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Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Attachment Dubbed "Circle Pad Pro" For The West?

By Spencer . October 25, 2011 . 12:50am

Nintendo announced a second circle pad add-on, which will debut in Japan alongside Monster Hunter 3G. Both will be available in stores on December 10.

While Nintendo of America hasn’t said much about their plans for it, Capcom says the second circle pad will be available in North America when Resident Evil: Revelations comes out.

And it looks like the accessory will be called Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Pro in the West. Nintendo filed a trademark for Circle Pad Pro in Japan alongside one for "slide pad expansion" in Japanese.

Read more stories about Nintendo 3DS & Trademark on Siliconera.

http://www.facebook.com/jkwong1 James Kwong
sounds like a call od duty perk lol
Kawashima
Really? Its just making the damn thing bulkier. If they needed a second circle pad then it should have been built on in the first place.

PrinceHeir
agree
i guess this is what happens when you rush a product into the market

XypherCode
they didn’t really rush the thing. they just have a “It doesn’t really need it yet” kind of mindset. i’m already looking forward to the next iteration of the 3DS…even if it’s years away xD

Apache_Chief
Hopefully the next 3ds has a second pad under the buttons a la Gamecube’s c-stick. Wouldn’t be too obtrusive and it would add some options. And we could do away with this thing.
OneOkami
I feel they rushed it. I do believe they wanted to beat Sony to the market with this generation, I think they were shortsighted when omitting the 2nd pad in the first place, I think they hasty in releasing this product with awful battery life, and I think they were arrogant in thinking they could successfully launch this product at $250 with a pathetic overall library when they should’ve waiting until more games were ready (including their own). Futhermore, the I think the fact they massively cut the price and are releasing this “Sloppy Pad AMATEUR” so quickly just further goes to show they threw this out the door before it was ready. They didn’t properly analyze the market beforehand, and now they’re paying for it.
I’m very disappointed in Nintendo and already feel confident the Vita will ultimately be my preferred portable gaming device. I’m already more excited about its library than the 3DS’ and the thing isn’t even out yet.
I think Nintendo rushed out the door and fell flat on their face, whereas Sony is walking in with relative elegance. Good for them.

malek86
“I think Nintendo rushed out the door and fell flat on their face, whereas Sony is walking in with relative elegance. Good for them.”
That said, I still think the 3DS will sell a lot more than the PSV.
OneOkami
I don’t doubt it will sell in the long run (though I don’t feel strongly enough either way as to predict which will sell more). But like how I ended up favoring my PSP more than my DS overall (though I love both immensely), I can already see myself spending a lot more time with my Vita than my 3DS. The library is already feeling like an extension of how the PSP’s ultimately won me over, which I think bodes very well for the future of the console (at least for me).

malek86
“they didn’t really rush the thing. they just have a “It doesn’t really need it yet” kind of mindset.”
Maybe, but when you change your mind within six months of release, that means you rushed it.

James Beatty
Nintendo doesn’t need it, but developers don’t want to put work into finding a way around the lack of a second analog stick so nintendo made this just for the 3rd party devs. It’s a business strategy they did to get MH 3G and MH 4. Nintendo would have been stupid not to make it for those games even though they don’t think they need i9t.

OneOkami
That, my friend, is the definition of being shortsighted.

James Beatty
Well, the DS didn’t have a single analog stick and it did pretty well.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Pierre-Louis/667684607 Steven Pierre-Louis
true, but the DS had mainly 2D games. 3D games are going to be more common on this system, so the second analog really helps the control. Still, I imagine you could do without this attachment and still control most 3D games reasonably well.

icecoffemix
Just like PSP was, oh wait.
Tom_Phoenix
The PSP didn’t have a touchscreen to (somewhat) compensate for the lack of a second analog stick.

