The “3DS Kakuchou Slide Pad” or “3DS Expansion Slide Pad” is powered by a AA battery. It is surprisingly light in the hand. It’s large and bulky looking, but it doesn’t feel like it would be a drag to hold. But is it?
The add-on does feel reasonably solid. The backside, with numerous exposed holes for screws looks cheap.
The material is a light finish, and since I’ve been blogging all morning in a humid convention centre, my hands are on the sweaty side. Before I even touched it, I felt compelled to wipe my hands on the jean — as a courtesy. It’s unfinished, so it could have been a bigger fingerprint monster, but make no mistake, this will pick up prints.
With all the nice materials third party peripheral makers use, a rubberised finished would have been preferable.
Using the second slide pad was easier and less awkward than I thought. It is not graceful, but seems serviceable. The response on the pad was the same as the original 3DS slide pad. If you like that, you’ll like this. If you hate it, you’ll hate this.
Looking at the screen, I did have the feeling that I was peering around a corner, because your hands are not perfectly positioned behind the screen.
As previously posted, there are three buttons. They are, R, ZR, and ZL. ZR and ZL ar the two trigger buttons. The 3DS Expansion Slide Pad has pistol type grips that were confortable to hold, and the ZL and ZR buttons work well. They are not clicky, and might be a bit too squishy for some, but I found them responsive.
Where things go wrong is the R button. I felt as though I had to reach up, going from the ZR button. The left side was worse, because it doesn’t have an add on button. Rather, it uses the 3DS’s left shoulder button. So I had to reach up and back.
All of these weakness should be sorted in the inevitable hardware revision.
Until then, the 3DS Expansion Slide Pad will be out on Dec. 10 for ¥1,500 (US$19).
Neo-Kaiser
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:26 PMPerhaps they could sell the expansion if it did come with a chick.
THXultra
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:28 PMIt now looks like a poor mans PSvita!
TechaNinja
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:46 PMJust with no good games.
ponton
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 9:56 PMas opposed to the vita, which you cant get yet, and has no games?
DENAz
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:30 PMYeah, would feel a bit strange being just a bit off center. I’d really have to try one out before I could make up my mind
TH
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:31 PMI’d like to manhandle her slide pad…
Lone Wolf
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:40 PMSlower than I expected, but there it is.
TechaNinja
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:46 PMDude that’s a guy!
Raif
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:58 PM….I’d like manhandle her slide pad:P
Stu
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:39 PMIt look’s like some dodgy cheap handheld that youd find at the markets….
TechaNinja
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 8:00 PMNah mate that’s just the 3DS.
Lobo
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:49 PMAfter seeing this I am definately going to wait for the revised model.
DainBramage
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 4:51 PMIt looks dodgy. But I have to say it looks far better in real life then in the artist renderings.
Jake
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 5:04 PMDamn she’s cute…
MrTaco
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 5:05 PMRubberised material instead? Ew, hell no. That stuff feels awful.
Powalen
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 5:51 PMCouldn’t agree more. After a while it just feels… dirty.
Seegrey
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 5:31 PMSo I’m betting winter next year for 3DS-Duo, where this is included by default.
I’m still baffled by why it requires a battery, instead of having a battery expansion in it.
Nuclear Pi
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 6:21 PM19 bucks actually seems pretty reasonable, might be worth picking up
Stevorooni
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 9:46 PMSo $40 in Australia
Fest
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 7:19 PMClicked this because of chick
Marek
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 7:59 PMWait. The top photo is of Brian Ashcraft?!
Now I see why he still works for Kotaku…
TechaNinja
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 8:01 PMCuz he dresses in drag and whores out Capcom’s logo?
NinjaDude
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 8:52 PMFrom those photos the expansion doesn’t look as bulky and as big as I thought.
Xegek
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 9:15 PMHave I missed how this actually connects (interfaces) with the 3DS, or has it not been reported yet?
N0NEoftheAB0VE
Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 10:38 PMThis is the most bizarre thing ever – almost a complete admission that the initial design was flawed.
AerintheADEQUATE
Friday, September 16, 2011 at 2:24 AMThis thing is just too weird.
I almost can’t believe Nintendo is seriously doing it. What reality have I slipped into?
Adaniel
Friday, September 16, 2011 at 9:35 AMMonster Hunter is the biggest game in Japan.
It was made for the PS Vita which has 2 sticks.
Nintendo want MH on their platform as well.
So they gave their platform another stick.
They are giving people who want to play MH an option to buy their machine. It’s that simple.
They are not short changing the people who already own a 3Ds by updating their console.
You don’t have to have it if you don’t need it
Some Guy
Friday, September 16, 2011 at 2:13 PMJust thought I’d point out that if Monster Hunter was made for the Vita, it would have already been announced for the Vita.
And no, the Monster Hunter demo doesn’t count as an announcement.
Yes, it will likely come to Vita, but Tri G, and MH4 were not developed for the Vita.
picky
Friday, September 16, 2011 at 6:37 PMfor a moment i thought it was the writers exposed gut in the first pick..