Nintendo New 3DS XL - Black

I wasn't so sure about buying the new 3DS at first because the last time I had the 3DS, it was when they first hit the shelves. After owning it for two years, I sold it on eBay because there were so few games for it.So I went out on a whim and bought the new 3DS because of the super smash brothers title and right off the bat, there were miles of improvements compared to the first one.First of all, i got the black one and it's first impression was glorious. The outside of the system looks something like shiny woven carbon fiber. It is incredibly sleek.The c-sick was weird at first, but as I played 3DS super smash, I quickly found it to be amazingly helpful.The face tracking 3D made a massive improvement on the whole idea of 3D gaming. It's far more crisp than the first one. It even works at night because it has an infrared light and camera on the front of the systemThe battery life is surprisingly impressive for it's massive 3D screen. With power saver mode on and at brightness set to 3, it lasted me 8-10 hours of solid super smash brothers.It's also worth pointing out that the amiibo compatibility was a sweet touch for this system.The system is faster and smoother from a processing point of view as well. Games load very quickly and play even smoother.For super smash wii u, it turns out that you can use the 3DS as a controller to play on the wii u. I was skeptical about this as well, but I was again surprised when this also worked flawlesslyOverall, I think that the new 3ds is MASSIVELY improved over the original and is definitely worth it. I would suggest it to anyone teetering on the fence. Get it when the price drops.The only complaint I have is that the system time can only be in military time and theres no way to change it if you live in the US.It doesn't come packaged with a charger, but a DSi/DSi XL or any 3DS charger will work for it, as long as the charger is light gray, so as long as you purchased a system since the the DSi was released, you will be fine. At least they made the new 3ds backwards compatible with the old chargers.It only has one rather short stylus and it is quite difficult to find replacements from reliable third party sellers.Otherwise it's wonderful!10/10 for a sweet system7/10 for the charger and accessory issueSo about an 8.5-9/10 overall

I get that question a lot from friends and family. The Switch is out, and it’s better than everyone could have ever hoped for from Nintendo, and the New 2DS XL is much cheaper and plays the same games. Yet here I am, with my New 3DS XL. And I LOVE this thing.Summary: The New 3DS XL’s face-tracking 3D, rich library of games, and faster processing power make it the premium 3DS system. The design on the cover is unique and cool. However, knowing the flaws the system has and what other options are available is extremely important before making this purchase. Details below.For this review, the term “older 3DS model” refers to the original 3DS, original 2DS, and original 3DS XL, and the term “newer 3DS model” refers to the New 3DS, New 3DS XL, and New 2DS XL.The real main reason I bought a New 3DS XL is my original 3DS XL started having problems; it couldn’t read game cartridges as quickly as it used to, and the volume slider started adjusting itself. I had replaced my circle pad at least twice from playing Smash, which voided my warranty (if not for having the device for so long). I still wanted to play Smash and all my other games in all their glory, though, so instead of repairing the old system, I got a New one. While it is just an upgrade in my case, the New 3DS XL has renewed my interest in the 3DS for a few reasons.Number one is processing power. Those upgrading from a newer 3DS model or buying a 3DS for the first time won’t notice a difference, but people upgrading from the older 3DS models definitely will. The device is extremely fast when loading menu options or performing simple tasks, like downloading software or updates. Of course, cartridges load a little quicker, too. Games that require more processing power like Smash or Generation 7 Pokémon are noticeably faster to start up on the newer models. If you have an older 3DS model, you’ll know that these games require the system to entirely restart when exiting the software, much like normal DS cartridges. However, with the newer 3DS models, these games just close much like other software does - they just take you back to the Home Screen, no restart required. This makes the newer 3DS much more efficient on the go. For example, when playing with friends on the school bus ride for a field trip, you can easily switch games in a matter of seconds with a newer model in comparison to a matter of minutes with an older model.Number two is the selection of games. If you’re not satisfied with the incredible library the 3DS has, all 3DS models have backwards compatibility with original DS games, too, making the 3DS’s collective library one of the most rich and diverse. While it is true that the 3DS does not have any 10/10 IGN games (and probably won’t see one in its lifetime, since Nintendo will most likely stop pushing the 3DS no later than 2019), game experiences like those found in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Fire Emblem Awakening have yet to be replicated on the Switch at the time of writing.Number three is the face-tracking 3D, or “Super-Stable 3D,” as Nintendo calls it. The New 3DS and New 3DS XL have a second front-facing camera that tracks facial movements and adjusts the 3D to fit the angle of your point of view. You’ll know it’s activated because a little red light in the second camera will glow (it’s not glaring or bright, but it’s just enough to know it’s on). I watched video reviews of face-tracking 3D online, but I didn’t know how much I would