Review on Nintendo 3DS XL - Pretty in Pink/White: Explore Gaming on the Go by Sean Burnett

I bought this after receiving the 3DS from launch day. I bought it mainly because many 3D games have trouble drawing objects large enough (like Animal Crossing bugs that are sometimes only a few pixels wide) and very difficult to see on small screens. Another issue with the original 3DS is that the shoulder buttons can be awkward to use due to the size of the system. Differences from the original 3DS: - Larger screens for easier viewing - Regular stylus on the side like the 3DS. DS Lite. The 3D slider has some resistance and can snap into 2D mode, making it harder to accidentally switch to 3D mode. The original 3DS' 3D slider was so loose you might think it was broken. - The Start/Select/Home buttons are real buttons. - The headphone jack has moved from the center to the left edge. for the volume control more - the hinges are really strong and securely fixed. There are also three locking positions compared to the original 3DS's two. Because the system is larger, it is easier for adults to hold. Now I can use the shoulder buttons without cutting off the blood flow to my fingers! Most of these changes are great, but there are a few issues that can be annoying: The volume control is about as slack as the 3D slider on the original 3DS. . This is a problem when using the buttons on your shoulder, as changing the position of your hand can easily crank the volume all the way up. I'd recommend getting a built in volume control if you use headphones and leave the 3DS at full volume. - Moving the headphone jack was a bad idea. The middle was better, and while I personally didn't have any issues with that, I imagine its placement might pose problems for some headphone users. - The wireless display now extends to the top of the system instead of being entirely on the side. This means you will see a small part of it blinking near the hinge. I haven't had any problems with this, but it seems like an odd solution. - The system is a bit heavier, so I wouldn't recommend grabbing it in the middle when lifting. I've had a few instances where a playing card would accidentally eject, probably because I squeezed it tighter. I also noticed that you can see pixel separation on the top screen if you look closely enough, but you probably won't see this if you hold it at a normal distance. All in all, this system is a big improvement over the original 3DS. This is the only version of the 3DS that I would recommend to anyone.