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When the original 3DS was announced my first question was how long the battery would last. When I found out how low it was compared to the Nintendo DS, I vowed to wait until it was greatly increased to buy one (with more features added of course).
Well, the battery life of this device is till nowhere near that of the Nintendo DS, but I'm more an occasional portable gamer than a constant one, so in the end I don't mind all that much. And now that the price of the software has finally come down to earth, this is the perfect time to buy a 3DS family device.
Software
For starters, now that some time has passed it's much easier to see what the great 3DS titles are, and most of them can be had for less than $20.00. Between online purchase options and in-store promotionals, you even get the expensive games used for around $20.00 if you buy them all at once (I signed up for a store promotion right after buying the device so could get all the games I wanted all at once).
And how are said games? We all know that the 3DS is rather low res (320 resolution in this day and age???) which is absolutely hilarious when you consider the push behind "4K" and "retina vision". While Apple and SONY etc. are pushing for resolutions so high you can't tell the difference unless your eyeball is one inch away from the screen, this sucker does indeed make 3D games look like they are running on Windows 3.11. Despite how awful that looks in store displays and in TV commercials, in your hand thanks to interpolation (remember how good 480i looked on old CRT TVs?) everything actually looks great. The screen is good and bright, the 3D effect is nice and easily controlled with a slider, viewing distance is decent, and the overall effect is like watching GBA games on the DS for the first time (the brightness and contrast is boosted so much that you can see just how good low res games can look when presented properly). Speaking of older games...
I was concerned that my collection of old Nintendo DS games might look terrible on such a huge screen, but they actually look BETTER than they did on my Nintendo DS because of the quality of the screen.
Controls, OS, Overall
I've heard a lot of controversy about the controls of these systems since the original one was released, and initially I did find this system to be a bit cramped despite it's huge size, but I got used to it pretty fast, and the stylus works great. The OS is responsive, if a bit like a kitchen table with a your office drawer spilled out onto it (everything is kind of out at once). It continues to puzzle me that Nintendo and SONY and whoever else never seem to consider that if you buy hundreds of games (as they doubtless hope you will) you'll eventually have a list that will take all day to scroll through. Oh well. As long as I don't download many games it shouldn't be a problem. There are a few I want, but not anywhere near as many as I have downloaded on Steam, PS3, PS4, etc.
I love that you can put the system to sleep incredibly easily, but I hate the placement of the power button. It's awkward and you're constantly accidentally pressing another button on top of the device while you try to press power on the bottom. The wifi works well and gets a good signal, but downloads often fail (I expect that from Nintendo). Videos actually look great on the device from games or netflix, much better than I expected. To the point where you might actually reconsider buying a giant phone and instead get one of these for playing your Netflix videos and games on (for the most part).
All things considered, I think this device as sold is an OUTSTANDING value. There's plenty of great games you can acquire for cheap (and some classics can finally, finally FINALLY be played on the go the way you always wanted (Donkey Kong Country, Star Fox). Battery life, while not great, is decent. The looks fantastic. The controls are comfortable. The OS is friendly and fairly easy to use.
As of right now, this is the portable to own. Oh, and I made the decision to buy one now on impulse based on the cool galaxy design. It' a very purple nebula, and it's very pretty.
Game on!
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From the manufacturer
Face Tracking 3D & Faster Processing Power than Nintendo 3DS
Using the inner camera, face tracking 3D provides an improved 3D gaming experience from a wider range of viewing angles compared to Nintendo 3DS. The New Nintendo 3DS Xl system adjusts the 3D “sweet spot” based on the location of the user’s face.
Improved processing power allows for faster loading of applications, such as Miiverse and games. Plus the improved CPU performance allows you to enjoy faster speeds for downloading software.
Built in amiibo & NFC support and C Stick for Enhanced Controls
Enhance your compatible games with amiibo figures. Simply tap your amiibo on the touch screen and discover the power inside.
The C Stick opens a new world to your games. With certain games, you can freely control the in-game camera to get a new point of view.
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| Customer Reviews |
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| Plays 3D games | In 2D and face-tracking 3D | In 2D | In 2D |
| Compatible with Nintendo 3DS software | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compatible with New Nintendo 3DS exclusive software | ✓ | ✓ | |
| C stick and ZL/ZR buttons | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Built in NFC reader | ✓ | ✓ | |
| AC adapter included | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Screen size | Upper: 4.88 inches (diagonal) Lower: 4.18 inches (diagonal) | Upper: 4.88 inches (diagonal) Lower: 4.18 inches (diagonal) | Upper: 3.53 inches (diagonal) Lower: 3.02 inches (diagonal) |
| Dimensions (open) | 6.4 in. × 6.3 in. × 0.8 in. | 6.4 in. × 6.3 in. × 0.8 in. | 5 in. × 5.66 in. × 0.8 in. |
| Dimensions (folded) | 3.7 in. × 6.3 in. x 0.8 in. | 3.4 in. × 6.3 in. × 0.8 in. | N/A |
| Weight | Approx. 11.6 ounces | Approx. 9.2 ounces | Approx. 9.2 ounces |
Reviews with images
Portable and worth playing after all this time
The 3D mode is nice for the occasional gimmick, but the best thing about this is that it fits in my pocket and helps pass my lunch break since I finish usually in 10-15 minutes. I was worried at first but for the games on the 3DS, and for this being the New XL version, I think it was absolutely worth the price for a used one.For this particular one from the seller I got it from, I can confirm Eshop works and nothing more than minor (though many) scratches on the exterior top and bottom. With how hard it is to get a hold of a supposedly unmodded, working US New 3DS XL in 2021 with surprisingly good battery life, they could have taken sandpaper to it and I still would have given it 4 stars.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2016
Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2017
Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023
Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
SirSumb0dy
It's color is very dazzling, feels & looks like brand new too!
Reviewed in Canada on July 1, 2022Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Luis Hernández Lara
Cuatro años de uso y sigue funcionando al 100%
Reviewed in Mexico on June 2, 2021Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Zo B
Great little console
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2020Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
Sumit
Five Stars
Reviewed in India on March 11, 2017Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
AdamElijass
Good
Reviewed in Canada on March 19, 2024Edition: GalaxyConfiguration: without AC AdapterVerified Purchase
