Nintendo Unveils 3DS, Full Software Line-Up

Just a few hours ago Nintendo unveiled the hotly anticipated 3DS to the world at its E3 press conference. The machine, looking strikingly like an enhanced version of the current DSi and XL machines, is a vastly more powerful beast equipped with both motion sensors and an adjustable 3D widescreen display.

Those of you expecting an Xbox 1 matching visual experience will be disappointed. However from what we’ve seen the 3DS seems to rival the PS2 and GCN on a lower level, and exceed them in certain areas (possible shader effects, bump mapping etc). It's not so surprising then, that the brand new handheld was being aimed squarely at core gamers at the event, with a barrage of classic and updated franchises.

Lets take it away!


On first inspection the 3DS looks remarkably similar to the existing DSi and Light models available on stores shelves. Looking closely however, reveals some major improvements, and a doggedly stubborn approach to change. The standard d-pad plus four face buttons remain, as does the two shoulder buttons and bottom touch screen. The d-pad now appears lower down, and in its old position sits a flat analogue nub of sorts, much like the one found on the PSP, but situated slightly inside the unit’s shell.

The bottom screen is the same touch screen as present in the DSi, however the top screen is where all the special stuff occurs. As you may have read before in this very blog, the top screen is a sharp manufactured, auto-stereoscopic widescreen display which displays 3D images without any need for the user to wear polarised or shuter glasses. It measures 3.53 inches across, and has a pixel resolution of 800x240 (400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing).

A slider on the unit controls the strength of the 3D effect, which will be adjustable for every game, but also allows you to turn it off completely if you want a crisp and clear 2D image instead.

Backing up the use of 3D and the existing touch screen, comes the rumoured inclusion of motion controls and tilt functionality. To that end the unit features a gyro sensor inside, along with other motion sensing equipment. Apparently both 3D and motion sensing can be used at the same time, although reports state that the image can become split in two, and suffer from ghosting if viewed off-axis, meaning that in order to get the best image, you will have to be looking straight on at the screen.

It is likely that most games will either choose to use subtle motion sensing and 3D combined, or 3D and greater motion sensing separately. Certainly, from early hands-on impressions this would seem like the best course of action for developers. But we will see.

Moving on, the two cameras present in both the DSi and the DSi XL remain, although the outer camera now consists of two camera lenses enabling it to take photos for display in 3D on the top screen. Both have a 640x480 in 0.3 megapixel resolution, same as in the DSi, and still present the user with grainy, low-res looking pictures as before.

Wi-Fi is of course present – the same 802.11 band as found in existing models, along with WPA/WPA2 security support, and a stereo headphone jack is present at the bottom of the unit.

In terms of software, Nintendo announced a slew of impressive titles. Some were merely remakes of old N64 and PS2 games, whilst others were a combination of brand new releases and ported PS3 and 360 games.

The most impressive ones were:

- A port of the PS2 smash hit, Metal Gear Solid 3, which featured some lavishly bump-mapped visuals, great lighting, and solid texturing.


- A new iteration of Mario Kart:


- StarFox 64:


- Resident Evil: Revelations:


The full list of games can be found below:

- Activision - DJ Hero 3D

- AQ Interactive - cubic ninja

- Atlus - Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

- Capcom - Resident Evil Revelations, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (working title)

- Electronic Arts - FIFA Soccer, Madden NFL, The Sims 3

- Gameloft - Asphalt GT

- Harmonix - Music game

- Hudson Soft - Bomberman, Deca Sports, Kororinpa

- Konami - Baseball, Contra, Frogger, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D "The Naked Sample", Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven

- Level-5 - Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (working title)

- Majesco - BloodRayne: The Shroud, A Boy and His Blob, Face Racers: Photo Finish, Lion's Pride: Adventures on the Serengetti, Martha Stewart, WonderWorld Amusement Park

- Marvelous - Bokujyoumonogatari 3D (working title)

- Namco Bandai - Dragon Ball, Gundam, Pac-Man & Galaga, Ridge Racer, Super Robot (all working titles)

- Nintendo - Animal Crossing, Kid Icarus Uprising, Mario Kart, nintendogs+cats, Paper Mario, PilotWings Resort, Star Fox 64 3D, Steel Driver

