Nintendo enthusiasts now have a menu of portable hardware options to choose from: they can go 2D, 3D or XL. Each unit has their pros and cons, but as for whether or not their newest unit, the 2DS, will fly hinges on the upcoming Christmas shopping season.
The unit is essentially a stripped down version of the 3DS. The third dimension is being tossed out the door since medical experts are saying that can hinder the development of young eyes. But the big question is if the MSRP of $129.99 the right price? Maybe, in a nearly tax-free shopping zone of Alberta (Oregon for American shoppers) or a weekend when sales tax isn’t applied to purchases. Within Canada, the electronics tax may well be a hindrance than a god-send in select regions that have implemented this measure to deal with electronic waste.
The MSRP of $150 for this pint-sized unit will give young hands a portable console to play old and new games from Nintendo’s vast library of old (DS) and new games (third-party included).
Not even the 3DS and XL counterpart did as well as it could have. The problem laid in how restrictive the end product was. A couple of system upgrades later, this device became acceptable as features became enabled. Now if the next iteration of the 3DS only sported a 5.1 megapixel camera instead of a 0.3 megapixel one, then it can easily compete with 3D cameras. That technology was a brief fashion statement of the last decade. The fact that 3D video recording was not enabled until later even put the nail to the proverbial coffin. The operating system limits the clips to 10 minutes and there is no method to display the content elsewhere than on the 3DS or XL unit. Also, the parts from the clam-shaped 3DS look like they are being co-opted to be used in the 2DS.
These days, the company seems to be struggling with the Wii U not making the dent it should. Clumsy physical design than lack of good games may be at fault here. But as for how well it will fare in the epic battle between Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One, sometimes simplicity is what some consumers want. Nintendo has always been known for creating family friendly products and that’s their saving grace. With great characters like Mario, Luigi, Zelda and Donkey Kong, they will always be part of the video game culture that emerged from the 80’s and 90’s along with Pac-Man.
But it is Pokémon products that are keeping company afloat these days. He may not be like Wreck-It Ralph, but movie-goers knew that this movie was a tribute to Nintendo. Even though this video game company worked with the production team to have some of their flagship characters appear, not every icon made it to the screen, intentional or not. But at this film’s core was a movie that could easily have been Donkey Kong. Ralph’s physique is exactly like that of the big ape and Fix-It Felix is Mario. The familiarity between what this movie could have been to what it is not is all too close, even though not many of the film’s production crew will admit it.
At least with the consoles that are out there, Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Zelda and Link show that they can be enjoyed on any gaming device Nintendo is selling. It is just a leap of faith to keep this company going strong than anything else.
