What Games Can‘t You Play on the 2DS?

The Nintendo 2DS can play the vast majority of games in the massive Nintendo 3DS and DS libraries. But its cost-saving design does cause minor backwards compatibility issues with a small subset of titles. Specifically, the 2DS cannot play:

• Games exclusive to the New Nintendo 3DS
• Games dependent on 3D stereoscopic effects
• A small number of DS cartridge slot games

Aside from those exceptions, the 2DS gives you access to the full breadth of Nintendo handheld software at a budget price.

New Nintendo 3DS Exclusives – 12 Games Not Compatible

The more powerful "New Nintendo 3DS" hardware includes upgraded processing power, additional RAM, and a secondary CPU core. This allows for exclusives that won‘t function on the original 2DS/3DS due to technical limitations.

There are currently 12 games incompatible with the 2DS due to being New 3DS exclusives:

• Xenoblade Chronicles 3D
• Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
• Fire Emblem Warriors
• Super NES Virtual Console games (20+ games)
• Minecraft
• Hyrule Warriors Legends
• Dragon Quest VIII
• Yo-kai Watch 3
• 7th Dragon III Code: VFD
• SmileBASIC
• Cave Story
• Runbow Pocket

So if you want to play those specific titles, you would need to upgrade to a New 2DS XL or New 3DS XL system. This represents only 3.5% of the total 3DS library, but does include major releases like Xenoblade and Minecraft.

3D Effects – 130 3DS Games Lack 3D Features

Since the 2DS uses a single flat LCD display rather than separate screens for each eye, it cannot show stereoscopic 3D effects. This impacts 3DS games developed around 3D visuals.

Out of over 1,000 released 3DS games, approximately 130 games (13%) have significant 3D effects. On the 2DS these games will run normally but lose their 3D capabilities.

Some examples are Super Mario 3D Land, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Luigi‘s Mansion: Dark Moon, and Shovel Knight 3D.

So while the visual experience suffers in those titles, the core gameplay remains intact. You just miss out on "popping out of the screen" effects.

DS Slot Games – 20-30 Titles Partially Incompatible

A small subset of DS games uniquely required the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot to enable certain features. As the entry-level 2DS lacks this secondary slot, a few DS games have compatibility issues or lost functionality.

By one estimate, approximately 20-30 DS titles are affected. Most of these games remain playable but lose access to some game modes, connectivity with older titles, or other features.

For example, Guitar Hero: On Tour requires the slot for its peripheral guitar grip controller. The game boots up normally on the 2DS but obviously won‘t work fully without the guitar.

So there are edge cases where DS cartridge slot intricacies impact playability. But it‘s a relatively small portion of the 1,500+ DS catalogue.

Hardware Comparison

This table summarizes the key hardware differences that affect 2DS backwards compatibility:

Conclusion – 2DS Delivers Major Value

In the end, the 2DS gives up 3D visuals and loses compatibility with 12 specific titles in order to drive down costs for consumers. DS slot issues impact playability of about 20 niche games as well.

But other than those necessary sacrifices, the 2DS provides the full, rich Nintendo handheld gaming experience at an affordable $80 price point. Since flagship single-player Nintendo exclusives seldom rely on 3D effects or technical horsepower alone, the 2DS plays 99% of must-have 3DS/DS games flawlessly.

As a passionate Nintendo gamer myself, I believe the 2DS delivers tremendous value. The cost savings let you build an extensive game library on a budget. For $80 it‘s arguably the best entry point into gaming available today. While you do lose some visual flair and depth with 3D-focused games, the pure fun factor of Nintendo‘sSoftware shines through regardless.

So if you don‘t need 3D effects or the few incompatible exclusives, the versatile 2DS opens the door to Nintendo‘s beloved handheld catalogue at a bargain price. It brings legendary franchises and characters to the masses in an affordable slate-style form factor.