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[Twilight Gap]

There are plenty of portrait mode games that do just fine but obviously the widescreen format is more versatile and natural.

Either way, I think I'd prefer one screen going forward. Dual screen was awesome and some great things have been created from it and utilized it. But I'd like to see Nintendo go back to basics and try something different, but without flat-out making a tablet. The gamepad was step towards that I think.

 

[Trent Strong]

Full joysticks on handhelds diminish their portability.

Even if they did include a joystick they would probably just put a shitty small one like the Vita has.

The circle pad is far superior to the joysticks on the Vita.

This is so wrong. Have you used a Vita?

 

[Chinpoko_Master]

They disabled comments and ratings on the YouTube video in the OP lol.

 

[Twilight Gap]

I went to Best Buy a few months ago and tried out both a Vita and a 3DS XL for the first time.

I went to the Vita first. My immediate reaction was that it felt like a high-end console. It was well built, the screen was crystal clear, and the buttons felt good. I also really liked the clear shoulder buttons. However, I was disappointed with the joysticks. That particular device may have just been worn out, but it felt loose and it was too low on the system for me to have a comfortable grip. In fact, the whole thing felt awkward to hold for me.

I then tried out the 3DS XL. Obviously it felt cheaper and less sturdy. The screens weren't as sharp and I've never been a fan of the matte finish compared to gloss (or w/e was on the Vita). But it was comfortable to hold and it felt good in my hands. The circle pad had the right amount of tension and was in the perfect place for my thumb. Everything just felt more natural to me, though that could have just been familiar territory with me being a previous DS owner.

It's a bit of a tanget, but I just thought I'd share. Of course I was more interested in the 3DS XL, but I did try to get a good initial impression of both prior to making any purchase. I'd own a Vita if I could play the Spyro trilogy on it.

Both are fun. Get both. No lines in the sand.

Eventually, yes. However, I'd rather not buy a brand new system (especially one as expensive as a Vita) unless I'd be owning more than one game. 5 years later, my only Wii game is Smash Bros Brawl...

 

[bigwinnerx]

Both are fun. Get both. No lines in the sand.

 

[TheXfactor]

Those mock-ups remind me of a certain ill-fated device with an awkward vertical screen.

They look nothing like that

 

[whogottricked]

Those mock-ups remind me of a certain ill-fated device with an awkward vertical screen.

I remember wanting one so bad when I was a kid. My parents were like, "you don't need a phone."

I was only in it for the games.

 

[Refreshment.01]

I realized that neogaf is no different from gamefaqs except that it is just better moderated. The same dross still gets in. So much negativity, so much hyperbole, so many irrational knee jerk reactions. Cant take hive mind mentality either.

I feel like every poster needs to let things marinate and then post. The system actually looks sexy to me. I love the retro gameboy mod. 3D means nothing to me so if i didnt already have an xl I would be all over this.

I hope this sells well. I want nintendo to go back to making great and powerful hardware with no gimmicks. And that is what the 2DS is (well the no gimmick part. It could have been even more powerful but nintendo has been trading power for gimmicks as of late). Might get one as a second system.

I know the bolded is subjective but if you have seen a lot of electronic handheld devices... then by no means this is sexy. For example a company like Sony or Apple wouldnt dare to put a product with aesthetics like that. And if they did they would be equally mocked.

Regarding GAF, of course it isnt that different from say Gamefqs. People are people still. As a matter of fact i've seen people get away with a lot of fanatical BS around here like wise XD

I think it's funny watching people go through the phase where they're like, "what. abomination. Ninty retarded. do hate.", and then they go to the next phase, like "it's growing on me...".

Which is funny as fuck when we consider the main goal of the product is costs reduction for a bigger market penetration and not an improvement of the product. Again Wii mini's case.

I'm really interested in seeing a game built around a portrait screen. I think it could look phenomenal.

There's Ikaruga for you XD

 

[magnetic]

I remember wanting one so bad when I was a kid. My parents were like, "you don't need a phone."

I was only in it for the games.

