3D, 2D, and Everything in Between

Recently Nintendo just announced the New 2DS XL, which is essentially a New 3DS XL without the 3D function. Unlike the old 2DS, which has a unibody design (which could be considered retro and evocative of Nintendo's handhelds prior to the GBA), the New 2DS XL has a clamshell design like its 3DS siblings and contemporaries. While this is an interesting move on Nintendo's part, it becomes a prompt for consideration of whether 3D still has a place in today's games, in particular Pokémon games, which are my interest.

First up: a little admission. On my 3DS, I leave the 3D setting on the screen on all the time, at the maximum in fact. So that means I get a strong 3D effect whenever I'm on the Home screen or play games that utilize the 3D function. On the other hand, most of my friends who have a 3DS don't turn on the 3D effect, or maybe at the least put it at the minimum setting. The reasons for these are varied; one says the 3D effect is dizzying, and another says it's to save battery life. Personally, I don't experience the former and the latter is a less important concern. I bought the 3DS so that I could take in the 3D experience in full; had I had the same opinions as my friends and the 2DS didn't exist, I would have done the same thing as they did, while with the existence of the 2DS, I would have bought that instead.

In considering the case of Pokémon games, 3D is only present in some games and not in others. X and Y as well as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire had 3D in the battle sequences but not in the overworld. The Rumble series are full 3D games, and so is Mystery Dungeon Gates to Infinity. Most of the other games are 2D only, including the latest members of the main series, Sun and Moon (except in one particular case). However, in the case of the main series, this is also because the games are pushing the system to its limit, as evidenced by the lag. So it seems that 3D is appreciable in some contexts and not others, but also that 3D may become a burden to the game's system.

The future of 3D seems limited. Nintendo's latest console, the Switch, doesn't even have a 3D function, yet its small stature makes it poised as a possible successor to the 3DS, though they have repeatedly said that the Switch is not a successor for it. But if breakthrough games are made for it, then it might as well be true, especially if the Pokémon main series decides to migrate to it - as rumors say it might very well happen - given how it currently burdens the 3DS system. Meanwhile, the appearance of the New 2DS XL seems to be about to become the "nail in the coffin", so to speak, for the 3D function.

It seems 3D has become an enigmatic part of history for Nintendo. On one hand it is a total visual experience that is hard to equal. On the other hand, it also demands a lot of resources, both in development and at runtime, and people have opinions about the experience. So it's no wonder that 3D appears to be (about to be) deprecated with recent developments. With that being the case, I may have to consider experiencing a 3D-less world of games while still taking in the current 3D experience as much as I can, especially with Pokémon games. To that end, I might just get that New 2DS XL if I'm fortunate.