Just got a 3DS xl myself semi-recently, mainly for my long train commutes to the city, and I gotta say I'm pleasently surprised with how much I'm enjoying it. Coming in as a pretty big 3DS skeptic, Nintendo has so far proven me wrong for the most part. Though Mario Kart 7 is the main game I've played, and I always love the Mario Kart games, so I could just be biased there. But I also got the Tales game which I've enjoyed. While it's not as good as Symphonia or Vesperia, it's still a pretty solid RPG. Finally, I've been playing Paper Mario, which is a blast as well. Kinda feels like a watered down Mario RPG in a way, but then, Mario RPG was so phenomenal that even a watered down version still measures out to be a good game. And the 3D effects look surprisingly good in this one.
Other features are pretty bare-bones. The Netflix are browser are pretty crappy. But I had little intention to use this device for anything other than gaming anyway. Face raiders was amusing for about 10 minutes. My sister nearly fell over with laughter. Didn't even bother with the gimmicky ar cards nonsense. The E-shop is a pretty significant improvement over the harder to navigate Wii shop, but when browsing it becomes quickly notible how few software is up as of now. This is pretty puzzling when you consider the 3DS has been out for 2 years now. So Nintendo needs to pick up the pace on that front. When browsing the entire shop, there were maybe 1 or 2 games I would consider, not counting the full retail games which I'd rather just buy in physical format on Amazon, as they are generally cheaper, and allows me to sell them back if I wish.
Hardware-wise, I'm diggin it for the most part. The 3D, while not mind blowing, is pretty niffty, and I do appreciate the 3D slider. Sometimes I find myself playing closer to the screen, or my angle is slightly off, and in both cases the 3D becomes warped, so it's useful to be able to slide it off. The thumb-slider thingy, whatever you call it, feels great as well, and works especially well for a game like Mario Kart. I was concerned that the 2nd stick would be missed, by so far, between Mario Kart 7, Tales, and Paper Mario, I haven't felt I needed one yet. I suppose a game like Monster Hunter would warrant it, but I plan on getting that for Wii U when I finally invest in one of those next year anyway.
XL-specific.. Love the larger screen. Was worried the graphics would look obviously pixelated and washed out but they manage to maintain a pretty crisp look still. While I'm not too fond of the Blue color, it's better than the red alternative, and when I'm playing, it's the more slick black interior I'm looking at anyway. System feels sturdy and well made. The start and select buttons feel a bit awkwardly placed, but otherwise, I have no issues with the buttons. I'm glad I forked out the extra $30 on the XL, because I suspect I wouldn't have liked the original model as much, especially with my bigger hands.
Overall, good hardware with some great games, and I'm excited about the future of the library with games like Pokemon and Smash. And this is coming from a very big former 3DS cynic. Now Nintendo just needs to win me back on the home console front with Wii U. I'm still not there yet..
