Nintendo DSi, DSi XL, 3DS help!

[KristiKelly]

DD6 wants a Nintendo DS for Christmas, but which one? DSi, DSi XL, 3DS? I know she wants one with a camera. Which is the best? Who has the best prices? Any Black Friday deals out there - preferably online. We will be @ WDW Thanksgiving week so I will not be able to physically go shopping, so online would be best. My Mom would possibly go "fight" for it that Friday if the deal is worth it. Any opinions are appreciated.

 

[mrseace711]

DD6 wants a Nintendo DS for Christmas, but which one? DSi, DSi XL, 3DS? I know she wants one with a camera. Which is the best? Who has the best prices? Any Black Friday deals out there - preferably online. We will be @ WDW Thanksgiving week so I will not be able to physically go shopping, so online would be best. My Mom would possibly go "fight" for it that Friday if the deal is worth it. Any opinions are appreciated.

DD9 has a DSi, not bad great for games. We were going to get DS5 an XL but decided on a different gift, but its just the larger size is the only difference. The 3DS Ive read bad reviews on so cant offer anything there. I'd go for the DSi or DS XL

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

My boys have the DSI XL and my dd11 has the regular DSI. They love it, although they do go in spurts with playing it. They love the camera feature..especially all the strange effects you can do with the pictures. I think the XL is good for younger kids (perfect for my 6 and 8 year olds), whereas older kids might find it too babyish.

I don't know anything about the 3D one.

For a 6-year-old, I would recommend getting a NERF case (available for both sizes).

I ended up getting both of the XL's on Amazon last Christmas. They offered those gold box (?) deals, and I saw these on there a few times!

 

[mischief32]

My DD has the XL. We love the bigger screen. My daughter has already loaded the camera up with pictures then you can do starnage things to them.. She just loves it..

 

[luvmy3]

I'm getting my dses the 3DS. My dd has a DSi and i like the features of the 3DS better. I looked at the DSi XL but I had read that the screen resolution is the same as the regular sized DSi so some of the games may look alittle distorted. I know that would bother my one ds so I wasn't going to chance it.

If you check nintendo.com you will find info on all the systems and then you can compare them and decide what would work for your dd. I took my dses to Target and they played around with the 3DS and decided that was the one they wanted. Maybe take your dd to a place where they have them all on display and see what one she likes the best.

 

[momto2inKC]

My kids have had every version of the Nintendo hand helds, back to when they were Gameboys THeir favorite by far is the DSI XL. They have no issues with the screen resolution. Neither has an interest in the 3D, I don't think i'd buy that version anyway. I've heard nothing but bad reviews on it.

 

[KristiKelly]

My kids have had every version of the Nintendo hand helds, back to when they were Gameboys THeir favorite by far is the DSI XL. They have no issues with the screen resolution. Neither has an interest in the 3D, I don't think i'd buy that version anyway. I've heard nothing but bad reviews on it.

Funny you should mention the Gameboy, we still have DS's Gameboy that is now 8 or 9 years old. DD plays with that.

Thanks everyone for the info. I will talk it over w/ DH tonight.

 

[drgreene1096]

My dd (9) has just the regular DS and she wants a dsi really bad. I have a dsi and don't use the camera feature, so I may trade with my dd so she can have that feature.

I bought my grandson (6) a dsi for his birthday, he didn't want the XL...said it was too big. My other grandson (4) is getting a dsi for Christmas. Then all the kids can play DS Download play when they are together.

I have heard horrible reviews on the DS 3D. I wouldn't buy it because of the reviews and the fact that I know the ds and dsi are great! Plus, my daughter has about 30 games that wouldn't work on the 3DS.

 

[Fyrefly]

DSi and DSi XL are the same system only the XL is bigger. I personally find the XL too big and the graphics look distorted to me. Unless you have a really little one who for some reason can't manage the buttons I wouldn't bother with an XL - their eyes are plenty good enough! I personally think the XL was a marketing ploy by Nintendo to attract the older demographic - people who are interested in the casual brain training and puzzle games but either don't have the vision to see the smaller screen, the dexterity to handle the device, or both.

3DS is the newest system. You will likely not see any game publishers making just plain DS games anymore, so if you get either DSi expect that the selection now is all you will ever find, and games for older systems naturally become harder to come by over time. The 3DS can also play the old DS games, and the 3D feature can be turned off if it causes issues.

I'm seeing new DSi's running for about $160 on Amazon and new DSi XL's for $180. A new 3DS is $170. So I don't see any reason not to get the most recent thing - it will have the longest useful life and the 3D isn't mandatory.

 

[QVCshopper]

I did a ton of research about the Nintendo DS line because my almost 6-year old son wants one. After comparing specs, reading reviews, talking to an eye doctor, and testing the systems, we went with the 3DS. I got it at Target for $169, minus $5 coupon, with free shipping, and $25 gift card back. It may go lower, but I'm in my 3rd trimester and getting tired of shopping.

Yes, the battery life is shorter, but it will last about 8 hours with the 3D turned off. You can parental control the 3D and turn it off, the games are backward compatible, the the 3DS has a toggle to control the game--all others have just buttons. Also, you can buy and download games; stream Netflix (I think, but I don't have it), and it has limited internet access. I paid less than the retail of a DSi ($149); the retail of the DSi XL is also $169.

Good luck with your decision! I encourage you to do some research before making your purchase, though. The 3DS reviews on Amazon are pretty good; I think the majority say that it's not worth upgrading if you already have a DSi or XL, but it's a good buy if you are just starting out like we are.

 

[luvmy3]

My dd (9) has just the regular DS and she wants a dsi really bad. I have a dsi and don't use the camera feature, so I may trade with my dd so she can have that feature.

