I got this Nintendo DSi XL hand-held video game system to keep me entertained during my plane ride to London (I’m on vacation in London for the next week and a half with limited access to Internet, so I’ll have to reply to any comments/e-mails when I get back!). Nintendo DSi XL was released in March 28, 2010 in the United States, and it comes in three colors: Bronze, Burgundy, and Midnight Blue (the color I purchased). Here’s how it looks open and closed:

The entire package ($169.99) includes the DSi XL system (with pre-installed software titles, such as Brain Age Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, and Photo Clock), rechargeable battery, AC adapter, and two stylii (one stylus that’s thin and stored on the bottom of the system, and one stylus that’s thicker and rounder resembling a pen that doesn’t fit inside the system). The system also has two internal 0.3 megapixel cameras with 10 different interactive lenses.

I got the Nintendo DSi XL because of the large screen size (two 4.2″ screens) — it’s 93% bigger than the Nintendo DS Lite. The screen resolution of all the Nintendo DS models so far though are 256×192 with 260,000 colors. This means that the resolution doesn’t get better on the DSi XL — the screen is just larger, which means you’ll see the same graphics but on a larger screen. Besides the primary difference in size compared to other DS models (DS (Phat), DS Lite, and DSi), the DSi XL has a longer battery life than the DSi (13-17 hours vs. 9-14 hours), can produce louder sound (on maximum volume, both of its speakers can fill an entire room with clean audio!), and supports WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) instead of just WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) on 802.11 wireless connections — this was an issue with older DS models. Here’s a picture of a website I loaded using its browser :

The first game I purchased for my DSi XL is Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, shown below. This is a mysterious adventure game where you have to solve puzzles that arise in order to progress the story forward. In short, the game is about a professor (Layton) and his apprentice (Luke) trying to figure out why “future” London will be in chaos and disarray, after they received a letter from Luke that was written 10 years into the future. It’s filled with over 165 brainteasers and shows nice London scenes, like Big Ben shown on the right. I figured this would be the perfect game to play while I’m in London.

All in all, I think the Nintendo DSi XL is a great system for anyone new to the Nintendo DS models, for those who want a wide viewing angle (that’s great for multi-playing), and/or for those who have poor vision (like me haha). Otherwise, if you already have a DSi model, the Nintendo 3DS is coming out in March 2011 in North America and Europe.