OneOkami
I mean no offense but that argument is basically trivial today, since this attachment is Nintendo’s admittance that a modern day dedicated portable game device like the 3DS needs one (and is already being embraced by developers because it effectively enhances control). The DS did well without one, but the DS is becoming rather antiquated in this day and age. Going forward, as portable console technology improves and gameplay possibilities open up, dual analog control becomes increasingly called for in a similar manner that it did on home consoles.
Sony had the foresight to already see that, Nintendo didn’t (now they do)

http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan
@Kawashima:disqus @OneOkami:disqus For all you guys know, they still feel two sticks isn’t a requirement. The second stick was requested by Capcom for Monster Hunter 3G and 4 so that Tri’s control layout could be mimicked.
Personally, I feel like adding a second stick would make the system bulkier, make it non-portable, and also make it more intimidating for a large portion of the more casual audience that plays Nintendo games.
If they push it as an optional thing, it’s more a question of using your 3DS the way you want to. If you want to take it around in your pocket, you remove the add-on. If you’re playing something at home and want the second stick, you put it back on. I do think that’s the image they’re trying to convey here.

OneOkami
Nintendo may not see it as a requirement, but IMHO, if your 3rd party supporters want it and/or feel like they need it, especially when considering its wide use in gameplay control schemes in this day and age as well as the fact that your direct competition has it, then that practically makes it a requirement and I still see its omission as being shortsighted for that reason.
I’ve always valued the importance of strong 3rd party support (both before and especially after seeing how the Wii’s and Dreamcast’s non-1st party library turned out overall) which is why I have such a mentality.
As a gamer, I think dedicated portable gaming has reached a point where its called for, Peace Walker really highlighted that for me, and the request/support of this accessory supports that, IMO.
Indeed, a 2nd stick would likely make the console bulkier and we can all see this attachment sure does (IMO, in a quite an UGLY fashion), but I believe the integration of a 2nd stick could have been pulled off rather elegantly had the hardware been designed for it way back at the white board. The Vita does not strike me as particularly bulky and I’m confident i’ll be fine with it given its similar shape to the PSP.
I guess they’re trying to push this as a optional attachment for when you want to use it, but I’ll gladly shove my foot in my mouth if the revision doesn’t have a 2nd pad built in.

http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan
Here’s the thing, though– the lack of a second stick didn’t prevent third-parties from developing 3DS games, just as it didn’t prevent them from developing PSP games.
Resident Evil Revelations doesn’t need it. Kingdom Hearts doesn’t need it. Inazuma Eleven doesn’t need it. All those games are going to sell 3DSes at the end of the day, regardless of whether people play them with or without the second analog, and all were announced alongside the reveal of the 3DS at E3 2010, or soon after.
While I understand that you (and the vocal minority in general) feel the need for a second analog stick as a personal preference, it isn’t a requirement by any stretch of the imagination.
After all, how many people do you see claiming that Vita is doomed because it doesn’t have two screens? Because the way I see it, a device with two screens saved portable gaming from dying last gen. Going by that theory, doesn’t that mean Sony should be scrambling to put a second screen on Vita?
Software is what matters at the end of the day. Something is only short-sighted if it hurts a company in the long run. The lack of a second stick won’t. :p

