I am a big gamer, always have been since I started playing Final Fantasy 1 on the NES when I was a toddler and have owned the Game Cube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, and DS Lite. However, I took a break from Nintendo during the Wii years because I was so enamored by the PlayStation and PC games that I just didn't have time.
The past couple of years I have really gotten back into games and have wanted to be caught up on all of the latest, greatest things. Last year I ended up impulsively buying a Switch. I had a Mario craving that couldn't be filled alone by my Raspberry Pi...I wanted something new and different. I love the Switch a LOT, but how does it stack up to the 3DS (or 2DS)? Is it worth owning both? Or is one better than the other?
I had a DS Lite from a long time ago, but I haven't used it in forever. I started playing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on my iPad and suddenly has a HUGE desire to play a real console Animal Crossing game - the last time was the GameCube. And I realized my only real option was to get Wild World and use it on my Lite (which really looks pitiful now, to be honest) or get a 3DS and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The price is not so bad - a really pretty SNES edition system that comes with a classic game for under $200? And I get to play Animal Crossing.
But it turns out the 3DS is much more than that. It now has a massive library of over 1,200 games and even though the system is pretty old now, they STILL are making new games for it and sales are still up. I thought maybe I was being greedy by buying this when I already own a Switch, but they are for completely different things. The Switch is still in its infancy and although the few blockbuster exclusives it has are amazing (like Zelda and Super Mario Odyssey), it has no backwards compatibility and there are not many games for it, and not many coming out in the very near future.
With the 3DS you have a HUGE selection of classic games. I'm talking about the original Super Mario World and other Mario titles, all of the old Zelda games, the Zelda games on the 64 in RE-MASTERED 3D, Pokemon games, and it works with all older DS games too, so I'm able to use my DS Lite games with it.
So basically, the Switch is great for new massive hits, some ports (mostly recent like Skyrim or Wolfenstein) and has also surprisingly become a hub for indie games. The 3DS has a completely different selection of games - older ports, more Mario, Pokemon and Zelda games, etc. So they are completely different. And now is a great time to buy the 3DS because the price is really good and the value is high, yet it's still a current gen system that is still making new games - you can't really go wrong with it. I'm sure the Switch will have a great future too, but it's definitely not as established yet.
As far as the console itself, the SNES special edition is really beautiful and is very nostalgic to me. The battery lasts a lot longer than the Switch, and the 3D feature is interesting. I did a lot of research on whether or not I should get the 2DS XL or the 3DS XL. The 2DS was primarily thought of with children in mine (they can't break off the hinges for example and there is no 3D for eye strain), but it's certainly not only for children. A lot of people prefer the design and the price on that is really good right now too - about half of a 3DS XL. I would suggest looking up some YouTube videos and seeing which you would prefer to hold for hours on end. I have to admit, I don't use the 3D as often as I thought. If you are switching your eyes back and forth from game screen to a television screen for example (I watch and game a lot at the same time) it won't stay stable and will be kind of annoying.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the 3DS XL and am proud to own both it and the Switch. The library is huge, the price is at an all-time great value, and it's still a relevant and exciting system.
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Climate Pledge FriendlyProducts with trusted sustainability certification(s). Learn morePRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Pre-owned Certified: Electronics products are inspected, cleaned and (if applicable) repaired to excellent functional standards. Buying Pre-owned extends a product's life, reducing e-waste and raw material extraction.
Climate Pledge FriendlyProducts with trusted sustainability certification(s). Learn morePRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Pre-owned Certified: Electronics products are inspected, cleaned and (if applicable) repaired to excellent functional standards. Buying Pre-owned extends a product's life, reducing e-waste and raw material extraction.
Reviews with images
This Nitendo system is the best I ever had.
I only ever had one Nitendo ds which my parents bought when I was in elementary and that ds was fine, but real small this was a major improvement. I did buy this Snes ds in November of 2018 and everything is still working except for Nitendo eshop and Nitendo zone. Also my fingers are chunky so the stylus in the photo helped me a lot when I needed to type numbers and letters. Also I did buy an ac adapter and a case separately.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018
Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2023
Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2018
Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Abraham
Buena consola
Reviewed in Mexico on January 9, 2024Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Eric R.
Excelente produto
Reviewed in Brazil on July 15, 2019Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Nevin
BUT that doesn't take away from the fact that this is an awesome limited edition DS and your getting a wicked deal ...
Reviewed in Canada on March 28, 2018Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
eduardo
Calidad, diseño y entretenimiento.
Reviewed in Mexico on March 13, 2019Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
@roseneygomes
Excelente produto, porém não acompanha o carregador.
Reviewed in Brazil on February 11, 2019Edition: SNES ClassicConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
