2ds

kopchoir

After much deliberation I have decided to leave the wii u until there is a price drop hopefully in the new year.
Looking to get a 2ds now, im still on the 3ds eye strain theory so hence the 2ds option.
It will be for my 9 year old daughter, just a quick question, which games are compatiblewith the 2ds is it just 3ds games or what, bit unsure which carts they take.
Also is firmware important?

Si

ChrisWV10

Sainsburys have the 2DS with one of the pokemons (X or Y) for £99.99 in store. 2DS takes the same carts as the 3DS - DS & 3DS carts. Only difference is the size/shape and no 3D... and 2DS has mono speaker but stereo thru ear/headphone. (and the price!)

kopchoir

Is the pokemon game a digital download at sainsburys do you know by any chance

ChrisWV10

Sorry, don't know the answer to that one.

Cloysterpeteuk

Retail game, great value, it's basically the console for £70 if you were already getting Pokemon. Plus it comes with the charger, I love my Zelda 3DSXL but do feel a bit ripped off that it didn't come with the retail game or a charger and it cost the same price as my Wii U for crying out loud!.

                                                                                                                                       

Cloysterpeteuk

By the way you shouldn't discount the 3DS because of eye-strain for the young un, that's a non problem, you just set the parental controls so your daughter is unable to turn on the 3D - problem solved. Me personally I find the screens on the 3DSXL still too small so I couldn't use the midget screens on the other models, your daughter probably wouldn't even notice or care what size screens they are at her age though.

kopchoir

What's your thoughts on the 2ds screen

Cloysterpeteuk

It's funny how it's one single screen, just divided with a bit of plastic. It's fine, that's the best I can say about it, fine for the target market that is. In the age of 5” and larger mobiles and gaming on ipad I can't get excited about something with a tiny screen, as game worlds get bigger I want to be able to see all the detail, I'm sure gaming on a screen that size for extended periods would strain my old eyes far more than the 3D would.

In general though the screens are by far the worse thing about the Nintendo family of handhelds, the 3DS has a whole slew of awesome games, some of which are fantastic visually like Resident a Evil Revelations but these screens are a real let down. Old, old cheap technology, all the competition like Vita, mobiles, iPod touches, tablets etc ALL use stunning high res screens that make the Nintendo handhelds low res screen look pretty rubbish, text is especially bad on the 3DSXL as the screens are far bigger but they keep the exact same amount of pixels, it's like your back in 1990 or something.

As for that touchscreen, that's rubbish as well, no wonder they give you the stylus, it's feels exactly the same as those first gen resistive touch screens that mobiles used way back when touch screens were a new exciting thing. Even when they place huge buttons on the touch screen I still have to press it extremely carefully or it just won't register, I end up annoyed when there's something on the touch screen and it won't let me navigate to it with the physical control buttons.

Hopefully the next machine will have a much high resolution, 5.5" bottom screen 6" top and ditch the 3D altogether.

CAS FAN

I have the 3dxl and 3ds and would go XL every time.  Far more comfortable and whilst the screens aren't as high res as say the Vitas, they do a decent enough joy.  It's the games that make this console one of the best in recent times though.  There are some absolutely belting games on it (Fire Emblem Awakening was only just beaten by SM3DW for my GOTY) and it gets much more use as a handheld in it's own right than the Vita (which is pretty much my remote play screen now).

The 2DS looks good but I personally like the clamshell design of the 3ds as you can chuck it in your pocket and the screens are protected. I therefore don't really get the design of it and don't know why they didn't just release a 2d clamshell version.  

That said, in whatever guise you buy it it's a console anyone who remotely likes games should own IMO.

kopchoir

The amount of DS lites DSI XL where the hinges have gone have been a fair few.
Hence why I am going for the 2ds as well