Xenoblade Chronicles 3D vs. Wii Graphics, Compared

One of the benefits of the New Nintendo 3DS XL is an improved CPU that allows it to run games that would otherwise be incompatible with the older Nintendo 3DS generations. Xenoblade Chronicles, a Nintendo Wii game that had become an expensive retail disc to buy due to its rarity in the past few years, is a chief example of the New 3DS’ power, with a port to the handheld coming this April. But just how well does it hold up? Nintendo World Report TV has the side-by-side comparison trailer to prove that the new version does hold up well.

It should be noted that the differences in lighting hue are reflective Xenoblade Chronicles’ day-night cycle capabilities, not differences in versions. The video description indicates that this side-by-side occurs at two different times in the day.

Even with that in mind, it’s fair to say that the New Nintendo 3DS XL version in Xenoblade Chronicles 3D had to cut some corners in order to properly function. I mean, it’s an open world game that came out on a last-generation console making its way to a handheld device, a remarkable feat in itself! Still, you can see that those at Nintendo have implemented their clockwork “remove anti-aliasing of almost any kind,” plus the pop-in is a lot more prominent on the 3DS version.

It’s the internal conversation one must have when getting handheld versions of console games versus picking up the original on consoles. Do you sacrifice graphical fidelity for accessibility, or wish to remain true to the developers’ original creative intentions? Neither version of Xenoblade Chronicles hit any sort of HD resolution, focusing more on an expansive gameplay over graphics, so it’s a lot easier to make that trade-off in this instance.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D will hit stores in North America on April 10th, exclusively on the New Nintendo 3DS XL. A reminder; it will not work on previous iterations of the device.

h/t Kotaku

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