video games

Nintendo DSi XL - will YOU be upgrading?

(GUARDIAN) - The 4.2 inch screens are a whopping 93 percent larger than those of the Nintendo DS Lite, the displays are beautifully bright and glossy and the combination of matt underside and gloss cover is a perfect marriage of style and gripping power. But will you be forking out the required £160 for a DS upgrade today?

I’ve been playing on my Japanese DSi XL for a week or so, and it is a subtly enhanced experience. With the larger screen, I’m finding some elements of hectic action titles like GTA Chinatown Wars and Space Invaders Extreme 2 a little easier. Indeed, any action that requires pixel perfect precision is going to become a teeny bit less challenging with the XL’s larger display, though, of course, there’s no change in screen resolution (not that most gamers will notice). Space Invaders really benefits from the added visual impact, its psychedelic onslaught proving rather mind-blowing at 1am in the morning with your bedroom lights off.

It’s noticeably heavier than the previous iterations - 100g heavier to be precise, but what I really noticed is the change in balance, the upper screen weight slightly toppling the displays away from you if you have the hinges open as far as possible. But then, I like that solidity, and it also feels really comfortable to hold - plus, the fact that the buttons retain their size means there’s more space for big, clumsy banger-like fingers.

Read full story