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Review on Red/Black Nintendo 3DS XL - Enhance your Gaming Experience by Eric Wright

Revainrating 4 out of 5

If you want portable, cheap and fun, get this bad boy.

If you want to save time there is a short paragraph below summarizing my entire review. Otherwise read on! Before I start, let me know that I bought a used one from the Stauffer Video Game Museum. Some aspects of the condition were not mentioned, but none of them are so bad that I wouldn't overlook them. Just in case anyone is interested, I'll say what he didn't mention. Branded charger, not real Nintendo. There were many chewing marks on the pen. There weren't any scratches, but there are a few small dents on the outside that make the console look and feel dirty. And there's one spot on the top screen that's a lot brighter than the rest of the screen, which is just odd. I'm not trying to offend the seller, I just wish he/she could explain the condition of the product more clearly. However, I will exclude these issues in my review. I hate when people write one star reviews and say "the seller said it had a small scratch but it actually had 2" or "it never arrived" or something like that. There is a possibility of feedback from the seller. It is possible to contact the seller. I'm pretty sure there's a vendor reporting option too. Do not rate a product 1 star if the defect is not in the product. Seriously folks. Do not be stupid. Actually the device. The color is exactly the same as the picture, don't expect any different. The top screen is about the size of a 5-inch smartphone, except it's slightly larger. The bottom screen is the size of an iPhone 5 screen if the iPhone 5 were square. Both look pretty sharp. If you're not planning on reading or anything (I wonder why you're buying a reading game console?) then you'll be fine. It doesn't strain the eyes. The whole console looks like a really fat Iphone 6 Plus if you've ever seen one. The console looks matte, and a lot of people say so. It's half matte, half glossy. He feels this way and acts this way. It's not a fingerprint magnet like the original, but it still gets them. I think it's nice to play. I have big hands so the original was tight. This separates everything much better. It's not as comfortable as an Xbox or Playstation controller, but it doesn't hurt to hold it or anything. The round pad has a nice rubberized finish that makes it easy to grip. The keys click a little, but nothing special. The cross is the same. Some built-in features. There is a Nintendo eShop. It works the way you think: digital games for sale. Several for free. However, this has a major disadvantage. (Story time!) A few years ago I sold my regular 3ds after realizing it was too small for me and there weren't many cool games for it back then. I had many downloads from the online store. I was happy to get them back, but that's not the case with Nintendo. A Nintendo Account is more tied to a console than a user. When you factory reset your console, you also delete the account, so all the games you had for it. As far as I know there is absolutely no way to get it back. I think Nintendo needs to change that. There is a Mii maker. they make mii If you don't know what a Mii is, then you've probably never owned a Wii. A Mii is a little character that you create for a specific reason. You can make it look like you, you can make it look like friends, you can really do whatever you want. There are some games that use Miis instead of an in-game character. This is where it gets pretty cool. So this is the place. Here you can play games with Miis. You only start with one, and that's the first one you created when setting up your console. There is a small role-playing game, there is a puzzle game and many others. Even if you can't afford to play with it, at least have a few small ones built in. Most games won't work without StreetPass anyway. That's a cool feature. If you put it to sleep (close it without turning it off) and walk next to someone whose 3ds are also in sleep mode, you'll get a copy of their Mii and they'll get your Mii. Once you've done that, you can use your Mii like your own to play the built-in games. This feature does not need to be activated if you do not want it. Child lock and child safety are also provided for these and similar functions. Unfortunately, I'm old enough not to need these controls, but I still had to create an access code to access these features and enter the code if I wanted to change them. Basically, like it or not, there are certain things that you need to lock and password in order to use and change the settings of those things. If there is a way to get rid of this please let me know in a comment. It gets annoying. There are AR cards (my used one didn't include them) that I remember from the original. Basically you use the cameras on these cards that come with the system and then the legendary Nintendo