I remember that on one NGage model you had to take out the battery to switch games, one of the most idiotic design decisions I know of.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Which is funny as fuck when we consider the main goal of the product is costs reduction for a bigger market penetration and not an improvement of the product. Again Wii mini's case.

I think the Wii mini was almost the exact opposite. Initial reactions were that it looks pretty cool but then we saw it from a different angle and found out how neutered it was in terms of Wii Shop and online.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

I don't understand why so many like these one screen mockups. Sure, it looks nice, but it isn't very practical from a gaming perspective. Portrait mode may be nice for webbrowsing, but for gaming, the field of view is just horrible. There is a reason why widescreen is the standard for movies and games.

Depending on the game it would be problematic.

My Wind Waker one on prior pages is likely how a good clip of standard 3rd person titles would be ported to it. Using a fraction of the screen space for game rendering. To get as close to 16:9 aspect ratio as they possibly could. And even at the best it would be 16:10 unless your map is going to take up a large amount of real estate. But that would kind of work for it because I doubt the thing would be a powerhouse. When other mobile options are closing in on in excess of PS3/360 visually I expect Nintendo to chose a much cheaper option that barely hits that bar. Knowing that mobile efficiency gains have just been astronomic in the past generation.

Mobile hardware is very quickly visually reaching the domain through less processor intensive ways. Outputting to a degree comparable visuals with a fraction of the power.

I expect Nintendo to chose one of the oldest options of this new bunch do some of their funny Nintendo math and use it to great effect.

But I digress so back to the screen!

I can see why an issue with it exists. Most games are designed in a much different way than this would require. Less of a focus on around and more on up and down.A game like Zelda I don't think would be hurt by it. They'd just design their puzzles in different ways. 3D Mario could be interesting for it. It would definitely have more of a focus on up and out. 2D plane traditional Mario would be out, unless it takes a higher focus on upward platforming. Which to keep an interesting rhythm would be intriguing to see.

I don't know. I can see why traditional titles would be hindered for it. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

 

[nampad]

I don't know. I can see why traditional titles would be hindered for it. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

It would certainly fit Nintendo. Base the new hardware around some useless gimmick

 

[Refreshment.01]

I think the Wii mini was almost the exact opposite. Initial reactions were that it looks pretty cool but then we saw it from a different angle and found out how neutered it was in terms of Wii Shop and online.

In that reply i was talking about the porpouse of the product (cutting lots of corners to reduce price). Not people reactions. In this sense 2DS = Wii mini.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

It would certainly fit Nintendo. Base the new hardware around some useless gimmick

I love them for that quirkiness though.

It always makes it an interesting gamble when buying their hardware.

 

[Refreshment.01]

I find the following contradictory:

Considering that this is a budget version of the device and a lot of effort was put into reducing costs, i find it paradoxical that Nintendo includes the biggest ass manual ever in each box. The thing most weight a lot more than the rest of the equipment in the box. So i would assume the weight increases shipping costs for Nintendo significantly. Why not include a bare bones pamphlet with a link to a more detailed explanation or a virtual manual?

Maybe im wrong, in which case a reasonable explanation would be wonderful.

 

[AdmiralSnackbar]

I find the following contradictory:

Considering that this is a budget version of the device and a lot of effort was put into reducing costs, i find it paradoxical that Nintendo includes the biggest ass manual ever in each box. The thing most weight a lot more than the rest of the equipment in the box. So i would assume the weight increases shipping costs for Nintendo significantly. Why not include a bare bones pamphlet with a link to a more detailed explanation or a virtual manual?

Maybe im wrong, in which case a reasonable explanation would be wonderful.

I always wondered why Nintendo was so crazy about including literature in their products. I remember SMG having so much paper in it that the brand new sealed game case was literally bulging.

 

[Tobor]

I find the following contradictory:

Considering that this is a budget version of the device and a lot of effort was put into reducing costs, i find it paradoxical that Nintendo includes the biggest ass manual ever in each box. The thing most weight a lot more than the rest of the equipment in the box. So i would assume the weight increases shipping costs for Nintendo significantly. Why not include a bare bones pamphlet with a link to a more detailed explanation or a virtual manual?