OneOkami
I wouldn’t say its not a requirement by “any stretch of the imagination”, and when I say that, I may as well reiterate what I said before:
“if your 3rd party supporters want it and/or feel like they need it, especially when considering its wide use in gameplay control schemes in this day and age as well as the fact that your direct competition has it, then that practically makes it a requirement”.
Yes, games like Resident Evil Revelations and Kingdom Hearts don’t need it, they probably began development before Nintendo confirmed they were making this attachment, but when I say “requirement”, I’m saying look at how quickly it was embraced by the developers of those titles when Nintendo offered it, an ACCESSORY that had yet to sell 1 single unit, given development resources by multiple 3rd parties(=money investment) to support. You yourself said it was a special request of Capcom because they wanted to be able to recreate the gameplay control experience of Monster Hunter Tri, something, it seems, they could not do without it. I’m saying Nintendo felt compelled enough to put out the attachment, making themselves look bad doing it (as if the quick and massive price drop didn’t already look bad enough) as this thing looks (IMO) quite ugly, quite sloppy and (as we seem to have both agreed) quite bulky (and yes, I know its Monster Hunter and Monster Hunter is a big deal, but thats my point, they needed the 2nd stick to achieve Tri’s control). I’m saying not having it can (and at least in some cases probably will) put them at a competitive disadvantage, because while the 3DS couldn’t recreate Tri’s gameplay control without it, the Vita could. Given the series’ history on the PSP, which platform is the game’s audience likely to favor in that case? For that matter, which platform is the game’s DEVELOPER likely to favor in that case? I’m saying I’ll gladly go crawl into a corner and never open my mouth again here if Nintendo’s revised 3DS hardware debuts with a second analog input omitted with the option of buying an attachment for it.
I’m saying in this day and age, a second analog input has become a fundamental element of control across many types of gameplay experiences, and I would NOT say the same thing about dual screens.
I truly feel Nintendo did not see this far, and I do think it can hurt Nintendo in the long run, because I refuse to ever risk developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome playing a game like Metroid Prime: Hunters again, i’ll buy every Peace Walker in the world for the Vita before I’d give a thought to buying one for the 3DS using a PSP-esque control scheme, I’ll buy a newly revised 3DS before I’ll buy Resident Evil: Revelations or Kingdom Hearts (you have my word on that)and I’ll never again buy a first iteration of a Nintendo portable gaming device, because doing so left me feeling foolish for multiple reasons (I am a bilingual, $250-spent-on-a-portable-game-console gamer who has made his feelings about dual analog control obvious just to sum those reasons up rather quickly). For the record, I complained with the 3DS hardware was unveiled without a 2nd analog input, and almost immediately hoped Sony wouldn’t do the same thing.
If i’m in the vocal minority when I say all this, so be it, we can agree to disagree on the idea of the second analog input as a requirement by any stretch of the imagination, and as I’m probably coming off as one of the whiners or “trolls” some others in these comments are complaining about, i’ll shut my mouth.
http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan
I don’t think you’re being a troll here, and I truly appreciate that you’re taking the time to debate this instead of constantly restating the same opinion over and over again, like some other people tend to do with these sorts of topics. Please don’t think otherwise. :)
But yea, I do think we’ll have to agree to disagree here, haha. While I certainly can’t argue with you about third-party developers supporting this peripheral from the get-go, I still feel like this is very much an extra feature, much like adding Classic Controller support to certain Wii games was.
Perhaps the point I’m trying to make here is that, while having the second analog certainly benefits the games that support it, it wouldn’t have detracted from 3DS sales even if it didn’t exist, for the simple reason that those games are 3DS exclusives. People would have had to buy 3DSes to play them regardless, and they would have done so. KH, RE etc. are big games after all.
As for Monster Hunter… Against all odds, Monster Hunter Tri moved from PS3 to Wii. The Wii remote was a hurdle to cross and Capcom worked around it regardless. The lack of an proper online system was a hurdle and Capcom worked around that as well.
The same goes for 3DS and its single analog configuration. Clearly, there is an opportunity that Capcom sees on Nintendo systems for expanding Monster Hunter, and that’s the reason the series is on 3DS. Perhaps they feel that Nintendo’s more varied audience (skewing both younger and older than the average gamer) is what the series needs to expand. Perhaps there’s some sort of marketing deal in place with Nintendo. Perhaps it’s something else.
Those are likely the reasons Monster Hunter is on 3DS, and I suspect the addition of the second analog was merely a “Can we have this?” with Nintendo replying, “Sure, whatever you need.”

Go2hell66
No matter how many times i see this thing, i get nauseous every damn time!
Apache_Chief
Sexy…

http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Pierre-Louis/667684607 Steven Pierre-Louis
are you talking about the act of inserting your AA battery into this lovely device?

Apache_Chief
I’d be a pro at circling those pads, IF ya know what I mean.
James Beatty
I’m pretty sure it’s AAA.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Pierre-Louis/667684607 Steven Pierre-Louis
Well… we can’t ALL have a D… T_T;

kupomogli
I like Ds… and DDs. Wait? Are we talking about batteries?

http://twitter.com/RizduanS RizduanS.
has the 3ds priced dropped? when you think about it, most people are gonna get this and it’ll eventually cost the same (if you buy the ds and this add-on) as what the 3ds is selling for at launch day :/

OneOkami
The price has dropped $80 since its fairly recent launch. It speak volumes at just how much of a failure it was. I’d be shocked if this thing were $80. But I guess logically, this thing attaches what should have already been there when the thing launched in the first place.

