Nintendo launched Nintendo 2DS in Europe on 12 October 2013, the same day as Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. It was a Nintendo 3DS variant designed without a stereoscopic screen: it displayed 3DS games only in 2D and retained compatibility with Nintendo DS software. It also replaced the traditional folding design of the DS family with a rigid one-piece body. It retained the touch screen, Circle Pad, cameras and the platform’s communication functions. Its purpose was to offer a simpler and less expensive entry point to the Nintendo 3DS catalogue.