The Nintendo New 2DS XL isn't out for another ten days here in the States but Nintendo has a launch trailer to get people excited. The 30-second spot highlights the sleeked-up lines and big screens of the handheld, and of course the budget $150 price tag.
The narrator says "great, now I want one" at the end of the trailer, but I personally don't have a reason to buy one as I'm perfectly happy with my New 3DS XL. That said, Nintendo has gradually been de-emphasizing the 3D feature of the handheld so it makes sense they would release a New 2DS with all of the same features at the New 3DS--faster processor, better battery--minus the 3D. Some newer games, like Hey! Pikmin advertised in the trailer, don't even support 3D, but I am intrigued to see how Metroid: Samus Returns uses the feature.
That said, I'm a little bummed that the New 2DS XL doesn't retain the tank-like build quality and form factor of the original 2DS, which was designed to withstand the abuse of the 3-to-12-year-old market. That clamshell hinge is a hallmark of the DS family, but can it stand up to a second-grader's backpacking? In any case, the New 2DS XL is a fitting swan song for the DS family, which looks to be eventually supplanted by the Nintendo Switch.
