Nintendo 3DS XL Release Set for August 19

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Friday, June 22, 2012

Nintendo will launch its new 3DS XL handheld system on August 19 as a big brother to the original 3DS.

The 3DS XL features a larger display along with a wider touchscreen at the bottom. The original 3DS has a 3.5-inch upper screen and a 3-inch lower screen while the XL has a 4.2-inch lower screen and a 4.9-inch upper display.

Other featured upgrades on the 3DS XL include a longer battery life and the addition of a 4GB SD card.

The increase in size also boosts the price on the new handheld system as the 3DS XL will retail for $200, making it $30 more expensive that the original 3DS.

However, it is still cheaper than the launch price of the 3DS that retailed at $250 initially.

The new version of the system will launch alongside the New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Nintendo is hoping to make a huge impact with the two products.

"The Launch of the 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros 2 marks the beginning of a huge push for Nintendo 3DS that'll last for the rest of the year and beyond," said Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime during a Nintendo Direct video stream.

The video stream also announced the release of more games for the 3DS and 3DS XL including Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate, Skylanders Giant, Adventure Time: Hey Ice King, Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?, LEGO The Lord of the Rings, and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

Nintendo hopes to fare better against some of the current competition by expanding the display on the 3DS. One of the biggest mainstays in the gaming market in recent years is smartphones that already feature state of the art widescreen HD screens.