It’s 11:00, do you know what Nintendo is doing? The answer, of course, is that NO ONE ever knows what Nintendo is doing.
In the middle of the night (though to be fair, it’s only 8:00 PM on the west coast), Nintendo has decided to announce a new addition to their handheld line… the New 2DS XL. The New 2DS XL includes all the improvements that Nintendo added to the XL line (the C-Stick, built-in Amiibo functionality, XL screens, more processing power, a slicker overall presentation), but removed the glasses-free 3D that originally gave the handheld its name. The new handheld is still a few months away, but all this will be available for just $149.99 on July 28.
Also on July 28, Nintendo has announced plans to launch two new 2DS/3DS games… Hey! Pikmin and Miitopia:
Hey! Pikmin – In this brand-new style of Pikmin game, players guide Captain Olimar through 2D side-scrolling levels and collect Sparklium to refuel his crashed ship, the S.S. Dolphin 2, so he can escape the planet. The touch-screen controls let players choose the right Pikmin to toss at enemies and objects, which is critical to defeating foes and solving the many puzzles Olimar encounters during his adventure.
Miitopia – Band together with your Mii and Mii friends to explore your own personalized world of Miitopia. Cast Mii characters into various roles and watch hilarious scenes unfold as they work together to defeat the Dark Lord who has stolen the faces of townspeople of Miitopia. Players can bring in their created Mii characters from the Miitomo or Tomodachi Life games, or create their own Mii team in the game. This game has a lighthearted tone with traditional and strategic RPG-like elements, including customization, relationship building and team management.
You can get a closer look at the New 2DS XL in the trailer embedded above.