characters appear on the screen at the top of the card. Gentle, but only a few times. Also, as far as I know, there aren't any new ones. There are Face Raiders. Weird little game. Basically you take a picture of its face and then it hits this little flying propeller and you shoot them out. There can be many. You are supposed to stand during the game and turn around to shoot those behind you. interesting way to get people "active", nintendo. Some of you may be wondering what 3D itself looks like. I will say it's good. It doesn't pop up in front of you like in a movie theater, but rather looks like you can stick your hand in the screen and your hand will be in play. At least that's how it was in the games I played on it. Actually, I never use 3D for several reasons. Some people say it gives them a headache. I've never had this problem. 3D is really hard to use. Your eyes should be fairly parallel to the screen. If the angle isn't right, the screen will look horribly blurry instead. For this reason I never use 3D. In addition, the battery discharges faster. Speaking of the battery, it's pretty good. About 4-5 hours of continuous gaming without full charge, no 3D, wireless all the time. In summary, if you don't have it, I would say get it. It is more convenient to use than the standard 3ds. I don't know anything about the new 3DS line of products. If you want to buy a games console with quality games, portable and not too expensive (including the cost of games and memory cards here. If you look at PS Vita) then I'd say go for it. If you want better, get the new 3DS XL. I got it because I'm poor. In New 3DS XL they fixed 3D so it always looks 3D no matter what angle you look at it (unless you turn it off). But even if I had one, I would only use it as a novelty. Update: I've had the console for a while now. Holds up well. The buttons are a bit odd at times as they are hard to press, but that passes quickly. Also keep in mind that this is what I bought used and it looks like it has been used for many years. Unfortunately, I STILL only have one game for it, but I have a few that I'm dying to play. I don't really have anything to add to the review. I just wish there were more free games in the online store. It shows quite a bit of free software, but most of the software is just updates to games that you have to pay for. Then there are the demos. That leaves I think 3 or 4 free real games. I would have liked more variety, but I can't complain. I also wish there were more free themes. The ones that come with the kit are boring so I wanted something based on the game. There was only one free theme and it was based on Sonic Boom. Does not happen. But otherwise I'm very happy with it. As I get more games I will definitely be happier with it. It brought me back to Nintendo consoles after not even looking at them for 5 years. It even got me looking at the Wii U, but it was such a flop that it's already being phased out as Nintendo has already started development on its next console. If you're thinking about getting it, ask yourself this question: do you like casual games or do you like hardcore games? If you're a casual gamer with 0 uses for your 3DS console, a tablet is for you. If you want more games for your phone and tablet, and are desperate for more content, then the 3DS is for you. Update: A little longer with the console, a few things I think I should add. Volume. I honestly don't care, but the max volume isn't that loud. With or without headphones, maximum volume sounds like half volume on most modern smartphones. That's where I always have the volume when I'm listening to music or watching Youtube on my phone, but it might not be for everyone. I understand Nintendo did it for a reason. Prolonged exposure to high volume levels can cause permanent ear damage, especially in young children. I get that, so it suits me perfectly. But I wish there was a way to change that. As with parental controls, it's possible for you to change the maximum volume there, although I have no idea how that can be programmed. The bottom line is, you're not going to boost the bass with this thing. On the other hand, Nintendo gives me an incentive to be more active. I mentioned something about Streetpass and all that. Well, I love walking around with a 3DS in my pocket. It has something to do with going for a walk and hoping to meet someone who also has a 3DS. And even if you don't hit anyone, you still get in-game coins for your steps. I take it with me almost everywhere now. I never thought I would do it, but I tried it once and ended up with another 3DS owner's Mii. It's more fun than you think. Works best in crowded places with many people. Like your school, mall, airport, grocery store, movie theater, local game store, all sorts of places. Make sure you keep it in a place where it's not easily accessible so it doesn't get stolen. Try it once and you will love it too.

Pros
  • Finally bought
Cons
  • Appearance