Upon entering the Nintendo booth, the first thing to catch our eye was the new 3DS XL. With the added ‘c-stick’ above the the face buttons it really seemed like a necessary addition to the console. Adding the extra ‘stick’ could act as a camera swivel for many upcoming 3DS titles.
The problem is, it’s not a stick nor is it a slider like its left hand counterpart. It’s just a circular nub that stays still and works on directional pressure. Remember those laptops that had the little nub in the middle of the keyboard that was universally hated? It’s exactly the same as that and it’s slightly disappointing. It still works but the placement will take some getting used to as you are reaching over the face buttons to get to it. With that being said, for games like Monster Hunter you basically can’t play without a secondary stick for the camera and keeping everything neat and tidy in one package is a good thing to have.
One of the better upgrades in this revision is the 3D capabilities. Previously you had to hold your head at the perfect angle with the console bolted down to be able to utilise it correctly but no more! The 3D screen has had a revamp and can now be viewed at a variety of angles with some significant reduction in the headache department.
If you already have a 3DS XL there isn’t much point in picking up a brand new model where a circle pad pro will do a better job but, if you are still with the original 3DS then pickup the new model. The screen upgrade (both in size and quality) as well as the added stick keeps everything in a nice and neat little package.
You can expect the New 3DS XL to be released in Australia and New Zealand on the 21st of November 2014.