Nintendo releasing a 3DS hardware revision was an inevitability; it was only a matter of how long the company would wait before doing so. When no announcement was made at E3, it looked as if we would be waiting at least a few more months, until perhaps the Tokyo Game Show in September, before plans for one would be revealed. Instead, giving us little notice once again, the company broadcasted yet another Nintendo Direct event last night, and along with an announcement regarding Namco Bandai's involvement in the development of the next Super Smash Bros., Nintendo unveiled the 3DS XL.

Much like the DSi XL, the 3DS XL is essentially the exact same piece of hardware as the existing model, only with significantly larger screens and a $200 price tag. More specifically, it has screens 90 percent larger than those found in the standard 3DS, measuring in at 4.88 inches on top and 4.18 inches on the bottom (compared with 3.53 inches and 3.02 inches, respectively, for the regular 3DS). As an added perk, the battery life is also improved, which is a welcome development considering that is one of the 3DS' most glaring weak points.

The most noticeable distinction between the 3DS XL and DSi XL is the timing of their releases. The DSi XL was announced five years after the DS made its debut and was positioned as a spectator handheld. The 3DS XL has now been announced just a few months after the one-year anniversary of the 3DS' release. To be fair, the DSi XL was not the first revision of the DS; the DS Lite was announced just over a year after the DS' release and came out several months later, making the timetable not drastically dissimilar from that of the 3DS XL. What's worth nothing, though, is the fact that the DS Lite addressed some serious flaws with the DS: It had brighter screens, weighed less, was thinner, and didn't look unrelentingly ugly. In short, it took care of many of the complaints leveled at the DS. While you could argue the improved battery is one 3DS flaw being resolved by the XL, the new system otherwise does nothing to improve the 3DS.

That is not to say the 3DS XL lacks appeal; I find myself wanting one despite my 3DS rarely being picked up. The increased size of the XL makes it much less portable-friendly than its predecessor, which seems strange as Nintendo has, with features like StreetPass, positioned the 3DS as a system you'll want to bring everywhere you go. I wonder if Nintendo has found gamers are increasingly using their portable game systems at home (where portability is less critical), something I know is the case of me. My iPhone comes with me anytime I go out and is more than sufficient for those occasions when I want to play a game on the go. My 3DS and Vita are systems I most often play at home, and as such, the XL potentially being too big for my pockets is not an issue. And although the top screen still may not look as good, at least it is no longer dwarfed by the Vita's 5-inch screen.

I had expected the eventual release of a 3DS revision to bug me as an early adopter of the 3DS. I bought one on launch day and between the poor software lineup -- Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars was the only original title I cared much for until this past November -- and the price cut just five months after launch, I couldn't help but regret my purchase. So whenever Nintendo decided to come along with a hardware refresh of some sort -- something it has done with every one of its previous handheld systems -- it seemed like I would regret my purchase even more. And although I would prefer to have an XL, I find it difficult to be angry with this announcement because the system I have has not been rendered outdated or obsolete. By not introducing improved specs or a second circle pad as the standard, the system I have can play all of the same games as an XL -- and in fact, it can potentially play them better as I have the option of picking up a Circle Pad Pro which, unless a new one is released, will not be compatible with the XL.

By not including a second circle pad in this revision, Nintendo has all but confirmed it has little interest in supporting the Circle Pad Pro. The fashion in which it was released in the United States -- it's a GameStop exclusive -- suggested as much, and passing up this opportunity to make it a standard feature going forward makes it abundantly clear that Nintendo plans to keep the 3DS a one-stick system. Whether or not that's a wise move is a subject that remains to be seen. It's not as if a second stick would bring with it a big-budget Call of Duty game that would provide the system with a major sales boost, though it would undeniably benefit certain kinds of games.

If Nintendo's goal with the XL was to provide an alternative style of 3DS that does not rock the boat and anger existing 3DS owners, it has succeeded. If it was hoping to come out with a new piece of hardware that would have a significant impact on sales, I don't think this is it -- larger screens and a bigger battery are nice, but I'm not sure those were the hold-ups for many people. The kind of hardware changes it would take to get those people interested in buying a 3DS (like improved specs) were not the sort that should have been made at this point in time. A second circle pad may have been on many prospective buyers' wishlists, but that alone would be unlikely to sell systems as it's only appealing if developers take advantage of it. And there's a good chance it would not be used extensively because only a portion of the 3DS userbase would have access to two circle pads, and developers don't want to limit the number of people their game can be sold to anymore than is necessary.

Considering the modest changes, I don't think Nintendo is expecting 3DS sales to jump tremendously with the launch of the XL this summer (July 28 in Japan and Europe; August 19 in North America). It looks to be a nice improvement for those willing to sacrifice portability and is a way to squeeze an extra $30 out of buyers. Now, if only Nintendo provided 3DS users with an account system to make transferring their purchases from one system to another easier, I'd be a lot more inclined to buy one.