Maybe im wrong, in which case a reasonable explanation would be wonderful.

You know, this is a great point. Cutting those manuals would absolutely trim their shipping costs down.

 

[adamsappel]

You know, this is a great point. Cutting those manuals would absolutely trim their shipping costs down.

I recently went through all my Wii games to take some on vacation, and it was interesting to see that Nintendo is pretty much the only company that makes full-color manuals. I mentioned this to a friend and he said Nintendo could save a lot of money by going to black-and-white or even abandoning manuals. To me, it was a sign of superior quality and attention to detail.

 

[eojoko]

I recently went through all my Wii games to take some on vacation, and it was interesting to see that Nintendo is pretty much the only company that makes full-color manuals. I mentioned this to a friend and he said Nintendo could save a lot of money by going to black-and-white or even abandoning manuals. To me, it was a sign of superior quality and attention to detail.

Most 3DS games from this year don't ship with manuals. I'm not sure about recent Wii U games. Honestly, I do miss nice color manuals, but I understand that they are pretty unnecessary at this point. (I'd rather have manuals than in-game tutorials.)

 

[javac]

There's Ikaruga for you XD

True! I guess I have these vivid images in my head of Link walking down a pathway and you have this portrait screen that gives you this sense of verticality. Seeing the horizon etc. To be fair it's no different to a lot of DS games where you play on the bottom screen and the top shows the sky or what's going on above.

 

[LaNaranja]

The circle pad is far superior to the joysticks on the Vita.

That's just crazy talk.

 

[L.O.R.D]

The 90s ARE BACK!!!

damn
for a moment i thought this was real

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

It would certainly fit Nintendo. Base the new hardware around some useless gimmick

Wow the wink face just tops it off really...

 

[TyrantGuardian]

Guys, come on. Vertical screen = everyone develops Cave-style shmups all day long. Win-win situation!

 

[SaintMadeOfPlaster]

If Nintendo somehow manages to get a unified account system set up before this thing comes out, I'll probably get one at least to try it out for a while. I do not want to have to deal with choosing whether or not I want to import all my stuff from my XL to the 2DS...

 

[JoeM86]

I too don't get why people suddenly think that Nintendo doing a vertical screen would be a good idea. Screen resolutions favour width over height for a reason, because that's how our eyes are. Nobody is going to go the other route

 

[djyella]

I gotta admit that when I first saw this I thought Nintendo was on crack LOL. The more I look at it and especially after seeing the white one and seeing it in peoples hands it starting to look better and better. I actually like the thing now! Don't get me wrong, I love the clam shell design but this is pretty sweet. They should def go all out with different color schemes. This thing is gonna sell like crazy...first time buyers, double dippers and triple dippers...they are gonna be printing money again. How can anyone be mad at this? They are specifically targeting a younger demographic and they will also pic up N fanboys and people that just like cool new stuff. It's a win win! I mean even Pachter is happy lol. Go Nintendo!

 

[ASIS]

Those mock-ups remind me of a certain ill-fated device with an awkward vertical screen.

Can't believe it took me this long to understand the meaning of its name :/

N-gage... now it sounds even more stupid >_>

 

[Mpl90]

The US video is now over 5 million views on YouTube.

 

[Cygnus X-1]

This "thing" is going to end up like Gameboy Micro: will sell during its first two weeks and then it will end up being forgotten.

Maybe Iwata really need to step down - how could he approve such a bullshit move? Make a redesign of 3DS, but not that.

Nintendo got really random as hell.

 

[Razorskin]

This "thing" is going to end up like Gameboy Micro: will sell during its first two weeks and then it will end up being forgotten.

Then GAF will love it.

 

[goldenpp72]

This "thing" is going to end up like Gameboy Micro: will sell during its first two weeks and then it will end up being forgotten.

Maybe Iwata really need to step down - how could he approve such a bullshit move? Make a redesign of 3DS, but not that.

