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3DS XL First Impressions/Previews

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I really can't figure out why our XLs won't streetpass each other........guess we'll go out tomorrow and see if one or the other can receive them from other people.
 
Has anyone tried Cave Story 3D on their XL yet? Its one of the many games I've got lined up to dive into once the XL is released here (I've been on a 3DS ban for a few weeks now lol).

One of the issues with Cave Story 3D originally though was how small the main dude looked on the normal 3DS, theoretically things should be better now but yeah.
 
I just can't get into it. I tried, I really did. Oh well, these things happen sometimes. Strange thing is that I couldn't put Symphonia down back in the GameCube days, and I absolutely loved Vesperia. So... I don't know.

I'm not feeling Abyss either, played awhile when I got it now playing on the XL with all the raving going on with it I am not seeing the excitement. This is my first Tales game though maybe I need to give it more time.
 
Had some time to fiddle with it now.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Positives -

- Large screen makes it great to play older games in their native resolution.

- Much more comfortable in the hands. Especially with games like Kid Icarus. No more hand cramps!

- Normal one piece stylus without having to stretch it when you pull it out.

- You can actually see Rayman in the origins demo.

Negatives -

- Yellow tint. Not really noticable after awhile or in any game.

- Sound seems greatly diminished. Not a deal breaker as I tend to play with earbuds on.

- 3D effect seems diminished too. I thought the larger screen would actually help it.

I disagree about the 3D. I compared the 3D on Kingdom Hearts to the old 3DS and found it to be better on the XL.
 
Before I get bashed about mentioning anything negative, I am a HUGE Nintendo fan and I absolutely love their products/games.

With that said, are my eyes going bad or is the 3D effect really finnicky and if you move your head even the slightest bit the screen goes "blurry" until you move it further and find the next "sweet spot" ?

I mean, the 3D effect looks great if I'm looking at the exact right spot but even the slightest movement gives me a problem.

Also, I've only played Mutant Mudds in 3D but I really need the 3D at the very lowest setting... :(
 
was posting this in the streetpass thread, hope to get a response over here:

i think ive encountered the streetpass glitch, possibly from overcharing my XL while i slept. i couldn't pass a friend last night (nor could he) but we both tagged a new system. said new system tagged me again 8 hours later, but i didn't tag it, so im thinking it's that glitch where only new tags work or something.

i read around online and was told to take the battery out, which i was trying with the kit i had for the nyko battery for OG 3DS, but the back panel's not yet coming loose. any ideas? i obviously dont want to format my system, nor lose another few system transfers back & forth to fix this.

*edit: turned on & off again, just received a notification that i tagged the new system 2 hours ago...okay, so i guess that's working, now to sort if old miis ive met can be tagged, id love for that to fix it but then again i got the new tag the first time before the old one got missed, no idea here
 
was posting this in the streetpass thread, hope to get a response over here:

i think ive encountered the streetpass glitch, possibly from overcharing my XL while i slept. i couldn't pass a friend last night (nor could he) but we both tagged a new system. said new system tagged me again 8 hours later, but i didn't tag it, so im thinking it's that glitch where only new tags work or something.

i read around online and was told to take the battery out, which i was trying with the kit i had for the nyko battery for OG 3DS, but the back panel's not yet coming loose. any ideas? i obviously dont want to format my system, nor lose another few system transfers back & forth to fix this.

*edit: turned on & off again, just received a notification that i tagged the new system 2 hours ago...okay, so i guess that's working, now to sort if old miis ive met can be tagged, id love for that to fix it but then again i got the new tag the first time before the old one got missed, no idea here

You can overcharge an XL?
 
Well, I picked up the system sight-unseen last night (no one has a demo unit around here anyway) and played with it for a couple of hours.

I'm torn. Part of me is still considering going back to the old model.

I do love everything about the overall product, from fixing the stylus placement to a better d-pad and more comfortable hold. But I booted up SM3DL and was immediately bothered by the pixels, never in an hour of playtime managing to feel that the game looked half as crisp and shiny as it does on my old system.

My main issue concerns the sweet spot. It's not that I have any difficulty staying in it, nor did I on the original. But there has always been a set distance within which you must remain. On the the original, that was a an appropriate distance which you'd fall into automatically, yet with the XL--because these screens are so large and pixellated--I want to hold it a little further away, but I can't because the sweet spot is still set to a very short distance (roughly 12 inches).

