Nintendo 3DS XL Review

When it comes to handheld gaming devices from Nintendo, it’s always expected that there will always be an updated model coming a year or two after its release. With the Nintendo 3DS almost reaching its second year, it’s no surprise that Nintendo has finally released the XL version for the handheld device. Similar to the previously released DSi XL, one of the most noticeable revisions that gamers can expect on the 3DS XL is the large screen, which is almost double the size of the regular 3DS.

With the much added big screen on the newly 3DS XL, is there anything else that will make purchasing or upgrading to the 3DS XL worth the money? Let’s take a look on what’s HOT and what’s NOT in our review of the Nintendo 3DS XL.

HOT

Bigger Screen
One of the biggest highlights of the Nintendo 3DS XL is the big screen. Compared to the original 3DS screen, the two screens on the 3DS XL is almost twice as big; making the resolution stretched out for a much better viewing experience. When it comes to playing games like Ocarina of Time 3D and New Super Mario Bros. 2, you can expect to see much more detail on the big screen, making Mario more bigger on the screen and it makes you feel like you’re playing a console version. Since the anti-aliasing is on, you won’t see any lines coming out when turning on the 3D. Unlike the original 3DS, some games that look awful in 3D and hurts your eyes will now look a lot
cleaner and better on the 3DS XL.

The only bad thing about the stretched out resolution in the 3DS XL is the density of the pixels. Since what we’re seeing on the 3DS XL is a stretched out resolution of the original game, you can expect every pixel to lose its density, making the colors somewhat washed out – it’s not a bad thing at all, but you shouldn’t expect it to be as colorful or clearer as on the original 3DS. In terms of brightness, I noticed that the original 3DS is more vibrant than the XL. For the original Nintendo DS games, playing it on a much bigger screen is a blast. The graphics look sharper but as always, you can notice some pixels as you play through it.

Much More Sturdy Design
If you owned the original 3DS, you might’ve noticed how flimsy the Home, Start, Select, and Power buttons are. Well in the 3DS XL, you can expect it to have more sturdy and stable buttons as they finally replaced the plastic-looking cover of the buttons. This applies as well to the 3D sliding bar, making it steady, allowing you to slide it smoothly and lock it when you want to turn it off.

Complaints over the build of the original Nintendo 3DS is one of the most talked about problems of the handheld. With the original’s glossy look, Nintendo replaced it with a colored shell on the outside with a matte finish and a black layered finished-matte on the inside. You no longer have to worry about fingerprints as the glossy look is gone. In the build itself, you can notice that the 3DS XL used some quality materials, and it doesn’t look cheap as the original.

As far as the button layout goes, it’s still there and Nintendo left it unchanged. Despite its big design, Nintendo managed to make the buttons accessible to any size of the hands. For an average size of hand like me, it’s not too hard to get used to it as the distance between each of the buttons are just about right. Even for small hands, people don’t need to worry as you’ll see in the end that playing on 3DS XL is better than the original – this applies as well to people with large hands.