Nintendo DSi XL Red Bundle with Mario Kart

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 DSi3. 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).