Nintendo DSi XL Red Bundle with Mario Kart [video game]

The DSi XL is not for everyone. Nintendo specifically said it wasn't for everyone, so it makes little sense to purchase one if you're looking for an upgrade from the DSi. The XL is not supposed to be a cutting edge/newest technology/must-have portable gaming system. Here are the people who would be disappointed to spend money on a DSi XL: 1. Techno-geeks, especially those who already own a DSi--you probably already know this and have moved on, but if you're still reading, you won't like the DSi XL. It's graphics are NOT sharper than a DS lite nor DSi. Yes, the screen is larger but if the visuals start as slightly pixelated on a small screen, the effect is magnified and more choppy on the large screen. It's certainly not a dealbreaker but you're about as far from HD quality as you can throw this thing. The camera is a toy not a tool. The memory is limited. The browser won't match the gaming system/smart phone/PSP/3 you already own. 2. Owners of a DSi that like portability and have "young" eyes--you've already worked your way up from a GBA to a DS to a DSi and each one has better visuals than the last. There is no advantage to sinking another $180 into another system unless you're having trouble seeing details in your current games. This model is substantially bigger but also heftier and burns through its charge at a faster pace. Save your money and keep your DSi 3. Nintendo fans that have a large library of favorite gameboy games--you'll hate the larger system that takes up more real estate but *still* doesn't have a GBA slot. 4. DS lite owners with a ton of accessories and a small budget--all those extra chargers and lighter adapters and cases will be useless on the DSi XL. 5. Super hardcore gamers who are gore-fest lovers--there are very few titles that are those zombie-shooting, parts-flying, blood-splattering type of games that grab the T and M ratings. And on the DS/i systems, you can't really feel that adrenaline rush in the same way. Plus many of the T/M rated games aren't that good on the Nintendo system (there are a few exceptions) ******************** Now who SHOULD definitely get a DSi or DSiXL: 1. DS (or DS lite) owners who have waited--stop waiting. Now is the time to upgrade to a DSi XL or snatch up a preowned DSi. The screens are bigger and brighter and the downloadable games have a lot of very good titles (and some pretty bad ones so read up before buying) 2. People with a means to carry the DSi XL (like women with purses)--yes that sounds so sexist but this system can't fit in a pocket as smoothly as the "junior" version. It's heavier and more likely to fall out. I suspect it will follow the general rule "the bigger the screen, the more often it'll break" But if you have the means to safely cart it around, the big screen is much easier on the eyes. It's worth the inconvenience of the larger/heavier size, but then again, I have a purse. 3. Parents of younger kids--many of the games are geared toward a younger audience and there is nothing more straightforward than a stylus touchscreen as a means of control. It's terrific to hand my DSi XL to my bored daughter when waiting in a long line. 4. Fans of atypical games--like puzzles? Word games? Brain challenges? Interactive cooking instructions? This is the system for you. The selection of games is strong and many are addictive. The "typical" game library is excellent too but don't expect that high-resolution, online multiplayer experience with voice support to be the majority of your gaming experience on this system. 5. Fan of Nintendo games but wish they were easier to see--you don't have to have visual problems to appreciate a larger screen. Many a TV buyer has wished they bought one size up. In summary, the DSi XL is a great choice if you want a larger screen, portable system (with a means to carry it), and access to a wide variety of games, puzzlers, and atypical applications. I really like mine. The DSi XL is an access gaming system. Like the Wii, it's not intended to wow the gaming world; it's supposed to broaden it.

