Your FAQ doesn't include the most frequently asked questions of all: why is there no dual circle pads? and what does this mean for the circle pad pro peripheral? Obviously it isn't going to fit, so what about that?

Added questions/answers about the Circle Pad situation. Thanks!

A second analog isn't necessary. No games require it and very few actually support it.


It wouldn't make any sense to break-up the user-base like that.

I totally agree. As a lefty, I'll miss having the Circle Pad Pro (assuming it's not getting an XL release down the road) for Kid Icarus, but I've put up with Kid Icarus from the right-handed control scheme before. I can do it; I just prefer using my natural dominance.

No problem. Thank you for adding that. I think it helps make the FAQ more complete, even though no one really knows the answers yet (except for Nintendo).

I also agree. I wouldn't have said no to it being included but I only own one game that's compatible with it (Resident Evil Revelaitons) and it played just fine without the right circle pad.

I would guess Nintendo might release a Circle Pad Pro XL at some point for Monster Hunter fans.

Maybe not many games support it now and maybe there are none which require it, but if it had been integrated that would eventually change.

I’ve never used the CPP, and I beat RE: Revelations on Hell Mode just fine without it. However, I could see Metal Gear greatly benefiting from it. For those who have Luigi’s Mansion, I doubt Nintendo will support it, but do you think that game could benefit from CPP or did it handle pretty well? From the videos I’ve seen, it looks like some people struggle with the controls.

*have played Luigi’s Mansion at E3

It totally would be improved with the Circle Pad Pro, but I think Luigi's Mansion is totally fine without it. The only game that's almost totally broken without it is Metal Gear Solid 3.

I'm not sure why anyone thinks it's likely that Nintendo will pass up an opportunity to sell an extra peripheral for their system.

Any idea if the stylus is still located at the top or has it been moved back to the right like on the DS line?

There's a small error in the FAQ - you said Kingdom Hearts 3D launches alongside the XL in Europe, but it actually comes out July 20th, which is 8 days before the 3DS XL.

Barring MGS (which is still serviceable without the CPP) I don't see a reason why a second slide-pad would need to be integrated in to the system. If you're making a game that must utilize dual-analog in order to function, why are you making it for the 3DS in the first place?


Resident Evil and Monster Hunter Tri G may support the addition but they also have control schemes that work beautifully without the use of a second pad. With the use of gryo-aiming and the touch pad, I find it confusing that some feel that the hardware needs dual-pads.

But since Nintendo's goal is (or should be) to get ALL developers completely on board with their hardware, they need to have that second analog available. If developers don't want to use it they don't have to, but there's no harm in it being there for an option for those who want it.

There wouldn't be harm in having it as an option if it were there from day one. Adding it now segments the user base, and doing so would either be pointless or screw over everyone who bought the first model, depending on whether games start requiring it.

That would only be true if the CPP peripheral didn't exist, but it does exist. Therefore no one is screwed and the market wouldn't be segmented, because original 3DS owners can just get the peripheral and then they too can join in on the fun.

The market would absolutely be segmented, because the owners of the original model wouldn't necessarily have the new feature. By your logic Motion+ didn't segment the Wii market because people had the option of buying the add-on for all their old remotes.

Nope. Chozo's right on this one. The CPP exists, therefore no segmentation. All any original 3DS owner would have to do is order it directly through Nintendo or walk into a Gamestop to pick one up. Simple.


I don't understand why you people have to keep arguing against this notion. Sheesh. Options are BETTER.

it appears to me that the stylus comes out of the bottom now. the bottom right to be specific.

So you would argue Nintendo introducing Motion+ didn't segment the market? Because this is the exact same situation.

Motion Plus never segmented the market because the few games which required it tended to come bundled with it. Wii Sports Resort, Red Steel 2, and Fling Smash are three I know of offhand which had M+ bundled with the games, so the game came exactly with what it required....so its just like buying something with the batteries conveniently included. No extra purchases are necessary.

