It seems like almost everytime I think I’m safe from the temptation of buying another Nintendo handheld, the company releases something that makes me throw any shred of fiscal responsibility I had left into the wind. Having held off on buying the company’s Hylian Shield 2DS back in May, I (foolishly) thought I was in the clear from the clutches of console envy. However, I could not have been more mistaken, as Nintendo has unveiled three new Nintendo 2DS XL designs and I desperately want all of them.
[トピックス]特別デザインの「Newニンテンドー2DS LL」を３つご紹介！ https://t.co/00hqeneE8o
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) July 3, 2018
The three new designs are based on Minecraft, Mario Kart 7, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf– Welcome amiibo, with each console coming pre-installed with the game its design is based on. Each design is incredibly alluring in its own right; the Minecraft design offers an attention-grabbing, uneven-textured depiction of a Creeper, the Animal Crossing design offers a dreamy palette comprised of green and cream, and the Mario Kart 7 design is, well, black and red. While the Mario Kart 7 bundle may be the most vanilla of the bunch, it’s important to note that Nintendo has been bundling the game with its 3DS/2DS consoles since 2012, and the new variant’s sleek redesign is certainly a welcome breath of fresh air.
The Mario Kart and Animal Crossing variants will be released in Japan on July 19th, with the Minecraft variant coming a little later on August 2nd. Nintendo has not announced any plans to bring these consoles overseas to North America, solidifying region-locking as the bane of my existence.
Check out some photos of each new design below. For more information about each design, you can check out Nintendo’s blog post detailing each variant here.