- Rocket - Crash-City GP, VS-robo

- SEGA - Sonic, Super Monkey Ball (working titles)

- Square Enix - Codename: Chocobo Racing 3D, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts

- Take-Two - Carnival Games

- Tecmo Koei - Dead or Alive 3D, Dynasty Warriors, Ninja Gaiden, Samurai Warriors 3D (all working titles)

- Tomy - Lovely Lisa 3D, Naruto Shippuden Action

- THQ - de Blob 2, Kung Fu Panda Kaboom of Doom, Marvel Super Hero Squad Infinity Gauntlet, The Penguins of Madagascar, Puss N Boots, Saints Row: Drive-By

- Ubisoft - Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy, Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike, Driver Renegade, Hollywood 61 (working title), Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

- Warner Bros. - Batman, LEGO

Along with a long list of games Nintendo also mentioned that the 3DS will be able to display 3D movies. Disney, Warner Bros, and Dreamworks were all said to be involved, though no further information was forthcoming.


Overall, the 3DS definitely feels like a turbo-charged upgrade to the current DS than an all out revolution. Certainly, in terms of design and aesthetics, it looks that way. However the machine appears to be more powerful than most handhelds on the market, packing more usable grunt than the PSP or maybe even the iPhone in real-world terms, and has 3D support to back it up.

What remains to be seen is whether that particular effect is enough to keep people interested in what could initially appear to be one DS model too many. Thankfully, from what we’ve seen at E3, that doesn’t appear to be the case, plus with the extra horsepower under the hood – and the use of analogue controls – the 3DS could well usurp the PSP as the core gamers mobile platform of choice.

IQGamer will be investigating the hardware and graphics potential in the 3DS shortly.

Editorial: 3D Visions - The Next Arms Race?

The lure of 3D to the gaming industry is no more surprisingly than the increased focus on the format in recent film production, with many new releases being retrofitted for screenings in 3D in order to generate that extra buzz required to bring more people into the cinema. Everyone it seems is after a piece of the pie, and given the renewed public interest in viewing movies down at the local picture house it was only a matter of time until some of gaming’s big guns got on board.


Cineworld recently reported a 17% increase in ticket sales directly as a result of 3D movie screenings, and most of which were at the higher price charged for seeing a film in 3D. The effect it has had for the film industry has not gone unnoticed, with various high profile game developers stating that this new format could well be the future of videogaming as a whole.

Many state the incredibly accurate depth perception that comes from using the format, along with the increased levels of immersion when putting the player visually closer to the action - taking them perhaps further into the game than ever before - as the main reason for pushing forward with the tech.

Perhaps in this case 3D does more for most games that it does for most films. Improving our judgement of space and distance on a 2D display, separating images clearly from one another allowing us to truly experience more life-like scenarios than ever before. For gaming, the use of 3D, and in coordination with motion controls opens us up to a world in which we can feel really connected in a way that a film never could. And it’s this feeling which has driven many software developers and hardware companies into investing in its future.

With the DS in its fifth year, and the two most powerful current-gen consoles in a strong battle of one-upmanship over features, 3D represents a clear path for at least one of those two companies to distinguish themselves. Sony in particular - going for the ‘it does everything’ impression with the PS3 - sees 3D as their next milestone in gaming, hoping to become synonymous with the format in time for the next generation of consoles still a few years away.

Despite support for the format from Microsoft (although more concerned with Natal at this point) Sony in particular want to be seen as ‘the company’ who delivers the most cutting-edge of all 3D content, lining up a barrage of compatible titles at this year’s E3.

Sony are clearly aiming at the high-end here, with the prices of 3D enabled HDTV’s starting around £1700 and going up to at least £2200 for Panasonic’s reference level VT20. Admittedly not cheap, and certainly out of the mainstream user’s standard price range, which means that any uptake is going to be rather slow and distinctly pedestrian at first.

However, Sony and many other publishers see a potentially bright future going down the 3D route, ensuring their focus is strong and their software line-up defining enough to make a dent in peoples impressions. Plus in a few years time it is expected that most 3D compatible tellies will be available from at least 37” as the norm, with some smaller high-end 32” models also featuring the tech. Eventually though, every single HDTV will support the format, and its inclusion will read out like another check-box feature such as ‘100Hz processing’ or ‘HD Ready 1080p’.