I hope this feeling goes away, because outside of holding it too close and staring into those enormous pixels, there are certainly some advantages to the huge screens. Starfox looked amazing at times, and the depth on Pilotwings seems deeper than ever before. I just wish they hadn't calibrated this enormous thing to be held at the same short distance as the smaller model... and I keep trying to move it back only to see the "banding" effect of leaving the proper zone for 3D.
 
You can overcharge an XL?

i didnt think so (took it out of the box, used it for a few minutes & left it charging while i slept) but the reports im reading about the streetpass glitch point to that, yeah.

i understand it's come up here on GAF, but i can't find where, hoping for details.
 
Well, I picked up the system sight-unseen last night (no one has a demo unit around here anyway) and played with it for a couple of hours.

I'm torn. Part of me is still considering going back to the old model.

I do love everything about the overall product, from fixing the stylus placement to a better d-pad and more comfortable hold. But I booted up SM3DL and was immediately bothered by the pixels, never in an hour of playtime managing to feel that the game looked half as crisp and shiny as it does on my old system.

My main issue concerns the sweet spot. It's not that I have any difficulty staying in it, nor did I on the original. But there has always been a set distance within which you must remain. On the the original, that was a an appropriate distance which you'd fall into automatically, yet with the XL--because these screens are so large and pixellated--I want to hold it a little further away, but I can't because the sweet spot is still set to a very short distance (roughly 12 inches).

I hope this feeling goes away, because outside of holding it too close and staring into those enormous pixels, there are certainly some advantages to the huge screens. Starfox looked amazing at times, and the depth on Pilotwings seems deeper than ever before. I just wish they hadn't calibrated this enormous thing to be held at the same short distance as the smaller model... and I keep trying to move it back only to see the "banding" effect of leaving the proper zone for 3D.

If it bothers you like that you should return it, if you paid $200 for something you shouldn't be forcing yourself to enjoy it
 
With that said, are my eyes going bad or is the 3D effect really finnicky and if you move your head even the slightest bit the screen goes "blurry" until you move it further and find the next "sweet spot" ?

Also, I've only played Mutant Mudds in 3D but I really need the 3D at the very lowest setting... :(


Not finnicky, just narrow, and on top of everything else, results vary per person. Some people can't even see the 3D, just blur. My tolerence is very low and I have to play with the 3D turned off. I picked up the 3DS XL yesterday and had better luck with seeing the 3D than I have on a friend's 3DS, but still not well enough to handle it for any length of time.

With that said, though, I love it. It's a great machine. DS games look far better on it than I expected and SMB2 looks and plays awesome! I dropped in Dragon Quest IX for comparison, and though there is a little fizziness to the edges, overall the 3DS XL handles it well. Perfectly playable.

But other than SMB2, I picked up the XL for the eShop. Spent last evening playing the original Zelda. Kinda blows my mind. I was in college when the original came out, and now I'm playing it on a 3D handheld.
 
Not finnicky, just narrow, and on top of everything else, results vary per person. Some people can't even see the 3D, just blur. My tolerence is very low and I have to play with the 3D turned off. I picked up the 3DS XL yesterday and had better luck with seeing the 3D than I have on a friend's 3DS, but still not well enough to handle it for any length of time.

With that said, though, I love it. It's a great machine. DS games look far better on it than I expected and SMB2 looks and plays awesome! I dropped in Dragon Quest IX for comparison, and though there is a little fizziness to the edges, overall the 3DS XL handles it well. Perfectly playable.

But other than SMB2, I picked up the XL for the eShop. Spent last evening playing the original Zelda. Kinda blows my mind. I was in college when the original came out, and now I'm playing it on a 3D handheld.
You can run DS games in 1:1 mode if you hold start while they're booting. Try that with DQ9.
 
OK, so after a day of use, I really do like the hardware. It breathes new life into the platform for me. I never liked the design of the original as it was uncomfortable to hold, the stylus was poorly placed, and it picked up fingerprints like crazy. The XL is much more comfortable to use and just feels much better designed. The select, start, and home buttons are infinitely better as well.

I definitely prefer the larger screens, but I'm finding the 3D sweet spot to be even more narrow somehow. Some games handle this really well (both Mario titles) and avoid cross talk while others were simply terrible in 3D (RE Revelations). If I were to close one eye at a time and try to eliminate the ghost of the alternate image there were points where I simply couldn't achieve this. Nintendo seems to have a real handle on 3D at this point but a lot of other games feel poor in 3D.

