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3DS XL

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Mario & Sonic sold well this week without any advertising according to the charts. Also isn't advertising up to SEGA on that one?

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I thought it was published by Nintendo

 

Only in Japan. In the west, SEGA is the publisher.

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I dunno how it does it, I just know it does it.

 

You could've just found out though: Is there a gap between the upper and lower part when the unit is closed? If so, then it's obviously not going to collect scratches by itself or by being carried in a case. Sure enough, some neogaf user who's complaining is carrying the thing around in their trouser's pocket, which is sure to put a lot of mechanical pressure on it, if it's not a pocket the size of a handbag.

 

How someone could carry even the original 3DS around comfortably in a pocket though is a mystery to me. :heh:

Edited by Burny

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You could've just found out though: Is there a gap between the upper and lower part when the unit is closed? If so, then it's obviously not going to collect scratches by itself or by being carried in a case. Sure enough, some neogaf user who's complaining is carrying the thing around in their trouser's pocket, which is sure to put a lot of mechanical pressure on it, if it's not a pocket the size of a handbag.

 

How someone could carry even the original 3DS around comfortably in a pocket though is a mystery to me. :heh:

 

It has to be the system being compressed that is causing the issue. I'm just a little bummed out because Nintendo had a design fault on the first 3DS and don't appear to have spent a lot of time trying to ensure it didn't happen again on the XL.

 

I don't blame anyone who gets upset their clamshell handheld doesn't agree being stored as the manufacturers intended - you know, closed

 

I guess if this kinda thing bugs you guys, invest in screen protectors because you're probably gonna see some imperfections appear before long.

Edited by Guy

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A couple of things i've noticed since mine arrived yesterday:

 

Warm yellow tint: it seems to happen when it's in power-saving mode. If you go into Brightness settings & switch Power-Saving Mode to OFF, the yellow goes away.

 

DS region locking: I've tried my US copies of Nanostray 2, Contra 4, Dementium, ATV Wild Ride and Soul Bubbles and they all work fine. So the DS compatibility seems to have no region locking, at least for those games.

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Have to say I've very pleased with the XL. No scratches, no dead pixels, warmer upper screen is fine and seems to be lessening with use, colours pop and the device feels much more comfortable to use.

 

As for the lower PPI - I may be in the minority on this, but I actually find the graphics almost across the board look better and 'make more sense' on this screen. I even sort of like seeing the pixels so clearly; it suits Nintendo games! The jaggies bothered me more on the little display of the original. To my eyes the 3D seems a little deeper, or at least more immersive. Sweet spot about the same, but it took me a little while to readjust to the effect on the larger screen. Headphones were a must before and still are now, so not much change there for me.

 

My only real gripe is that the red finish could be a little more metallic and is rather plain compared to the shiny pencil case effect of the original.

 

Surprisingly, HMV allowed me to do a system transfer in-store. Took about 45mins. They were really helpful and I got a good trade-in deal considering my 3DS was without its box.

 

Playing through all my games again is such a pleasure on this thing!

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Found a minuscule scratch on the bottom of mine. No idea how it got there, but I guess I can't avoid fine scratches on the outside. My DS Lite also collected quiet a lot of them over time.

 

On a slightly different topic: What cases are you using for the 3DS XL?

 

Before the release I've looked around a bit and found no "official" ones. The dimensions are quiet similar to the DSi XL though, so I went one of these DSi XL "wallets".

 

3dsxlbag01.jpg

 

3dsxlbag02.jpg

 

For some reason amazon Germany doesn't sell such nice cases directly and the case seemed to be a UK import. Choice was limited to blue and brown, so I went for brown. The system fits in quiet excellently. The 3DS XL is a little less wide than the DSi XL, so there is a bit space at the sides of the unit. As the inside of the bag is somewhat "rough", it's held tightly though.

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What cases are you using for the 3DS XL?

None at the moment. However this case sounds pretty good. I have been looking around, but so far this is probably the best case I've seen in terms of price, appearance and your impressions. Thanks, I'm buying the blue wallet.

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Before the release I've looked around a bit and found no "official" ones. The dimensions are quiet similar to the DSi XL though, so I went one of these DSi XL "wallets".

 

3dsxlbag01.jpg

 

3dsxlbag02.jpg

 

Thanks for the link - those look lovely! I'm currently using a spare PSP sleeve i had, which is a bit tight but fits...but has no space for games. Think i may be getting one of these, especially since the reviews say it's not made from actual leather :)

Edited by mr_bogus

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So to those of you who bought the XL, is it true that the volume is significantly lower and the sound quality is worse than on the 3DS? I'm thinking of buying one later when the price drops, but still not entirely sure whether I'll be better off just getting another 3DS instead.

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So to those of you who bought the XL, is it true that the volume is significantly lower and the sound quality is worse than on the 3DS? I'm thinking of buying one later when the price drops, but still not entirely sure whether I'll be better off just getting another 3DS instead.

Sounds fine to me and I'm very anal about these things

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So to those of you who bought the XL, is it true that the volume is significantly lower and the sound quality is worse than on the 3DS? I'm thinking of buying one later when the price drops, but still not entirely sure whether I'll be better off just getting another 3DS instead.

 

Out if interest, have you heard that from anywhere other than myself and @Guy?

