Do you need to buy a DSi XL?

The DSi launch may still be fresh in the memory, but as you’re probably well aware Nintendo is due to release yet another revision of its dual-screen hardware this week.

Launching across Europe on the 5th March, the DSi XL is essentially a larger version of the same machine that hit store shelves less than a year ago and hopefully by the end of this feature you’ll have decided if making a purchase is something you should give serious thought to.

The hardware

As we stated in our review of the Japanese DSi XL (dubbed the LL over there) back in January, the XL is basically the standard DSi writ large.

The capacious 4.2 inch screens are bold, colourful and immediately striking, despite the fact that in terms of resolution they don’t feature any more pixels than the first DS console did way back in 2005.

The larger format of the machine naturally reduces its portability but not to the point where you’re going to avoid taking it out of the house. In fact the increased size makes it easier to play on for prolonged periods: hand cramps are a less pressing problem.

Aside from a modified stylus (which is shaped to look exactly like a writing pen) there’s little else here that's different from the standard DSi. You can still take photos, download DSiWare games and surf the internet.

The machine also takes SD cards for storing photos and music tracks - although in this regard the XL is highly unlikely to trouble the iPod any time soon.

The machine will be available in two colours at launch - wine red and dark brown. To be brutally honest, neither hue really gets our pulses racing, but these unassuming shades are likely to appeal to older gamers - which is of course all part of Nintendo’s overriding strategy for the console.

Gaming on the go

The biggest bonus to the DSi XL is unquestionably the larger screens which make playing almost any game an absolute joy. Older DS titles look positively stunning and the XL provides the ideal excuse to dig out classic releases from a few years back.

Of course, DSiWare is also something to consider: the XL comes pre-loaded with A Little Bit of... Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: Arts Edition and Dictionary 6 in 1 with Camera Function. These are neat diversions for a while, but you’ll soon become bored and want to get your hands on other titles.

While the selection of games currently available via the DSiWare portal doesn’t come anywhere close to matching the abundance of software on Apple’s App Store, we’ve nevertheless seen some stellar releases since Nintendo opening its digital shop front in ‘09.

Art Style: PiCOPiCT was an early success, but we’ve also had Mighty Flip Champs, Starship Patrol, Reflect Missile, Glow Artisan, Dark Void Zero and - more recently - ports of the incredibly popular iPhone games Fieldrunners and Flight Control.

Of course, there are also old-fashioned cartridges to consider. Because the DS format is over half a decade old it’s now possible to pick up some classic titles for very little cash, so arguably there’s never been a more opportune time to become a DS owner.

Games such as New Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Dragon Quest: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, GTA Chinatown Wars and Advance Wars: Dark Conflict are all cheap as chips these days and deserve to be experienced by any right-minded gamer.

To buy or not to buy?

Now to the difficult part - should you lay down the £159.99 required to purchase this new device?

It all really depends on what you currently own. If you excitedly rushed to the shops to get your shiny new DSi around this time last year then it doesn’t make a massive amount of sense to do the same again with the XL.

Aside from the obvious increase in mass, the machine is technically identical to its predecessor. It can play DSiWare titles, access the net, and do all the other things that make the XL stand out when compared to the vanilla DS Phat or DS Lite.

In fact, it’s only if you own one of these two older machines - or better still, don’t have a DS at all - that the XL starts to make sense as a retail purchase.

Both the original DS and DS Lite are incapable of playing downloadable software and can only access the internet when using a specially-produced cartridge. They also lack a built-in digital camera for all the face-warping tomfoolery that makes the DSi and DSi XL such a hoot.

Taking all of this into account, the XL is a pretty attractive purchase. It’s certainly the most comfortable iteration of Nintendo’s dual-screen wonder that we’ve used, and the bigger displays make more of a difference than you might initially expect.

It’s unquestionably more of an evolution than a revolution but it proves that Nintendo knows how to make solid, comfortable, and dependable hardware that is likely to find an audience - indeed, we can see the XL appealing to older gamers who struggle with the child-like dimensions of traditional handheld machines.