Clearly this is just what Sony are counting on, and their aim to deliver the definitive 3D experience in light of this potential is understandable. Sure, it may take a few years for the tech to become widely adopted by the mainstream, and the overall cost associated with development may well go up (inevitable regardless of the inclusion of 3D), but at least they could have a much stronger position in the market as a result. Or that’s how they appear to be looking at it, adopting a standard long before it has any real presence in the consumer domain and turning it around so that it does in fact become prevalent. It’s this forward-thinking approach which catapulted the PS2 to worldwide success, but which also stalled the initial uptake of the PS3 with the insistence on pushing BluRay.

Nintendo on the other hand, are trying something altogether different. Once again they are focusing on the handheld market, in which they’ve held nothing but a dominant position since they first unleashed the GameBoy to the masses some twenty years ago. With 3D they have found a clear gap in which to exploit, however gimmicky it initially appears, and this could indeed set them apart from other manufactures in the handheld space. Yes, I’m talking about the 3DS.

Nintendo’s latest handheld is likely to be a very affordable entry into the world of 3D – below £200 price point is likely – and with complete backwards compatibility guaranteed for all NDS and DSi titles they won’t be alienating their existing user base, simply building right on top of it. Also, if rumours are to be believed the company has something else up its sleeve with the 3DS outside of its auto-stereoscopic screen.

Currently, the effect of viewing 3D images on such a small scale is relatively unproven, though somewhat tantalising, and its use in at least one Japanese smart phone has apparently yielded promising results. And perhaps this is the reason behind the push forward into that realm of an extra dimension, not only because hardly anyone else has done this before, but because Nintendo have a clear track record of taking something untested and making it work in areas others have failed (VitualBoy aside).

Disruption like with the NDS and the Wii, is the key here. They need something other than motion controls and the touch screen - which Apple have made their own, and which Sony are no doubt eying up for PSP2 - to once again separate themselves from others in the market, and they know it. 3D is one of those things, but with the option to turn it off, not the only one it seems. More surprises then? All will be revealed at E3.

Like with Sony, Nintendo not only hopes to capture a large chunk of the market, along the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere, but instead also intend to be the first ones to bring affordable 3D tech into the home. The 3DS with its estimated sub-£200 price point (I’m gambling on £169.99 or 179.99 as the clincher) has far more potential at opening up the gaming mass-market to 3D technology, in both the handheld space and the home consumer market than the exuberant price tags that accompany bleeding-edge 3D HDTV’s.

Being cheaper and more affordable is a start, but they need more than price on their side. They need to impress. But what if this new technology turns out to be something of substance, really visually impressive on the small scale? It could convince many people into buying one of those expensive 46”+ size HDTV’s we mentioned earlier, thus in turn actually helping Sony and their high-end approach to 3D gaming, and industry adoption of the format in general.

Looking at it this way, it’s not hard to see that the consumer is presented with what looks like a win-win scenario, with both ends of the pricing scale accommodated for. I also imagine that Microsoft will begin driving forward 3D support in conjunction with Natal if the PS3’s attempt to capture this new market gains momentum, especially if it has a noticeable impact in 3D HDTV sales – more TV’s sold means more opportunities for pushing the format, and greater sales potential for all that extra work. Sales of current HDTV’s jumped with the advent of high-def consoles, and then exponentially so with the eradication of standard-def CRT’s from the market.

Either way, the thing to remember is that the notion of 3D isn’t particularly new, and it will take a few years of price reductions on HDTV’s, and impressive software to convince the consumer to invest. The glasses also are another hindrance, heavier and more bulky than their cinema equivalent. Even then, it’s hard to expect any revelations, or even a major impact on the console front before the next-generation of systems is upon us. 3DS aside, which looks to comfortably occupy its own space, for now anyway. In the end the seeds are being sewn, and the groundwork being laid. All that’s left is to see how we as consumers perceive the road lying ahead, and whether or not this is indeed the path we’d like to go down.

