DSi XL Review
DS Lite sits on a DSi XL's lap
The excitement when the UPS man arrived with my new console was dampened a little by a surprise £38 import tax (that’s what I get for importing from Japan and not waiting for the UK release). To be honest though, it didn’t bother me too much because I was so eager to get at my DSi XL. Play-Asia had packaged a pretty neat set of screwdrivers with my order (maybe to compensate for not warning me about the import tax).
The console was packed in a thin and sleek box. Inside it were Japanese instructions and a Japanese power cable (my mains adaptor is on its way) next to the console itself.
Despite all the pictures I’ve seen of it before, I was still (surprisingly) surprised at its size. The screens are really nice to look at. I’m not sure how to say it other than, “the screens look really big”. They’re certainly striking and made me say “wow”. I was definitely impressed.
Maths Brain Training also doubles as a Japanese trainer. Unfortunately for those not wishing to learn a new language, you can't change it to English (on my imported console).
Unfortunately, the Brain Training games which are included in the systems are almost impossible to play in Japanese (maybe people who have played them in English will know what to do, but I hadn’t a clue). I did find writing on the screen to be more enjoyable even if the numbers I wrote were complete guesses. Not only are the bigger screens nicer to write on, but the new pen is much more comfortable than the stylus. I don’t think I’ll ever use the stylus again. If you have an older DS and aren’t planning to upgrade to the new console, you should at least buy a new pen. I don’t know why they didn’t think of it before.
People have been worried about the larger pixels being more noticeable. I wasn’t looking for it particularly but I didn’t notice them. I was impressed all round by the screens.
Although I’ve read a lot of web pages about the DSi XL, I never picked up on the fact that (probably due to popular demand) the top of the console once again has a glossy finish unlike the matte finish on the original DSi. On the underside of the console the matt finish remains. I think the idea is that the matt finish will be easier to grip, not that the gloss finish ever caused me to drop my DS Lite.
People have said that the new system might be too big but it fits in my jeans’ pockets fine and sticks out less than my wallet (maybe because it’s stuffed with cash, more likely with overdrawn bank cards used for importing games consoles).
Who should get: I have a big TV and big laptop screen. I’m a fan of big screens so I appreciate this hardware improvement more than any of the extra stuff that was introduced with the DSi. I had a DS Lite and definitely think it is worth the cost of the upgrade if you spend a lot of time on your DS.
What do you think? Will you be buying one? If you already have one, please leave your own review.
