Hardware review: DSi XL

Bigger Is Better?


In a crazy world where we're all about making smaller electronics, the fact that Nintendo would do the exact opposite  and come out with a larger DSi is a little odd, but thankfully its exactly the kind of DSi I was looking for! I've been using an old "fat" DS for awhile now (one of the Red Mario Kart models) and resisted updating to the DS Lite as it felt too small to me. Thankfully Nintendo came along with the XL, and it does not disappoint.

Short and Simple, is it worth it?


So I'll keep this review short as the only major difference between this and the original DSi is the size, and the features of the DSi have been reviewed enough. Whether or not the XL is worth a purchase for all depends on whether you have a DS/DSi already,  your portable gaming needs,  and whether an extra $20 is worth it to get bigger screens.
      Let's get the basic thing out of the way. The larger screens are super nice, games look much nicer on them, and I haven't seen a game yet that looks worse because of the larger screens (Games run at the same resolution as on smaller screens). The system comes with two stylists, a larger pen style one and the standard one, both of which felt much better in my hand than the old DS Fat stylist. In addition, the larger screens really make touch-screen only games better. I didn't use the larger stylist, but its nice to have regardless.
      The buttons on the system feel nice, though the should buttons seem smaller than they should be, and I wish the start and select buttons were farther from the touch screen but its not a big issue. The control pad, however, is somewhat of an issue. It feels more stiff than that of the DS Fat and DS Lite, though It does control just as well as those DSes, so its more of a feel issue than actual functionality.  Battery Life if good, and depending on which brightness setting you use (there are 5) it can last much longer. If you're just upgrading from the original DS, the extra brightness will be shocking, as its far brighter and easier to look at than that system. Overall, the larger screens are exactly as advertised. Bright and easy to look at. The system is REALLY ment as an at home system though, as it is wider (but thinner) than the original DS and overall a larger piece of hardware, though it feels just as light as the DS Fat if not lighter. So, though the larger screens are great, if you like to game on the go, the XL isn't really for you.
     The system comes with a few included DSiware games, including some Brain age games and flip-note studio, which is kind of a simple "flip book animation" creator and kind of neat. The games are ok, but nothing that should influence your decision of which DSi to get. If browsing the web on the DSi is an important feature, you'll probably find it to be easier here than on the normal DSi.

Conclusion to this really short review


Should you get the DSi? If you mostly play DS at home, think the DSi/DS Lite are too small, and/or really want larger screens then yes pick it up. Otherwise you're better off going with the slightly cheaper DSi. If the XL is you're thing though, it does not disappoint.

My Rating: