The New Nintendo 3DS XL hits North America and Europe this week. Although the latest model is still the same size as its predecessor, this version introduces several new features including an improved processor, additional buttons, a second analog stick (C-Stick), an extra camera, and support for microSD and NFC, the latter of which enables the use of Amiibo.
For those who have decided to pick up a New Nintendo 3DS XL we have put together a list of games which stand to benefit the most from what the new handheld has to offer.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3D
Release: April 10, 2015
This action role-playing game is a port of 2012’s Xenoblade Chronicles, first released for the Wii. The game won high praise in our review with its vast and beautiful locations, enjoyable in-depth combat, and plethora of interesting things to do; rebuild an entire colony or forge relationships with Xenoblade Chronicles 3D will only be playable on the New Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo has also confirmed that players can earn tokens in-game by tapping on the Shulk Amiibo, and that the game will integrate StreetPass functionality.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
Release: March 13, 2015
Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have teamed up once again for a strategy game, but unlike the studio’s past works in the genre, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is represented in full 3D. It’s a good thing that the New 3DS C-Stick helps you control the camera, then, so you can get the best view of the battlefield without a lot of effort. There’s also Amiibo support for Fire Emblem figures including Marth, Ike, Robin, and Lucina. You can summon them into battle to fight for your side at any time, but be careful: once they run out of health, they are permanently dead, just like they would be in a proper Fire Emblem game.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
Release: February 13, 2015
Nintendo’s foray into handheld ports of Zelda games begun with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, and now extends to the Nintendo 64’s Majora’s Mask. While the game runs fine on all older 3DS models, the New 3DS’s C-Stick makes controlling the camera much easier. This is especially helpful during boss fights, which tend to require a lot of moving around. Without the C-Stick, players are restricted to looking around with the circle pad or using the gyroscope feature while immobile. This means that lock-on targeting quickly becomes the only means of keeping track of monsters. It’s doable, but less convenient than using the C-Stick.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Release: February 13, 2015
While Capcom never released the original Monster Hunter 4 in the West, it has seen to correct that by giving us Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. The action role-playing game boasts new vertical movement; players can now grab onto monsters to attack them, and attack in mid-air. The core of the game still revolves around hunting and capturing monsters, and this is made especially easier with the New 3DS’s C-Stick serving as a way to control the camera, helping to make fighting larger monsters less frustrating. Long range characters especially will benefit from the feature.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Release: October 3, 2014
Fast-paced brawler Super Smash Bros. has incorporated use of a C-Stick in older iterations, and the 3DS version is no exception. Players duking it out on the New Nintendo 3DS can flick the C-Stick to execute smash attacks, which is otherwise performed by pressing A and pushing the Circle Pad in a particular direction. Holding down the C-Stick in a direction also allows the player to charge a smash attack. Using the C-stick allows you to throw out a smash attack in any direction while in the air–something serious Smash players will definitely want to use. The additional number of buttons available on the new 3DS also brings the handheld version of the game on parity with that of it’s Wii U counterpart, as far as controls scheme options go. Thankfully, the faster CPU in the New 3DS also speeds up loading times.
Legacy Circle Pad Pro Games
Remember the Circle Pad Pro add-on for the original 3DS and 3DS XL? The functionality it added to those systems, a second analog stick and two extra shoulder buttons, is present in the New 3DS XL. Thankfully, Nintendo made sure to make New 3DS XL systems backwards compatible with games that support the Circle Pad Pro. These games include:
- Kid Icarus: Uprising
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D
- Resident Evil: Revelations
- Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy
- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
- Steel Diver: Sub Wars
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