New Nintendo 2DS XL Pikachu Edition – Review

I’ve wanted to write this review for the past month now but sadly I’ve been too busy to get around to it and in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if my readers would be interested. I put a poll on my Twitter account (@maybeecoffee) recently and out of all the items I mentioned I was interested in reviewing, my Pikachu 2DS XL was the one that everyone wanted!

I cannot wait to share this awesome handheld console with you all. I was so excited when I got it and I still love it 2 months down the line.

I got this in March as a massive treat to myself and I’d wanted a new 2DS for ages as I was getting fed up of my old one. I hadn’t played my old 2DS for ages due to the screen size and how uncomfortable it was to hold. I missed playing my games and it was around the time Dane wasn’t home due to work, so I wanted something to keep me occupied/busy whilst he was away for a month. FYI he was back during weekends. 😛

So I took the plunge and bought my Pikachu 2DS XL from Smyths Toys, which you can still buy here if you want it yourselves. Wow this sounds like a sponsored post, it isn’t. 😛 Smyths Toys is just one of the cheapest places around for gaming stuff, so I always recommend it to people!

I’ve never written a review for anything like this before, so please bear with me. I know it’ll be boring and such but I want to try and talk in detail as much as I can about the handheld.

First of all I just want to say, I’m a massive Nintendo fan and my first handheld and console were both by Nintendo. My one brother gave me his Nintendo Game Boy when I was 5 and then my other brother gave me his Nintendo SNES when I was 6. I was living the dream in all fairness.

I remember seeing the Pokeball 2DS XL and wanting that, as I didn’t think we would get the Pikachu version in the UK. I’m glad I waited though as I would have ended up regretting that purchase very fast if I’d have made it.

Enough about that now, I’ll talk a little about the handheld itself. I’m going to do comparisons between the original 2DS and the New 2DS XL.

As you can see the main colour of the 2DS is yellow, Pikachu’s signature colour. On the front of the 2DS you have Pikachu’s face, which is 3D itself. Pikachu’s snout sticks out, as well as it’s cheeks. The detailing of Pikachu’s nose and mouse are actually rubber, instead of plastic like everything else. I really like this touch. Around the edge of the front of the 2DS and on the L, R, ZL and ZR buttons are all brown, again one of Pikachu’s signature colours.

When you open the 2DS you’ll continue to see the yellow and brown colours, the brown being on the D pad, as well as on the X, Y, A and B buttons. The screen sizes are HUGE and I felt a little overwhelmed by them to be perfectly honest. I love it though! The screens on the 2DS XL are exactly the same size as the New Nintendo 3DS XL, which is pretty awesome.

You can see the difference in screen sizes above where I compare the original 2DS to the New 2DS XL.

Along the bottom of the 2DS you have the space to insert your game catridges, as well the micro SD (which you get with the console itself) which is then closed off to keep safe and I suppose “hidden” away. I really like this feature, although I’ve seen a lot of people complain about it. I think it looks better.

Next to that you have the headphone port, as well as where the stylus is kept. This is the only thing I dislike about the 2DS XL. I’m so used to a longer stylus with my old 2DS that this shorter, stubbier and in my opinion hard to old, as well as uncomfortable. Due to this I don’t use it as much as I could. In future I’ll definitely invest in getting something else for it.

Then finally you have the power button, which is brown too. Next to that you have the “on” light, the “battery” button and finally the “wifi” light.

On the top of the console you have the AC adapter port for your charger. I was used to this being on the bottom with my old 2DS and at first the port area felt a bit stiff on my Pikachu 2DS XL, but I think that was due to it being new.

On the left hand side of the console you have your volume controls, which are in brown. it’s really easy to adjust the volume and let me tell you, you don’t need the sound on high, as the quality of it is amazing!

Overall as a whole the Pikachu 2DS is gorgeous and definitely aesthetically pleasing to look at.

When turning this on, the screen is so vivid and bright, it’s amazing! Of course this isn’t 3D, hence the name and I love that. I remember when the 3DS first came out and I had a go on a demo in HMV. Me and my old friend were really sick after. Never again!

The original 2DS has a sleep button so you can pause a game for a while if you have to, whilst saving the battery life. However on the newer 2DS with the screen you flip up and down, you just well… Close the screen and it’ll sleep. It’s so amazing and I already love that feature to death!

The top screen can be put into three different positions, the last one making the 2DS flat, the middle one and the closest one to the gamer. I always opt for the middle one.

I have an Animal Crossing theme on mine that I bought AGES ago on my old 2DS, but I love it so much! My Isabelle icons for my page I won on the Nintendo Badge Arcade, WHICH YOU NEED TO GET! It’s a free game where you can win badges to customise your theme with.

