Nintendo for 7 year old

Hi folks,

A novice when it comes to consoles but have a 7 year old who has mentioned getting a 3DS from Santa. Upon looking online I see 2DS seems to be the console on offer from most sites and indeed a newer version that the 3DS.

Are we better getting the 2DS console in terms of what works better these days and in terms of getting games etc for. Is the 3DS even still widely available?

Thanks in advance for your help and feedback.

plibige

ExactlyDeleted wrote: »

Hi folks,

A novice when it comes to consoles but have a 7 year old who has mentioned getting a 3DS from Santa. Upon looking online I see 2DS seems to be the console on offer from most sites and indeed a newer version that the 3DS.

Are we better getting the 2DS console in terms of what works better these days and in terms of getting games etc for. Is the 3DS even still widely available?

Thanks in advance for your help and feedback.

So the 2DS and the 3DS are the same console. The difference is that the 3DS has a slider on it to give a 3D effect without the need for 3D glasses.

All 3DS games work on 2DS because its the same console, so I wouldn't worry about the library of games.

But because you mentioned its a 7 year old I'd just point this out. Some versions of the 2DS don't "shell over" and are completely flat (no hinge). This might be important to them, as its a cool/iconic design.

So maybe find out what they want, the 3d might not be important but the shell effect might be. So something like a 2ds xl might do the trick

o1s1n

How accident prone is your 7 year old?

The main advantage of the 2DS is due to it's slate design, there's no hinge to break. So it's aimed at younger children.

The 3DS is a far more aesthetically pleasing console and with the clamshell design, it protects the screen.

If you reckon there's a risk of them breaking the hinge (a drop on a hard floor for example) then go with the 2DS.

If not then 3DS all the way.

sligeach

Exactly wrote: »

Hi folks,

A novice when it comes to consoles but have a 7 year old who has mentioned getting a 3DS from Santa. Upon looking online I see 2DS seems to be the console on offer from most sites and indeed a newer version that the 3DS.

Are we better getting the 2DS console in terms of what works better these days and in terms of getting games etc for. Is the 3DS even still widely available?

Thanks in advance for your help and feedback.

You're better off with a 2DS for a child that young. 3D isn't recommended for young kids, it's not good for their eyes. The 2DS is robust, there's a big backlog of games and they're cheaper than on other formats. Besides, Nintendo have stopped producing the 3DS and the 2DS is far cheaper anyway.

Banjo

7 is well old enough for a 2ds XL (the hinged one)
Depending on the 7 year old. You know your own child
But the two of mine who've been that age didn't break my 3ds, their ds or their 2dsxl

Edit : just to say, as a child who asked for a transformer and gobot, you never forget. So as said, manage expectations!

peter4918

Would you consider the Switch? I have a five year old who loves playing Mario kart 8, Mario Odyssey and Kirby. He only plays for a couple of hours maybe Friday after school or Saturday but loves the idea of playing Mario on the TV. It’s delicate enough the Switch so I only let him play in handheld mode when I sit down beside him If the TV is taken.

cute geoge

My 8 year old has requested a switch from santa and I have no interest or clue about gaming !!!
I might be able to stretch to the price of it but is there a lot of hidden cost in getting one like i have an old sony trinitron tv and would this be compatible with nintendo switch and would it be hard to set up .I am really out of my depth here

plibige

cute geoge wrote: »

My 8 year old has requested a switch from santa and I have no interest or clue about gaming !!!
I might be able to stretch to the price of it but is there a lot of hidden cost in getting one like i have an old sony trinitron tv and would this be compatible with nintendo switch and would it be hard to set up .I am really out of my depth here

So in terms of set up it really depends on the model of your tv. Some trinitrons have hdmi ports some don't. But that is what you need.

But and its a big but, the nintendo switch is a hybrid console (can be played on the tv and in hand-held) so in theory its not necessary for you to set it up to a tv to play it. Myself and my brother both have switch's, my brother uses his on the tv (docked) and in handheld mode, i have never docked mine. Because of where i work and my general lifestyle i don't have a lot of time to sit in front of a tv. But i still feel i get a full switch experience without ever docking it.

With regards costs, so obviously games cost money and switch games can be expensive. But there are no hidden costs. You can subscribe to switch online, or buy accessories but the costs are what they are. And you can do without them and still have an enjoyable experience.

If there is anything i didn't explain properly or needs clarifying just let me know and i'll do my best to help

peter4918

plibige wrote: »

So in terms of set up it really depends on the model of your tv. Some trinitrons have hdmi ports some don't. But that is what you need.

But and its a big but, the nintendo switch is a hybrid console (can be played on the tv and in hand-held) so in theory its not necessary for you to set it up to a tv to play it. Myself and my brother both have switch's, my brother uses his on the tv (docked) and in handheld mode, i have never docked mine. Because of where i work and my general lifestyle i don't have a lot of time to sit in front of a tv. But i still feel i get a full switch experience without ever docking it.

With regards costs, so obviously games cost money and switch games can be expensive. But there are no hidden costs. You can subscribe to switch online, or buy accessories but the costs are what they are. And you can do without them and still have an enjoyable experience.

If there is anything i didn't explain properly or needs clarifying just let me know and i'll do my best to help

+1 to this really. Once you have a HDMI port on the TV it’s plug in and play. If not just, play it on handheld mode and it’s still a great experience. Most of my own gameplay on it has been handheld and it’s been really enjoyable.