So, overall, I do prefer the larger screens *BUT* they seem to be lower color displays. The XL displays rather visible dithering on certain images. Revelations has illustrated this point quite clearly. If you pop the game into an OG 3DS you'll find the darker regions to be much cleaner but on an XL there is a very obvious dithering pattern present. Look at the edges of the flashlight or in dim areas of the game scene and you'll see what I mean. To me, it makes it seem as if the color depth has been reduced for price reasons. I don't believe this to be an artifact present in the software. Not a huge deal (you really don't notice it with brightly colored games), but it is something I have observed.

As for the speakers, well, I don't find them disappointing simply because they sound no worse than my OG 3DS. I'm truly convinced that Nintendo changed the design of the speakers in the original unit at some point. I have a launch unit, but the volume is quite low (lower than Vita and the same as the 3DS XL). Many users have claimed that their 3DS systems output at a very loud volume, however, which has not been my experience. So, coming from my inferior 3DS, the XL really isn't much of a downgrade in that regard. It doesn't sound great, but it gets the job done in a pinch.

Battery life is much improved for me, however. I suspect it won't last much longer while actively playing *BUT* the sleep mode is a HUGE step forward for me. The OG 3DS could not last a night in sleep mode if you left wifi enabled but the XL has no problems keeping a charge.
 
Of course the games look more pixelated, it's the same resolution but 90% bigger screen. Look way better on the bigger screen though, pixels and all.
 
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.

Does anybody know? Sorry to pester, just going in during lunch and I want to make sure I can still keep DSi and Ambassador purchases by simply swapping the SD card... thanks!
 
Does anybody know? Sorry to pester, just going in during lunch and I want to make sure I can still keep DSi and Ambassador purchases by simply swapping the SD card... thanks!

You can't just swap SD cards, you have to do the system transfer also. The system transfer will transfer the licenses for 3DS games and DSiWare games entirely, and then by swapping the SD card files you can get your 3DS games back without having to redownload them.
 
I have to go with you on this.

I played two stages of kid icarus rising late last night and it just seemed comletely off. I kept switching the game back and forth between xl and og 3ds and the grass in the first flying level was noticeably brighter. The game, overall, seemed much more pixelated. I don't think its somethin i wont get used to with time but it did underwhelm me greatly. Playing some more tonight to test other levels
Well, the larger pixels naturally result in a more pixelated experience, but that is not what I was referring to when talking about dithering. The color dithering a completely different problem unrelated to screen DPI.
 
So I'm sure there's tons of pages worth of praise, but this is seriously the nicest handheld I've ever owned, and I've owned all the major ones sans Game Gear and Lynx. Absolutely perfect system, best part, no stupid CTA grip needed.
 
Well, the larger pixels naturally result in a more pixelated experience, but that is not what I was referring to when talking about dithering. The color dithering a completely different problem unrelated to screen DPI.

Have a look at other games, it's RE:R -- the dithering was probably just concealed by the high DPI

It's still one of the best games available on any system at the moment, so it shouldn't put people off.
 
I actually find myself in the group of people that feel the 3D is more expansive on the XL. Seriously, have you guys played Zelda on this thing? It's insane! The world is so much bigger now, I feel like I'm actually IN the game. I feel that the 3D is very intense and immersive compared to the previous unit, and it took some getting used to. I kept on putting the games half-way for more comfort, while on the previous unit I would put it all the way up. Now that I've gotten used to it though, it goes all the way up, and boy is it immersive! If you're not seeing it right, then it might take some getting used to. Remember all of the stories of people having problems with seeing the 3D on the regular 3DS when it came out? I think this is no different. It's a different unit, but the same concept altogether.

If any of you are confused about which color to get, I also find that it really really doesn't matter... the thing is so huge in your hands that you don't even see/notice the color. I chose blue and I'm barely looking at the blue except for when it's off and sitting on my desk, in which case I run my fingers through the surface of the exterior because it's so sexy and smooth... no fingerprints! :) The weight of it is so good on the hands too, it feels expensive. They really did a great job!
 
I actually find myself in the group of people that feel the 3D is more expansive on the XL. Seriously, have you guys played Zelda on this thing? It's insane! The world is so much bigger now, I feel like I'm actually IN the game. I feel that the 3D is very intense and immersive compared to the previous unit, and it took some getting used to. I kept on putting the games half-way for more comfort, while on the previous unit I would put it all the way up. Now that I've gotten used to it though, it goes all the way up, and boy is it immersive! If you're not seeing it right, then it might take some getting used to. Remember all of the stories of people having problems with seeing the 3D on the regular 3DS when it came out? I think this is no different. It's a different unit, but the same concept altogether.