On the other hand, I don't think Skyward Sword came with it, unless you count the limited edition gold wiimote bundle deal... so maybe some people bought that game and didn't have it, but considering how long M+ has been available and how many games that came out before that which DID bundle it, I think the level of market segmentation was really minuscule and not worth worrying about.

As you said yourself, the CPP is just a cheap piece of plastic and some wires, so any game that requires it can just come bundled with it, just like Monster Hunter did. There is no segmentation when its bundled with the games.

Dear NWR - I often comment about how I dislike handheld gaming, often gripe about the 3DS, Nintendo's most recent 10 years of gaming history and anything awesome in general.  Why do I care about the 3DS?

Nope. Not at all. Why? Because ANYONE could walk into ANY Walmart and pick up a Motion+ device. Bam, done. Settled.


I know...because I picked up two for my two regular Wii remotes.

Here's an mailbag question:  What about viewing angels?  Does larger screens fix the issues?

It's not settled. You can walk into any GameStop and buy a CPP. They are all over the place and if you don't like them, the only one stopping you from getting on is yourself.

I hope gamestop has a sweet trade in deal for this.

Maybe if outward facing 3D cameras had "divine" sensors, but I don't think Nintendo has that technology.


We are still left to preying for miracles and other such divine intervention.

Just nintendo stubbornness.
"Thats the way we made it, were not changing it"
Lets face it, if they added a second stick now, they would be admitting they were wrong.
We can see from the crap that they are peddling for the holiday, that aweful name,(i call the
NS6, )  as something someone wants, they are more stubborn today then the N64 days.

Is it true that you'll actually be able to play DS games 1:1 on the system?

I've heard people say this, but I think that's more wishful thinking. I assume we'll hear more about it in the coming month before its release.

Are the camera's better in anyway? 

The res will be the same, considering the native pixels are built into the game card.  The older model will actually look a lot better in terms of pixels and depth. 

Im never going to get over the fact that my 3ds will always have shitty ass ridges while im playing it. Goodbye depth perception..

For that to happen, Nintendo would have to increase the pixel count by 16x. That doesn't seem likely.

You should really update the FAQ. Kingdom Hearts is not out on the same day as the XL in Europe. It is actually out 8 days before it. DO NOT DISAPPOINT ME!

Huh? That makes no sense. The fact that you CAN walk into almost any gaming store or gaming section of a retail store and buy a Motion+ attachment - or even a Wii Remote+ for that matter - means there is no segmentation.

Also, you just disproved yourself on the subject of the CPP, by saying you CAN walk into a Gamestop and buy one. No segmentation.

How difficult is this to see? Gah. I'm starting to think you guys are only arguing over this for the sake of just arguing. And it's very disheartening when it comes to communication on this forum. It's almost like the majority of people on this forum feel like options and appealing to everyone absolutely cannot exist. It either has to be one way or no way for you all. Ugh.

The fact that you can ONLY buy the CPP at GameStop means there is absolutely the potential for a segmented market.  There is probably a fair chunk of 3DS owners (parents, young children) who never go into GameStop - they buy their games at Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, Toys R Us, and one of the HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of other retailers that sell Nintendo products.  These customers probably have no idea that the CPP even exists.  It's not like Nintendo is advertising the thing.

Nintendo chose to sell the CPP at exactly ONE physical retailer, meaning they had absolutely no intention of this thing ever hitting widespread usage.  (See: Sega Nomad) So then why would they suddenly change their mind and put it onto the system, requiring every 3DS owner for the past year to track down a difficult to obtain peripheral (yes, it IS difficult to obtain if only one retailer sells it - you don't think there would be a MAD rush for CPP if the 3DS XL had included a right circle pad?) or face the potential of their 3DS being obsolete?

Nintendo may very well release a CPP XL, but that's the extent of their support of the right circle pad.  Nintendo made their bed over a year ago, and now we have to lay in it until the 3DS successor rolls around.

I think everyone is fine with options. Its the criticism of Nintendo that no one will tolerate. If Nintendo does something which provides more options everyone will cheer it, but if Nintendo does something that limits options then they will defend that to the death against any criticism. I could be wrong, but that's how things seem to me.

