Nintendo, you trickster, you. Following last week’s announcement of the Nintendo 2DS, a tablet-like gaming device that is essentially a cheaper version of the 3DS minus a dimension, a website has emerged, appearing to be advertise a fake new console called the Nintendo 1DS. And it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of, except like most of my dreams, as real as they feel, they’re sadly not.
An obvious joke on the Nintendo 2DS’s weird, unfoldable body, the 1DS requires the use of your smartphone to act as the “dual screen” in the DS part of its name. Android or Apple, the device works with either side of the OS war. In a parallel universe, the 1DS comes with an HDMI dongle, Chromecast-style, and lets you connect to your TV if you want an even bigger dual screen. All the techy essentials are also there: Wireless connectivity for multiplayer, parental controls, and 3DS game compatibility.
Basically, the 1DS is a magical device that combines tech’s latest innovations into one console for $99.99 – which would have been awesome if this thing was non-fiction. Seriously, if Nintendo was clever enough to build something like this, it might even dig itself out of the disastrous Wii U underselling grave.
Alas, the asterisk next to the Nintendo 1DS’s price is not to be missed. “Not actually a real device or price. See dreams for details.” Welp. Maybe Nintendo should just go back to making Game Boy Advance-style handhelds. People are forgetting the value of portability for the sake of giant color screens.
