In games for like 2.10, they don't use the item small shield on the item menu since in those versions you will never pick it up or lose it. However, it will still show the small shield on the menu and of course it is going to be the default heart thing because these games weren't made in the new betas. So basically small shields not to be either defaulted as a blink, or just not show up at all in 2.10 and lower games.
(This is also 204 by the way, but was there ever since the small shield was added.)