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3DS XL First Impressions/Previews

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Well looks like I'm gonna bite on a red XL tomorrow, it's just too darn sexy. Hopefully the local Gamestop lets me buy the XL, take it home, transfer from my current 3DS and return with that 3DS for $100 credit. It seems like that's been working for others so here's hoping the same goes for me, haha.
 
So after picking up my XL today I am down to 3 transfers, and I am kinda getting nervous. I totally expect Nintendo to release more revisions before the 3ds is at the end of its life cycle. So what then? Once I do my final transfer I am stuck with all those eshop games on that system till the end of time?

I mean, I can contact Nintendo and have them refresh my transfers right? I am hoping when the wii u hits and they go to personal accounts instead of system accounts, that they will throw that onto 3ds and this problem will go away, but I dunno. Anyone hit the limit and figure out a work around?
 
Goretrail said:
So after picking up my XL today I am down to 3 transfers, and I am kinda getting nervous. I totally expect Nintendo to release more revisions before the 3ds is at the end of its life cycle. So what then? Once I do my final transfer I am stuck with all those eshop games on that system till the end of time?

I mean, I can contact Nintendo and have them refresh my transfers right? I am hoping when the wii u hits and they go to personal accounts instead of system accounts, that they will throw that onto 3ds and this problem will go away, but I dunno. Anyone hit the limit and figure out a work around?
Click to expand...

Isn't the club Nintendo thing a personal account? But still, system transfer limit is stupid, it just hurts the most loyal fans who spend the most money. The average 3DS owner is sticking with what they have till it breaks
 
Drago said:
Meh... I really don't know how I feel about the blue

In natural outside lighting, it's deep blue and beautiful, and goes lovely with the black. Gorgeous.

In in-house lighting, it looks aqua and green. Blech.

I will probably switch the plates to Silver or Black once I have the chance :/
Click to expand...

Does it seem easy to swap those things out? I mean, without potentially damaging the system?
 
Played a bunch of games on the XL

Starfox 64 3D - The 3D looks amazing on the XL as does the whole game. Just an absolute joy to play on those big screens

Resident Evil Revelations - Underwhelming at first but I changed the in-game 3D settings to max and it made a world of difference. On the original 3DS the max settings looked awful to me but it seems just right for the XL

Kid Icarus Uprising - Not a huge difference in the 3D effect but the extra real estate makes a world of difference since so much is happening on screen at once. Extra weight didn't bother my hand at all.

Mario Kart 7 - 3D effect is still understated but the game itself looks stunning on the 3DS. Everything just pops and it is just easier to appreciate. I didn't pay much attention to game visually on the original but I can't help being impressed with it now

Ace Combat - The cockpit didn't blow my mind like I was expecting but the mountains and replays look great. The planes being so much bigger definitely helped.

MGS 3D - The 3D effect really benefited and I just like it better with a bigger screen.

OoT, DoA, and Pilotwings didn't really seem to benefit all that much.

I'm digging all the changes to the system. It feels great to hold and the dpad and buttons are all much more satisfying. No dead pixels or scratches for me. I do miss some elements of the original but the XL is just amazing and a gigantic step up.
 
Ok, ive decided. I am doing that GameStop deal tomorrow.

Will trade my old ds lite for $40 toward a blue 3ds xl, plus get Pilotwings free. First new handheld for me in years aside from my iPad, if that counts, so very excited.

Sorry ps vita, but looks like I'm going 3ds. In the long run, I'm pretty sure I'm making the wise choice, in terms of software support.
 
Vitacat said:
Ok, ive decided. I am doing that GameStop deal tomorrow.

Will trade my old ds lite for $40 toward a blue 3ds xl, plus get Pilotwings free. First new handheld for me in years aside from my iPad, if that counts, so very excited.

Sorry ps vita, but looks like I'm going 3ds. In the long run, I'm pretty sure I'm making the wise choice, in terms of software support.
Click to expand...

PM a mod to change your username to DScat. :p
 
So I bought a new XL today, but never owned the original 3DS. Is it possible to buy a used "ambassador" 3ds off of eBay and do a system transfer to my new XL to get the free games? (then resell the ambassador system). Is that possible to do?

Can an ambassador system do an unlimited number of system transfers to new systems to give them ambassador status?
 
Vinsanity. said:
So I bought a new XL today, but never owned the original 3DS. Is it possible to buy a used "ambassador" 3ds off of eBay and do a system transfer to my new XL to get the free games? (then resell the ambassador system). Is that possible to do?
Click to expand...

don't see why not
 
Incitemaybe said:
I have no idea what this means sir
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You have to wait eight hours before you can street pass the same person again, even if you both reset systems/move to other parts of the house/take a train ride out of town. Found on mine that after streetpassing the kids in the morning then transferring my 3DS to an XL that I still couldn't re-StreetPass them until the mid-afternoon.

Zeer0id said:
don't see why not
Click to expand...

As long as the used system hasn't hit the five transfer limit and is a US unit, then yup.
 