If any of you are confused about which color to get, I also find that it really really doesn't matter... the thing is so huge in your hands that you don't even see/notice the color. I chose blue and I'm barely looking at the blue except for when it's off and sitting on my desk, in which case I run my fingers through the surface of the exterior because it's so sexy and smooth... no fingerprints! :) The weight of it is so good on the hands too, it feels expensive. They really did a great job!

The 3D is more expansive for me but the sweet spot is just as narrow as the OG. I find that I need to hold the 3DS Xl farther back to find it as well.

Hope my Chopper Purse shows up in the mail today. Maybe my cradle too!
 
You can't just swap SD cards, you have to do the system transfer also. The system transfer will transfer the licenses for 3DS games and DSiWare games entirely, and then by swapping the SD card files you can get your 3DS games back without having to redownload them.

So if the Gamestop doesn't have WiFi, I'm boned? I can't be the only person running into this roadblock...
 
Have a look at other games, it's RE:R -- the dithering was probably just concealed by the high DPI

It's still one of the best games available on any system at the moment, so it shouldn't put people off.
The OG 3DS did not have a high DPI, though. The XL is lower for certain, but the 3DS certainly wasn't impressive in that regard. The dithering I'm seeing is only apparent on the XL, however. It is something that should be obvious on the 3DS even with the higher DPI.

It's visible in other games as well.

It's not a severe problem and it doesn't majorly detract from the experience, but it is something I've noticed. To me, the screen simply looks cheaper this time around.

It's a shame they didn't slide an OLED display in there as, on top of the visual gains, it would also have lowered power consumption.
 
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.

Bummer.

Oh well, at least I didn't pay for it.
 
so did anyone else find themselves with a sudden ambassador status like i did today?

For anyone who missed my earlier post, i bought an XL today and did a system transfer with my regular 3ds. The 3ds i had before was purchased post price cut. After trying out my games on this sexy new XL of mine i decide to mess around in the eshop and i see some NES games are avaialble to redownload as if ive bought them before (i never had), i go to check my download history and see an ambassador certificate and the 20 games!

Its unreal, im playing metroid fusion and i still cant believe it.

Really... going to check mine.
 
Just moved. My new place is just a few blocks from a Gamestop. But cursory (faulty) research didn't turn this up prior to moving, so I pre-ordered in another city... argh. Couldn't get my 3DS XL on launch day! Instead.... getting it in a few hours :)

I called my 'new' gamestop about transferring my pre-order, they said they have some loopholes to accomplish that, but that they were out of 3DS XLs. Glad I pre-ordered.
 
If it bothers you like that you should return it, if you paid $200 for something you shouldn't be forcing yourself to enjoy it

It's going to be a difficult decision. There are many things that make this model a more comfortable experience (stylus placement, better buttons) but for most games I find that I preferred the smaller screen when held this close, and as noted, the sweet spot rules prevent me from simply holding it further away.

That's a potentially severe oversight in the design if you ask me. I realize the 3DS XL isn't aimed at older games as much as the DSi XL, but if they want to have any appeal to the older crowd, they need to understand that screen size is only half the equation. The reason you'll see someone in their 50s buying devices with larger screens is simply that they need to hold it further away in order to focus. But you can't hold the XL farther away and retain the 3D, so the benefits are nullified. (I'm only in my 30s and the focus thing isn't an issue for me, but it does surprise me that they've set the sweet spot so close to the system).
 
Got my first streetpass on the XL. It's officially popped its cherry.

As I continue to test games on the new system and have not completed the transfer yet, my systems keep streetpassing each other. It's kind of annoying in SM3DL now; all my times are doubled and my own Mii is showing up as a tied rival on every course.
 
Do you remember when you bought it exactly? Maybe they just stopped them at a certain serial number to be safe and some systems outside the price window still are licensed on the servers or something.
i dont remember exactly, but it wasnt long after the price cut, maybe within the month so what you say makes sense. Thing is, i havent had the games before this, and im pretty sure i tried to enter the serial number on the nintendo site to see if it qualified and it didn't.
 
i dont remember exactly, but it wasnt long after the price cut, maybe within the month so what you say makes sense. Thing is, i havent had the games before this, and im pretty sure i tried to enter the serial number on the nintendo site to see if it qualified and it didn't.


Well I cannot check mine at this time? Anyone else confirm this?
 
As someone who never had a 3DS (played it a couple times at buddies, never really enough to form an opinion on the hardware), I picked up an XL yesterday. So far it's pretty good, I've got OoT and NSMB2...