James Beatty
“The price has dropped $80 since its fairly recent launch. It speak volumes at just how much of a failure it was.” Analyst told nintendo they could charge that, and all the positive buzz gave nintendo the confidence to price it like that. The price drop was issued to grantee success not admit defeat.

OneOkami
I didn’t say the drop was admitting to defeat, I was implying the drop was due to a failed launch (which I find hard to argue).
The LAUNCH was a failure (if it weren’t then there is little reason to cut the price so much), I didn’t say the console as whole was.

http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Lawson/100001263438932 John Lawson
my only concern is its compatability with the Power Pak+ on my 3ds.
http://twitter.com/JezzSan Jezzy
Circle Pad Fugly
OneOkami
More like sloppy pad pro.
I’ve pretty much thrown my hands in the air at this point. Just ship the new 3DS Nintendo, I’m not buying this fugly thing.

James Beatty
You don’t need to buy the “fugly thing” It’s 100% optional and it’s easily removable and it makes it a little more comfortable.

Loran Cehack
Everything thing should just be touch pad schematics.
http://www.youtube.com/kfd056 kfd056
Why? Do majority of these comments below just makes me want to put some foot up some a**. Someone please explain.

heartless141
it’s like bullying in highschool: once one started it, his group will follow, except this kid deserve like 70% of the flames

http://www.youtube.com/kfd056 kfd056
kfd vs the world. I like the sound of that : )

amagidyne
Because you’re angry at your father.

Oni123
Anyone else think this looks like an old school mega drive add on =)?
http://www.facebook.com/Zekushion Dylan Anantha
Ah, so now I have an analog stick for each hand, and I’ll use the stylus with my mouth?

http://twitter.com/keithmaxx keithmaxx
Or nose, should you prefer. Or happen to be eating a sandwich.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=20704987 Heath Bunch
As ugly as the thing is, the added bulk might actually make it more comfortable for me to hold my 3DS. Wonder how long that triple a will last it though.

James Beatty
It should last a long time. It’s basically like a TV remote, so it should last for several days.

darkraiders
If i wouldn’t have bought a 3DS already and saw this add-on i would have waited until Nintendo release a 3DS with the second analog stick included to buy a 3DS because this is something that’s sure to happen.
I’m ready to bet once the add-on is released worldwide Nintendo will announce a new 3DS with the add-on included and will probably be released in spring of next year probably for 200$.

James Beatty
I think the earliest they would announce it would be e3. But, i’m still not sure whether or not they will include it on the re-design. Anyways, i’m happy with my 3DS and i’ll be picking up the add-on when it comes out. I heard it’s pretty comfortable and it’s fairly cheap. I do think that they need to release a re-design next year. It will help boost sales, the DS didn’t start selling well until the DSlite, the 3DS is already selling better than the DS did during the same period of time, but the re-model should help it sell more since people where waiting for 3 things to buy the 3DS. 1st price drop ($80 is more than you are going to get for a long time) 2nd, games (the holiday season has that covered and 2012 is jam packed full of games) and 3rd redesign (which should come out late next year)
http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Pierre-Louis/667684607 Steven Pierre-Louis
Hm… while Ninty does have quite a bit of cash on hand, I wonder if they have to money to design, create, and re-distribute a new 3DS model so close to the launch of the Wii U? It’s not impossible, I suppose, but it sounds like a bad time for them.
thebanditking
I will never understand why they did not just do this from the start, even if they pretended they never saw a PSP, Kid Icarus alone should have proved it needed two sticks (I would bet thats why it got delayed)
http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa
I don’t’ think it will be released in Spring, like others said E3 will probably be the earliest they announce.
Everybody thinks the revision will be so much better but what if it still has the bulk or “fugly” look? It is like you waited for nothing. Unless you wanted longer battery I guess that will make it even…

http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevi-Johnson-el/100001847029873 Kevi Johnson-el
only reason I still have my 3ds is for the kingdom hearts game coming

thebanditking
Honestly anyone who bought one at launch should not sell it, we all paid $250 for it and after the price drop there is no way you can recoup your money, so its best to just keep it.

