Before I had the opportunity to try out the Circle Pad Pro for the Nintendo 3DS, I made a clay mock up to see how it would feel in my hands. I had a few doubts as to how the actual device would sit in my hands as I held the system. The mock up didn’t do much to alleviate any concern, however upon grasping it, I felt slightly better about it.
When I was at the Capcom Gamers’ Day event last Thursday and they announced they would have the Circle Pad Pro available in the demo room, I swiftly made my way to the 3DS area. When I first glanced at the device, it seemed big, but not exactly bulky. The rest of the systems laying around were slimmer in appearance, of course, but it had a slight elegance for a cradle.
Once I picked it up, I was amazed at how light it was. Sure, there is a noticeable difference in weight, but it wasn’t cumbersome as I had expected from the photos. The Z buttons take over for the shoulder buttons on the system itself, at least in Resident Evil: Revelations. They had a clicky noise to them, so those who game during the night may want to keep away from those who are trying to sleep. Although those buttons felt fine, I noticed that the slide pad itself seemed a bit looser than the one on the system. It wasn’t enough to effect how I fared in the game, but I could detect it and it was an annoyance.
Since I have small hands, the cradle shape fit perfectly into my palms. After I adjusted to using it and the feel of the buttons, it worked better than expected. There were a few moments while playing where I hit the wrong Z button on the right side where there are two buttons instead of one, but I later corrected myself. Reaching over for the other face buttons wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t exactly ideal either. I was happy there was no real major touch screen usage due to the cradle making access to the stylus impossible. If you’re wanting to play a game that has you using the stylus, you’ll have to grab it first and then put the system back in the device.
As for the build, it seems to be built out of stout plastic so it may be able to withstand a beating. The system uses security screws, namely the tri-wing type, so if you’re wanting to look at the internals of the system, you’ll need a special screwdriver. Although the system uses screws to keep itself together, there is nothing holding the system in place of the cradle except for a bit of friction. I wasn’t able to lift the system out myself, but I had it demonstrated in front of me and there was nothing anywhere keeping it seated. There’s not a ton of room underneath too, so my best guess is that extended batteries such as the Nyko 3DS Power Pak won’t fit in the space given.
Will it be worthwhile to pick up at this point? I’m not sure. Although the device seems to be physically solid with a few drawbacks, I’m not sure that it will see the support it needs down the road. A great majority of Nintendo peripherals see lack of support and I’m wondering which way the Circle Pad Pro will go.
Unfortunately Capcom didn’t allow photographs of the device.
I haven’t had a try at it.. but even if its light .. it just DOESN’T seem like something i would take with me on the go.. because my 3DS IS a portable and is meant to be taken around. The only positive for me is that this peripheral makes it clear that once the 3DS gets a hardware update, a 2nd joystick will MOST LIKELY be one of the new features ( i could be wrong). I dont belive this change will come soon.. but just saying when a change IS made i think (hope) a 2nd “circle pad” will be included on the device.. maybe under the ABXY Buttons?
I can understand the whole portable POV I suppose. To me, the size of the 3DS is already big enough to be a hassle to take along where I go.
I think that Nintendo would have included a second control pad to boot, but they just couldn’t compensate it due to the space on the 3DS. Im probably going to buy this, since its about $20. When they had a demonstration for Monster Hunter 3G on 3DS, people said that without the Control Pad, it played just fine. I would probably only use the attachment if I’m at home. Hopefully the AAA batteries you need to use it will improve battery life.
Obviously I can’t speak for MH3G, but for RE:R, I feel the same way. I’ll be getting it of course, but I’m really skeptical about the support.