New Nintendo 2DS XL Pokeball Edition (Non-geek) Review

Here's the New Nintendo 2DS XL (N2DSXL) handheld console and this one is the Pokeball Edition which looks pretty awesome, probably the best looking New 2DS XL so far. 2DS is the same as the 3DS minus the 3D screen gimmick.

PACKAGING

The New 2DS XL have the AR cards, some paperwork and the console with a charger as a nice addition in the packaging. N2DSXL is a bit more expensive than the older 2DS.

NEW NINTENDO 2DS XL CONSOLE

The N2DSXL, as the name suggests, is the newer version of the 2DS. The design of the console looks better than the New 3DS XL in my opinion. It's slimmer and have that modern feel. The build of the console felt cheap the top screen is wobbly. The shell of the console is made of plastic and I can tell that it looks like a thin plastic because the lights from the LED indicators pass through the plastic.

The circle pad felt smooth which is good, it's better than the PSP's analogue stick. The directional buttons are clicky and the home button felt mushy.

The new addition to the N2DSXL is the C-stick. It's like those you found on older laptops and mobile phones, It works well, but it needs some getting used to. The face buttons, like the directional buttons, are clicky. The start, select and power button are kinda mushy.

The N2DSXL have the L and R shoulder buttons, ZL and ZR are new in this model. The IR sensor and the charging port are on this side as well.

The front-facing camera peeks out when you fold the console because of the console's slimmer design. The notification light and microphone is present with the camera.

The rear dual cameras are there for compatibility reasons. You can still take 3D photos but you can't view the 3D effect in this model. These cameras are located behind the bottom part of the console.

The headphone jack and the stylus are located on the bottom which is good because the cord wont get in your way. I forgot to take the photo of the flap beside the heaphone jack where you can insert the game card and the micro SD card. It's a good design choice because you won't accidentally eject the game card and you don't have to de-screw and open the console to just insert a micro SD card.

The volume slider is located of the left hand side and the speakers are located at the bottom. The speakers can get muffled by your hand (depending on how you hold the console).

The stylus is very, very short. It's not good for those who have big hands. If you have a longer stylus around, I prefer that you use it.

See? The stylus is shorter than the console itself.

The dual screens are obviously larger. The top screen have 16:9 aspect ratio while the bottom screen (touch screen) have 4:3 aspect ratio. I don't know why Nintendo made it that way but if they're going to make a successor to 3DS/2DS I want both screens to have the same aspect ratio. The downside is that I can see the the console's low resolution graphics. For example. I can see the jagged edges on the graphics and fussy edges of some texts. I still prefer the larger screens though.

POKEBALL EDITION QUIRK

See the large circular button on the center of this N2DSXL? Well you can press it. It doesn't light up or play any sounds though, still it's a nice novelty. Unfortunately this edition doesn't have any pre-installed Pokemon related software/games in it. I was expecting that it got those Pokemon Gold/Silver versions installed.

INTERFACE

If you previously (or currently) own a DS and/or DSi, you'll easily get the hang of the 2DS/3DS's interface. It's user friendly and have pre-installed software that you can play and enjoy like the AR games (you need AR cards to play), Face Raiders and Mii Plaza. I must say I had fun with a huge smile with Face Raiders.

OTHER FEATURES

The 3DS/2DS have that playful vibe because it makes you interact with other people that have 3DS systems thanks to StreetPass, SpotPass and Mii Plaza. It also lets you to go out and take a stroll because of the console's pedometer feature that rewards you with coins to spend on in-game items that supported it. This console also have a gyroscope that works well when I play Face Raiders

The console also have WiFi for web browsing, online play and for downloading games/DLC. It also an NFC reader for Amibos which the old 3DS/2DS doesn't have. Place the Amibo on the top of the bottom screen (touchscreen) to receive the Amibo's in-game goodies.

BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY

The 3DS/2DS family of systems are backwards compatible with DS games. You can enjoy the DS/3DS's huge library of games.

CLOSING REMARKS

The older 2DS are intended for children while the N2DSXL are for adults that can take care of their stuff. I mean the N2DSXL have questionable build quality and use of plastic material. I'm afraid that it will break easily if I accidentally drop it. Still the N2DSXL looks much better than the N3DSXL. The buttons felt fine and functions well but felt kinda awkward at first because of the clickiness of the d-pad and face buttons. The larger screens shows some jagged edges on the game's graphics but I still like it, because larger screens are better in my opinion. The interface is user friendly and full of features that keeps you active physically and socially. Lastly, you can enjoy a ton of games thanks to its DS backwards compatibility. 

This Pokeball Edition N2DSXL is, in my opinion, the best looking 3DS system.