Other than trying to predict what might happen , something tells me that this story is going to be particularly interesting, it could in effect usher in a new level of interactive entertainment with both 3D and motion controls at the forefront. Or it could simply fall flat on its backside, another reminder of what happens when the industry tries to push something that just isn’t ready. The death of classic gaming this is not, that’s for certain. But a mere an expansion into areas that bring us closer to the games we play, and the worlds we get so immersed in.

Near defining statements aside, all shall be revealed at this year’s E3 in two days time. There we will have a better view on just what each manufacturers plans are for the format, and how this much-talked about 3D thingy finally fits into place.

NVIDIA GPU Not Inside The 3DS

We had high hopes for a 3DS powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset technology, allowing Nintendo’s upcoming handheld to deliver visuals somewhere in the region of the GameCube and the original Xbox. And whilst that still may be true - with some unconfirmed sources stating that it could be even more powerful, though almost certainly unlikely - the previously rumoured NVIDIA deal has been unofficially ruled out.

Both IGN with their ‘everything we know’ article, and the Eurogamer affiliated Digital Foundry blog are sighting unnamed sources inside the development community as the ones revealing this tantalisingly interesting piece of information.

With NVIDIA out of the equation, the question is who is going to partner with Nintendo on providing the graphics power inside the 3DS?

Apparently they have chosen another Japanese company to deliver the GPU solution inside the new machine. Who, as of yet we don’t know. And no details were forthcoming on how powerful this architecture might be, although I’m still expecting something around GameCube level graphics, but enhanced with proper support for shaders. Somewhere in between the iPhone and the original Xbox sounds pretty accurate to me, given the power usage and manufacturing cost behind higher-end chips.

So, with this in mind we can expect any GPU used to be very energy efficient, and relatively cheap to manufacture, as in the past Nintendo have always sold any new hardware at a profit - unlike Sony and Microsoft, who still continue to follow the ‘loss leader’ business model chosen by Sega for their Saturn console way back in 1994.

To find out more we may well just have to wait until E3, with Nintendo’s press event due to start on 15th June. Hopefully they will divulge at least some of the system’s internal make up, ending months of rumours and speculation.

3DS Development / Test Hardware Revealed?

It seems that Nintendo have been testing out parts of their new 3DS handheld with the US Federal Communications Commission, reportedly aiming to get the system’s new Wi-Fi card approved for use in the United States.

Some images from the testing appeared on the FCC Filing website late last month before being quickly removed. However a single image was posted at WirelessGoodness before the entire batch disappeared, showing something being referred to as a "Nintendo CTR Target Board". Most likely this image is that of Nintendo’s NDS Successor, the tentatively titled 3DS.

The image below shows what looks like a 3DS test kit or early development system, with the Wi-Fi card and related parts being highlighted due to being involved in the FCC’s testing process. WirelessGoodness initially assumed that it could be a custom board to test out a new built-in Wi-Fi card for either the existing DS or an upgraded model. However this is very unlikely as the board on display has some very different defining characteristics compared to any of the existing NDS designs.


The test board clearly has two screens situated one above the other like the current DS, although the top screen is clearly in a widescreen format and the bottom is in the standard 4:3, whereas the existing DS’s feature a dual 4:3 set up. The new 3DS, if that indeed is what this board is based on, shows that only one of the two screens will be 3D compatible. It’s clear from the image that the top screen features Sharp's new auto-stereoscopic 3D tech, whilst the bottom screen is just a standard LCD display.

From the image it is also possible to point out the inclusion of both a DS cartridge slot, and a SD card port too. Both of these are currently standard in the DSi and DsiXL systems, but are also likely to be included in the new 3DS when that launches, as Nintendo have previously confirmed full compatibility with all DS and DSi software. There is no sign of any new type of cartridge slot or card port, meaning that games for the new 3DS are likely to appear on the same carts as current DS software, leaving the SD card support for something along the lines of multimedia application.

More interestingly, the board on show is listed with a three-letter codename, something that Nintendo has used for all versions of its NDS hardware. The DSi was referred to as TWL, and the DSi XL as UTL, much in the same way as the GameCube, which was internally referred to as the GCN (GameCube Nintendo) rather than the publicly abbreviated NGC. The codename CTR hasn’t been used by Nintendo before, so most likely refers to a brand new generation of handheld, which is also backed up by the images showing a completely different design to the one found in the current range of DS systems.

