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We spent a good chunk of time getting to know Nintendo’s 3DS XL, which sidesteps the notion of a second analog stick — despite peripherals adding one to the older model. Now Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, has weighed in on the game maker’s decision, saying that trade-offs were made for both battery life and the overall size of the unit. Iwata shrugged off those controller complaints, saying: “[The lack of a second stick] isn’t my main focus when I look at the 3DS XL, it’s one point we had to cover, but for me personally I’m quite happy with the product we’re able to offer. ” If you’re serious about your strafing and shooting, at least there’s the eventual super-sized add-on.

Filed under: Gaming

Nintendo president: 3DS XL isn’t big enough for a second analog stick originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 05:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we’re still itching to handle its bigger (and more stylish) XL iteration, that hasn’t stopped Nintendo rolling out the acid colors for two Asia-bound handhelds. The 3DS in Cerulean (the bright blue one) and Shimmer (the hot pink version) will hit stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan, accompanying the launch of the 3DS XL in September. No word from Nintendo so far on whether it’ll follow the Aubergine-hued model to the US .

Nintendo debuts new 3DS variants in spicy summer colors originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Nintendo 3DS XL, the latest iteration of the Nintendo 3DS, has just been caught in the first of what is guaranteed to be a potential flood of hands-on experiences. The combined power of NeoGAF posters as well as Google Translate has led us to believe that the kind French folks who gave the Nintendo 3DS XL a go are far happier with the handheld console from Japan instead of their national soccer team who crashed out of the quarter finals in the Euro 2012 championship at the hands – or should I say, feet of Spain. We do know that the larger viewing area offers a more immersive gaming experience as well as a better viewing angle, in addition to more natural 3D effects.

The 2D mode has also been touted to look a whole lot more superior compared to the standard issue Nintendo 3DS, and there might just be a possibility of a filter as reports trickle in to say that images displayed are easier on the eyes. The rounded corners also fulfill their ergonomic purpose, and the unit is lighter than it looks – which is always a good thing if you are going to spend hours on this puppy.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nintendo launches New Super Mario Bros. 2 website, Pokémon Black & White 2 sells 1.6 million copies in a couple of days,

Despite the fact that Nintendo’s 3DS is an excellent hand-held console, 3DS sales haven’t been on par with what the company was expecting.

But perhaps Nintendo’s brand new Nintendo 3DS XL will turn the tides. It’s very similar to a regular 3DS, but with 90 percent larger screens. According to Nintendo’s official release, it comes with a 4GB SD card, better battery life, and both Blue and Red color flavors. Access to the Nintendo eShop is obviously available, but users will also be able to pick up Super Mario Bros. 2 on launch day, August 19.

We’ve seen a huge trend lately with OEMs increasing screen size on smartphones, where gaming has grown to be more and more prevalent, slowing chipping away at Nintendo sales. It only makes sense that Nintendo would take a hint and offer more screen real estate on their portable gaming devices.

The Nintendo 3DS XL will be available August 19 for an MSRP of $199.99.

[image via Reddit]

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