If you read between the press releases, you can deduce that Nintendo has high hopes for the affordable Nintendo 2DS ($130, Nintendo of America) this holiday season. Unlike the regular Nintendo DS or DSi, the 2DS can run 3DS titles, with the graphics shown in non-3D mode. Looking back 48 months, we now can see that Nintendo painted themselves into a corner with the expensive battery burning 3DS technology, especially in light of the flood of smart phones and apps. Many of our testers like the 3D graphics — for the first 10 minutes. But they turn them off to save batteries, or they simply find them annoying.

The 2DS is both powerful and affordable. Remember — you can use it to play all the 3DS titles (obviously in 2D). Think of the 2DS as a Swiss Army Knife for all of Nintendo's DS software.

Need to know: If you already own a 3DS don't bother. The size is less pocket friendly, and the screen and controls are exposed, which could be a problem if it is dropped or chewed on by a dog. Nintendo also sells a carrying bag as a remedy. The 2DS uses the same-sized stylus and as the Nintendo DS, and the same charger as other 3DS models.