Nintendo sells 452K 3DS consoles in October thanks to the 2DS (and Pokémon)

The 2DS was a big success in its debut month.

Nintendo revealed that it sold 452,000 3DS units in October. That figure includes the 3DS, 3DS XL, and 2DS. That is more than twice the number of 3DSes sold in September, according to Nintendo.

The portable device was always going to have a good month. Nintendo launched Pokémon X and Y on Oct. 12. Those games combined to sell 1.7 million copies. This made October the best month for 3DS software sales since December 2011.

Oct. 12 is also when Nintendo launched the 2DS, which is the new 2D-only version of the 3DS handheld. The strategy of releasing the new portable, which is aimed at younger children, on the same day as Pokémon obviously paid off.

Nintendo expects the 3DS to finish strong this year. It will release The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, which our critic adored, on Nov. 22. That’s just in time for the post-Thanksgiving holiday-shopping season.