The lack of a hinge between the two screens makes me wonder how this will interact with games that use closing the screen as a required game mechanic. For instance, "Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass" has a puzzle where you have an emblem on one screen, and you close the lid to imprint the emblem on a map on the other screen.
I sincerely thought this was an April Fool's joke. Though, that's just a knee jerk reaction to the name and the appearance of the thing. I'm genuinely curious as to which consumer demand this product is meant to fulfill.
This is entirely to lower the cost. There's one PCB. The two screens are actually one display with the bezel providing the separation. It's quite possible this model is more profitable at a lower price point than the standard clamshell DS.
The main purpose of the device is for children (Nintendo's favorite demographic) who might otherwise break the hinges of a 3DS. The unibody design is much more sturdy.<p>Is it communicated poorly? Yes, although not as poorly as saying the 2DS plays 3DS games.
I own a 3DS and it's alright, but what I actually want is the top half of the 2DS. Just give me a smartphone (probably minus the phone) with good gaming controls and a solid game library, Nintendo!
If the screens on this were the same size as the 3DS XL I'd be way more interested:<p><i>Its two screens are the same size as those of the original 3DS, smaller than those on the Nintendo 3DS XL.</i><p><a href="http://kotaku.com/introducing-the-nintendo-2ds-no-thats-not-a-typo-1214807721" rel="nofollow">http://kotaku.com/introducing-the-nintendo-2ds-no-thats-not-...</a><p>I think the form factor and the fact that the buttons are positioned beside the top screen could make it a little less comfortable to hold since you can't perch it on top of your palm.
I like this. I was going to buy the 3DS for just two or three specific games and this is a much cheaper investment. I don't care about stupid 3D gimmicks either.
So happy about this although I wish it was a clamshell. I've really been wanting to play a few of the 3DS games, specifically the new Pokemon and Mario games they're releasing but the 3D screen is completely unappealing to me.
When I saw the title, I was secretly wishing for a DS Lite-style DS with the 3DS components, but no...<p>Instead, they make it non-closeable with no hinge. Really, Nintendo?