Nintendo Announces the 2DS...

 

Nintendo has announced that it will be releasing its latest dual-screen console on October the 12th 2013. The 2DS is supposed to be a new take on the 3DS model, which allows users to take advantage of the latest 3DS titles, without  actually having to play them in 3D.

The introduction of a 2D model of the 3DS is a strange one. For a start, the 3DS already comes equipped with a 3D depth-slider, which allows users to lower and turn off the 3D effect if they so wish, which makes the notion of a 2D console rather obsolete.

Nevertheless, one of the advantages of this latest addition to the Nintendo dual-screen range, is that it will come with a lower price tag than its predecessor. Nintendo claims that the 2DS will come with a recommended retail price of £109.99 when it is released in the UK, at least £50 cheaper than the current 3DS prices. Nintendo also claim that the 2DS will be fully backwards compatible with older Nintendo DS titles as well, meaning that gamers will get more value for their money.

Although the 2DS is an exact replica of the 3DS in terms of its gaming  functionality, the outer design of the new console is very different. For the first time, the 2DS will not have the clam-like feature that has been prevalent in the other DS consoles. Nintendo have removed the hinge between the upper and lower screens, and have instead opted for a block design which is very reminiscent of one of  the earlier Nintendo Gameboy consoles.

A further advantage of the 2DS is that it may also help to quell the fears of those who claim to experience bad side-effects from viewing the 3D images on the 3DS console, or those with eyesight problems that prohibit them from enjoying auto-stereoscopic 3D, at last giving those affected another way of enjoying the latest gaming titles.

Nevertheless, despite having a few basic advantages, the 2DS console does seem rather retrograde. Mini Gamers is doubtful whether the ability to display 3D images in a 2D format is the USP that most gamers will be looking for when deciding what console to put at the top of their list this Christmas. The question remains: Is 2D now the new 3D?

 

HAVE YOUR SAY...

 

 

What do YOU think about the new 2DS console?

 

Had you decided against a 3DS console, and if so, has the 2DS inspired you to try the latest 3DS titles in a 2D format?

 

Whatever your opinion on Nintendo's latest console, why not share it with us by commenting in our Comments Box below. We'd love to here from you.

 

 

 

Still undecided about the 2DS? Watch the latest trailer here.

 





PS Vita Gets Price Drop At Last!

 Sony has recently announced that it will be dropping the price of its PS Vita handheld consoles and its memory cards to coincide with the release of the PS4, which is expected to reach UK shelves on the 29th of November 2013, a mere two weeks after its American release on November 15th 2013.

Sony have decided to drop the price of its Wi-Fi console from £250 to £170, making it more affordable for those gamers who have yet to succumb to the wonders that this miniature version of the PlayStation home consoles has for them.  

Sony have also announced that they will be lowering the price of memory cards for the vita. It is unclear at the moment what the final price drop for these cards will be, but news of a price-drop is likely to be welcomed by the many PS Vita users that have been forced to pay anything from £40 to £80 for the larger memory stick sizes.

It is not certain whether the recent announcements will quell or promote rumours of a PS4/PS Vita bundle that some gamers were hoping for,  however, Sony were very eager to remind its fans that nearly all of the PS4’s games will be playable on the Vita using the consoles Remote Play feature.

The news of a memory card price-drop is great for existing PS Vita owners, especially those who are looking to purchase a bit more space for the new digital downloads that will be heading their way over the next few months. So, will this latest move by Sony serve to make the PS Vita handheld even more popular? Only time will tell...

Are you a Tearaway?

Tearaway is a brand new innovative gaming title from the clever people at Media Molecule, the critically-acclaimed developer behind the award-winning LittleBigPlanet™ series. Created specifically for PS Vita, and utilising many of the handheld consoles touchscreen features,  the tactile world of Tearaway is a beautifully-crafted, 3D open environment built completely out of paper that behaves as much as possible with the physical attributes and limitations of actual paper.

In the game, players control a messenger called Iota, (or Atoi, if playing as the female character). The idea is to guide your quirky little character around his home world of Sogport, jumping on different 3D platforms, overcoming obstacles and avoiding monsters, until his or her message is safely delivered.

Players are invited to interact with the virtual environment as much as possible, from helping the messenger to bounce onto higher and higher platforms by tapping the rear touchpad, or ripping open a new portal with their fingers on the touchscreen, or even using the PS vita camera to design new 'skins' or objects, and much, much more.

It sounds very exciting. The game was revealed at Gamescom on the 15th of August 2013, but Media Molecule has already cancelled its plans for an October release date, opting instead for the 22nd of November this year.

Media Molecule is known for its highly creative and brilliantly interactive gameplay, and Mini Gamers thinks that Tearaway is destined to be equally popular as the LittleBigPlanet games, and we look forward to bringing you more news on this title as it develops. Watch this space!

 

WE'RE BACK!!!

Hello, everyone! Firstly, Mini Gamers would like to offer a humble apology to all our readers for our continued absence from this blog site over the last sixteen months or so. Unfortunately, unforeseen difficulties at Mini Gamers HQ forced us to abandon this blog site for a while.

However, we are now ready to undertake the task of providing you all with great gaming reviews of handheld consoles and gadgets, useful tips and interactive features, which we hope will appeal to all the gaming fans out there.

We are still compiling a list of new gaming topics that we would like to present to our readers over the coming weeks, but we just wanted to say 'Hi!' again and thank all of the regular visitors to our blog for their continued patience and commitment.

Watch this space over the next few days for our latest blog post, and in the meantime, please feel free to check out our new interactive polls!

Thank you,

Mini Gamers.