All evidence clearly points to this being a form of 3DS development hardware, or at least a testing kit for the new machine. With the system likely to be on show at E3 in some capacity, or at some point later in the year, it isn’t a stretch to assume that development kits are in first party hands at least. This test / dev kit shows that the design is being finalised, with some features being tested out for a final inclusion, and others yet to be put in or decided upon.

With only a few months to go until this new handheld makes its debut, it’s only likely that more information and leaks begin to surface. Maybe some prototype images of the new hardware will appear a little later down the line, or that Nintendo will have its hand forced once again into an early reveal? Either way today’s images clearly show that the DS’s successor is almost in sight, and that we probably shouldn’t have long to wait for more concrete information to arrive.

Nintendo 3DS Announced

A couple of weeks ago IQGamer reported that Nintendo were in the process of developing a true successor to the Nintendo DS, and that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had maybe, by accident, let slip some details on what to expect, such as more powerful hardware along with something else entirely. Well, today Nintendo officially confirmed that they are working on a follow up to the NDS due for a full unveiling at this year’s E3.

The Nintendo 3DS, an official working title for the machine, is being considered the true replacement for the current line-up of NDS consoles, and will boast a completely glasses-free 3D gaming experience. The new handheld, due for a complete reveal at E3 this summer, in which it will be playable, is expected to launch in Japan sometime before March 2011, and will be backward compatible with all DS and DSi software.


Speaking to the New York Times, Ken Toyoda, chief spokesman at Nintendo stated that "We wanted to give the gaming industry a head's up about what to expect from Nintendo at E3," and "We'll invite people to play with the new device then."

Despite not announcing any other details, a few sources have been digging a little deeper in regards of finding out just what will be powering the 3D screen on the device, and also looking at what control methods could be included in its design.

Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest newspaper, seems to have uncovered that the 3DS may in fact be using a Sharp 3D LCD panel in the console. This particular LCD panel uses a thin film attached to the screen, separated form the screen by a tiny space to create the 3D effect without the need for any special glasses, making the image look different to both eyes, thus giving the graphics a 3D look to them.

This way of driving a glasses-free 3D image via an LCD panel is known as the parallax barrier method, and was hinted at by Blitz Games chief technical officer, Andrew Oliver in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz.

"I'm fairly sure it would be based on the parallax barrier method, which is better than lenticular screens and has seen some great advancements recently," he said. "It can also be turned off to give a perfect 2D screen as well. This screen already exists in the Fuju 3D camera and I have a 3D laptop from Sharp with this technology and it works very well for one viewer within a reasonable viewing area for a handheld."

In addition The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a paper usually responsible for breaking Nintendo hardware related news, reported that this latest handheld would in fact include a ‘control stick’ for moving characters around in 3D instead of the current d-pad seen on the existing DS’s, along with information regarding some kind of rumble technology being included too. Nintendo apparently acquired the patents for the rumble tech late last year, which also matches up with our earlier report in February surrounding this ‘mystery’ successor to the NDS.

Whilst the machine will be 3D enabled and feature rumble functionality, both the battery life and wireless range will be improved over the current DS models, as well as potentially boasting some form of motion control via an accelerometer, which would allow the user to control on screen characters by tilting the machine. Though at present this inclusion of motion is not set in stone, and is merely being ‘looked into’ according to the paper.


The last piece of the puzzle falls onto the technology powering the machine from inside, namely the combined CPU/GPU believed to be from the Tegra 2 family of chipsets by NVIDIA.

Around three years ago a report surfaced that Nintendo had entered into a contract with NVIDA to use it’s Tegra IP for use in the 3DS handheld. Now it’s not quite known whether the contract was for Tegra 1 or Tegra 2 architectures, however the fact that they have the rights to use the IP means that they could take the more costly and power hungry Tegra 2 chipset, and simply scale down the design to fit their needs for this new DS.

Given past custom choices for their handhelds, it is likely that Nintendo will go down the route of working with NVIDIA in developing a 3DS specific chipset from the established Tegra 1 or 2 IP chain. As we reported in our article last month, the use of such a chipset derived from Tegra IP could well mean that the 3DS will produce visuals on par with what we were seeing on the GameCube, or possibly even the Xbox depending on how advanced their chipset or CPU/GPU chip turns out to be.

