GameStop Is Getting A Sweet Hylian Shield Nintendo 2DS XL

GameStop announced that there's a brand new Nintendo 2DS XL system set to arrive on store shelves, exclusively at GameStop outlets spread across North America. The new system will have a specially designed Legend of Zelda livery based on one of the classic games.

It was revealed in a press release that the new Nintendo 2DS XL Hylian Shield Edition will be available starting July 2nd. The GameStop exclusive features a unique design based on The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, which originally came out for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013.

The new 2DS XL Hylian Shield Edition will retail for $159.99, as listed over on the Nintendo 2DS page. It's designed to feature a slightly larger screen than the normal 2DS, along with being a lightweight device with built-in Amiibo support, just like most of Nintendo's other recent hardware devices. The design features protuberant artwork designed to match the aesthetics commonly found in The Legend of Zelda products. This includes a golden design of the Triforce, with the Hyrulian bird underneath. The top back and inner gamepad screen are colored a deep blue, while the bottom back of the Nintendo 2DS XL is painted silver.

The best part about it is that this special edition device comes packed-in with a free copy of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

The game has been hailed as a spiritual successor to the 1991 SNES outing of The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. The reason for this is that there's similarities in how the story unfolds, along with the way the gameplay is handled.

For instance, in both games the perspective is a top-down, isometric view where you control Link. You make your way through various dungeons and obstacles in order to rescue Princess Zelda from an evil sorcerer.

The hook for the game is that there is an alternate world that Link can visit known as Lorule, which is a different dimension from Hyrule. Additionally, Link has the ability to merge himself into the wall in order to enter into Lorule, creating a neat little Paper Mario-style effect as Link morphs from 3D into a 2D character in order to scale alongside the walls.

What's surprising is that Nintendo is even releasing a new Nintendo 2DS XL given that the Nintendo Switch is already available on the market. However, there is the possibility that Nintendo is looking to capture different levels of the consumer market -- those who can afford to spend $300 will get the Nintendo Switch, while those who can't afford it will go with the Nintendo 2DS XL at nearly half the price for $159.99.

It's still a little shocking that the company didn't announce a custom Legend of Zelda Switch case instead. But who knows? Maybe at this year's E3 Nintendo will unveil some brand new SKUs for the Switch.

For those of you interested in grabbing the new Nintendo 2DS XL Hylian Shield Edition, you can do so starting July 2nd.