Anyway back to overall…

I LOVE my Pikachu 2DS XL so much and if anything it’s just encouraged me to play my 3DS games even more, as well as get some new ones. I’ve recently ordered and started playing Detective Pikachu, which I am loving by the way!

If you’d like to watch a video to hear and see more comparrisons that I may have missed out on, please watch it! I did before buying my Pikachu 2DS XL!

So, what do you think of the New Nintendo 2DS XL Pikachu Edition? Would you buy it? If you love playing Nintendo 3DS games, which ones are your favourite? Make sure to let me know everything in the comments!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re having a lovely bank holiday!

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April Wish List ’18

Easter has come and gone and I hope you had an amazing Easter with your family and friends! Me and Dane had a lovely long weekend together, that was very much needed after he’s been away from work.

I cannot believe it’s now April and this month I’m hoping will FINALLY be the first time this year that we don’t have any bloody snow. I am officially ready for spring.

It’s also Dane’s birthday this month, so whilst I have my wish list post with plenty of goodies on, I need to pick up Dane’s birthday presents all the same.

Let’s not waste too much time, on with the wish list (which sadly isn’t anything special this month)!

  • Nintendo 3DS Style Boutique 3: Styling Star – (link)

I recently picked up a new 2DS for myself and oh man I love it! I can’t wait to talk about it on my blog soon to be honest with you. ANYWAY I noticed recently that Nintendo have brought out a new Style Boutique game and since the first one back in 2010, I’ve played all of them to date. I really want to get this one soon after recently playing the demo. They’re just so relaxing to play and not the hardest in the world either.

  •  Official Nintendo 3DS XL Persona Q Shadow of the Labyrinth Travel Case – (link)

As I just mentioned above, with buying myself a new 2DS I need a new case to keep it in. I’m loving this limited edition Persona Q one and I REALLY want it! It’s not cheap though sadly and that puts me off sadly. 😦 I’m going to see how I feel when I’m paid. I’ve had a search around for one similar if not the same one at a cheaper price, but sadly I’ve had no luck.

  • Pokemon Center Original OTEIRE Please Memo stand clip Pikachu mini figure – (link)

This is something I was hoping to pick up around my birthday, but left it. I still want it to be honest with you. Now I’m feeling settled at work I would love to have a little picture of me and Dane on my desk. Not a normal one, but one of our commissioned pieces of us, specifically the one we had drawn at Hyper Japan. It’s our favourite and to look at it on a daily basis during my shift would cheer me up, even more so on a cute Pikachu picture stand.

  • Nichijou Manga Volume 5 and Volume 6 – (link) and (link)

As I’ve said previously, I always like to order at least one manga to read in the month. I don’t know if I will order any this month as I want to catch up on manga I currently own. I also plan to order Dane loads of manga for his birthday so… ANYWAY! I started reading Nichijou at the start of 2017 as I received some of the volumes for Christmas 2016. I also received some for Christmas/my birthday just gone and it’s time for me to continue reading it. I can’t just keep waiting for Christmas and birthdays to read it. 😛 They’re not expensive really and there’s only 10 volumes at the moment so before I know it I’d have them all. We shall see though.

  • Nintendo 3DS Detective Pikachu – (link)

The final item on this months wish list is yet another 3DS game. I remember hearing about this coming out and was super excited, especially with recent news out about Ryan Reynolds voicing Detective Pikachu in the movie that is being made. SO when I heard the Pikachu’s voice in the trailer for the game… I was extremely disappointed and put off buying it. However, I keep seeing trailers on my Facebook as well as having a look at YouTube myself for videos of game play and I rather like the look of it… I can ignore the voice of Pikachu and how brash it sounds. I’ve wanted to play games like this for ages, so maybe this one can be a first insight into games like this, eh?

Well, those are all the items I have on my wish list. I couldn’t really think of what I wanted to add here this month as I need to be good to be honest. We shall see what happens, but I don’t think I’ll be buying myself lovely things, it’ll be Dane being spoilt in April!

What items are on your wish lists this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you had a lovely time off for Easter!

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March Favourites ’18

Happy Easter everyone! I do apologise that this post is a day late (well I’m being naughty and putting it up as if it was actually on time… ;P) but it was my first Easter that I’ve had a 4 day weekend and not had to work! I also spent it chilling with Dane, as well as with friends and family which is the best way to spend it.

Now I’m finally getting the chance to work on my monthly favourites whilst I watch some gaming YouTube videos. Finally, here are my favourites for March!

  • Palmolive Naturals Milk & Honey Shower Gel Cream.