Of course this is simply speculation at this point, although we shouldn’t have to wait to long to find out the truth about just what is inside the 3DS. Details should be forthcoming during or shortly after E3.


Nintendo will of course be fully unveiling the 3DS at E3 this summer, delivering what they promise to be the next leap in handheld gaming, the true successor to the Nintendo DS series of consoles. And it couldn’t have come at a better time, seeing as many people I’d imagine, are getting rather fed up of incremental upgrades to a nearly six year old hardware design. Thankfully being fully compatible with all DS/DSi software will mean that the sudden announcement of yet another Nintendo portable just weeks after the western launch of the DSI XL shouldn’t offend too many people.

IQGamer will be following any news on the Nintendo 3DS closely, and we look forward to bringing you an in-depth look at the system sometime in the future.

Feature: Hands-On Nintendo DSi XL

Perhaps I should’ve known better, but after launching the DSi I didn’t expect Nintendo to be releasing another version of their ultra successful NDS range of handhelds so soon. Counting up the various revisions brings the current total up to four, including the latest DSi XL, and exceeding variations available for both the original GameBoy and the GameBoy Advance. Whilst most of these updates have resulted in a smaller, more compact edition being released, with the DSi XL Nintendo have gone down the opposite route and given us the biggest DS yet.

Surely people aren’t going to fall for yet another version of the same thing, especially one which is simply larger than all the others, and features a small amount of built in software?


Well judging by sales of the new console in Japan, and by the pre-order numbers here in the UK, it looks like Nintendo have another hit on their hands, albeit a much smaller one that with the DS lite. At the same time with the XL, Nintendo don’t seem to be aiming the system at everyone - how many times have you heard grandma, or one of your aunties talk about using ‘that’ touch screen handheld at home; “I’ve just finished the Professor Layton game” or “that new brain game is what I’m going to be after next” along with “never thought I’d be into this, but it’s really quite fun” type scenarios - these are the kinds of people that Nintendo are pushing the system towards, ones that spend more time playing their DS’s at home rather than taking them out anywhere.

With that idea in mind, Nintendo have made the DSi XL the largest version of the DS yet, with what they are calling 93% bigger screens, though the logic isn’t quite so sound, but more on that later. Also, they’ve seen fit to include two bite-size pieces of software to keep the masses entertained for a little while after they first turn on the system. For Europe we’ve been given Dr. Kawashima’s: Little Bit of Brain Training: Arts Edition and Dictionary 6 in 1 with Camera Function, along with the enhanced DSi Browser, all of which come pre-installed on the machine. Again, showcasing the intended target audience outside regular gamers, and younger folk.


Nintendo’s DSi XL is available in two different colours here in the UK, with the options being a two-toned Dark Brown system, or a red one, referred to as Wine Red. The red XL lacks the two-tone coloured appearance of the brown but does feature the dual glossy top, shiny matte sides and bottom surfaces.

The overall look of both XL’s is immediately much sleeker than with the previous DSi models, featuring a stylish, glossy and smooth reflective finish on top, with shiny matte finish around the screen and on the undersides of both systems. However the Dark Brown model features a two-toned appearance, using a slightly lighter colour for the matte finish around the sides and underneath. This choice is slightly odd, but in my opinion makes the Dark Brown version appear more like a premium product, looking rather stylish, though some people at work strongly disagree, thinking it looks cheap as a result.

The XL measures 161 x 91.4 x 21.2 mm, and weighs 314 grams, compared to the DS Lite's 218g and the original DS's 300g, so it’s sizably weightier in addition to being a noticeably larger handheld.

The screens measure 4.2 inches diagonally across (3.36" x 2.52"), whilst the DSi's screens are 3.25 inches, and the DS Lite's screens are 3 inches respectively, making the XL screen size 93% larger than DS Lite's. However this official measurement uses an eschewed but legitimate method when working out the increased screen size, as the XL’s screen isn’t nearly twice as large as the DS Lite’ s, but instead being more like 50% physically bigger, which is exactly as it looks on the life-size comparison picture on the XL’s packaging, and when both machines are side by side.