Nintendo got really random as hell.

It's funny you say that, I went to a Gamestop yesterday in Ashton Virginia and saw 2 people try to pre order the thing while another was deliberating on it with his wife vs the 3d model and asked the employee what the differences were. While I don't assume it will become the top selling model, I do think it will probably do quite well for the holidays. When buying things for kids, parents don't really think about the 'best' model but usually what's cheapest, if their kid is going bonkers for Pokemon this might be a nice alternative to the 170+ models.

This thing might not be sold next to the leap frog and as such, not marketed as such, but I do think it will become the default model for kids just based on the price, older people will probably stick to the sexier models. People seem to forget that basically every single portable device is not a clam shell design, so that's certainly not a killer for everyone. That said I think this thing looks stupid as hell, but then i'm never the type to get the cheaper downgraded models to save 50 bucks.

 

[ash_ag]

I too don't get why people suddenly think that Nintendo doing a vertical screen would be a good idea. Screen resolutions favour width over height for a reason, because that's how our eyes are. Nobody is going to go the other route

This is a myth. "Width over height" being more comfortable for the eyes only applies for movies and movie-like experiences. It can be more comfortable when the eye focus on a specific point and peripheral vision handles examination of the picture otherwise. As an example, imagine reading a wide book; super tiring.

Sure, some games are implemented better on a wide screen, but that's hardly a rule. It depends on game design more than anything. A big Zelda is definitely better on a wider screen -- an adventure game like Phoenix Wright would probably be better on a narrower one. It's nice to have the option.

 

[shouamabane]

This "thing" is going to end up like Gameboy Micro: will sell during its first two weeks and then it will end up being forgotten.

2DS is the cheaper than 3DS, has the same screen size as 3DS, and comes out the same day as Pokemon.

 

[Lumyst]

2DS is the cheaper than 3DS, has the same screen size as 3DS, and comes out the same day as Pokemon.

And that is all we need to know about why the 2DS is being made and who it's targeting. The cheaper pricepoint doesn't hurt too. It targets the children's market. It's not trying to look like a sexy, sleek, smart-device like an iPhone. It does have a "toyish" look to it, and that's intentional. And is it wrong for children to enjoy video games, or even have a product made for them to help them enjoy video games? Iwata should resign for making a product that children can enjoy (*SMH*) Somebody pointed out that the 3DS game boxes do have a warning about 3D that I didn't notice until recently: "3D mode for ages 7+." And that parents would have concerns about 3D, but I never knew there was a specific warning on the box that could scare them off. So overall I think the 2DS is going to be a smart move.

 

[Refreshment.01]

You know, this is a great point. Cutting those manuals would absolutely trim their shipping costs down.

It would seem so. The other thing i could think about is that maybe there's an "optimal" weight figure and they use the manual to reach that goal. Hopefuly someone with experience might end up reading this page and shed some light into the matter.

This "thing" is going to end up like Gameboy Micro: will sell during its first two weeks and then it will end up being forgotten.

Maybe Iwata really need to step down - how could he approve such a bullshit move? Make a redesign of 3DS, but not that.

Nintendo got really random as hell.

Is way too soon to reach such conclusions. Like it will be also premature to judge the device acceptance the first months after Pokemon's release. 2014 will tell the tale for the 2DS, if it carves an important spce in the market then it would mean Iwata is still the best man for the job at Nintendo. And im not saying that he isn't out of touch with modern gaming, what i mean is that i don't think there's anybody else in the company that could do better.

In the end this is the most interesting experiment to come from the company in quite some time. It is very important to close the gap to a mass market price when talking about dedicated handheld gaming devices, to judge how much of a decline have they suffered in the market conditions of today. This will help a lot with this analisis at leat.

 

[flippedb]

This "thing" is going to end up like Gameboy Micro: will sell during its first two weeks and then it will end up being forgotten.

Maybe Iwata really need to step down - how could he approve such a bullshit move? Make a redesign of 3DS, but not that.