http://twitter.com/Shadowmen19 Shadowmen #19
Very well then ill buy this for RE:Revelations sake.
SetzerGabbiani
Some of you are just Nintentrollin’ unnecessarily. If you have a job, buy both systems and end this 3DS vs. Vita nonsense.
Nintendo likes selling peripherals, and this is no different than what they did with the Wii…the only difference being this particular peripheral is almost essential to play certain games unlike the Wii Zapper and Wii Wheel…it’s more like the classic controller pro, essential for certain genres, but I don’t need 2 circle pads to play SMT: DS Overclocked, Street Fighter 4, or my DS games. It WILL be beneficial for MH, Kid Icarus, and Resident Evil style games, however. This is just another revenue stream for them.

kupomogli
I’ll buy the 3DS once Nintendo releases the dual analog version, which as their attachment makes us assume, should have been as such in the first place.

thebanditking
I agree. The 3DS should have shipped with two analog sliders simple as that, releasing it without them was a huge oversight on Nintendo’s part and honestly after watching consumer feedback from the PSP it amazes me they did not come to this conclusion in the first month of design planning.

thebanditking
I honestly have no intention of buying this, we all know Nintendo will update the hardware eventually (I’m still betting on hearing something this March) and when they do it will have two analog sliders and a better battery. So for me I might as well wait out the revision and play the 3DS they way I have it now.
aoihana
Honestly, why is it that seemingly every single article regarding the circle pad attachment is bombarded with negative and sub-troll comments? I mean, we all have our share of opinions, but enough is enough. You don’t need to state the obvious Nintendo should’ve done this the first time, or your pessimistic views of Nintendo every chance you get. We get it, but then again, apparently we still don’t since some people make it their civic duty to remind us every time.
(-_________-)
http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa
I’m thinking optional is better than a revision. It’ll just make people annoyed they got the “inferior” model and it confuses consumer even more. Most of the games are optional with this, until more games are forced I am not seeing a reason to complain or do anything with it and just look forward to owing the 3DS one day like usual.
Steven Boivin
The thing is optional meaning games supporting it can run without it.
Also, next year’s E3 is, without a doubt, gonna be centered around the U for Nintendo. They had to rush things last years ending up with a poor presentation of the hardware and all we really could see was the high potential which, I have to admit, is not enough to convince certain people. That’s why next E3 is their real chance to hit the mark and present the U completly.
Now, because of that, it wouldn’t be surprising if they put most of their focus on it. Sure, they might announce 3DS games, but would they really announce a new hardware on the moment where their goal is to get the U on everyone’s mind? I don’t think so. I don’t expect a new full hardware anytime before 2013.
And like I said earlier, there’s not a single game that cannot run without it. Because of that, they don’t have a reason to do it anytime soon. I might get it later once I get a game that support it, though really, I’m fine with what I got right now.

kylehyde
You are right, nintendo tends to focus in one hardware during a whole year, so the people expecting a revision are going to have a very long wait. I don’t think that for the 2012 we are going to see the supposed revision, maybe for the 2013, but as you pointed, their main concern during the 2012 is going to be the Wii U.

http://www.facebook.com/jeffseely Jeff Seely
I guess I must be one of the few people who actually likes this “Circle Pad Pro” as it’s being called now. Looking at it from all angles, it looks like it’s going to make the 3DS about as easy to grip as a modern console controller. As nice as it would be to have a second circle pad built into a future 3DS model, it’s not going to have the bulk and the curves that I think are going to make the Circle Pad Pro very comfortable to use. On top of that, the Circle Pad Pro has a couple of nice-looking trigger buttons; and because I think Nintendo wants to adhere very closely to that flat-folding design, I doubt the next 3DS model will have those.
And when it comes down to it, the 3DS isn’t really a first-person shooter system. The Circle Pad Pro will give me the option of having the functionality of dual circle pads and trigger buttons when the odd game calls for it; but I don’t think I’ll need it for most 3DS titles.
Really, the only thing I don’t like about the Circle Pad Pro is that it’s powered by a AAA battery rather than the 3DS battery (making me a little concerned about it running out of juice in the middle of gameplay), but that’s not a deal breaker for me.