Not long ago I picked up this HUGE pump shower gel cream and I only got it for £2.00/£2.50 from Morrison’s on a food shop and at first I regretted it but this was near to half price so I was pretty happy at the bargain I grabbed. ANYWAY I started using this at the start of the month and it’s lasting agggges! You only need a little and it foams up gorgeously as well as leaving you smelling amazing and feeling lovely and soft. The milk and honey Palmolive shower cream reminds me of Fuerteventura for various reasons, the main one being back in the day when we first had the house there we took loads of “home comforts” and this was one of mine that my mom bought for me, so the scent always reminds me of my younger years there. Now it’s coconut scents that do it for me! 😛

  • Diesel Loverdose Eau de Parfum.

I’ve been using my Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet EDT for what feels like forever and halfway through March I decided it was time to start using something else, something that I love to the moon and back. Loverdose by Diesel is one of my favourite perfumes and this is actually my second bottle now! It reminds me of my best friend Jacqui as when it first came out she got a bottle for her birthday and showed me it. Now when I wear it it reminds me of her. It has a unique fragrance and reminds me of a mixture of liquorice (which is actually contains!) and tequila. If you’ve never given this gorgeous perfume a sniff, then get on it! Even if you don’t like liquorice, you’ll love this. 😛

  • Collection Velvet Kiss Moisturising Lip Cream in shade Rosie.

Whilst on a quick shopping trip to Superdrug in March I was having a nose around the Collection stand for my staple eyebrow gel and noticed the lip creams. I used to use these back in the day when they first launched and during the summer months I used these to death! I decided it was time to pick up a new one, but instead of going to the shades I used to use (Cotton being one of them) I decided to pick up the red shade Rosie. I love wearing red lipsticks and I actually haven’t worn lipstick properly for months. Since buying this I’ve used it about a handful of times alone and with a lip liner and it’s so good! It lasts ages and feels so comfortable when wearing it. I’ll definitely be reviewing this in April. You can check out the review one of the old shades Fairy Cake here for the time being.

  • Nails inc Nail Polish in shade Dream Dust.

I feel like I haven’t worn my unicorn Nails inc polishes for ages! So I decided to grab Dream Dust to wear every other week throughout the month and throughout Easter. I forgot what a gorgeous shade Dream Dust is to be honest with you. It’s a shimmer gold glitter with a mauve base shade. It’s so shimmery and is definitely an awkward shade to remove but whatever! It’s a shade you can wear throughout the summer, especially for holidays! This lasts a long time too so I’ll definitely make a habit of wearing it more often at work. I loved Nails inc polishes back in the day when I was a student but then I sort of fell out of love with them. Since picking up the Beauty of Dreams gift set before Christmas last year (you can read about it here!) I’ve realised that Nails inc are still an amazing nails polish brand, if not even better now than they used to be!

  • L’Oreal Hair Expertise Sleek Smooth Intense Shampoo.

I recently started using a new shampoo and this is actually the same if not similar to one I use when I’m in Fuerteventura (which you can see here) as it’s just one of the best and affordable! When I came home I searched for this shampoo straight away and bought that as well as another type of sulphate-free shampoo. Since starting to use this shampoo my hair has felt so smooth and looked less frizzy too. I’m so glad I started being sulphate free with shampoos this past year as it’s really helped my hair and to be honest since finding budget friendly shampoos, it’s helped my wallet too. 😛 I really recommend the L’Oreal sulphate free shampoos if you want to give this type of stuff a go as they’re super cheap from Superdrug and more often then not, on offer too.

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

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Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite TV Show – Violet Evergarden.

I feel like I’ve mentioned this anime on my blog in the past and I’m pretty sure it was when Dane wrote a post on here with me not long ago (you can read it here). He introduced me to this anime when it first started but like he always has a habit of doing, he got me to start watching it at episode 3. I watched a couple of episodes but I just couldn’t feel like I was getting into it. Then a couple of weeks ago he said he’d watched episode 10 and that I needed to as well. We started watching the anime together from beginning to episode 11 and oh man, I have fallen in love with the show. Every single episode is also heartbreaking and I was silently crying at most if not all of the episodes. I’ll copy and paste the synopsis as I’m awful when writing what stuff is about without worrying of ruining it!

Synopsis (source: Anime Expo) – There are words Violet heard on the battlefield, which she cannot forget. These words were given to her by someone she holds dear, more than anyone else. She does not yet know their meaning. A certain point in time, in the continent of Telesis. The great war which divided the continent into North and South has ended after four years, and the people are welcoming a new generation. Violet Evergarden, a young girl formerly known as “the weapon,” has left the battlefield to start a new life at CH Postal Service. There, she is deeply moved by the work of “Auto Memories Dolls,” who carry people’s thoughts and convert them into words.

If you fancy giving this anime a go you can find it over on Netflix where it’s in English. It’s being aired at the same time as in Japan, which is amazing. It’s such a beautiful anime both in the way it looks as well as the story line.

