Dawn Of The 2DS: Why Nintendo’s Newest “Misstep” Is Their Smartest Move Of The Year

It’s Not Made For You

It’s important to understand with the 2DS that the system may very well not be aimed at you in any way. Sure, some facets of the device may be entirely illogical for you, the seasoned gamer or tech-head, but that doesn’t mean that such reasoning applies to everybody. Nor does it mean Nintendo is out of touch. What would really be out of touch would be catering exclusively to savvy 2DS complainers in the first place, which Nintendo clearly isn’t.

Calling the 2DS stupid as a hardcore gamer or current 3DS owner is like calling Teletubbies stupid during the commercial breaks of Breaking Bad. Sure, it might make sense or be controversial to say “Hey, I think Breaking Bad is the best show on television. It’s way better than Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and The Walking Dead combined.” Though highly opinionated, this is an opinion that one might feasibly hold. It’s like saying “You know, I really feel that the Vita is just superior to the 3DS.” This is a sound opinion – comparing two relatively like things and making a judgement based on one’s own preferences. You don’t hear people saying, “You know, Breaking Bad is so much better than Teletubbies. That show is god-awful, I don’t know what the writers were thinking last season.” It’s ludicrous. And so is bashing the 2DS with a similar style of reasoning. As a wise commenter on Destructoid so eloquently put it, “you whining about the 2DS is like adults complaining that Sesame Street doesn’t appeal to their demographic.”

With the exception of the budget conscious adult or entry level gamer mentioned previously, the 2DS isn’t for you – it’s for the 7 and under crowd. This isn’t just speculation, either – all 3DS consoles, games, and other materials come with the warning that 3D is not safe to use for those under the age of 7 years old. Though parents can tell their kids to abide by that guideline, there has never really been a way to enforce it up until now, and the 2DS solves that problem handily. As mentioned, it’s also tailor-made for that age bracket in other ways, as it appears downright indestructible, doesn’t have a breakable hinge, and is priced in toy-territory. Just like you wouldn’t buy an Easy-Bake oven for yourself just because it can cook real brownies, nobody’s making you buy a 2DS just because it plays real 3DS games. Just stick with what you have, and everything will be just fine.

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