http://myanimelist.net/profile/Kuronoa Kuronoa
It seems to suffer from the same thing as the Wii U controller. Like Wii U’s controller, impressions state that in spite of its bulk it is comfortable and light.
However with handhelds, revisions are going to happen it is a matter of when. Do we need to play the wait game or just bite and play with the optional attachment which you can take off unlike a revision that may add in bulk permanently.
Joanna
No you aren’t the only one. I’ll admit it doesn’t look too nice, but I like the ability to use a second circle pad for games that need it. That and I would much rather have this attachment than having the buttons placed in an uncomfortable position like the directional pad. And I heard it won’t be too expensive.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Nick-Tetlow/1301633575 Nick Tetlow
3DS with OPTIONAL Circle Pad Pro – about 6 inches wide
PSvita – 7.2 inches wide
“BUT THE ATTACHMENT MAKES THE 3DS SO BIG AND BULKY”
Some people…

http://www.youtube.com/user/Juddgment Judgment8
But that attachment looks ugly and awkward unlike PS Vita…
Not that l’m defending PS Vita or anything, but this “second analog attachment” just looks and sounds pretty crappy >_> I mean the hell, it even needs batteries for it to work…
I’m just saying that they could have easily put the 2nd analog on 3DS in the first place. I’m just wondering why they didn’t… Oh, right the 3DS Lite which “comes out next year” will have that.
But yeah, I can see that some people find this thing useful.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Nick-Tetlow/1301633575 Nick Tetlow
My gripe is with people who criticise this attachment on it’s portability, while remaining silent on the issue of the Vita’s portability. Also ignoring the fact that the circle pad is completely optional. All compatible games are perfectly playable without it.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Smooth-Move/100002839413789 Smooth Move
You can be a fan and admit the company was short-sighted in not adding the second pad. Although the Vita is longer, its design is all encompassing and it looks like a well-thought out handheld. I love my 3DS (not as much as my DS Lite but that is another story) and will probably get the Pad Pro then kick myself when the redesigned 3DS hits shelves…

Eilanzer
ugly as hell! (ﾟ⊿ﾟ)
theworldofnoboundries
Just like the name Circle Pad “PRO”
Only designed for Pro player who wanted to play game with perfect control by sacrifising the looks of 3DS into some kind of muscle abomination!!!
Will i buy? Of course, i want to known as stup who still buy this thing even thought knowing that 3DS “Pro” is coming soon next year or two more years.
Nicholas Jabbour
This probably doesn’t inconvenience me as much as most people, simply because I’m a college student and hence bring my backpack everywhere, making storage of the CPP on the go not too big of a deal. But I’m still seriously pissed off that Nintendo didn’t include a second pad in the first place. Seriously, WHAT THE F*** WERE THE THINKING during development??? Did it seriously not occur to a single member of the 3DS dev team even once that lack of a second analog pad would be a problem??? Did they honestly NOT think this would turn off 3rd parties to developing FPSes and the like???? Did they honestly NOT think it was a problem to release a system more powerful than the gamecube, and NOT at least feature a second stick for camera control?
Trust me, I’m not hating Nintendo: I’m an admitted Nintendo fanboy through and through. Nothing will turn me against my favorite classic franchises of Zelda and Metroid and the like. But these constant poor decisions by Nintendo really piss me off to no end.
That said, since Gamestop offered trade-ins for like, what, $50 every time a new version of the NDS came out, I’m really hoping the same will apply to early 3DS adopters like me if (and hopefully when) Nintendo does release a redesigned 3DS with a second analog pad built in to the lower left corner, the way they should have had all along.

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