Gamespot: New 3DS XL Is The Best Handheld Nintendo Has Ever Made

I have a 3ds XL and love it, but will never pick up the new verison. I could just get a Vita instead with a backlog of ps+ games to play ready to go and access to more unique games than I would from the small gap between a regular 3ds and a new one.

Damn. Who'd have thought handhelds are worse than PC's in terms of upgrade requirements? Yeesh. I'm glad I haven't bought any Nintendo handhelds lately...I feel sorry for the other guys lol. Need to buy a new 3ds for a processor upgrade? I haven't upgrade my i7 in over 5 years...

The 3DS is four years old at this point, that already gives it a longer life cycle than full generational handhelds like Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance.

At this rate, the next Nintendo handheld may be as powerful as an iPhone 4!

You mean the midlife NEW version of it.

The DS lasted longer I think. New consoles should last longer. When all the games looks how they do, I'm not really seeing the justification to buy a whole new friggin handheld. They aren't exactly pushing anything in terms of graphics. Just seems weak to me. There's no way I could fit handhelds into my life all the time, I don't like the idea of using it a brief amount of time before having to upgrade.

The DS came out in 2004, the Lite was 2006, and the DSi came in 2008.

The DS was followed by DSi in 2009, five years after release, so it was a one year difference. The PSP came out in 2005 and was followed by PSP Go in 2009, a four year difference, so it is not like this is exclusive to Nintendo either.

You don't have to buy a new friggin handheld, your current 3DS works just fine, and will play most of the games. Will it have the benefits of the second stick or the extra shoulder buttons or the stable 3D, no, but if it lacking all of that haven't been an issue for you so far, then why are they an issue now? Nothing changes- either the 3DS as it exists right now (the older models, I mean) bothers you, or it does not. If it does not, great! Stick to your current handheld and enjoy it. If it does, all that has changed is that you now have the option to upgrade to a model that fixes all those errors, just the option. And if you don't think the upgrade is worth it, you can continue with your current model which will play all existing and upcoming 3DS games (except for one) just fine.

Great to hear that it's a solid console. But until more games that I desperately want to play come out exclusively for it or if my current 3DS XL goes kaput, I'll hold out on buying one.

The DS could play those titles, no? Not necessarily the same case here.

My launch 3DS works fine, but I do want one for bigger screen and c-stick. And Pokemon.

Not necessarily interested in Xenoblade though.

Nope, there were DSi exclusive games.

I'll wait for a limited edition that hopefully is not undershipped because those ones are ugly.

Well duh. It's easily the best iteration of the 3DS, which makes it a great contender for best handheld gaming system.

It's the best Nintendo handheld Bestbuy still hasn't shipped out to its customers.

**** you, Bestbuy.

I should be receiving it today. I can't really comment until holding the device. I have heard the toy-vs-tech device in regards to the regular size vs xl size, so I'm not so bummed out about that.

Bought a nice 32gig card for it......noooowwwww, does that go in immediately or later, lol.

Until the next one. :)

I am concerned that this model won't be the final 3DS we see or that nintendo has a new hand held just around the corner

VERY concerned about purchasing one of these at this point in time

what if they made NEW 3DS Mini or something that makes this look bad i would be ashamed of myself

or if they make some new handheld and have new games only coming out on that an this version is useless for the new games or something

facts are people don't love the amiibos, i don't like using toys with my consoels or hand helds and i got the kinectless xb1 even i just don't like toys i don't like eyes i don't like stuff like that

so if you hate amiibos and you already played xenoblade chronicles on wii or whatever the system has zero exclusives and none that i know about coming

the design of it not a fan of the 80's laptop thumb nub it looks awful to be alive in this gen and i thought that died years ago people are using touch now not nubs like that they died with the psp i think i duno why there back maybe gamespot can tell us since they says its "best handheld of all time" why dont they tell us why its great oh prolly a paid review to hype this to nintendo fans

anyway its not the best people didn't love the 3d, the 3d worked fine on original 3ds and ppl still turned it off even if it works its annoying imo

its way too big will not fit in average jean pockets you would have to carry around a purse or a backpack to bring it on the go since it won't fit in a pocket at XL size in usa jeans

no this isn't the best imo

Pretty sure that's what they say about every new iPhone too.

There likely won't be a "mini". First, there are two sizes of this one in most territories. Second, with the amount of buttons there simply isn't enough room for cutting size down--mostly due to the nub. I'm sure it might be possible but itd be very cramped. Nintendo ought to get rid of the dual screen setup for the next handheld.

All the reviews are saying that the nub is surprisingly responsive. Most people had the same first impression as you did.

I haven't been able to really pocket a handheld since the Gameboy Pocket. They've always been too big or designed in such a way where youd feel like breaking the thing. Well, the only one would be the Micro but I bought that more recently.

I've got a Majoras Mask special edition 3DS coming soon..

I've got two 3ds's and nobody touches them in my house :/ gonna have to pass.

In the expected "Oh it's stronger!" category, sure, this would be expected.

But the build quality? Nah, DSi XL is.

In screen quality? Well the New 3DS XL still has fewer pixels per inch than the GameBoy Advance. So nope.

Have a 3DS xl, Xenoblade is meant to be played on a TV and I dont use the 3D effect so I literally have no use for this new version.

Happy they addressed the camera stick complaint though, even though I personally never had a problem with the games I have that were clearly designed to work perfectly with one.

The dsixl felt cheap. The original 3DS has a decent build--I question the design but the actual build of the unit is quite good. Nintendo took a step down with the 3dsxl. From what I hear the "new"3dsxl is more in line with the original, material wise.