Like for example, many months ago before Xenoblade and Last Story were confirmed to be coming here I was arguing then that NoA should do it, but people defended NoA for not doing it and went to great and unreasonable lengths to conjur up excuses to justify it. Well, now that those games are here those same people have shifted gears and now they think its a great move on the part of Nintendo.... but why didn't they think that before?

I can pretty much guarantee to you that if Nintendo had announced CPP integration in a 3DS revision these people who are now arguing against it would be cheering it. They will blindly accept without question anything Nintendo does or doesn't do, and will not tolerate any criticism whatsoever. They are only against CPP integration because Nintendo hasn't done it, because if Nintendo hasn't done it then it must be bad.

If you're referring at all to me, you're wrong.  Nintendo was right not to include the right circle pad on the 3DS XL, and I'd have thought it was the best move even if that wasn't the choice they made.  As someone who owns a 3DS, has no interest in a CPP, and no intention of purchasing a 3DS XL, this is the best move for me personally, and the best move for the company.

Well, I guess my counter to that then is this...

If Nintendo were to actually make a full-on revision of the 3DS with second analog stick.. do you not think that they would then start offering the CPP in more stores to give everyone the ability to pick one up? Of course, Nintendo's the only one who could answer this question. And while we're at it... say a hugely, high-profile game comes out that requires it... what would stop Nintendo from packing in a CPP with it to ensure everyone would eventually have one? They did this with Motion+ and the extra RAM expansion for N64, too..

Maybe I just think too positively all the time. There's no harm in giving people options - especially if Nintendo were to make the thing widely available.

I'd like to suggest something... crazy.

Now, let me be clear, I have no knowledge of this whatsoever.  Simply speculation.

Anywhoo, I keep reading about how Nintendo "chose to only sell the CPP at GameStop".

Does anyone have any evidence that this was ever actually Nintendo's choice?

Has anyone else considered the possibility that GameStop was the only major retailer that was willing to stock the CPP?

Interesting thought, but I doubt that no other retailer would be willing to sell the peripheral.
    As for the 3DSXL not having the second pad... I wish they had. Nintendo should realize that we like it when they accept and rectify their mistakes. Of course there'd be some split in the market, but an acceptable and manageable one. My two cents.

There's no way Amazon wouldn't have stocked it. And by the time it came out here 3DS sales had picked up and I think most retailers would have if Nintendo wanted them to. It's much more likely that Nintendo limited the release on purpose.


People keep saying Nintendo should admit they made a mistake, but I'm pretty sure Nintendo doesn't see it as a mistake. They never wanted a second analog on the system, not when they designed it and not now.

Are you sure about that?  How many times has Amazon stopped carrying the 3DS for seemingly no explainable reason?

They did give reasons.

I sort of want one... but IMO it doesn't look that great, OG 3DS is sexier/sleeker. And it might actually be TOO big for my liking, as I actually use my 3DS on-the-go. I might bite anyway, when i have some spare cash, because there's lots of games i'd love to play on that screen. It just won't be my primary machine/3DS.

I might buy one as a secondary system if there were an account system that let me play my digital purchases on both it and my launch unit. Even if it just worked like Xbox Live, where I could download everything on the standard 3DS and play it anytime and had to be logged into the online system on the XL to do it.

I have a small hope that they'll let us do that. Particularly, since the thing doesn't even include an AC adapter in Japan/Europe, they're expecting mostly second buyers rather than new buyers, so hopefully, they'll make good with those customers.

In my opinion the segmentation if the right analog pad was included would be worse that with the motion plus, because if included it could gain more weight when the developers plan their control schemes and it could become more important when playing games and 3DS users would have to rely more and more in an atachment to play in the same way that 3DS XL users.
And, personally, I don't like playing with any kind of accesory attached to my handled.

If this article had a "Like" button, I would click it. 

This is what I wanted. "Dual analog" didn't care. I play my DSi LL exclusively because is perfect. I use it as my "Nerd ID" when I'm out and about. 

Now I can finally up-grade and there are a slew of games for me to chose from. My patience has become my virtue. 

