the stylus and one of the triggers (which would be right under your thumb in this position).

I guess few, if any, 3DS games are controlled that way though.
 
C

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
shoulder buttons are a great selling point for me. I was already getting a US one, now it's a 100% sure purchase
 
C

ColdBlooder

Banned
omg_mjd said:
How does it feel when playing games with the 2DS on its side like a book? I don't own a 3DS yet but I remember there were a few DS games like Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword that played this way and required you to control with the stylus and one of the triggers (which would be right under your thumb in this position).

I guess few, if any, 3DS games are controlled that way though.
Click to expand...

Haven't played any sidewys DS/3DS games on it yet. But im planning onm gettin hotel dusk and Last Window. Im curious how that feels aswell.

Heres a YT video (in italian) that shows this i action (after unboxing): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8hnoxJgj3c

One of the best quality videos i could quickly find on YT. Gives a somewhat accurate impresson of the screen/s
 
C

ColdBlooder

Banned
Satchel said:
Got my Black/Blue yesterday.

I like everything except the button placement. Needs to be lower.
Click to expand...

I actually prefer this layout now. Also if you hold it on a lower position, the weight distribution is wrong, It gets too heavy on the upper side. Having the controls up on the first main screen gives more of a GBA vibe.

But in the end it all comes down to personal preference.
 
D

djSyndrome

Member
Tried it at PAX. Feels like it would be great for VC games, but I'm used to the larger screens of the XL and not sure I could justify going back. My daughters both have (original) 3DSes and are interested in it though, but not until it gets some non-shitty colours in North America.

That said, if this goes on sale in Japan for cheap I'll pick one up just to have easy access to import-only titles.
 
Y

Yes Boss!

Member
djSyndrome said:
Tried it at PAX. Feels like it would be great for VC games, but I'm used to the larger screens of the XL and not sure I could justify going back. My daughters both have (original) 3DSes and are interested in it though, but not until it gets some non-shitty colours in North America.

That said, if this goes on sale in Japan for cheap I'll pick one up just to have easy access to import-only titles.
Click to expand...

It is awesome for Virutal Console. Looks unbelievably sharp. Screen is small but it is no problem. The D-pad is placed a lot better. This system is way smaller than one would imagine but the ergonomics are much, much better. Small in a good way, not like the PSP Go.

 
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