enjoy it until I tried it out on my friend’s New 3DS XL. I have recently begun playing Mario Kart 7 again. I had the 3D almost always off when I played it on my old 3DS XL, since it was hard to keep my face straight to look at it and admire it, but on the New 3DS XL, it adjusts well, even when I have glasses on, and I have almost exclusively played it with 3D on since I transferred my save data to the new system.An advantage the New 3DS XL has over the Switch is the price. When compared to the Switch, the 3DS is obviously cheaper on the outside, but the price goes much deeper than that. For a Switch to be fun for everyone, you either need several Switches or several controllers, be they Joy-Con or Pro. The best Switch games cost around $60, maybe a little less if you hunt online or buy used games. The 3DS, on the other hand, only requires other people to have the console. Most games are $40 max, but some of the best were dropped to $20 because of the Nintendo Selects Program (this, unfortunately, does not include Smash, Mario Kart 7, or any main series Pokémon game). In my case, I had a ton of 3DS and DS games already and just needed a faster, more reliable console to continue playing them. While one might argue that the requirement that everyone needs a console to play is steep, I think having a 3DS to play with others also allows everyone who owns a system to enjoy the single-player games as well. Also, all DS models also have DS Download Play, allowing anyone with a DS to wirelessly connect and play together as long as at least one person has the game in question. Undoubtedly, the most popular game to use this feature is Mario Kart DS/Mario Kart 7: as long as one person has one of these games, everyone else can join in. A New 3DS XL can play an original DS game with an original Nintendo DS, but keep in mind that an original Nintendo DS can’t play a 3DS game at all, even through DS Download Play.Why buy this New 3DS XL over the 2DS models (2DS and New 2DS XL)? The main reason is the face-tracking 3D. It is well worth the price on games like Mario Kart 7 and Animal Crossing: New Leaf - games that utilize it well definitely have a more enriched experience, and I can no longer imagine how they’d play without it at this point. However, I will say that if 3D is not your incentive for buying any 3DS or 2DS model, then investing in a New 2DS XL is a better option: it’s cheaper, comes with a charger, and plays the same games.Why buy this specific SNES version of the New 3DS XL? While the other New 3DS XL colors might be cheaper, the New 3DS XL based on the SNES is definitely one of the cooler designs. The colors are perfectly toned, and the design is not a sticker on the cover: it is indeed plastic. There is no texture, but the device still pops. The device also does not have a metallic luster like the New Black or New Red models: it has a matte finish, which means it won’t shine in someone’s eyes when you’re playing outdoors. Plus, the SNES edition comes packed with a download code for Super Mario Kart, which, while not the same as Mario Kart 7 or 8, is still loads of fun to play.Other notes - commenting on reviewers’ issues:One debate in the reviews discusses TN and IPS screens. I have played on my friend’s New 3DS XL, which has a top IPS screen, and it does appear brighter, but the colors also look a bit too strong. 3DS software was designed with TN screens in mind, so I personally am more comfortable with the TN screens this device comes with. My system also doesn’t have any scan lines or anything on it (it just looks like my old 3DS XL screen). If you desperately need an IPS screen for some reason, the New Black model is the one that most likely has them, but Nintendo sometimes mixes and matches. The SNES edition, though, always has TN screens, so keep that in mind when purchasing.One source of negative reviews is the lack of charger. This, while a bad move on Nintendo’s part, should not dissuade you from buying this system if you want its design and functionality. Chargers are often less than $10 at this point, and third parties are coming out with 3DS-to-USB cables to let you use your portable charger with your 3DS (which, I have to say, comes in really handy on long trips without access to power, especially if you’re using StreetPass).The other main source of negative reviews is the complicated system transfer, which requires a user to take off the back panel using a screwdriver to replace the MicroSD card that the system comes with. I did end up damaging the back panel on one side, but it’s completely unnoticeable, and I didn’t remember until writing this review, weeks after I replaced the SD card. The transfer didn’t take more than half an hour for 8-16 GB, but it is still a significant portion of time you might need to sit down and monitor to ensure nothing goes wrong. My best suggestion is to buy a 32 GB Micro SD right off the bat. If you plan on downloading games, 32 GB is the maximum size the system can take naturally, and after installing it, you wouldn’t ever need to take off the back panel unless your battery needs replacement, which for me on my original 3DS XL system, has never happened.Overall, this New 3DS XL is, unexpectedly, the premium 3DS. Its face-tracking 3D, rich library of games, and faster processing power push it above and beyond all other 3DS systems. While $200 is steep when the 2DS and New 2DS XL are much more manageable in price (and the Switch is just around $100 more), understanding which model suits your needs becomes all the more important. If you want the top-of-the-line 3DS system with all the new features, this system is the one for you. However, if the price is too steep, I would drop to the New 2DS XL, and if you don’t want to be left behind with older games, I would invest in a Switch.