The Nintendo DS has been the best handheld game system of all time and well worthy of that! It has a great library of games and over all great performance. When the DSi came out, it just added a lot more with the downloadable games, applications, and other dsiware. It also had a movie maker, a sound channel for music, and other cool features. The only things I didn't like is that the system is now region-coded which means some games it will not play like RPG Maker and Pokemon Black & White versions, it also lost all the languages the DS had like Japanese and German. It made sure to get English, Spanish, & French which I find a annoying to include those languages on a system released in the United States. The DSiXL just is a bigger screen, which is very nice. The system itself is great! The limited edition red is why I actually got it. I already had a the DSiLL from Japan, but when games were starting to be region-coded, I had to get an English one. The red looks awesome and and with the Super Mario icons on the front. This system comes with 3 donwloaded games! Nintendo's choice in the downloaded games are just insulting which is why I gave this a 4 instead of a 5. I payed for a GAME system, not a LEARNING system. It comes with Brain Age and 2 other learning games. Why would they do that? I am never going to play that crap! What Nintendo should have done was just give players a free 2000 points for the DSi Shop Channel to let them download whatever they want if they want to give you 3 games. Everyone I know who has the Brain Age games on a Nintendo DS cartridge played them once and received them as gifts. The bottom-line is, no one wants them. They sell OK in Europe. As for the shop channel, there are just tons of games and software online. Also, you get Mario Kart DS. Without question, I can say this is the ABSOLUTE best Nintendo DS games, even though it is 5 years old. You have 16 original DS tracks, 4 SNES tracks, 4 GBA tracks, 4 N64 tracks, and 4 Gamecube tracks. The tracks that they chose to bring back were the best in the series with the exception of Super Mario Circuit 1. Many would have preferred Super Mario Circuit 2 (with the jump), but the track selection is good enough to make you ignore that 1 stage. Mario Kart provided hours of entertainment. You have 1-Player GP mode. The more cups and CC's you complete, the more cars and characters you get. You can also get ranks which will show up online. I have *** ranks on everything. You have mission mode where each class has 8 missions and then a boss. Most of the missions are driving through gates, power-sliding, collecting coins, and shooting enemies. The bosses are all different. There are 6 classes of missions where if you beat them all, you get class 7 which has 7 missions. You can do battle-mode and VS race in single player mode, you can do vs mode up to 8 players on wireless gameplay. For those who don't have the game, you play as Shy Guy. You can even go online and play against other players around the world with 4 people playing at the same time. You can draw your own picture and have it appear online and anywhere that has wireless 2-Player mode. It is easy to see why Mario Kart DS is probably the best thing to hit the Nintendo DS. And the greatest part of all, YOU NEVER ARE FORCED TO USE THE DREADED TOUCHSCREEN AS THE MAIN CONTROLLER. You can use it to switch map views, but you can just press another button. You can select stuff on menus, but again, why do that when you can use the buttons. This is by far the best Nintendo DS system yet (if it weren't region-locked).

Even with the 3ds coming soon (I'm not a fan of 3d...) I purchased this package. I already own Mario Kart DS, but for $10 more it comes in red, and that sold it for me. Plus I am selling the game cart on amazon (it is in shrink wrap original retail packaging - so you can list as new). I traded up from a DS Lite and was astonished at the difference in screen size and clarity. The battery life is also much greater, even with standard brightness. The sound is still terrible through the speakers, but is nice with headphones (I use Sennheiser HD). The Mario decals are put on well and haven't given any indication of rubbing off. There is also an extra large red stylus (which all DSI XLs include). So if you don't have Mario Kart DS, or if you are like me and remember playing Super Mario Bros 20+ years ago, then go for this special edition. I have a soft spot for Mario and always have a fond smile for those memories every time I see this DS. As far as games go, the DS is, in my humble opinion, the best system on the market for quality games. If you want flashy, cinematic games, then play some PS3 (which I own). But i spend 10x the amount of time on the DS than I do on the PS3 just due to the sheer number of great games. They are not the flashiest games with the biggest budget, but what they lack in flash they make up for in content (for the most part!). If you are a classic RPG fan then there has been no greater system ever made - all of the great NES and SNES RPGS are being remade for this system which is great news! There are only a couple of PSP titles I would like on the DS, though I know the hardware is different (FF Crisis Core, FFT War of Lions, and a few others), but it's not worth getting the PSP over the DS just for a few games. Some of the games to investigate: Mario and Bowser, Mario Kart, FF3, Crono Trigger, all the Dragon Quest games, anything made by Atlus (especially Disgea), Castlevania OoE, Zelda (both), Pokemon, Nostalgia, FF Warriors of Light, Mega Man Zero Collection, and more!!!!!!! Seriously a retro gamers dream come true! The larger size of the XL is better for adult hands also (though thin enough to where kids should be okay). The headphone jack is still a little close to the bottom right edge, and the top is a little wobbly when open (what's up with that- must be learning from Gateway Laptops)... but those are my only beefs. So enough of my rambling. In summary: Larger screen = yay, great package with Mario Kart, nice color, great overall system, larger and fits adult hands a little better, amazing game library. Buy now!

