3ds XL first impressions thread

ok..here is a thread for your own mini review.

heres mine..

its easier to stay in the sweet spot..but is maybe a bit harder to find and still have to keep the 3ds very still. i think theres more ghosting now too.

steel diver: image looked a bit duller... the little fishes swimming around and stuff werent as cute as on the small 3ds screen
the bottom touch pad was better...it picked up my stylus movements better.

rayman 2: well.. again the screen seems slightly less vivid...like a bit duller...but the size makes it easier to play

starfox 64: this game was totally better on the xl...in every way

just tried pilotwings: wow this is stillone of the best 3d examples on the 3ds...just awesome.

tried ocarina of time: its better in everyway on the xl

DS games:

i tried super mario 64 DS and it looks less blurry... it feels like a viel has been lifted and its slightly clearer.

Controls:
pressing the l and r buttons is much easier now....on the regular 3ds i had to hold the system a specific way to use them.

also...the dpad feels much much better... i actually found myself using it exclusively for mario 64 DS....with the regular 3ds i would always use the slidepad because the dpad felt awkward.

well guys..thats just my initial impression. is it an upgrade? yes and no.. will i keep it and sell my regular 3ds...yea, i probably will.

i have to say... on the regular 3ds the difference from using 3d to turning it off was huge....i had to have 3d on full blast all the time.

but on the xl...having the 3d off actually looks much nicer now....i dont want to say that the 3d effect is less now but its not as huge of a difference anymore.

It is much better than i expected.

Feels better and easier to hold.

Not cheap feeling at all, in fact its very solid. The flimsey shakey top screen in the original 3ds is gone, the XL is very stable and firm. Both the analog stick and d pad feel better.

The large, non-reflective display is very easy on the eyes.

Great audio; the stereo seperation is very good.

Finger prints dont show up nearly as bad as the original unit.

is the xl louder.the regular 3ds had weak speakers

Screens also have a bit of a piss yellow tint compared to the original 3DS.DJ_Lae

yea.. i just noticed this...regular 3ds is bright white but the xl has a more yellow dimmer color...

i wonder why they decided to change the colors?

is the xl louder.the regular 3ds had weak speakers

Celsius765

nah...its just as loud...well maybe a tiny bit louder....still very low volume imo.

I have my Xl quite a while (guess 2 or 3 weeks), it's pretty decent and it actually made me come back to 3DS games. The transfer from my original to the XL worked pperfectly, the bigger screen is great, but I really hate that it didn't came with a second analog stick or the cpp

What I like;

The finish- I'm not a fan of glossy surfaces, so the changes here are welcome. Also screenshots of this don't do it justice. Initially when I saw it my thought was "It looks cheap.". Seeing and holding it first hand changes that opinion quickly. It's well built.

The screens- Okay I won't mince words here; I'm getting old(In my mid 30's now), and my eyes haven't been all that great to begin with. With the regular 3ds I had to quit for at least 20 minutes after a half hour of play because of the eye strain. After an hour of playing this, it didn't feel like my eyes had to have a break even with the 3d on. If you have 20/20 vision maybe this wasn't an issue, but for me the bigger screens were a godsend.

Button change and stylus placement- I figured and hoped the stylus location would move, and I gladly welcome the placement. I also like the changes to the Start/Select/Home buttons as they don't feel as spongy now. Also the L/R buttons feel easier to access and while the cross pad still requires a bit of reaching, at least it doesn't feel like I almost have to dislocate my thumb trying to use it.

Games/3d effect- It actually took less time for me to find the sweet spot, and to be honest I didn't have a hard time staying in it. So far I've had very few issues with ghosting. So far the only game I have noticed it on was Mario Kart 7 and that was only because of the occasional time when we get the urge to steer or lean while playing racing games. So far I haven't had any other issues. The 3ds I hve tried so far look great as well. With the games I have they don't seem to suffer with the larger screen size.

Weight- To be honest I expected this to feel heavier, but it doesn't feel much heavier than the regular 3ds. Since it is a little longer it actually makes it a bit easier to hold, too.

What I don't like;

No 2nd analog- Not a deal breaker by any means, but it would have been nice to have one. If push came to shove they could have removed the power button and had the home button do double duty(press for home, press and hold to power off). There are not a lot of games that require it, but the ones that have the option really benefit from the second analog, plus having a second one would have given devs more options as well.

DS games- I expected this, but some games do take a hit(in some cases a big hit)from the large screens. Castlevania; Order of Ecclesia? Still looks pretty decent. Dragon Quest V? EW! Still playable and enjoyable, but it doesn't look as pretty. Again, I expected this so it's not a huge issue.

Sound- Louder than the 3ds, but only marginally. Rather disappointing seeing as the speakers look like they could deliver more. I was also hoping they would not stick with the slider, but at least it feels like it has more give to it than the 3ds one.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the XL. Small issues aside I really feel that this should be the preferred model to have due to some improved changes and better battery life. Taking nothing away from the original I just feel the changes work better for me.

I was also hoping they would not stick with the slider, but at least it feels like it has more give to it than the 3ds one.Gemini_Red

The screens- Okay I won't mince words here; I'm getting old(In my mid 30's now), and my eyes haven't been all that great to begin with. With the regular 3ds I had to quit for at least 20 minutes after a half hour of play because of the eye strain. After an hour of playing this, it didn't feel like my eyes had to have a break even with the 3d on. If you have 20/20 vision maybe this wasn't an issue, but for me the bigger screens were a godsend.