I do plan to wait for the first super awesome bundle/new color that'll be here for Christmas. Ohhhh Yeahhhh!!! 

Chozo was the first reply and he asked a question that IMO is easy to answer. No 3DS model will ever have a second analog stick unless there is at least one game that REQUIRES a second analog stick (no game released or announced so far requires it).

It's a catch-22. No game will require the second circle pad unless enough people have one to make that feasible, which would only really be the case if it was built into a revision of the hardware.

Again, I'm fairly certain Nintendo is purposely burying the Circle Pad Pro, and that they don't want it to become widely used, and that's the primary reason you'll never see it built into the hardware.

Tend to agree.  Don't much like this move, and wonder how Capcom feels - or if they even care - as apparently the Circle Pad Pro accessory was largely a move to get them to release Monster Hunter on 3DS.


It's disappointing to see this happen when Resident Evil: Revelations and Monster Hunter both play better with the extra stick, and Metal Gear virtually requires it to be playable at all.  All of these games are already released in at least some regions.  They also represent the most "core" series on the portable at this point.  Why am I not surprised they get kind of screwed over?


(Again, it may be a good business decision by Nintendo because core games will probably always be a notably minority on their hardware.  My complaint is that it feels like Nintendo is actively changing "probably" into "certainly".)

There are pros and cons to including the right circle pad. 3rd parties could have held their games hostage or threatened to move development to Vita if they really wanted to force Nintendo's hand. Nintendo, in turn, could have made it a prerequisite that all games have a single circle pad option. There are a number of ways this could have played out that could have had positive and negative effects on consumers.

Ultimately, I don't believe this will affect 3DS in the long run. It's still a viable platform. Sony released 3 revisions to PSP and never added a second analog nub. That wasn't the reason DS dominated it. And Sony actually doubled the RAM which could have affected performance. People didn't really kick up a fuss about that. If I was a 1000 model owner, that would have irked me.

Like most things, I think people will generally forget about this after a while. Many games play just fine without it. I always go back to God of War: Chains of Olympus. It was extremely faithful despite less functionality. Most developers will make good games regardless. So far, they have.

Can this new battery be fitted into the original model of the 3ds? Don't need a bigger screen for a portable system.

I don't think 3rd parties would go through the trouble of threatening it. They would just simply do it... and some of them probably already have.

Given how terribly the Vita's selling in Japan, they'd have to be really pissed off by this to jump ship at this point. They really don't have much choice but to support the 3DS. Whether they like it or not, that's where the money is.

In any case, I think Nintendo owes it to Capcom to create a new CPP peripheral for the XL.

Let's not forget the CPP isn't just another circle pad, its also shoulder buttons as well. Aren't these needed?

Not to mention the fact that all the stories we have heard are of developers canceling their PSV games, sometimes moving them over to 3DS, because the PSV is pretty much bombing everywhere.

...which is a shame, because I loved Vita's hardware. I just wish games came out for it.

The Vita just came out. The PSP also struggled at first, but look where it ended up after it got Monster Hunter as an exclusive.

Not much better? When I had my PSP, only four games interested me. And not enough to entice me to keep it. As with the Vita, the PSP's hardware was more compelling than the games.

Nintendo is so hypocritical. They didn't put a second analog pad on the 3DS because the touchscreen is supposedly a good substitute. Yet the Wii U has both a touchscreen and a second analog stick.

Why put a second analog stick on one device, yet leave it off of another equally capable device?

First off, the 3DS isn't "equally capable" to the Wii U. Second, it's not hypocritical to have different approaches to different hardware platforms. You may not agree with them, but Nintendo has its reasons for doing what it does and it's a gross misuse of the word to call that hypocritical.

Can you list some of these reasons for why they omitted a second analog on the 3DS? I can't think of any good reasons to omit it, other than the like 50 cents or whatever they save on manufacturing costs by leaving it out. Other than saving a few cents worth of plastic there is no negatives/cons to including it whatsoever.