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So to those of you who bought the XL, is it true that the volume is significantly lower and the sound quality is worse than on the 3DS? I'm thinking of buying one later when the price drops, but still not entirely sure whether I'll be better off just getting another 3DS instead.

 

TBH I prefer the original model.

 

I have been playing Pokemon Soul Silver again (in build up to B&W2!) and have been using my DSi. The feel and quality of the DSi is far an away better than the quality of the 3ds XL.

 

The XL is the size the console should be, but it feels like a toy. The screen is the right size - the resolution is not so everything appears stretched and some games really do not look good.

 

It is of course all personal preference. However for me, I wish I'd have managed to get a hands on with an XL model before I committed to buy. Foolishly I just dived straight in - and now my XL is on eBay ha.

 

I am holding out on the 3DS now until Luigi's Mansion is out - hopefully there will be some more games for it then too. When I do pick one up again - it wont be the XL.

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Out if interest, have you heard that from anywhere other than myself and @Guy?

Hi Gra, I haven't read that you and Guy were experiencing those problems (haven't read through this entire thread), I've read about sound issues elsewhere and also received a few swapnotes regarding the issue as well. Was just wondering whether it's true or not. :)

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Hi Gra, I haven't read that you and Guy were experiencing those problems (haven't read through this entire thread), I've read about sound issues elsewhere and also received a few swapnotes regarding the issue as well. Was just wondering whether it's true or not. :)

 

Oh, I see. I was getting a bit confused here. It is absolutely true that the speakers are not quite as good as the original 3DS - that's official! There is not as much space for circular ones, so they're long and thin. Through headphones though? Not officially, but I'd be interested to see if anyone else came to the same conclusion as me.

 

People have asked me on Letterbox whether the 3DS XL is worth getting, and if I leave it too late I'm never going to answer, so here goes:

 

The two things that sum up the 3DS XL for me are "huge screens" and "low component quality". Or at least "lower". There is no doubt about it - due to the warmth/yellow tinge, the screens are not as good as the launch day 3DS. As for the sound, I've given up testing it. During my initial tests, I was reasonably sure the sound quality on the XL is not quite as good. I'm not even sure the connector jack is as high-quality, as I get the odd "crackle" or split-second dip in sound every so often.

 

But you can't ignore the screens. I simply would not want to go back to smaller screens now; but then, I suffer from eyestrain and screen size on a handheld is important to me. I'm not going to criticise Nintendo about PPI as it's not their fault. As soon as the 3DS XL was announced (in fact, anytime before), you could say it would have a lower PPI than the 3DS. It's just how it works. Furthermore, there is a distance at which you can hold the XL where it is no longer pixellated, yet you still get the benefit of the bigger screens. Basically, you get used to it.

 

So, worth buying? It depends on two things: 1) How important big screens are to you; and 2) Whether you have a launch day 3DS.

 

As I say, large screens on a handheld are important to me, so I always knew I would get a 3DS XL if they made one. If you do not have any type of 3DS, I would just about say the XL is the one to buy, assuming component quality has been lowered in both 3DS models now. If you have a launch day 3DS (which I did), I would be a bit more cautious before you decide to swap it.

Edited by Grazza
Automerged Doublepost

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Thanks for the summary, mate, excellent info and clarification. Makes the XL sound like a good choice now. Cheers.

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Haven't noticed any difference in sound quality myself, I've always used earphones though. I heard switching from surround to stereo can improve the quality if you haven't tried that.

 

For me the XL was an improvement in every way so I guess it just depends on yourself.

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I am holding out on the 3DS now until Luigi's Mansion is out - hopefully there will be some more games for it then too. When I do pick one up again - it wont be the XL.

Oh, I see. How much do you want for your XL just out of curiosity? And what about your 3DS friend code I registered, is that not working anymore?

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Oh, I see. How much do you want for your XL just out of curiosity? And what about your 3DS friend code I registered, is that not working anymore?

 

The auction ends this evening and has bids so I can't end it unfortunately.

 

Yeah that friend code wont work anymore so feel free to delete it.

 

I'm hoping to get about £150 for my XL but we'll see! I am selling all of my 3ds games too as I don't see the point in keeping them without a console!

 

Here is a link to the 3ds XL for those who may be interested. You can see my other auctions through it too!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nintendo-3DS-XL-Latest-Model-Black-Silver-FANTASTIC-BOXED-WITH-CHARGER-/280938950730?pt=UK_VideoGames_VideoGameConsoles_VideoGameConsoles&hash=item416944304a#ht_500wt_1305

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holy christ, Aneres11, that's a nice collection you've got there! You sure you're not going to regret selling it all?

Edited by cvl

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No not gonna regret it.

 

I dont play any of those games anymore and didn't even start Kid Icarus properly. Plus I paid £21 for that and have already got a bid of £21 on it so that's win :)

 

But no, when I do buy a 3ds again (when there's a bigger number of new games out for it), I may repurchase some of those I sell. Maybe only Mercenaries as I loved that game - the rest, I played loads of and haven't played on them for months. Rather them get some good play by someone else :).

 

Oh and @Magnus enough with 999 jizz fest! There isn't even a release date for it yet!

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Oh and @Magnus enough with 999 jizz fest! There isn't even a release date for it yet!

"Enough with the jizz fest!" Now there's something I never thought I'd hear you say. :p

 

Also, it's been announced for a November release, so you only have three months to get a new 3DS!

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