The DS2 and DS3 can’t be connected to a TV, they are strictly handhelds.
A DS2 would be good if you’re on a budget, but the DS2 XL is better for performance and, from my experience, a better battery life.
But the make-or-break difference here is the price. The DS2 XL is $150, while the regular DS2 is only $80.
The XL can close, but the regular cannot.
The XL has extra buttons and is generally more powerful, but that in turn doesn’t quite make it as budget-friendly ($150) as the regular DS2 ($80).
For you, I’d argue you should go with the regular DS2 and the Nintendo Selects version of Mario Maker DS2/DS3. (both of these are Amazon links). Bonus here is that he also gets an extra game pre-installed on the DS2.
Hope this helps!
https://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-2DS-Super-Mario-Bros-3ds/dp/B0744XTWL4
No, it's an accurate price.
there are other bundle deals that are less than 100$ as well so what's your excuse now?