I bought my grandson (6) a dsi for his birthday, he didn't want the XL...said it was too big. My other grandson (4) is getting a dsi for Christmas. Then all the kids can play DS Download play when they are together.

I have heard horrible reviews on the DS 3D. I wouldn't buy it because of the reviews and the fact that I know the ds and dsi are great! Plus, my daughter has about 30 games that wouldn't work on the 3DS.

Just wanted to point out that you can play all DS games on the 3DS. Obviously non-3D games won't have 3D capabilities but they can still be played on the 3DS.

 

[goofyredraider]

If you aren't picky on color, Target has the white DSI for $119, the others are 149. I have not seen any decent sales so far on them (other than the 3DS deal last week at Target).

 

[smitch425]

We have 2 XLs and we could not be happier! The larger screen is great! The 3DS is not that great for little one's eyes. As far as new games only being made for the 3DS, that is incorrect. While there are many games coming out this holiday season for the 3DS, there are SEVERAL new games for DS and DSi. I know this because my kids have a long list of games they want for their birthdays/Christmas. I kinda want a 3DS just to play the new Super Mario Land game, but the screen is terrible to look at and I have perfect vision. Of course, everyone is different, but my kids have played all of the systems and they prefer their XLs hands down. We are waiting for the new Wii U to come out. That will be the next major thing we get as far as game systems go.

As far as deals go, you might check GameStop. They sometimes sell refurbished units for a great price. They are very reputable and I believe they guarantee their stuff. We get used games there often (for multiple brands of game systems). We've never had any problems at all. Good luck with your decision!

 

[MomToPirate&Princess]

DS9 got a DSi for his birthday last year (a couple months before the 3DS came out). He plays it a lot. He tried the XL, but didn't like the way it handled and found it too big to take with him so he decided he wanted the DSi. Now he his finding that the new games he is most interested in are only available for the 3DS so he is wanting one of those (but is not getting it this year). If I had it to do over, I probably would have gone with the 3DS just to stay on top of the newest games.

 

[tlh0726]

We have 2 XLs and we could not be happier! The larger screen is great! The 3DS is not that great for little one's eyes. As far as new games only being made for the 3DS, that is incorrect. While there are many games coming out this holiday season for the 3DS, there are SEVERAL new games for DS and DSi. I know this because my kids have a long list of games they want for their birthdays/Christmas. I kinda want a 3DS just to play the new Super Mario Land game, but the screen is terrible to look at and I have perfect vision. Of course, everyone is different, but my kids have played all of the systems and they prefer their XLs hands down. We are waiting for the new Wii U to come out. That will be the next major thing we get as far as game systems go.

As far as deals go, you might check GameStop. They sometimes sell refurbished units for a great price. They are very reputable and I believe they guarantee their stuff. We get used games there often (for multiple brands of game systems). We've never had any problems at all. Good luck with your decision!

The Wii U is not meant to be a standalone handheld device. So unless you take the entire system, you will not be able to use it.

Only thing DD has been asking for is a DS system. We did the target deal (still waiting on my gift cards stuck in system) on the 3DS and then grabbed games the following week when they went on special. Being able to turn the 3D effects off was the deciding factor for us.

 

[Tinknalli]

We have had DS Lite, DSI and DS (8) wants 3DS for Xmas and has been asking since they came out. Bought one at Best Buy with the $25 gift card last week. The salesman advised that it is not recommended for those younger than 8.

 

[MaleficentRN]

The 3D is gimmicky. My son enjoys it, but it's an extra he could live without. My daughter has the XL and does a lot of photography, videos and animation on it. The large screen makes it easy to work with the media.
I can't imagine there being any good Black Friday deals on either as the manufacturer dictates the price, not the retailer. But there are usually bundle deals near the holidays, like getting a game and case and other accessories. The only downside to that is you don't get to pick the game.
HTH!

 

[Scurvy]

I personally would go with the 3DS. The bad reviews I've read all hinge around the battery life or the fact that there haven't been many good 3D games available until now. However, I have had no complaints about battery life and there are lots of highly anticipated 3DS games coming out over the next few months, starting next week.

I've seen lots of people who have played with a demo 3DS in a store complain about the screen and the 3D. Something I think many of those people don't realize is that the 3D effect can be turned off, and once you do that the screen looks exactly like the DSi screen. I play mine with the 3D turned off and the screen looks great. I actually think the 3D looks good too, but I don't bother with it most of the time because I don't find that it adds much to most gameplay.

The 3DS will play all previous DS and DSi games, all upcoming games for those systems and all 3DS games - even if you have the 3D turned off. To me, that makes the 3DS a much better buy.

I know many people love the XL but I wouldn't buy it for someone unless they've gotten their hands on one and are sure they think the picture looks okay. I had planned to get one a couple of years ago but found that I really hated the look of the screen. The fact that they made the picture larger without increasing the resolution was really distracting to me, but not everyone notices or cares about that.

 

[KristiKelly]

Thanks for all the responses. I ordered the 3DS last night from drugstore.com for $152, free shipping and no tax. Original price was $179 (maybe) new email accounts got and additional 15% off. I have ordered from them previously (a different email address) and had no trouble. If you google "Nintendo 3DS best price", it should direct you to a link. I think it's a pretty good deal.

 

[spima3]

I've seen lots of people who have played with a demo 3DS in a store complain about the screen and the 3D. Something I think many of those people don't realize is that the 3D effect can be turned off, and once you do that the screen looks exactly like the DSi screen.

This is really good to know. I have talked to a few people and they have told me their kids have complained about it bothering them, making them ill. I was cautioned not to buy one. I thought DD11 might like one, but she isn't interested. Growing up so fast!