In 2004, Nintendo debuted the DS, the first handheld gaming console to include two screens working simultaneously within a singular game. It was groundbreaking, it amazed the masses, and it sent Nintendo higher-ups laughing all the way to the bank to cash ridiculous bonuses. (Little-known fact: They each own a Cadillac made out of solid gold. Probably.)
Then, the Game Boy Micro debuted the following year. It was supposed to bring back the nostalgic feeling of holding an original Nintendo controller. It had a small screen and fit in even the smallest of pockets. It was cute, the same way your neighbor's baby is...until it starts throwing up on your shoes and shitting on the walls. And there was a problem: Nobody bought it. It was flop-tacular.
Nearly half a decade later, the Japanese developer is reversing course and really shooting for the stars this time with the Nintendo DSi XL. We got our hands on one at a private demo in NYC and it blew us away. It's large (50 percent heftier) and in charge (93 percent more screen area), but, even better, the battery life has been upped. The XL sports anywhere from 4 to 17 hours of gaming, depending on the brightness settings, a marked increase from its predecessor.
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| From left to right: NY Giants Danny Ware and Ahmad Bradshaw prove that larger gaming consoles make football players feel tingly in their tummies. Andre Brown? Not so much. | Foreshadowing? Diamond-encrusted DSi with red lips design says Giants fans should kiss next season goodbye. |
We played some Mario Kart on both the DSi and XL to feel the change. We have to say, holding a larger console in our hands was a real treat. The added weight made the unit feel more secure while we were handling it, and the buttons were spaced enough so that our palms weren't even the vicinity of the Start or Select buttons. Real estate is definitely a premium with the DSi, especially noticeable when you're trying to maneuver the unit's shoulder buttons with your fingers while avoiding pressing anything else.
There was no indication that the intestines of the DSi were changed. The performance of the game seemed to be on par with what we experienced before...just BIGGER. Sure, there was some pixelation—it's to be expected when stretching the image in older games like Mario Kart—but Nintendo confirmed that their games going forward will be developed with the XL's larger image in mind.
Along with its regular offering of Mario and Zelda games, the new DSi boasts more accuracy-intensive art applications like Flipnote Studio (the company's version of Microsoft Paint, but with animation tools). Other software the DSi XL comes with out of the box include: Photo Clock, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math, and the DSi Browser.
The biggest downside is, ironically, the size of the unit. The fits-in-your-pocket factor obviously depends on how big your pockets are, but we're more worried about how much easier it is for strangers on a train, for example, to invade your personal space by sneaking a peek. Try convincing the hottie sitting next to you that you're actually playing your little brother's copy of My Little Pony: Pinkie Pie's Party.
The Nintendo DSi XL, in burgundy or bronze, will be available March 28 for $190.