Nintendo does it again! I am going to be honest when i say i really wanted the BURGUNDY colored DSi XL. However, when i stopped by my local Toys R Us today, there weren't any on display. I couldn't imagine myself walking around with a Pink DSi XL. I'm a guy after all! Hahaha This is an extremely well built device. One can feel the quality when the device is in your hand (Even though it says Made in China on the back). After all, this is Nintendo & they always deliver. I never upgraded to the DSi and i am so glad i held off because i didn't want to sacrifice my DS Lite and lose out on all my GB Advance games. I have been waiting for this device ever since i heard it was coming out last holiday and it's finally arrived in the US. I am beyond pleased with my upgrade. For anyone who is debating on whether they should shell out the money for the DSi XL - I would recommend that you do yourself a favor & UPGRADE! For the two huge screens alone, it's totally worth it. I still kept my DS Lite because I do enjoy the backwards capability of the GBA games. It would have been nice if the GBA slot was incorporated in the fourth-generation DS, but its not. The main attraction of the DSi XL is OBVIOUSLY the two HUGE screens. All the DS games look absolutely GORGEOUS on this thing. All the games look exactly the same as they do on the original DS except they're all enlarged to accommodate the bigger screens. Yes, the blocks/pixels (Whatever you wanna call it) do look a bit more noticeable, but then again it did as well on the original DS. You'll notice it at first, but after a few seconds of playing you'll find yourself completely immersed in your game to even notice something so minor. I have the bronze version and the only thing that is bronze is the side accent chrome and the back. The cover is a matte finish and yes, it's a finger magnet, but it has a sheik Manhattan trendy look to it (Very Fashion Forward). However, the cover and the inside look more like a charcoal grey and black more then it does brown or bronze. Even with my lamp turned on right next to the XL, it looks like black. It's still a very portable gaming device on the go. Despite what reviewers are saying, it's still a pocket friendly device and its easy to just throw in a purse, bag, or backpack on your way to work. Its exquisite use for a train ride, a plane ride, a scroll around Central Park, or when traveling abroad and you need a good diversion to keep yourself entertained. Just when everyone thought thin was in for technology, Nintendo does a complete u-turn and marches to the beat of their own drum. Pros: Good quality sturdy build Internet Browser Ninety-Three Percent Larger Screens (Absolutely gorgeous) New Interface (Not for DSi users though) Music Player (I wish it had a video player) Three Built in Games (Brain Age Math, Brian Age Arts, & some photo thingy) DSi Shop (This is probably the future of gaming where everything is digital downloads) Cons: No video player Micro card (I'd prefer Micro SD) No Dictionary (I think the Japanese & UK versions had a built in dictionary)

Pros: - Larger screen - 2 cameras - SD storage slot - Easy to navigate interface - Direct upload to Facebook - Brain Age Express Cons: - No buttons for brightness control - Internet not as useful - DS store is a bit lacking I'm a long time owner of Nintendo handheld products since from the large clunky Game Boy from the 90s. But 2 years ago I broke that tradition and got myself a PSP. Don't get me wrong, I love Nintendo games and the PSP has grown on me. The thing that kept me from getting a DS earlier was the price of games. It's always been Nintendo's standard not to come out with a cart that can be cheaper. They staved off selling CDs like everyone else for the longest time. But when the DSi came out I thought it would enhance an already growing catalog with online support and shopping for older carts much like the PS Store. The interface of the DSi XL is nice, easy to scroll through and to customize cart locations yourself. The Brain Age Express game that came with it was pretty nice too since because it's really a great learning game for people of any age. That was a good move on Nintendo's part. The cameras are pretty useful too. Some would question the need for two but it does make sense in that if you want to take photos it's not like the phone cameras where you can't see yourself before you take the shot. Also complimenting the internal memory is the SD slot, in which you can easily copy photos, and game settings. And you can upload directly to Facebook and other sites, which is also a nice addition. The Nintendo store is still in it's infancy stages as you need to purchase points to buy a lot of the games there. The internal memory storage is quite sufficient. Though I've never purchased any of the games they have available. Unfortunately, the games in the DS shop aren't the same you'd find in stores, which makes it a bit less attractive if they don't offer the DS's regular catalog or even classic GBA titles for sale. Hopefully, Nintendo will improve on this throughout the years. Internet is another fishy thing. I only visit 3-4 sites before the DS tells me I run out of memory. So right now the internet is out too. There are a few other drawing programs and a clock feature but other than that it's main thing you're going to use it for is gaming. And that is something the DSi XL is very good at. The main gripe I have about it is that I can't control things like the brightness or turn off the internet without resetting the DS and going into their on screen control panel. These things would have been easier if there were some on board button directly on the console. This is a great stepping stone. Once Nintendo works out it's kinks perhaps the next rendition will be an improvement to what has the potential to be a very powerful multimedia device.