Vinsanity. said:
So I bought a new XL today, but never owned the original 3DS. Is it possible to buy a used "ambassador" 3ds off of eBay and do a system transfer to my new XL to get the free games? (then resell the ambassador system). Is that possible to do?
Click to expand...
t is possible, but you might need to contact the seller if you go the eBay route; since:
-Not every original 3DS pre-price drop is ambassador-ready.
-If the unit was reset before been sold, it lost all access to the ambassador games.
 
Vinsanity. said:
So I bought a new XL today, but never owned the original 3DS. Is it possible to buy a used "ambassador" 3ds off of eBay and do a system transfer to my new XL to get the free games? (then resell the ambassador system). Is that possible to do?

Can an ambassador system do an unlimited number of system transfers to new systems to give them ambassador status?
Click to expand...

Yes. Just search for Ambassador 3DS, and people will specifically list that as a feature on many systems. Keep in mind if you transfer over from the Ambassador 3DS, it'll overwrite whatever you have recorded on your XL.
 
Sorry - been out of the loop. Trading in for an XL tomorrow - if I just do an SD transfer to my laptop and back to the new 3DS XL SD card, will I still have all my saves and Ambassador games? The gamestop doesn't have Wifi for me to do an on-the-fly system transfer.
 
Unicorn said:
Does it seem easy to swap those things out? I mean, without potentially damaging the system?
Click to expand...

The bottom is extremely easy to clip off, even unintentionally, but there are screws preventing it from coming all the way off.. Haven't messed with the top shell though, but I assume it can be taken off as well. It's definitely tighter though

The blue can look absolutely gorgeous or absolutely horrendous depending on the lighting. :/
 
Vinsanity. said:
So I bought a new XL today, but never owned the original 3DS. Is it possible to buy a used "ambassador" 3ds off of eBay and do a system transfer to my new XL to get the free games? (then resell the ambassador system). Is that possible to do?

Can an ambassador system do an unlimited number of system transfers to new systems to give them ambassador status?
Click to expand...

Aren't some of them up to buy? What are they waiting for with GBA stuff? Once they put GBA, next step is obviously SNES.
 
Drago said:
The bottom is extremely easy to clip off, even unintentionally, but there are screws preventing it from coming all the way off.. Haven't messed with the top shell though, but I assume it can be taken off as well. It's definitely tighter though

The blue can look absolutely gorgeous or absolutely horrendous depending on the lighting. :/
Click to expand...

Would you mind trying the top shell, please? Or perhaps even take some pictures of it to show where it could pop off, or pics of it popped off?

fukken, once some 3rd parties start making the whole 3DS XL case I'll probably jump on that shit if they give me something like this:
main2.jpg


Can't get enough of posting this image, just so I can drool even more.
 
XL is more comfortable. Screens are bigger which has its pros and cons. Pro is, it's so ridiculously large and eye pleasing. Con is, games look noticeably more pixelated and less crisp. Bad textures and compression stick out more (the artwork sprites in Kid Icarus on the bottom screen look really bad on the XL, in general the game's jaggies stick out).

Worth it though. No doubt. The system is so much more comfortable to hold that any screen issues mean nothing. Also, in terms of design, it isn't as classy as the DSi or DSi XL but it is MUCH better than the hodgepodge 3DS. 3DS had that weird cake layering, different colored paint, sparkle paint, glossy, odd tapers EVERYWHERE, and on the inside it had all sorts of different shaped buttons, oddly placed lights, etc. What a horrible design. It's endearing, now, looking at it. It looks very different from what came before it and it's got its own personality, but it's fucking ugly and uncomfortable.
 
Mileena said:
Aren't some of them up to buy? What are they waiting for with GBA stuff? Once they put GBA, next step is obviously SNES.
Click to expand...

Nintendo had said that the GBA ones wouldn't be for sale, but I remember the wording giving them enough wiggle room to change their mind later.

Even if SNES/SFC games were released in Japan NOA would treat them as if they each came wrapped in a blanket of herpes.
 
Unicorn said:
Would you mind trying the top shell, please? Or perhaps even take some pictures of it to show where it could pop off, or pics of it popped off?
Click to expand...
I've tried to clip it off, but it is very tight on there. I'd rather not fiddle around with it for now, just to be safe.

Looking extremely closely at it, I don't think the top shell can be taken off without taking apart the system. :/
 
Mileena said:
Aren't some of them up to buy? What are they waiting for with GBA stuff? Once they put GBA, next step is obviously SNES.
Click to expand...

If Game Boy Advance games ever do come out on Virtual Console, the price per game will probably be more than the difference he'd buy and sell the system for alone.
 
I really wish I hadn't jumped the gun and sold my Ambassador 3DS months ago. I would have kept the thing if only I had waited a month or two more for the XL announcement. Oh well, some day I will be able to play Warioware and Minnish Cap on this thing.
 
Unicorn said:
Would you mind trying the top shell, please? Or perhaps even take some pictures of it to show where it could pop off, or pics of it popped off?

fukken, once some 3rd parties start making the whole 3DS XL case I'll probably jump on that shit if they give me something like this:

http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/_ui/images/3ds/xl/main2.jpg

Can't get enough of posting this image, just so I can drool even more.
Click to expand...