The resolution of the XL’s screen is exactly the same as the ones found in all three of the other DS’s, a mere 256×192, which unfortunately due to the much larger screen size, creates a noticeably blockier look to games running on the XL when compared to the DSi or DS Lite. Effectively the pixel size is larger and more noticeable than before, giving off a screen-door effect to everything that is being displayed. What this means is that although things are larger and sometimes easier to see, they aren’t always as sharp or as clear. However this isn’t likely to be a problem for older audiences who mostly play titles such as Brain Training, or the Professor Layton style investigative type games, in which text is easier to read and the overall sense of scale increased, making it a more comfortable affair for longer sessions.

At least the screens are still native resolution, as having a higher resolution would require upscaling of all DS software, and the effect of this would be much worse than what we are seeing with the XL. To be honest, the DSi also suffered from the same problem due to having a larger screen also, however the issue was far subtler compared to what we are seeing here, and in the end most people won’t notice, or really care all that much. For pure clarity and sharpness though, nothing beats the good old DS lite.

In terms of d-pad, face buttons, and placement, the DSi XL features the same sturdier buttons and pad found on the DSi, feeling more plasticky than the ones used on the Lite, although they do seem slightly looser and more responsive than before, which is a nice improvement and makes playing the likes of Mario Kart easier, whilst not quite reaching the DS Lite level of comfort. All the buttons and d-pad sizes are exactly the same as with the DSi and DS Lite, although the DSi style power button has been given a smooth and shiny finish, which feels good when you press down on it.

The only complaint that comes to my mind with the current design, is that given the much larger size of the XL, the buttons feel so small in comparison to the rest of the system and would have benefited from being just a tad bigger. Doing this would have made the system even bigger, and I’m not sure that anybody would want that.

Despite a few issues and improvements, the DSi XL feels pretty comfortable to hold, and the larger screen size makes playing certain games a lot more fun, even with the blockier look, which I have to say has the opposite effect some games. The XL doesn’t feel like it weights too much, and given its size is perfect to rest on the edge of a sofa whilst playing if it becomes too heavy. I can see this being perfect for casual gamers who want something larger and easier to use at home, whilst still having their DSi or DS Lite for when out and about.


Like all the other DS’s that have gone before, the DSi XL features a stylus that slots into the unit itself, which is 4mm longer than the stylus on the DSi; so pretty much the same overall, in addition to a much chunkier, 129.3mm-long pen-shaped stylus, which can be tied onto the back of the XL if need be.

The DSi XL also comes with the same AC adaptor that changed the standard DSi, the first time that any of the NDS models have shared the same charger. Also Nintendo claims that the battery life in a fully-charged DSi XL with out last the DSi on both the lowest and the highest brightness settings. You can expect around 13-17 hours of playtime on the lowest brightness setting, compared to 9-14 on the DSi, and around 4-5 hours on the highest setting, one hour more than the DSi.

Overall, the DSi XL is a very nice addition to the NDS family of systems, weighing the same amount as the original DS, whilst looking considerably sleeker, packing more built-in features, and at the same time, increasing usability for anyone having trouble before due to the more compact nature of the handheld. There are some negatives though; mainly the blockier looking picture you get with the bigger screen, which looses some clarity in the process, and the fact that having the pen stylus attached to the back of the system feels a little awkward. However these concerns aren’t likely to be felt by most, who arguably just want something larger and easier to hold for prolonged sessions around the house. In which case the DSi XL succeeds.


For those looking to upgrade from an old DS Lite, that has maybe seen a little too much use, then I would probably recommend picking up the DSi instead, seeing as that particular system has similar screen quality to the Lite, whilst being compact enough to easily take with you on short notice journeys. The DSi XL on the other hand, represents a good investment for those looking to have two DS systems, one for extended home use, and one for travelling and outdoors, but not as a replacement for a standard DS system.

Either way it seems that Nintendo have once again caught the public’s imagination via another incremental upgrade to a now aging five year old handheld. Though I’d argue the point that maybe it’s time for them to be taking the next step, showing off a true successor to the NDS at some point later this year, one which has full backwards compatibility with the current systems, whilst bringing in a new style of gameplay and much better graphics. It’s not like they can get way with ‘another’ revision of the existing DS’s, especially since they have practically covered all bases.