Nintendo – I love you. Have done since I was a child. But you’re seriously in risk of totally screwing up the 3DS.
Any new hardware addition always splinters the market – look at Move, Kinect, the N64 Expansion Pak. But a second analog stick that, from the description in this week’s Famitsu magazine appears to bolt onto the portable in as retrofit a manner as possible, seems utterly absurd.
[drop2]The ‘Kakuchou Slide Pad’ (Expansion Slide Pad) is actually more like a cradle – Microsoft Paint version here and another sketch here – that fits around the front of the device and thus provides a second stick just off the right hand side of the 3DS. Yes, really.It’s a first party product, produced by Nintendo, and it’s made – at least at first – for Monster Hunter. The expansion is likely to be built into a future 3DS hardware redesign, at which point it hopefully won’t look like Frankenstein was involved.
According to reports this morning, the expansion also adds two more shoulder buttons (and replaces the right shoulder) and an earphone port, and could possibly house another battery.
Monster Hunter series supervisor Ryozo Tsujimoto said that the device “provides a good grip on the system” and will allow players to play the game with a similar feel to Monster Hunter 3 on Wii.
This face? It’s one of shock.
Update: thanks to people photographing the Famitsu page (and Klart for directing us to one), here’s an actual photograph of the abomination addition.
Via AndriaSang.
KeRaSh
Good thing I sat back and watched while waiting for an upgraded version.
The Lone Steven
It looks ugly and would be uncomfortable to use due to how close the right stick is to the buttons. Ninty are starting to go downhill imo. Come on, Ninty, pull yourself together.
Hangon, doesn’t the headphones and charger connect via the side? If they do then that could be a problem if the gamer wants to play a game that uses both sticks and is very low on power. It kinda looks like something that was left over and the designer was in a hurry to design it.
Awayze
Soo glad I didn’t waste my money on a 3DS.
Crocadillian
Just, wow.
What a waste of £200…
iBirch
Really wished I waited and didn’t get the 3DS. That’s just vile.