That is pretty sweet looking.
 
xtrasauce said:
I played that game earlier today and it looked fuzzy when the screen was moving. Like on a Gamegear, only not nearly as bad obviously. I was wondering if that was because of the XL screen, the image stretching, the emulation, or what. I don't remember if it was like that on 3DS.
Click to expand...

To answer your question, I believe it's the emulation. I think what's happening is the GBA had a lower refresh rate on its screen, and developers would take advantage of this and make sprites flicker, which would show as a semi-transparent sprite on the GBA's screen. Unfortunately, when emulated on a device with a higher refresh rate, you just see flickering sprites. The emulator probably preserves these types of effects by adding a small amount of simulated LCD ghosting.
 
So, Im exchanging my 3DS XL because of some pixel issues tomorrow. I did try out some of my 3DS games on it though just to see any improvements. I agree that the 3D effect is much better with a bigger screen, and I can actually see it without straining and getting close to the screen. Some games do look really nice such as KH3D and Resident Evil, but others do look abit worse from noticeable pixelation such as Tales of the Abyss. Playing Devil Survivor Overclock, which uses the bottom screen 99% of the time, the game looks like a DS game and is not very flattering with the larger screen.

It is much more comfortable to hold and play on than the original. Owning an original 3DS I'd have to say that the XL isnt something you NEED to own. If someone is buying a 3DS for the first time than I would recommend the XL. If I had spent full price on this thing ($200) and I had owned the original, I would be regretting my purchase. Luckily I didnt spend full price.

Looking forward to future 3DS titles though such as Bravely Default or Soul Hackers and SMT IV as the XL can only enhance the visual experience.
 
Godslay said:
I copied the contents of the old card to the new, via a computer. Then ran the transfer and everything, besides (dsi games Cave Story and Four Swords) showed up including the Ambassador games.
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Is it just a simple matter of sticking SD card in computer and dragging the folder out then sticking new SD card in and dragging folder from old card to new card? If that works its probably the simplest option
 
hey guys - anyone of you having issues with the XL speakers? I bought the blue set with Kingdom hearts yesterday- and the volume is really soft; with the volume control all the way up
 
Gibbo said:
hey guys - anyone of you having issues with the XL speakers? I bought the blue set with Kingdom hearts yesterday- and the volume is really soft; with the volume control all the way up
Click to expand...

Did you make sure to turn off surround sound? Set to stereo and it gets louder
 
Gibbo said:
hey guys - anyone of you having issues with the XL speakers? I bought the blue set with Kingdom hearts yesterday- and the volume is really soft; with the volume control all the way up
Click to expand...

Go into your sound settings and make sure to change from Surround to Stereo. But even then the 3DS speakers aren't that powerful, you are better off wearing headphones.
 
Ugh, I'm aware that the screen color gamut of the XL is warmer than that of the original 3DS, but I ran into the *same* problem I had with with my original 3DS where the *upper* screen is a degree or two warmer than the lower screen. It's not bad until you run a game or an app that combines the two screen into one big vertical display (some DS games, Activity log, browser -- check GAF's mobile site for example). Then when you start scrolling the same white background between the two displays, it becomes noticeable and kinda distracting. I know for a fact it didn't happen to *all* original 3DS, as I've checked some that didn't have it first hand, but if there are XL devices that don't share the problem I might take mine back because I'm *sick* of it.

Can anyone check their XLs?
 
Seriously, my speakers are on par with the 3DS speakers. Laughable still, sure, but I typically use earphones anyways. I find them serviceable, that's all I'm saying.
 
Jinfash said:
Ugh, I'm aware that the screen color gamut of the XL is warmer than that of the original 3DS, but I ran into the *same* problem I had with with my original 3DS where the *upper* screen is a degree or two warmer than the lower screen. It's not bad until you run a game or an app that combines the two screen into one big vertical display (some DS games, Activity log, browser -- check GAF's mobile site for example). Then when you start scrolling the same white background between the two displays, it becomes noticeable and kinda distracting. I know for a fact it didn't happen to *all* original 3DS, as I've checked them first hand, so if there are XL devices that don't share the problem, I'm gonna take mine back because I'm *sick* of it.

Can anyone check their XLs?
Click to expand...

Mine is the same way. I did the transfer already, so I'm forced to wait a week to return it so I can do another transfer. I own numerous DS games that split the game across both screens and the background is white (Picross, Picross 3D, etc) and they look horrible when one screen is much warmer than the other.
 
I'm sticking with surround. Even in NSMB2 I love hearing stuff "move" from left to right. And in Pilotwings, you really feel like you're passing near/through objects such as waterfalls. Same for Zelda and caves.
 
3DS XL speakers are garbage. The XL speakers seem to have around half the max volume of the 3DS when comparing them side-by-side. With headphones however, the XL does seem to have a higher max volume than the 3DS.
 
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