Topic: Bought a used 3DS XL, need help!

Hi again,

after discussing a bit here wether it's a good time to buy a 3DS XL, I "accidentally" bought a used 3DS XL at an ebay auction (didn't think nobody would bid more tbh). Now, I'm always a little concerned when buying used products, so I need some help from you.

First: The seller only states the 3DS XL is in "good" condition, whatever that means. I don't really know which parts of the XL break first, so is there anything I should look for when receiving it? Also, could you take a look at the photo at the auction (http://ebay.eu/1mBqcih) and tell me what you think about the condition of the system?

Second: I pay €147 shipped for a 3DS XL (black, used), Bravely Default and Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. I think that's an okay-ish deal, as the games alone cost almost half of that price. What would you say?

Third: I'm gonna buy the charging dock - just don't want another cable to lie around loosely. Are there any other accessories I should think of?

And last but not least: Any eShop games I should look at? Will probably buy €75 eShop cards to buy Pokemon and whatever I find.

Thanks in advance!

The bottom screen looks scuffed, but it might just be finger grease.

Also, why is there not a photo with it powered on?

it is also lacking a back photo no way to tell if it's all right with the cameras or LR buttons.

True, but with 100% positive feedback (the seller), I'm pretty sure it works perfectly. I'm more concerned about the cosmetical condition, but it's very hard to tell from that bad photo, and the description only states "good", whatever that means.

Looks like it is in pretty good shape. Got a couple of pretty awesome games to get you started. €147 translates to about $202 which is just above the regular retail price of $200. Did you get a good deal??? I think it is fair to say yes. All new it would probably have been around $300 so buying all this used seems to be a pretty sweet deal. Enjoy!!!!!

good probably means small to medium scratches(nothing too annoying if annoying at all), some buttons feeling a little soft(not much) and no technical issues if the seller is really that trustable

@Neo-GeoFan: The retail price of a new 3DS XL is around €170 here, so it's actually cheaper by quite a bit than getting a XL without any game. Everything new would have cost around €240 or so, so yes, I think the deal was okay - if the 3DS looks not too bad. Also, those are two games I'm excited about. Probably wouldn't have bought the Zelda one because it seems too similar to ALTTP, but now I'll have a chance to try it anyway.

The good thing is the games alone would've cost me €75 so even if I sell the XL because I can't bear the scratches and buy a new one, I doubt I'll make a huge loss.

Congrats on joining the big screen club.
That seems like a superb deal!

Thanks, Veloster! I even made a new "strategy" on how to keep my phone, keys and money in one jeans pocket to get the second one ready for the 3DS XL! Damn, I'm sure I'll spend way too much time on gaming in the coming months ...

Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the club!! Add me up when your 3DS arrives so we can battle in pokemon

Also, if you are a big Japanese game fan I would highly reconmened Project X Zone. That game is FUN AS HELL with tonnes of fan service!

Should I even state the obvious? Contact the seller and ask details about what you just agreed to purchase. Ask for a picture of it powered-on, if that makes you feel better. If his user rating is good, then its probably nothing you need to worry about, but you have every right to know what you're buying, and as long as your demands aren't outrageous, he should have no reason to deny them.

Those are two of the best games for the system, BTW. A Link Between Worlds is pretty short (around 20 hours... maybe 25 if you take your time) but the entire experience is pure bliss. It's the best 2D Zelda ever made, which is saying something. As for Bravely Default, it very recently (i.e. this month) released in NA and I can say without doubt that if you love classic role-playing games this game will be a ton of fun. It's also quite long. Definitely a 50 - 70 hour experience if you're not rushing through.

For eshop games... I'd definitely recommend Crimson Shroud It's an awesome downloadable RPG designed to play like a tabletop RPG. Your characters are little miniatures and the game is narrated by a virtual DM. It only cost around 7 or 8 dollars in the States, so it couldn't be too much in Europe. Also, Etrian Odyssey IV is fantastic. That is another awesome RPG for the system, and you can download it on your system if you want. If you like the Ace Attorney games, Dual Destinies was released in the West last year as a digital download.

If you want platformers, then I highly recommend both Mighty Switch Force and Mutant Mudds. The difficulty level can be kind of hardcore, but they're gorgeous games that will satisfy any platforming itch you might have.

For puzzle games, consider the Picross e games. For a puzzle-platformer, consider Pushmo or Crashmo... both are quite good.

The XL is a terrific machine, and I hope you have a lot of fun with your new games! Feel free to add me to your friends list. Just let me know so that I can add you back.

Asking for details after I bought it? According to the ebay policies, I am forced to pay it when I bought it, so that doesn't make sense. I asked about 24 hours before buying it, but the seller didn't answer.

I just received it, by the way, and it seems to be in perfect conditions apart from a small scratch on the circle pad and on the infrared port.

For the games - sounds great! I'm very excited to start Bravely Default once the 3DS has some more charge, and ALBW will be interesting for sure. I'll definitely check out Crimson Shroud and Etrian Odyssey IV. Always wanted to try an Ace Attorney game - but just missed the sale. Will probably wait for another sale as I have enough games for now. Platformers - yeah, I like them, but I sometimes feel like my €45 - €60 are better spent on RPGs or some other games, as platformers are usually pretty short. Playing cheaper eShop platformers seems like a good idea, thanks for the recommendations. I heard Pushmo quite a few times now as being one of the best 3DS games, I might just try it.

As for the XL - I'm very positively surprised about its build quality after all I've heard here recently. The D-pad feels incredibly solid (MUCH more so than on the Wii U Gamepad, and even better than on my old DS Lite), the locking positions in the hinge scream confidence and the 3D effect looks awesome! Not sure about the handling itself yet as I have not played any games as of now, but everything seems to be fine. Even the WiFi range is just as good as on my iPhone although the 3DS has just b/g.

Oh, and it fits in the pockets of even my tightest jeans - that should mean I'll never be without it from now on!