Not worth $150. Completely scratched up, when you flip it open it has no support so it’s all flimsy can’t even really play it. The screen to tap is practically out. And didn’t even came with the correct stencil

This is the first DS I've owned. My children have the DS Lites so I'm not new to the systems. I've been playing on a Gameboy SP for the past couple of years. My favorite game was Harvest moon and I'd play it about 20 minutes a night. When I bought the DSI XL, I also bought a Harvest moon game to go with it and I haven't wanted to put the system down. Forget the 20 minutes a night. I'll play for at least 2 hours a night! The screen has made that much of a difference! My eyes don't get tired like they used to. I didn't even notice at the time how much I was squinting. My children are in love with the DSI XL too now (they keep taking mine). My daughter, 11, loves the camera and voice features. My son, 15, says it's so much easier to play Line Rider 2 with the bigger screen. We have shared pictures and many laughs with this system and the way it manipulates the pictures and voices. Who knew the word jalapeno could be funny in a voice recording? I had no problem hooking this up to my wi-fi. It connected within a minute and I surf the web, though slowly as I expected it would be. I usually shut wireless off on the system though as I think it eats up the battery way too fast. I've downloaded a game from dsi ware and had no problems with that. The DSI XL is easy set up-I haven't even read the guide yet and I'm usually the kind of person to do that, but I just haven't needed to as it's pretty easy to understand. The one thing I don't like about my Bronze DSI XL is that the top section moves after I open it. I'll put it in the second position and if I move the system the top section moves forward and back. I'm not sure if this is suppose to do this or not. I've gone to game stores to check displays but no one displays the DSI XL. I don't understand why as this is a great system. I highly recommend this system for all ages. I'm not even sad that it's not backward compatible because there is so much to do on this system and over a thousand games that can be bought for it. I'll still keep my Gameboy SP for my Gameboy games though honestly I haven't touched that since I've got the XL. And let me mention one last time the screens are AWESOME!

I'm 64, and my wife isn't (but she's close). I have been able to see the smaller items on a DS Lite better than she could. The XL's screen size, though is great for both of us. Mah-jongg tiles and smaller pieces in any game are much easier to see and match. My wife loves to play card games and she had a problem with seeing the card identifiers on the DS Lite.The XL, though, lets her see the cards clearly so she can play. The weight is a factor, but I think the problem is getting used to holding it more than the weight itself. Had the first DS been this size and weight, I doubt either would have been an issue. It's just a matter of adapting to something different. We am very impressed with the sound. We both have hearing loss and the music and voices are much, much clearer on the XL than DS Lite. The cameras take better quality photos than we expected. That was a big surprise. We do not have wireless, so I can't speak to those features. The included games are fun, and we will play them, but they were not the reason we bought the one XL (and we're considering a second). The main draw for us was the larger size and we couldn't be more pleased. If you are a senior try an XL. The difference is amazing. And, there are many great games that are fun for folks a bit older (though many more could and should be if the game designers were interested in a huge market). Since it's unseemly for folks our age to fight over toys, I'm pretty certain another XL will be ordered soon. (As a side note, I have seen discussions about screen protectors. I bought the Hori and had no trouble installing them and the stylus works great with them. I've reviewed it on Amazon at the link below.) Nintendo DSi XL Screen Protective Filter