Gemini_Red

I'm also around that same age and when I bought my XL today the cashier said, "Ha...so you're getting the prescription version eh?"

I am really loving the size difference. Just finished transfering my data over.

[QUOTE="Kaze_no_Mirai"]Dang, that red 3DSXL actually looks nice. I thought both colors looked bad from the pictures released but it actually looks nice in DJLae's picture. Anyway, I'm still debating whether I should upgrade. :PDJ_Lae

[QUOTE="DJ_Lae"][QUOTE="Kaze_no_Mirai"]Dang, that red 3DSXL actually looks nice. I thought both colors looked bad from the pictures released but it actually looks nice in DJLae's picture. Anyway, I'm still debating whether I should upgrade. :Pinb4uall

I'm guessing they're reffering to when the 3D effect doesn't work perfectly, but I could be wrong.

Here are a couple good images I found:

... red looks best, to my eyes.

also I think that I have misunderstood the term ghosting all of these years. I thought it was a term for burn in but you guys have it and you just got your XL'x today. So what is ghosting exactly?:?inb4uall

[QUOTE="inb4uall"] The pictures released so far as well as the system box itself don't do it any favours, as they've all been washed out. My box is almost pink most of the way around because they're done the red as a gradient. The blue is okay too but I went red because my laptop is already a similar blue and I don't need a ton of blue stuff lying around. Though on the bright side when I'm playing the XL I can't tell what disgusting colour it might be on the back (and the way the shells are designed, swapping them might not be that hard).DJ_Lae

I'm guessing they're reffering to when the 3D effect doesn't work perfectly, but I could be wrong.

Here are a couple good images I found:

... red looks best, to my eyes.

EDIT glitchspot destroied my post so here is the short version

that you to the two people above me

I was going to get the red but that blue looks sooo sexy. The other poster's were right the boxes and most screen shots don't do these systems justice:shock:

also thanks for explaining the crosstalk thingy. Thats a lot less severe then what I had imagined.

I got one today, but I haven't had a chance to play it. I did open it up and aside from the stylus and the fact that there's no 3D light by the screen, I really like the design. Plus, I loved the animation of the Pikmin transferring the data over. JustPlainLucas

How long did it take for you guys to do a transfer?

I hear they can take up to 40 minutes

Is it that bad? I mean does it look really bad? How does the 3D effect, I've read that it's more subtle and not as strong while others have said that it stronger and/or looks better. That might be a deal breaker for me.Kaze_no_Mirai

So I just turned on my XL for the first time after the transfer and well... it's missing some stuff. Had to redownload Swapnote, Nintendo Video, etc. Way to go, Nintendo! Can't ever do anything perfectly, can you? :|JustPlainLucas

[QUOTE="JustPlainLucas"]So I just turned on my XL for the first time after the transfer and well... it's missing some stuff. Had to redownload Swapnote, Nintendo Video, etc. Way to go, Nintendo! Can't ever do anything perfectly, can you? :|DJ_Lae

i played mariokart 7 on mine and i was impressed , i saw the pipe litterally come at me ,

also there is no yellow tint i dont know what some people see in theres mine is just like my original but better ,

Is it that bad? I mean does it look really bad? How does the 3D effect, I've read that it's more subtle and not as strong while others have said that it stronger and/or looks better. That might be a deal breaker for me.Kaze_no_Mirai

i played mariokart 7 on mine and i was impressed , i saw the pipe litterally come at me ,

also there is no yellow tint i dont know what some people see in theres mine is just like my original but better ,

mariokart64fan

if you hold both systems side by side the tint is slightly different....at least it was when i was transfering..

btw...mine also didnt transfer my VC games...i had to redownload everything.

I honestly don't know why I got the xl, when it's actually worse than the regular 3DS. I compared them side by side and yes there is a different tint to the xl. The 3DS is more vibrant and cleaner looking. Also brighter too. Besides the bigger screen, there's absolutley no other reason the get the XL. As for the 3D I only tried it on NSMB2, and it's the same more or less. Will try other games tonight. One little thing that also bothers me is the power button!!! It has to be pushed a bit harder now. Well mines like that anyways:(

so hows the hinge? Is it still wobbly?Shinobishyguy

[QUOTE="Shinobishyguy"]so hows the hinge? Is it still wobbly?DJ_Lae

I honestly don't know why I got the xl, when it's actually worse than the regular 3DS. I compared them side by side and yes there is a different tint to the xl. The 3DS is more vibrant and cleaner looking. Also brighter too. Besides the bigger screen, there's absolutley no other reason the get the XL. As for the 3D I only tried it on NSMB2, and it's the same more or less. Will try other games tonight. One little thing that also bothers me is the power button!!! It has to be pushed a bit harder now. Well mines like that anyways:(

SmokieX

i was a bit let down at first too with the lack of sharpness...but try diffrent games...some benefit a lot from the big screen.

I'm pretty sure the wobbly hinge is intentional. This dates back to the dsi xl days. Not sure why it's still an issue...bls_essex

call me a Nintendo fanboy but its superior in every way to the OG 3DS! my first impression was today while unboxing it, i took off the protective paper and the bright red just had me in awe! not to mention its curvy body, huge screens and awesome sound! uhh yeah my 3DS had terrible sound...but its amazing on the XL!