The only logical explanation is that the omission was an oversight. It was one Sony had made with the PSP, but apparently Sony learned from that mistake because they went dual analog with the Vita. I think the problem is the 3DS design had been finalized before Nintendo was aware Sony was going with dual analog in the Vita. Had they known that, I'm sure they would have followed suit... but since the 3DS was the first analog controlling handheld Nintendo has ever made they never learned this lesson the way Sony did.

What's weird though is Nintendo was the first to learn this mistake with console controllers. The N64 controller only had one stick, but apparently Nintendo agrees 1 isn't enough because with the Gamecube and every traditional controller they've made since then they've always gone with 2 analogs. Why they think only one would be acceptable for a handheld when they already know 2 is needed on controllers is beyond me.

The Wii U controller and the 3DS are equally capable in terms of controls. They both have a touchscreen, d-pad, A B X Y buttons, analog sticks, etc. If the Wii U can get a second analog stick built in, then the 3Ds should have had one as well. Not everyone wants to use a touchscreen or gyro for aiming.

I don't know specifically what their reasons are; I'm simply working under the assumption that they're not picking courses of action completely at random. Also, I'm willing to bet Nintendo's put more thought into this than you have.

Here are some 3DS XL Impressions

I'm really excited to get this. I have to try it myself but judging by the pics and video, the only thing I would change is where the controls are located. I would move them down a bit. That would make moving my thumbs to the bottom of the larger screen and Select/Home/Start a bit easier and not cramp my hands when pressing the shoulder buttons. That was unavoidable on the standard 3DS, but not with the XL.

No they are NOT equally capable. The Wii U controller has 2 more shoulder buttons and clickable analog sticks. That right there gives it 4 extra buttons (in addition to the second analog stick). And there is a difference in portable and home gaming.

I'm sure they've put a lot of thought into the overall 3DS design. That doesn't mean they couldn't have made an oversight, though. It reminds me of something I heard about Napoleon did at Waterloo that cost him the battle... I forget exactly what it was, but the point is no one can deny Napoleon was a military genius, but on this day he had made some simple amateurish mistake which cost him the battle. So my point is even the most well thought plans by the greatest minds can still be missing some simple detail that they overlooked. I think that's what happened here with the 3DS.

Not like there used to be. The lines are becoming increasingly blurred as they both approach the great convergence that will happen sooner or later. Nintendo might be resisting it, but Sony has designed their Vita system to essentially be a portable PS3 with all the same horsepower and buttons and all that as the PS3 has.

Granted, the Vita will be a generation behind compared to the PS4 (whenever that comes out), but its on par with current consoles, and because of the law of diminishing returns the noticeable difference will be very minuscule. Its very different than the original Gameboy which had 8-bit graphics on a spinach screen. Handhelds and consoles are converging together whether Nintendo likes it or not. Sony has already embraced it.

And how's that working out for Sony? Do people really want a portable home console? Right now, it doesn't look like it.

I prefer Nintendo's approach with DS which they've strayed somewhat from with 3DS. DS offered many experiences you couldn't get anywhere else. It was partially what made DS such a runaway success.

I hope for further distinction between console and handhelds. The Wii U GamePad gives their console 3DS-esque functions but what sets it apart is that the 2 screens aren't tethered to each other. Is that enough of a distinction? Ehh, probably not.

Yeah, but people said the same thing about the PSP at this point in its life, and come to think of it... the same was said about the 3DS in the first months of its life as well. You need to understand that things can and do turn around. The way the Vita is performing right now is not an accurate assessment of how it will have performed over all by the end of its life cycle.

Sony has deep pockets and they will be in this for the long haul. They aren't like Sega where if the console doesn't do well initially then its all over and they have to abort. No, they are relentless and will not give up. That's how they were ultimately able to turn the PSP into a success (especially in Japan) even though everyone joked about it for the first few years of its life. But until recently its been the best selling system in Japan. Only after the 3DS cut its price and came out with better games was the 3DS able to pull ahead, but the fact the PSP was beating the 3DS (and DS) for awhile should tell you something.

The PSP was never a big success outside of Japan, it only did moderately well in other regions.

According to Wikipedia it has sold 71.4 milion as of September 2011. Japan only accounts for 15 million of that.