Pixels per inch dictate screen quality? I've got the original sp, a backlit sp, and a micro. None of these compare to the 3ds screen.

Again, in terms of console quality, which this is about, it's still miles away from the Vita :P Shame about the software differences and all that, but as far as the hardware is concerned Sony "won" (and I use the term loosely :P) without much resistance.

Don't see the need to upgrade right now.

At the same time it is a huge disrespect to all current 3DS owners, a "who cares if every one of you 'early' adopters can play new 3DS games" kind of thing that wont go unoticed.

It is not like everyone can afford getting the same system with slightly better specs every few years, to play games that should be playable in the system he got the first day 3DS was out.

I can understand this somewhat. People bring up the dsi in defense, but that system didn't receive any notable releases like Xenoblade--games people may actually want. On the other hand, people have been asking for a remodel for quite some time. People wanted the analog stick. It is as if this version was designed to rectify the complaints people had with the other models. So they threw in a better processor? Shouldn't that be considered a bonus? It looks to greatly speed up overall system performance.

...I also think that the processor may have been put in their in an effort to unify the eshop somewhat. IF nintendo ever does N64(wtf, i know?) they could release titles across wiiu and 3ds.

I was laughing at first... but hell you may be right about that.

Picking up any other version is essentially setting yourself up for disappointment down the road when exclusive games start rolling out.

Somehow I doubt nintendo would be stupid enough to alienate the high majority of non new 3ds owners out there. Also going by looks it seems pretty much the same just with the extra stick which is nice but not enough to throw an extra 100+ bucks for it. Ill just stick to my 3dsxl thank you.

yea but wouldint it been smarter to just save a big remodle for their next big handheld and not a .5 version.

I don´t know if it´s best, all I know is that I won´t need to worry about trying to find the sweet spot to view at all times the game in 3D, something that was a little bit difficult with the previous system, with that and those extra buttons we can expect more and different games that won´t be playable in the other ones. Mine should be arriving in a few days.

Resistance is futile

@charizard1605: PSPGo wasn't the same situation at all. If anything, it played fewer titles than the original, and nothing exclusive.

As far as the new 3DS, I'm on the fence. I Still haven't ever nabbed a 3DS, and it's library certainly is deserving of a purchase, but I also Still haven't played my way through all the DS classics I have or intend to grab (added another two games to the backlog since New Year's...). When you add my overall satisfaction with my DSLite (the GOAT) to my suspicion we'll see the next round of Nintendo hardware next year, Nintendo's generally excellent track record with BC in their handhelds, and my hatred of mid-cycle spec fragmentation of a platform, I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger. Of course, I can't rule out an impulse buy pickup, because it's Is a fine system, and I like shiny new things.

The DSLite is really a fine piece, I like mine a lot, love the fact of being able to play games of two systems ( DS and GB Advance ), for me the DSi was a bummer, I didn´t jump on another Nintendo handheld until the 3DS XL appeared.

Going from XL to "New" 3DS XL is not worth it to me. I'll just wait for the next nintendo handheld.

the new xl has better colors and a clearer screen than the old xl...

vita's screen is cheaper than the new 3ds xl screen.

I'm hoping to find one this weekend for the new monster hunter and maybe majoras mask

Game Boy Advance looks at New 3DS and takes a fat shit on it.

lol..sure

yea and the vita is already flushed and floating in the ocean.

I have all my first handhelds and that probably won't stop now. Never needed to "upgrade" on the same type of handheld unless my first handheld was an upgrade as is. I honestly don't see the point if the handheld is good enough to begin with.

Now that c nub may be useful and might make that new mh tolerable, but its not worth a new handheld for convenience on a few games.

@KBFloYd: GBA shits on the Vita as well.

Vita is the absolute worst PlayStation to hold the name. It proved that the technology doesn't mean jack if the system isn't supported. Anyone who bought a system based on Sony's initial vision of the handheld should be pissed at Sony for what it's become.

So yes, as the Vita is basically dead in my eyes, that piece of shit was flushed when Sony announced it stopped supporting it.

I probably just wait and see what games will come exclusively to it, and probably get it used or such (maybe refurbished from nintendo heh).

i smell bullshit... why dont you sell your vita then.

I usually wouldn't look twice at something like this but the release comes at a nearly perfect time. I've had my 3DS since launch and treated it very poorly. I've been considering getting a new one for some time and just am now aware of this "new" iteration so I suppose I'll be picking up a bundle of some sorts during this year.

Oh, I agree, my point was just with intended mid cycle hardware refreshes when I brought up the PSP Go, that's all.

As for you getting the 3DS, yeah, definitely if you get the chance, I think you should go for it, it's a neat handheld. While the issues you raise with the New 3DS are very real issues (such as fragmentation) there is also the fact that they won't apply to you since you will be a new entrant into the ecosystem haha. But yes, do get it! Loads of shit to play by now, with more coming up soon.

Why should he sell it? Why not keep it in case he does want to play it some time, either for whatever games on it he might already enjoy, or for future games that might be announced for it? Why do you keep taking people to task for how they spend their money, or what products they prefer? Why do you, in other words, take all of this so seriously? It's just video games, chill, relaxed. You are literally getting worked up over glorified toys, think about that. Kids do that, on the playground. You're not a kid, so why are you doing that?

Actually if they release the smaller one I might bite. I like the screen of the XL but I prefer the pocketability of the normal 3DS.

@KBFloYd: I'm keeping it for Golden Abyss and as a PS4 accessory.

Going from 3DS XL to "New" 3DS XL is not worth it.I don't see any reason to buy the same console.....again.