I actually love how fat and chunky DS games come out on the XL, the one-two punch that is the dealbreaker is the laughable battery life (leaving it on sleep unplugged for an afternoon killed it) and the clicky, oddly placed buttons. At least, odd when you're used to the original layout.
On what basis do you compare it to iOS games? What game can I download right now to get the same quality, content, and experience of a Kid Icarus or Super Mario Land?
I don't think there are existing iOS titles that could approach the level of polish (or the budget) that those games have. I think that comparison came solely from the way that I feel playing either. In the moment I'm enjoying the game, though it's nothing I remember long after playing and outside of times when it'd be convenient, I never felt myself excitedly reaching to play. Neither game felt very deep, just a very simple concept stretched over a decently content-rich game.
I don't want to sound like I'm reducing those games or something, I enjoyed them, just not enough to keep them or the system I bought to play them.
The kinda game that I'd keep my 3DS for would be something with some kind of hook to keep me coming back. Everything I've played so far is more like, "Got 20 minutes to burn? Play this!"
EDIT: I think your point about less risk taking devs is meaningful. Something I've been thinking about this whole time is how much this reminds me of the beginning of last gen and how I was similarly wishy-washy and took a long time to figure out what I was actually after as a consumer. Ultimately I want those risky games, I want the experiments. Game design is still in a nascent state and it's the most fun to watch creators try new things and contribute to its growth. I probably assumed the 3DS would follow its predecessor's footsteps in providing the platform for that kind of creativity to exist (remember
Developer
System?).
Unfortunately it seems necessary to just wait and watch before one can know if a console will have that kind of software variety.
