Nintendo weren't lying when they said that the DS systems weren't going anywhere at their Direct this year, because they've blessed us with the beauty of a New Nintendo 2DS XL in two colour schemes: white and orange, and black and turquoise. We got hands-on with the former, so we're going to let you know what the super sleek, upgraded console is all about.
Inside the box
You get 6 x AR cards for use with the Augmented Reality software that's already pre-installed on the console. Featuring: Question Block, Mario, Link, Kirby, Metroid and Pikmiin - all the classic Nintendo characters!
Possibly the best new addition? Guys, there's a charger! That's right, global purchases for the New Nintendo 2DS XL will receive a mains wall plug charger for that region. The previous versions didn't contain a charger as standard, so Nintendo gamers across the world will rejoice!
Looks
The outer casing clamshell design is coloured mainly in white with orange accents. The white plate is a matte design with embossed diagonal stripes and glossy orange edges surround it, which is a nice contrast of textures. Finally, for a little touch of Nintendo, their logo sits just in the bottom corner.
Flipping it up to the front edge, you have a speaker on each side, a standard headphone jack, the slot for the included stylus pen, the orange power button, and lights to indicate charging and wireless functions. This main compartment here opens for your Nintendo DS, 2DS or 3DS game card, and there's also a slot for the included Micro SDHC memory card, which stands at 4GB. You can, of course, buy larger memory cards if you manage to fill it!
Let's take a look at the other side, which is where your right and left bumpers sit, again in that snazzy orange detail. The ZL and ZR buttons are here too, and there's a charging port for use after a long day of gaming.
Opened up, the main asset that you simply can't ignore are the XL style screens glistening up at you. These are much bigger than the standard 2DS, with the main one measuring at 4.88 inches, packing in more gaming loveliness on a larger scale.
The C-stick is just above the ABXY buttons for enhanced controls in compatible games, and NFC (near-field communication) is built into the lower screen. Just tap an amiibo on here to enhance your games in surprising new ways!
Then, you've got your standard D-pad, main analog stick, home button and start/select buttons. Right in the middle of the fold is the camera which has been upgraded to let you take better pictures under dim lighting conditions and there's a microphone function, too.
Naturally, the New Nintendo 2DS XL will continue to make use of SpotPass (where you can detect wireless hotspots, LAN access points) and StreetPass (where you can receive Mii character and gameplay info of the Nintendo gamers around you).
You've got the power!
But it's not just had a visual makeover - The New Nintendo 2DS XL packs a powerful punch with improved CPU performance, allowing for faster loading of applications, and faster speeds for downloading software. You can enjoy videos online using the Internet Browser installed on the console, plus automatic brightness adjustment optimises the screen to offer the best view for your current surroundings. It truly is the most advanced DS handheld console ever.
The New Nintendo 2DS XL in White and Orange or Black and Turquoise are out now.
Written by Lucy Hale