I received product/compensation in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.

In a house with three kids, I hear the phrase “It’s Mine!” more times than I can count. Whether its a remote, game, book or even food, sharing can be hard in a big family. Luckily my daughter is not much of a gamer (yet) so she doesn’t get involved in those battles. For years now we have owned one Nintendo 3DS and my boys shared it for the most part but now that they are getting older and more of their friends have their own systems, they have been arguing more for time on it. I get too that sharing is hard and I don’t believe kids (or adults) should always have to share, I mean there are times when you just want your own stuff to yourself. Fortunately for my family and many other families out there, the New Nintendo 2DS XL is the perfect system where family members can make playtime their own.

What makes the New Nintendo 2DS XL the perfect system for families?

With the New Nintendo 2DS XL, gamers get the power of the New Nintendo 3DS XL but in a more affordable streamlined package and with the ability to play a huge library of games in 2D! I honestly prefer 2D, as do my kids, so for us it doesn’t matter either way. By affordable I mean $149.99 which may seem like a lot for one child but it is cheaper than a tablet and it features the ability to share games. Since my boys do not have their own phones, to them their Nintendo 2DS XL is the next best thing.

Yes, you can share Nintendo games!

So this is a feature that really impressed me and I had no clue about. So if you look at the back of the Nintendo game boxes it will say “Local Play” “Download Play” or “Internet” and that basically means only one person needs to own the game cartridge but other friends can play off of it as long as they are next to them. As a parent, I cannot say how much I appreciate that I don’t have to buy two Mario Kart cartridges so my boys can play against each other! Only having to buy one cartridge saves me money and allows me to buy other games for my kids. This truly is a hidden gem that Nintendo offers!

Some other Nintendo 2DS XL features to love

The sleek clamshell design makes it comfortable for both little and big hands to hold and maneuver on. All the buttons are easy to control and it basically just fits nicely in your hands while you play. It is also lightweight so not awkward to hold and play. The clamshell design helps keep the screen safe from scratches when closed.

Since I only needed two systems, I love that it is available in two colors – so there really is no arguing over whose is whose!

The system is fast! Before my kids could find something to argue about, the game is loaded and they are off playing. These kids today don’t realize how lucky they are with how fast technology is (gee that makes me sound old!)

Oh and all the Nintendo 3DS games we already have are compatible with the Nintendo 2DS so I don’t have to rebuy all new games! That is a whole different pet peeve of mine but luckily Nintendo has my back and sanity.

There is a camera on this system! Okay while most devices today have cameras on them, I love that the Nintendo 2DS XL has a camera and you can actually take 3D and 2D photos and videos! Oh and you can take regular photos or selfies! I love looking at photos both of my boys have on their devices to get a glimpse of how they see the world.

Right out of the box this system is ready to go! You get the system and charger in the box. You do not get a game with the system but you can play with creating your own Mii, interacting with the six included AR cards, recording and editing sounds and the camera part. It actually could keep kids busy for a day or so before they are begging for a game.

They can play anywhere! I found the systems to hold a pretty good charge and with their fast loading times, games are ready to go whenever and wherever. The first thing I did was buy my kids cases and they now carry these amazing little (but not so little) gadgets around with them. Some of the games, like Mario Kart, even offer SpotPass, which allows you to receive computer-like players to play against while offline. Yes you can turn off the Internet feature if that is something you don’t want.

Boy has Nintendo evolved…

I can still remember the day my dad surprised me with my very first Nintendo when it came out, I played that thing until my fingers couldn’t function anymore! From Game Boy to Super Nintendo and so forth, I have had them all. I love that I can share my love of Mario Bros. with my kids and they can even teach me a thing or to with all these new games that are available. I love seeing what Nintendo comes out with and it is a brand that my family embraces practically daily.

The New Nintendo 2DS XL retails for $149.99 and is available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart.