New Nintendo 3DS XL review: Return to the third dimension

Glasses-free 3D improvements impress, but other changes are more marginal.

Read the whole story

 

[anonArs]

Marlor[/url]":18mul684]

xizar[/url]":18mul684]
3DS -> New 3DS? ... really? "I just got a new New Nintendo 3DS." "Just gotta say `new' once, dude." "no... that's the name."

They're just copying Apple's branding (e.g. "New iPad").

Apple owns the word "New" when it comes to new products?

Christarp[/url]":18mul684]
Apple abandoned that naming scheme quickly and for good reason.

Because it would be silly to have New iPad "2"

 

[imagremlin]

I love this console. I have the original 3DS and it was OK, but the bigger screen plus the stable 3D makes for a brilliant truly experience. Having Majora's Mask to play on it is just the icing on the cake.

This combo has given me that child-at-christmas-eve feeling I haven't had in years.

I do have one gripe though. No Bluetooth. Why? It could not have added much cost to the console and would have made it perfect. Every other device I carry with me syncs with my Creative WP350 set, and now I need to carry a second pair of wired headphones just for the 3DS.

I'll have to get one of those bluetooth transmitters. Any recommendations? I'm worried about the lag and the form factor - ideally something real small that just clips below the console.

 

[madeinbrechin]

secretmanofagent[/url]":21uzear5]Out of curiosity, anyone know what the largest SD card supported is in terms of storage? It comes with a 4GB one, but I'd imagine I would want one that's larger in it.

32GB I believe. I had a look online before I purchased my New 3DS XL and found that 32GB SDHC is the largest capacity the 3DS will accept. I bought a 32GB card and it seems to work fine.

 

[Drakkenmensch]

anonArs[/url]":2vlsi2x4]

Marlor[/url]":2vlsi2x4]

xizar[/url]":2vlsi2x4]
3DS -> New 3DS? ... really? "I just got a new New Nintendo 3DS." "Just gotta say `new' once, dude." "no... that's the name."

They're just copying Apple's branding (e.g. "New iPad").

Apple owns the word "New" when it comes to new products?

Christarp[/url]":2vlsi2x4]
Apple abandoned that naming scheme quickly and for good reason.

Because it would be silly to have New iPad "2"

Yeah... not pronouncing the "New" there either.

 

[greatn]

madeinbrechin[/url]":1zdfiae9]

secretmanofagent[/url]":1zdfiae9]Out of curiosity, anyone know what the largest SD card supported is in terms of storage? It comes with a 4GB one, but I'd imagine I would want one that's larger in it.

32GB I believe. I had a look online before I purchased my New 3DS XL and found that 32GB SDHC is the largest capacity the 3DS will accept. I bought a 32GB card and it seems to work fine.

64 and even 128 will work as well, but they have to be formatted to FAT32 before they will be recognized, and you have to use a non Microsoft program because Windows won't allow you to format a card that size to FAT32 for some reason, even though there's no technical reason it can't.

In practice however 32GB is absolutely more than you'll likely ever need. The games just aren't that big. I have probably around 20 retail games, around 20 virtual console games, and around a dozen or so eShop games on my 32GB card and still have well over a third of my 32GB card left. If you are a person who mostly buys retail games at retail on cartridge, then the 4GB that comes with will probably be as much as you'll ever need.

 

[cale leaf]

greenmky[/url]":1199ix0m]

maxwell[/url]":1199ix0m]

elvisizer[/url]":1199ix0m]might actually be time to upgrade the ol' DS lite.
edit: well, that's annoying.

I had a PSP and I made a charger from an old USB cable (model J tip, available at Radio Shack, but hurry in!). My PSP died, and I really do want a portable gaming system with real buttons on it. pre-PSP I had GB, GBC. Spent many, many hours on Pokemon Yellow and the two awesome Zelda's (seasons and time?).

I just saw a 3dsxl (old one) on the subway last week and was surprised how big the screens were. It looked quite playable.

BUT: I'm at the point where I won't buy anything that doesn't charge with a micro/mini usb cable. I've had wacky propietary cables in many devices, they always fail, or you don't have them with you. Cell phones, gps, that crazy psp headphone thing. The port on my old RIO Mp3 player was so wacky I kept it long after the player died to reminded myself 'never again'.

And since I don't have a 3ds now, for me it's 'never again' and a pass. Not worth the long term hassle.

I grabbed a couple of USB->3DS cables for like $2, like any cable, it can be found dirt cheap on the internet these days.

Charges a bit slower that way though than the stock charger.

I don't care how easy it is to get around Keurig's coffee DRM either. Given any practical choice, companies that don't try duplicitous crap get my custom.

 

[Justintyme]

My experience with the new 3DS XL XL

I got the new 3DS XL this weekend and, thanks to reviews like this one, prepared myself for the migration from my original 3DS XL. Everything came across without a problem...I opted for the PC-based transfer method. I did experience a network issue when doing the first part of the transfer around 5-6pm ET on Saturday so I parked the migration a few hours after which it worked okay.

I was able to replace the provided 4Gb microSD card with my own 32Gb one but this was, for me, the most worrisome part as first it is actually hard to just buy a #0 Phillips screwdriver in my neighborhood, second the screws do not come out (it is a bit of a guessing game of you've undid the screw enough) and third prying the back off was another concern.

It turns out, though, that at least Nintendo has provided a way to access and backup your microSD card with your desktop PC without having to physically connect it via microSD Port.

I spent most of Sunday using the new 3DS XL while it was -35 degrees C outside. And, anyone who plays with the 3DS a lot *should* get the new version. It has a better build/feel, the 3D is seamless, the console is much more responsive and they have made major configuration changes to add new trigger buttons and place other buttons/slots in better locations.

That is just my opinion. I'm really happy that I got the new version of the 3DS.

Justin