- The 3D seems hit or miss. OoT is almost painful to play with it on, but it's pretty good in NSMB2.
- Kind of uncomfortable in certain positions. ie. Holding L to target while simultaneously holding R to shield in OoT is a pain.
- The slider (or nub, whatever you want to call it) is just bad.
- The store seems to have a lot of shovelware, and the filters nothing amazing...

Still though, I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I'd imagine I'll adjust to the control issues, and the store is still young so that should figure itself out.
 
So if the Gamestop doesn't have WiFi, I'm boned? I can't be the only person running into this roadblock...

My gamestop told me to buy the 3ds, and do the transfer at home, then bring the receipt back with my 3ds Im trading in and they will refund the difference, hope that helps. I asked this yesterday
 
Before I get bashed about mentioning anything negative, I am a HUGE Nintendo fan and I absolutely love their products/games.

With that said, are my eyes going bad or is the 3D effect really finnicky and if you move your head even the slightest bit the screen goes "blurry" until you move it further and find the next "sweet spot" ?

I mean, the 3D effect looks great if I'm looking at the exact right spot but even the slightest movement gives me a problem.

Also, I've only played Mutant Mudds in 3D but I really need the 3D at the very lowest setting... :(

I've been experiencing the same thing on my XL. I love the thing to death, but I've been experiencing a lot more "ghosting" and image-doubling than I ever did on my OG 3DS, and I've played with the 3D all the way on in every title ever since I've owned a 3DS, so it's not that I can't handle or don't like the 3D.

The ghosting was especially apparent in Ocarina of Time 3D. It doesn't ruin the experience or anything, but yeah, the XL's 3D sweet spot seems to be much smaller than on the OG 3DS.

Also, the speakers are indeed shit. Even with the output set to stereo and not surround, the XL is barely audible if you're not using headphones. Thankfully, I pretty much exclusively use headphones when I play handhelds, but damn... they really did downgrade the speakers, like, a lot.

I love everything else about the XL, though, and even though I can definitely notice the decreased resolution in most games, it doesn't bother me as much as the giant screens please me. I do sometimes miss the OG 3DS' sharper resolution, but I've never been a graphics whore, so I can deal with the lower PPI.

But really, the #1 reason I could never go back to my OG 3DS is simply because of how much more comfortable it is to hold and play for those with big hands. It's obscenely more comfortable. That might be my favorite thing about the XL, other than the giant screens.
 
I'm not sure what the problem is then. Why would you want to do a system transfer unless you are upgrading?

I am upgrading. I think you misunderstood.


My gamestop told me to buy the 3ds, and do the transfer at home, then bring the receipt back with my 3ds Im trading in and they will refund the difference, hope that helps. I asked this yesterday

Awesome - I will do this. Thank you!
 
For 3D you definitely have to absolutely keep your head still. This is normal. You have to have it slightly tilted as well for the perfect view, so don't watch it head on
 
My gamestop told me to buy the 3ds, and do the transfer at home, then bring the receipt back with my 3ds Im trading in and they will refund the difference, hope that helps. I asked this yesterday

Yeah, I can confirm unless they are dicks at the gamestop you go to they will do this for you. In fact the manager brought it up to me when I was buying my XL. I bought it yesterday morning did the transfer then took it back in the afternoon and got $100 credit on the original purchase. Pretty smart move on their part I think.
 
The sweet spot doesn't seem any larger but I didn't really notice an increased amount of ghosting/double talk and it wasn't any harder for me to keep the sweet spot. To be fair the 3D has worked perfectly for me from the get go. I think I just lucked out and my eyes are just perfectly suited to 3D.
 
Well, the larger pixels naturally result in a more pixelated experience, but that is not what I was referring to when talking about dithering. The color dithering a completely different problem unrelated to screen DPI.
Actually, I can see a high DPI masking dithering that was always there, and it DOES seem strange to suddenly have it crop up here. I'm thinking it was probably just subtle before but the 3DS XL really brings it out, the 3DS did have a somewhat small screen for its resolution compared to the PSP.
 
The sweet spot doesn't seem any larger but I didn't really notice an increased amount of ghosting/double talk and it wasn't any harder for me to keep the sweet spot. To be fair the 3D has worked perfectly for me from the get go. I think I just lucked out and my eyes are just perfectly suited to 3D.

I pretty much feel the same way, the 3D has worked for me since Day 1. All it took was some getting used to, because it did tire my eyes out and make my vision a little blurry after an hour or so of gameplay. My eyes have adapted well to that though, almost like they've been body building, I guess.
 
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