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We liked
The 2DS is a great way of entering Nintendo's handheld family without spending too much money to do so, but we're really talking to kids and parents here. Come Christmas day there's sure to be a lot of these around trees and hopefully pack with some of the excellent games currently available for the handheld.
It's that excellent lineup of games that makes it even easier to recommend the 2DS. With a generation of kids familiarising themselves with quick and easy games like Angry Birds, it's important for Nintendo to show them how much better gaming can be. And even better, then 2DS is a hell of a lot sturdier than a smartphone.
We disliked
There are a few things we'd change. First, we'd drop the 3D camera abilities - who's really going to bother with it? Then we'd add another speaker for stereo sound. We'd also think about the overall feel. It's not bad, but that wedge form could be a little less defined, in our opinion...
Final verdict
If you're a gamer who hasn't jumped into the DS game yet, the 2DS is not the place you'll want to start. But if you're buying for someone younger who's been pestering you for the new Luigi's Mansion, the 2DS could be exactly what you need.
Not only can it withstand some heavyhandedness, it's all the more affordable for it with its cheaper design. It makes a lot of sense for Nintendo to push this out - let's just hope it can get the message across.
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