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Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Film – 10 Cloverfield Lane.

I remember going to the cinema to watch Cloverfield and all the rumours around it of people running out of the cinema to be sick due to the motion controls of the camera. FYI I was fine. 😛 I loved the film at the time and have since then watched it about a handful of times. When 10 Cloverfield Lane was announced I wanted to go and watch it, but no one else was really arsed. Years later it was put up on Netflix and me and Dane decided to give it a go. This is a film that really keeps you on the edge of your seat for various different things! You’re constantly wondering what is happening outside, as well as inside the bunker that the three characters are staying in. You have some awesome character development which is quickly snatched away from you by the time you start getting to know them and liking them. If you haven’t watched 10 Cloverfield Lane, then I definitely recommend it!

I Am A Hero Omnibus Volume 1 by Kengo Hanazawa

Image taken from Wordery

I Am A Hero Omnibus Volume 2 by Kengo Hanazawa

Image taken from Wordery

Favourite Book – I Am A Hero Omnibus Vol. 1 and 2.

This was one (well technically two) of the presents I got Dane for Christmas just gone and after he read Vol. 1 he gave it to me to show me some awesome scenes in the book. I checked them out and as it was halfway through the manga I decided to give it a read for myself and now I’ve ended up reading more than Dane has considering he’s only read the first volume and I’ve now read both the omnibus volumes he owns. It’s about a zombie apocalypse that hits Japan, with our “hero” being an anxious manga artist who sees things late at night and dreams of being a huge manga artist once again. It’s so well drawn and very realistic, you’re just hooked on it and want to keep reading. I actually finished the second omnibus volume in almost two hours… FYI it is a huge book! That and I’m a slow reader. 😛 Hopefully he won’t read this post but I intend to get Dane the rest of the omnibus volumes for his birthday.

Favourite Song/Album – Various…

Meh I wasn’t really sure what music to mention on my blog this month as I’ve just been listening to all sorts really… Mostly stuff I’ve heard on the radio at work, as well as some oldies I love. I’ll post above some of the songs I’m loving and quickly why below.

Dua Lipa – New Rules – I don’t know what it is that I love about this song and originally I was into an 80’s remix I heard on the radio first. I just find the song is really catchy and Dua Lipa has a lovely singing voice too.

Joyce Manor – Make Me Dumb – I first heard this game on Forza Horizon 3 as Dane bought it aggggges ago to play on his Xbox One and since then I’ve loved it! It’s such a catchy and upbeat rock song and due to that I just had to have it on my iPod for drives to and from places.

Paloma Faith – Crybaby – I don’t know what it is about this song but I love EVERYTHING about it! Paloma Faith is an artist I’ve listened to more of since 2016 and her voice is amazing, as well as her lyrics. This song is one that you’d listen to when you feel like crap and you need some encouraging words to listen to. It’s not a slow sad song, it’s an upbeat “pull yourself together, it’ll be okay” type song and I think that’s what I love the most about it.

Miitopia2DS/3DSCover Art

Image taken from GAME

Favourite Game – Miitopia.

YES FOR ONCE IT ISN’T PERSONA 5 ON MY LIST! Sorry I love Persona 5 so it will come up a lot on here… In fact be prepared to hear about it next month as the anime series for it starts in less than a week now! 😀 Anyway… I got myself a new 2DS XL recently (which I’ll be writing about at some point on my blog) and I feel like since picking this up, I’ve been picking up my DS a hell of a lot more now I have a new one. I’m going to put it down to the screens being shit loads bigger and better at that! I picked up this game the day before I flew to Fuerteventura in September last year and Dane loved the look of it so much he got himself a copy too! Basically you play the hero and an evil guy has come and taken everyone’s faces, so you need to go and fight him and his minions to get them back. As the name suggests, it’s based on your Mii’s, the little customised characters you create on your 3DS and Wii, I don’t think the Switch has really bothered with it. I was close to finishing it before we came back from Fuerteventura but never did. HOWEVER, since picking up my 2DS XL I’ve played more and oh man, I forgot how much I love it! It’s an RPG game but it’s such a lax one at that, which is why I love it so much. Basically if you loved Tamodachi Life on the 3DS and you love RPG’s then you will love this! They do have a demo on the Nintendo eShop so check it out.

PHEW finally I have my favourites from March written down and done! I swear I can’t believe how quickly the year is going already and it’s my last day off of the Easter holidays too. SAD TIMES! 😛

I’m off to go and chill out, whilst attempting to eat some of my chocolate eggs. I bought myself one this year and received one from my manager as well as Dane’s parents. I’m not a massive chocolate person, so my chocolate eggs will probably last months. 😛

How many chocolate eggs did you get for Easter? Also, what are your favourites from March? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below!

Until next time, take care all and Happy Easter!

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