Nintendo got really random as hell.

I think it will be the opposite. The 2DS has a lot of potential to become the best selling console during the holidays. By then, it will have the most diverse and attractive library among next-gen systems, both home and portable (Wii U, PS4, Bone and Vita), and an amazing price. Not to mention the fact that it's releasing along Pokemon, the strongest mobile franchise there exists, so it should arrive to the holiday season with a pretty nice momentum.

 

[eojoko]

In the demos for Pokémon, people have noticed that most of the game is not in 3D. Has it been speculated that Pokémon X/Y was optimized for 2DS?

edit: okay, not "optimized" but "with the 2DS in mind"

 

[JoeM86]

This "thing" is going to end up like Gameboy Micro: will sell during its first two weeks and then it will end up being forgotten.

Maybe Iwata really need to step down - how could he approve such a bullshit move? Make a redesign of 3DS, but not that.

Nintendo got really random as hell.

It's not that random.

3DS clearly states the 3D effect is unsuitable for under 7s. Various tabloids and news sources have continually put out stories about the 3DS causing damage. This causes people, especially parents, to make a stand against getting it.

This console is actually a genius idea. It lacks that feature, even removed from the name and is cheaper causing parents to be more likely to get it for kids, especially with Pokémon.

It is one of the better ideas Nintendo has done.

In the demos for Pokémon, people have noticed that most of the game is not in 3D. Has it been speculated that Pokémon X/Y was optimized for 2DS?

How can it be optimised for the 2DS?

 

[Immaculate]

In the demos for Pokémon, people have noticed that most of the game is not in 3D. Has it been speculated that Pokémon X/Y was optimized for 2DS?

huh

 

[Gormless Noodle]

In the demos for Pokémon, people have noticed that most of the game is not in 3D. Has it been speculated that Pokémon X/Y was optimized for 2DS?

Not taking 3D into consideration, doesn't mean it's optimized for the 2DS, it just means they didn't give a rat's ass about 3D. Though what it is the case is that the 2DS does makes it even less relevant than it already was.

 

[ColtraineGF]

Or it means that it is a demo consisting of a non-final slice of gameplay. Just wait until the game releases, or press copies of the final build are sent or something.

 

[Rizsparky]

Or it means that it is a demo consisting of a non-final slice of gameplay. Just wait until the game releases, or press copies of the final build are sent or something.

Exactly, although when it comes down to it, I probably wont even use the 3D.

 

[trickyhero]

This is a good move, and kids don't really need to be able to put these in their pockets anyways, they have backpacks when th3ey go to school. I remember using one of those huge cases for my GBA,and still takingf it to school all the time, so size isn't the problem.

 

[R10Neymarfan]

I hope Pokemon X/Y has the 3D option. It would be a shame to deny it to people who like to use it because of the vocal opposition against 3D.

 

[FyreWulff]

In the demos for Pokémon, people have noticed that most of the game is not in 3D. Has it been speculated that Pokémon X/Y was optimized for 2DS?

edit: okay, not "optimized" but "with the 2DS in mind"

Nah. You're not required to have a 3DS game ever run in 3D if you don't want to.

 

[Regiruler]

How can it be optimised for the 2DS?

Not optimized but not fully featured, axing features that would not be viewable with the 2DS anyway.

If the overworld isn't 3D in the final version I will be ticked off immensely. Ever since the perspective shift in BW I was dreaming for an overworld with 3D visuals, and not having it because of a stupid economy version? Bullshit.

 

[DaBoss]

Not optimized but not fully featured, axing features that would not be viewable with the 2DS anyway.

Gonna be blunt. I do not understand this logic at all.

 

[ss_lemonade]

In the demos for Pokémon, people have noticed that most of the game is not in 3D. Has it been speculated that Pokémon X/Y was optimized for 2DS?

edit: okay, not "optimized" but "with the 2DS in mind"

What I noticed was a ton of slowdown during battles with certain attacks

 

[SuperSah]

Gonna be blunt. I do not understand this logic at all.

You said it for me.