New color-swapped Nintendo 2DS units hit retail in November

By Danny Cowan Published October 5, 2016

Nintendo is introducing new color schemes for its 2DS family of handheld gaming consoles, revealing units featuring blue and red faceplate designs are due to launch stateside in time for the holiday season.

New Nintendo 2DS units will swap the handheld’s default color scheme and will hit retail alongside the upcoming Pokémon series sequels Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.

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The Nintendo 2DS is designed as a budget-priced alternative to Nintendo’s 3DS handheld, offering much of the same functionality as 3DS units while supporting the same library of retail and digital eShop games. Compared to the 3DS, the 2DS lacks stereoscopic 3D support, has smaller screens, and features single-channel speaker audio, among other drawbacks.

The 2DS price reflects its scaled-back feature set and units can be purchased at retail in North America for $80 or less. The upcoming color-swapped variants, which include pre-installed copies of Nintendo’s popular racing game Mario Kart 7 will also be priced at $80 throughout this upcoming holiday season.

Previously issued 2DS handhelds feature matte black color schemes with minor color embellishments relegated to the unit’s sides and back cover. November’s new units effectively swap this design, adding color to the areas surrounding the device’s front-facing screens. Nintendo attributes the sudden change to an accident at its 2DS factory, documented in the trailer above. As of this writing, it remains unclear whether Luigi’s actions were the result of intentional sabotage or mere incompetence.

Nintendo previously experimented with alternate 2DS color schemes in 2014 when it launched limited-edition units featuring transparent crystal casing. 2DS Crystal Red and Crystal Blue devices sold through their initial shipments quickly and second-hand units surged in price afterward on eBay and other online marketplaces. Nintendo has not announced whether its upcoming color-swapped 2DS variants will also be part of a limited print run.

New 2DS handhelds will roll out at retail across North America in November.

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Gaming

The best Nintendo 3DS games

Person holding Nintendo 3DS in hands

After we enjoyed the wealth of the best GBA games, the pivot to the DS was a bit odd. The dual-screen design and touchscreen didn't seem like it would be a recipe for success, but just like the best Wii games proved us wrong for that console, it ended up being a smash hit. After a few different designs, this handheld reached its final form with the 3DS that added in glasses-free 3D.

The 3DS had games just as fun and creative as the best Wii U games, but this time the gimmick and naming convention didn't hurt its sales. In fact, some of these games are so beloved that they crack the list of best games of all time. Let's crack open our 3DS one more time to take a look at the best games for the handheld.

Gaming

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD gives a 3DS classic the treatment it deserves

Luigi, scared, closes a door in Luigi's Mansion 2 HD.

I got into Nintendo games during an era that's considered to be the company's weakest. In retrospect, the 3DS and Wii U era was poor for Nintendo, serving as a low point between the successes of the Wii and Switch. Despite that, this is when I went all-in on playing almost every new Nintendo game after getting both a 3DS and Wii U. And looking back, Nintendo was still putting out some great games during this era. One such title was Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, a sequel to a GameCube launch title that took the series to portables and added 3D. It was the flagship game in the now infamous "Year of Luigi" and positioned the series for success with Luigi's Mansion 3.

Ahead of an end-of-generation blowout for Switch, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is getting rereleased as Luigi's Mansion 2 HD. I've been replaying the game on Switch over the past couple of weeks and comparing it to my time with the 3DS version. It's less robust of a refurbishment than the one Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door received last month, but if you skipped out on the 3DS era of Nintendo and never checked Dark Moon out, then Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is worth your attention -- especially now that it's no longer possible to easily get the original.
Bite-sized ghosts
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD follows Luigi as he recovers pieces of the Dark Moon that gave the 3DS game its namesake. The McGuffin kept ghosts calm, but that peace ended when King Boo shattered it. Professor E. Gadd recruits Luigi (somewhat against his will) to explore the mansion, capture ghosts with an upgraded Poltergust 5000, and recover pieces of the Dark Moon. While the original Luigi's Mansion was all set in one mansion, this sequel was designed for a handheld platform, so its structure is a lot more segmented.

Gaming

Play these 3DS and Wii U games before Nintendo shutters their online features

Captain Falcon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

In April 2024, Nintendo will discontinue online services across its Wii U and 3DS consoles. While the eShops for both systems were shut down in March 2023, this will remove the online functionality of many apps and games, making gaming on either of these platforms an almost entirely offline experience. As a result, many games on those systems will lose important features and never be quite the same to play afterward. So, you'll need to get some gaming time in by next April if you want to refresh and preserve the memories of playing online on these two underdog Nintendo platforms.
While the aforementioned eShop closures make it impossible to buy new games digitally, plenty of games that you likely already own physical copies of or already had downloaded have online features that won't work properly come April 2024. As such, we recommend you play the following games online before the discontinuation of those services next year.
Kid Icarus Uprising

Kid Icarus Uprising is mostly remembered for its entertaining story, charismatic characters, and odd controls, but it also features a surprisingly fun multiplayer experience in Together Mode. In multiplayer, up to six players can use powerful weapons and abilities from the main adventure in one of two modes. Free-for-all lets players loose on a map, tasking them with racking up the most kills within a set time limit. Light vs. Dark is more complex, as two teams of three face off until enough players are defeated that one respawns as an angel; when that powered-up angel is killed, the match is over.
While far from balanced, Kid Icarus Uprising's Together Mode is one of the most entertaining competitive multiplayer experiences exclusive to 3DS. It can be played locally, using bots to fill in empty spots, so thankfully it won't stop working entirely. Still, it's not easy in 2023 to come across multiple people near you who have copies of Kid Icarus Uprising and want to play. As such, check out this cult classic 3DS game's hidden gem of a mode before praying that the rumors of a remaster eventually become true.
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