Nintendo Launches 3DS XL for $200

Nintendo

The Nintendo 3DS just not cutting it anymore? The Nintendo 3DS XL has officially launched across the globe and is available now at a retail price of $199.99.

The handheld system improves on the original 3DS that launched last year. The 3DS XL boasts a 90 percent larger screen, which Nintendo says will really allow games on screen to come to life. The game also features parental controls to let adults manage their child’s access.

With the release of the new handheld console comes a fresh game. New Super Mario Bros. 2 has also hit store shelves at a retail price of $39.99.

The game is the follow-up to the best-selling Nintendo DS game of all time. Not only is the game available in stores, it can also be downloaded directly onto the 3DS over a broadband Internet connection or purchased digitally through the Nintendo eShop.

Nintendo 3DS XL vs 3DS

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is designed to take advantage of the larger screen size. Vibrant colors and a ton of gold coins will engage gamers into the world of the Italian plumbers.

The game features a new Coin Rush mode to add a new level of connectivity with other players. Gamers will rush through three back-to-back-to-back levels, collecting coins and passing the level at a fast pace. Players can attempt to beat high scores of other players they encounter through StreetPass.

StreetPass picks up other 3DS players nearby so they can be engaged in games. The handheld console also features SpotPass, which is a wireless Internet connection that can be used whenever available.

For the first time in a portable game, two gamers can play as Mario and Luigi through the entire game together over a local wireless connection. When playing together, each player will receive double the coins.

In an effort to get veteran players to help gamers new to the Super Mario Bros. franchise, one player can take charge and control what can be viewed on the screen. New Super Mario Bros. 2 adds a whole new level of connectivity to 2D platforming.

Ryan Bloom

Ryan Bloom

Associate Editor at Gaming Illustrated
Ryan Bloom is a writer and avid gamer from Santa Ana, CA. He received a B.A. in Communications with a minor in American Studies from California State University, Fullerton in 2010. Follow him on Twitter @BloomsTweets.
Ryan Bloom

@BloomsTweets

Associate Editor, News & Preview Lead, Game Reviewer for @GamingIllustrat, professional writer and multimedia journalist
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