This peripheral adds a second circle pad to the 3DS, as well as three new shoulder buttons. It runs off 1 AAA battery and will release in Japan on December 10th, for 1500 yen. Thoughts on this hideous abomination?
Not something that I'm going for, and there definitely isn't any reason for me to really be getting it. Nintendo is definitely kinda thinking outside-the-box though, but maybe just in the wrong way...
It's compatible (probably even required) for quite a few games though...Monster Hunter Tri G, MGS 3D, Kingdom Hearts, and Resident Evil: Revelations, just to name a few. :/
I can understand the second thumb pad, but I feel like that should have been a part of the console to begin with. =\
It really should have. And you know there will be an inevitable redesign with the second pad and shoulder buttons built in, and early adopters will be stuck with this thing.
I got over the price drop, but.... now there's this. I just know a lite version with the second stick already implemented is on its way. There should be some compensation here I think for the ambassadors. They send out free Wii jackets based on your serial number and Club Nintendo account. They should send out these for free too.
Pros: - lefties like me can now play Kid Icarus Cons: EVERYTHING. It looks incredibly uncomfortable (how does your thumb reach the face buttons?), it's asymmetrical, and just an all-around terrible cop-out of having to redesign this early in the 3DS's life. This is the single biggest embarrassment for Nintendo since Squaresoft's defection or the Virtual Boy, I'd say. Just shameful and a sign of how out-of-touch Nintendo is with current gaming realities.
As usual, Nintendo are making you pay for a feature that should have been there from the beginning. I think the add-on is one of the ugliest and most annoying add-ons I have seen in a long time. To me, it looks like one of these painfully unofficial items that are sold in crappy stores or at the back of a game store. Nintendo have really failed at the first hurdle and broken both legs on the fall with the 3DS in my opinion.
Word on the street is that this really is only an accessory and not a retrofit solution. Those games that it was designed for use with, like Monster Hunter, apparently don't require it for full play. And a possible redesign may not necessarily include the second stick. Should a big name title require the accessory though, or at least make use of it in a big way, it would probably come bundled - like they did with N64 expansion pak or Wii Motion+.
