Nintendo announces 3DS control extension pack

Strange as they always are, Nintendo today has thrown a curve ball, announcing a confusing peripheral for the Nintendo 3DS. Revealed over at NeoGAF, citing both Andriasang and Famitsu magazine, the peripheral is dubbed the '3DS Control Extension Pack'.

As can be seen from the mock-up images, and shown in Famitsu magazine, the peripheral attaches to the bottom of the Nintendo 3DS unit, with an extended area on the right size. This extension aims to add a second slide pad to the unit, giving it a setup akin to a classic dual analogue control pad, or Sony's PlayStation Vita. Other extras include two new triggers, L2 and R2 triggers to be precise, that will sit under the the original L1 and L2 buttons.

Though it hasn't been confirmed, many are speculating that the size of the peripheral may house extra room for a larger battery, solving one of the prime complaints about the system.

A very strange move by Nintendo with questionable benefit. We'll hear more on the 3DS Control Extension Pack at the company's conference next week.

Related Content

Nintendo 3DS eShop details for Australia
03 Jun, 2011 Pokemon, bikes and plumbers.

Pokédex 3D announced
01 Jun, 2011 Gotta catch 'em all.

Nintendo respond to 3DS error
29 Mar, 2011 Problem solved.

Page12 Next

31 Comments

Jarrod

1 year ago

Step 1) Look at 3DS problems, as a piece of hardware relative to the market.
Step 2) Ignore all those problems and do something stupid.
Step 3) ???
Step 4) Profit! (no)

Sometimes, Nintendo. Sometimes.

David No.1

1 year ago

It look's so... I don't know. Ugly.

Wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo announce a 3DS2 - now with 2 analog sticks!

emech

1 year ago

why?? to further split the user base?? looks like the launch 3ds is a confirmed stop gap filler that I shouldn't have brought despite price drops and ambassador programs as obvioulsy 3ds2 is on its way as rumoured.....

DancesInUnderwear

1 year ago

Pack it all up and start this gen again, Nintendo. You've lost the plot.

There's a bit of speculation on neogaf that this might all be to make it compatible as a WiiU controller, which would make a tiny bit more sense, but still largely be quite dumb. But I guess that 'dumb' is par for the course for Nintendo at the moment.

Shadow Wave

1 year ago

im going to assume the right joystick will function as the XYAB buttons in all games played.

DancesInUnderwear

1 year ago

Shadow Wave wrote

im going to assume the right joystick will function as the XYAB buttons in all games played.

I'm going to assume the XYAB buttons will function as the XYAB buttons, personally.

zzyss

1 year ago

Maybe they should offer this free to all existing 3DS early adopters instead of the (kinda) crappy free games. After all, software costs them nothing, and in essence I've just paid for those games by paying the original price.

Cavedog

1 year ago

Next accessory: POWERGLOVE!!

Benza

1 year ago

... what the shit?

Shadow Wave

1 year ago

DancesInUnderwear wrote

Shadow Wave wrote

im going to assume the right joystick will function as the XYAB buttons in all games played.

I'm going to assume the XYAB buttons will function as the XYAB buttons, personally.

lol well yeah obviously, but im meaning like in unsuported games the joystick will probably double as an alternative for the butttons.

David No.1

1 year ago

Shadow Wave wrote

im going to assume the right joystick will function as the XYAB buttons in all games played.

wut?

EDIT: OH! lol I see.

G3ck0

1 year ago

Shadow Wave wrote

im going to assume the right joystick will function as the XYAB buttons in all games played.

I highly doubt that. 4 buttons don't translate well to 360 different positions. Games will have to be made with the joystick in mind, so I guess a lot of games from now on will have a joystick and no joystick configuration.

Nick

1 year ago

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!!!!!

Jedi_Amara

1 year ago

If it is to make it compatible as a Wii U controller, I wonder if there'll be a region lock in place @_@

THEMAN

1 year ago

Wait for 3ds ver 2.0 in 2012. Probably around the time iPad 3 hits

plazma

1 year ago

I originally thought it was made by Capcom and would be a bundle with Tri-G. Guess not.
I hope it comes in the other colour :/ it's going to clash with my nice blue 3DS.

Otherwise. I hope it's something like a CC for the wii, in the sense that some games supported it, but it was never necessary, or maybe If it's cheap enough, the nunchuck, which most games actually did use, and was required in some.

The only positive thing i really see about it is it looks kinda comfy in that guy's hands.

Crank

1 year ago

Seems to confirm rumours that a redesigned 3DS with two analogue sticks is on the way. Another kick in the nuts for us early adopters.

Venom_TAG

1 year ago

I don't understand, why Nintendo why ?

admeister

1 year ago

Two sticks? Extra shoulder buttons? You wouldn't be feeling intimidated by the Vita, right Nintendo?

THEMAN

1 year ago

Venom_TAG wrote

I don't understand, why Nintendo why ?

price drop from $250 ---> $179

sells add on for $70

total RRP still $250.

$$$$$

then sells refreshed 3DS2.0
$$$

admeister wrote

Two sticks? Extra shoulder buttons? You wouldn't be feeling intimidated by the Vita, right Nintendo?

you mean; more like welcome to 2010.

Jarrod

1 year ago

Venom_TAG wrote

I don't understand, why Nintendo why ?

Because Nintendo are responding to criticism of the 3DS in all the wrong ways.

The system has its problems, but the absolute best course of action would be to stand ground and push the system as is. Make some lucrative publishing deals. Push software out the wazoo. Secure exclusives. Overhaul the online interface. Uproot the current marketing and try to sell the system as they should. Success could and should have been had.

Now they're splintering the market of a system that's already struggling to find an identity. One of the prime issues of marketing the 3DS is that Nintendo has done an abysmal job separating it from the DS line of hardware. Now they're going to make the situation even more confusing.

Regardless of its practical application, this is an a friggen awful business move and is just further cementing the 3DS as DOA. Its going to cause more problems than it solves.

emech

1 year ago

^^ You forgot remove region locking............

Jarrod

1 year ago

The mass market couldn't give a toss about region locking.

EDIT: Sorry, that sounded mean. What I meant to say is that region locking sucks, and region free is awesome, but not something the mass market really cares about. Nintendo's main fault with the 3DS, from a mass consumer point of view, is a crippled identity. They've done a terrible job of advertising the system, and as a result average joe thinks its a DS revision.

kartanym

1 year ago

The controller has been designed specifically for Monster Hunter Tri G, according to a breakdown of the above article. So I wouldn't fret about 'OMG 3DS mk 2!!!', it's an add-on. There is no updated 3DS on the way. It's just another classic controller pro, essentially.

Page12 Next

View as forum topic

Add Comment