Nintendo today announced the Nintendo 2DS, a brand new portable system that releases on October 12 at an MSRP of $129.99. The system will be available in black-and-red and black-and-blue colors, and features a fully different form factor from Nintendo 3DS. The system doesn’t fold, making it look more like a Game Boy with two screens.
The Nintendo 2DS will be backwards compatible with over 2000 Nintendo DS games, and will be able to play all Nintendo 3DS games in 2D. It is also launching day and date with the new Pokemon X and Pokemon Y games that traditionally target a younger demographic.
Given the lower $129.99 price point (Nintendo 3DS retails for $159.99, and the Nintendo 3DS XL for $189.99), and taking into account the simultaneous Pokemon release, this looks like Nintendo’s attempt to aim squarely for the kids and family market.
Taking a look at their Nintendo 2DS promotional video featuring a parent and his child, it becomes apparent Nintendo is aiming for a more budget-mindful consumer. You can see their first video below, setting the stage for the Nintendo 2DS marketing efforts towards the “gamer family” demographic.
Nintendo also announced a price cut on their Wii U Deluxe Set bundle, which will now have an MSRP of $299.99. The company also announced a new bundle that will hit stores on September 20 and, instead of NintendoLand, will come with a digital version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and the book Hyrule Historia, and a custom-designed GamePad controller.
