Nintendo’s 2DS, Wii U Deluxe Price Drop, and More
Nintendo dropped a press release detailing what’s on offer for the rest of 2013. Two big announcements came in the form of a new iteration of the 3DS, and a formal announcement of a price drop and a Wind Waker HD bundle for Wii U.
The newest member of the 3DS family is the fittingly named Nintendo 2DS. Releasing alongside Pokémon X and Y, 2DS is being marketed as an inexpensive way for younger players to hop into the 3DS library without the troubles of price and eye-strain. The system has a soft tablet design, forgoing the clamshell design Nintendo has used since 2003. 2DS retains all of the 3DS’s original features, including compatibility with DS games, Streetpass functionality, and the battery saving sleep mode, accessed via slider. The system is due for release on October 12th, in red and blue, at the MSRP of $129.99.
Everyone’s been asking for it, and Nintendo delivered a new price for the Wii U Deluxe set, as well as a bundle with the yet to be released The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. The new price of the system, $299.99 USD, is $50.00 less than the original MSRP, and the same price as the Basic set (which will be sun-setted). This new price should entice buyers hoping to get into the Wii U exclusives this holiday.
The Wind Waker HD bundle, releasing September 20th, includes an exclusive Zelda themed Gamepad controller, as well as a download code for The Wind Waker HD. In a surprising bit of additional value, the system also includes a download code for a digital version of Hyrule Historia, a recently published book that details the chronology and history of the Zelda series. The bundle retails for $299.99, the same reduced price as the deluxe Wii U set. This comes ahead of the physical Wind Waker HD release, October 4th, so those who want Wii U and the game can get their hands on this special bundle and play the game two weeks earlier.
It’s exciting to see that Nintendo is looking to fix the mistakes it’s made recently, bringing games and a price drop to their currently struggling Wii U. We think the system can stand a chance against the new PS4 and Xbox One if Nintendo is willing to make necessary adjustments. The Wii U has some choice games out now, and many more coming up in the days ahead. We may finally see things turnaround as the 3DS did in its early days, for Nintendo.
The new 2DS is an interesting addition to the 3DS line, as it essentially cuts out one of the defining features of the system to provide its games to a bigger audience. Parents of children 6 and under won’t have to worry about ruining their children’s eyes with the 3D strain, and the kids can request it at its reasonable price. It has all the features of a standard 3DS, packed into a very toy-like package. It’s sure to keep Pokémon X and Y in to young players’ hands. Let’s just hope that Nintendo’s recent naming conventions don’t confuse consumers.
Nintendo has its business and customers in mind, and it’s nice to see that the company still has the ability to adapt. They still have work to do yet, but this is a great start.
