Hardware Circle Pad Pro XL has arrived(JP edition) Review

[Langin]

Hi there,

It's been a very long time since I've made a hardware review but here we go! The Circle Pad Pro LL(XL in Western country's) is the latest add-on for the Nintendo 3DS XL. Until now, it has only seen a release in Japan, but thank god this add-on is region free! That is a plus for Nintendo!(Now make all the games region free and you have a lot of happy costumers.) But yeah Let's get to the point, how is it? It is great!

First of all what's in the box?

• A Circle Pad Pro LL(XL), region free
• A Battery <3
• A Japanese Manual
• A Japanese Club Nintendo Card

Overall Impressions without using it

It feels really sturdy of good build quality, I think it'll be a lot easier to play a few hours non-stop on my 3DS with this add-on. I kinda feels like the Wii U gamepad!(Lot of photo's incoming.)



I compared both size and weight of the 3DS XL+CCP XL and Wii U gamepad. Here is the result:

Weight: The 3DS XL+CPP LL is a tad heavier then the Wii U gamepad, the difference is only about 20 grams or so.(Wii U gamepad is about 500 grams.)

Size:



The most important question, how does it play?

To answer that question, it feels great to play with it! It adds something awesome to your gaming experience. It only makes your 3DS a bit more bulky. Don't worry though, you'll get used to it!

The Circel Pad itself feels really good, it feels like the 3DS's one. The R button is just an R button and the ZR and ZL button can be compared to ones of the Wii U Pro Controller and the Classic Controller Pro.



Verdict

Pro's:

• Second analogue stick for your XL console!
• It is rather cheap
• Good build quality
• They promise a long battery
• 2 extra button on the back ;o

Cons:

• Adds some weight to your 3DS
• Makes your 3DS way less portable.(The XL wasn't that portable already.)
• Not out yet in Europe and the US.

Thanks for reading my short review, I won't do a conclusion since I know most won't listen and everybody has his own opinion! Also I respect everybody's opinion, if serious.

 

[GamerzHell9137]

Nice, i wanna see the pics.

 

[dickfour]

The circle pad had to be one of the most ridiculous solutions to a problem I've ever seen. "Here's a giant piece of shit for for xl because we at Nintendo are unwilling to do the common sense thing and put two analog sticks on our consoles"

 

[WiiUBricker]

Why aren't I surprised to see emigre and guild cut troll posts in this thread?

 

[RodrigoDavy]

The circle pad had to be one of the most ridiculous solutions to a problem I've ever seen. "Here's a giant piece of shit for for xl because we at Nintendo are unwilling to do the common sense thing and put two analog sticks on our consoles"

I entered this thread expecting to see some butthurt whining about the lack of a second analog in the 3DS. I wasn't disappointed!

 

[Pong20302000]

pictures of circle pad pro xl

 

[dickfour]

I entered this thread expecting to see some butthurt whining about the lack of a second analog in the 3DS. I wasn't disappointed!

I know I brought up the obvious but man just look at it. It's just biggest dumbest piece of crap I've ever seen

 

[WiiUBricker]

I still think a new version of the 3DS will have a second circle pad built in.

 

[RodrigoDavy]

I still think a new version of the 3DS will have a second circle pad built in.

Then people will complain about the awkward position of the second circle pad and blame Nintendo for not doing things right

 

[Deleted-185407]

I'm just gonna throw fuel in the fire by stating the following (mostly because I'm bored here in work):

It's common sense to make this an adapter rather than incorporating it into the 3DS, as making an adapter is far cheaper than completely redesigning the internals of the console, updating the SDK and shipping out new developer 3DS's with the second stick. Besides, out of 170+ 3DS games, only 9 support the CPP.

 

[Deleted-188346]

If they added another circle pad to the 3DS, what about the games that have no compatibility with an additional pad? It'd just be a dead stick, much like what the Circle Pad Pro is when you have a non-compatible game in.

For fucks sake, think before you cry.

 

[chris888222]

Although it looks like shit, it's still better than the 3DS abomination

 

[Warrior522]

XBOX HUE-

...actually, it's almost as small as the original abomination. Points for that much, Nintendo, although it stands that you're still idiots for not including this built into the console on launch day...

 

[ieatpixels]

I wanna see what it looks like inside.

 

[CheatFreak47]

Circle Pad Pro works through the IR port on the system. So for them to include it in the 3DS XL, they would need to emulate the IR sensor interactions for games to pick up on the right stick and extra triggers. So that would mean extra software, like and perhaps an interpreter in the systems OS that automatically picks up on CPPRO compatible game to turn the emulation on. That's necessary in case ninty ever comes up with another IR addon. And unless they did ZL and ZR styles buttons like the original Classic Controller had, the system would've had to be thicker to compensate.

 

[WiiUBricker]

Then people will complain about the awkward position of the second circle pad and blame Nintendo for not doing things right

No, I mean Nintendo will release something like this:

They did it with Wii Motion Plus and Wii Remote Plus and there is no reason why they wouldn't do it with the 3DS.

 

[ieatpixels]

If they added another circle pad to the 3DS, what about the games that have no compatibility with an additional pad? It'd just be a dead stick, much like what the Circle Pad Pro is when you have a non-compatible game in.

For fucks sake, think before you cry.

most games already don't use all the buttons, it'd be no different. (Or they could map it to function as the A/B/X/Y/, d-pad, or left circle pad.)
Also think about all the other features games don't use, spotpass, streetpass, 3D, good graphics, the touch screen, wifi, gyro, microphone. All games are left with features unused.

Edit: And another thing, (and this is purely hypothetical) they could add updates to the core games from before the CPP for functionality with it. Add camera movement to it.

 

[yuuna]

No, I mean Nintendo will release something like this:

They did it with Wii Motion Plus and Wii Remote Plus and there is no reason why they wouldn't do it with the 3DS.

It does look ugly

 

[Deleted-188346]

most games already don't use all the buttons, it'd be no different.

Except you've bought a new 3DS with an extra stick, only to find that the stick does nothing for the vast majority of your existing games. Boy, talk about a disappointing Christmas present.

(Or they could map it to function as the A/B/X/Y/, d-pad, or left circle pad.)

Those buttons already exist, why make a 2nd stick mirror existing buttons? Adds nothing. The only justification for the circle pad pro is when it adds new control schemes or features.

Also think about all the other features games don't use, spotpass, streetpass, 3D, good graphics, the touch screen, wifi, gyro, microphone. All games are left with features unused.

Nearly none of those take up finger space on the 3DS. Name one 3DS game that has a blank touch screen, or entirely mirrors the top screen.

 

[Deleted-185407]

No, I mean Nintendo will release something like this:

They did it with Wii Motion Plus and Wii Remote Plus and there is no reason why they wouldn't do it with the 3DS.

That looks ridiculously uncomfortable. Seriously, I can't imagine having my right thumb comfortably at such a wide angle. My hand would also have to be sticking out awkwardly as well so that the tip of my thumb can actually rest comfortably on the slider. My thumb isn't THAT short.

Ergonomics is a serious issue here dammit.

Integrating the Wii Motion Plus with the Wii Remote would cost little to nothing in terms of R&D as modifying a controller is much more simplistic than modifying a console.