I have a normal 3DS now and I was considering trading it in and upgrading to the XL for Fire Emblem. I played the demo and all the characters looked a bit tiny on the battle maps, though it was definitely playable. Have any of you done this? I appreciate your expert opinions.

I was thinking of doing the trade-in too, just in general. Maybe give @duskvamp my regular-sized 3DS. Interested to hear from XL owners.

As someone who owned a launch 3DS and now own a XL, I can say that it is totally worth it, especially if you have sizeable hands like myself. Overall, the XL is nice looking, feeling and more comfortable to play. I think it's the 3DS to buy.

Played through Castlevania on the XL it seemed cool... I was curious about how it would look on the standard and everything was sooooo tiny. I've tried Kid Icarus, Mario 3D, and a bunch of other games and really can't imagine going back at this point.

I upgraded to a 3DS XL and it was worth it. The screen is bigger and I like the larger form factor. While I have smaller hands, the larger size does not impact the feel or how the device plays. The only thing that kind of stinks is that I had a battery extender on the older version and I don't have one yet for the larger one. Either way, I love my new and use it more than I used the original.

Do you guys miss the cradle? I heard you can order a new one from the Nintendo online store.

I think so it so much better having a better screen when playing most games. The size really does help make it a more laid back playing experience. I also like the form factor a bit better, the start, select, and home buttons feel more like buttons that you press. The stylist is back on the side of the XL 3ds which is nice along with the outer shell feeling nicer to hold. The Battery life is also a bit better and lasting a lot longer in sleep mode.

Just to give you all sides there are some minor setbacks to the XL from the original. The casing of the XL will feel like its made of cheaper material then the boxy glossy casing of the original. There are reports that the sound is a bit softer then the original along with the image being a hair more pixelated.

These things in actual play sessions from my experience don't seem to be noticable unless you have them side by side. I think the pros out weight the cons by a mile and spending a full day with the XL you will wonder how you ever put up with the first 3ds size.

No, it's not worth it. The picture is sharper on the original because it's not blown up. The sound is louder on the original. The screen is brighter on the original. The "3D" light lights up to let you know if 3D is available or not; this feature is not available on the XL. There's no Circle Pad Pro for the XL in North America. The XL is a little heavier, and bulkier to carry around. As for the Select, Start, and HOME buttons, it's not that hard to press them on the original. And even though the stylus is in a weird position in the original, if you play it enough you can reach it and put it back without looking at it.

Yes, I do miss the charging cradle, and buying one off of the Nintendo Store costs $25 I think!