Tendo City

http://kotaku.com/5837871/theres-more-to...3ds-add+on

Yeah, this is a bulky and ugly looking addon, for a portable, from a company that has never, not once, felt the need to add buttons to it's controllers later in a system's life, even when they really could have used them (GBA anyone?).

Kotaku here makes a good point, it speaks to a very likely remodel with the extra stick and buttons included right on it. Why didn't they just add a second analog stick from the start? As it stands, it's an entirely anti-Apple move, and anti-Nintendo come to think of it. If the rerelease hypothesis bears true, this little addon will go down as "that one clunky thing that let early adopters play later games".

So I was very close to buying a 3DS, but this addon's existence has made me second guess that decision. I'm taking a wait and see attitude again, which I'm sure Nintendo won't like, but I'm sure not going to be stuck using this pocket ripper to play "portable" games. Combined with the fact the battery life needs work and the 3D effect should have a wider scope to allow more movement of the MOTION SENSING device while playing and heck, about the only game I want that's even out right now is a remake of a game I already own... 3 times counting the various Gamecube compilations. I can stand to wait. In fact, upon reflection, Nintendo should have waited. It's not like the original DS was selling poorly, and it's not like Sony's Vita is coming out any time too soon. If they'd kept the 3DS in R&D this whole time they could release it BEFORE Christmas with all this stuff worked out.

Yeah, I'd say that the 3DS is Nintendo's second "rushed launch", right alongside their other 3D portable...

Somebody needs to go talk to Nintendo, tell them that this idea is really stupid, and get them to cancel it... :(

Now they release some details on the addon.

Pics: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/hardware/a...index.html

Games that will support it list (so far): http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/hardware/a...index.html (the first one is Monster Hunter 3G. The fifth one is Dynasty Warriors Vs.)

Also, it will apparently require a AAA battery to work. Great. They should not be releasing this thing, darnit...

Why does it need a battery? Just... why? Does it do anything OTHER than add buttons and a stick? Is there force feedback? Buttons and a stick should not require any extra energy the port can't provide.

Well, at any rate Monster Hunter is pretty huge. A large number of my friends are REALLY into the series and keep trying to get me to join them (one of them bought me Monster Hunter Tri just hoping I'd play it). I just haven't gotten into it myself. Recently they went so far as to get a fan translation for the unreleased Monster Hunter and are playing that now. It's the sort of series where I can imagine Capcom can demand whatever they want from Nintendo and Nintendo will do it just to get the game on their system. With Tri, that meant redesigning their classic controller a little.

Anyway, coupled with all these delayed releases of all the games I'd actually want for the system, I think I'm pretty much fine with waiting for a remodel announcement on the 3DS.

Apparently it's only connected to the 3DS via the IR port, which can't transmit power, so unless the attachment went into the battery compartment too or something, somehow, it has to have its own power... and yes, as I said, certainly is another sign that this was a bad idea. I wonder if Nintendo did this because Capcom wanted it for Monster Hunter...