Nintendo 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro review: just like the original, but bigger

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Pro review: just like the original, but bigger" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00480.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Nintendo seems to have a knack for repeat performances. Nintendo DS? Quickly supplanted by the DS Lite -- and the DSi didn't last too long either before it was succeeded by the DSi XL. Even the 3DS saw a revision, when it was supersized last summer. These redesigns typically don't change more than the device's size, but when the 3DS XL was announced, some gamers were left wanting. Didn't the original 3DS get an accessory <em>specifically</em> to address the lack of a second analog pad? Why didn't Nintendo take the opportunity to add dual-analog controls? Well, if <em>that</em> happened, Nintendo couldn't release an encore Circle Pad Pro accessory, could it? Let's take a look at the 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro and see what's changed.</div><div class="post-gallery" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><h3 class="title">3DS XL Circle Pad Pro</h3><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00424---copy_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00426---copy_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00427---copy_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00433---copy_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00436---copy_95x95.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00438---copy_95x95.jpg" /> <br /> </div><h3 dir="ltr" id="title0" style="text-align: left;">Hardware</h3><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00464.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The 3DS XL isn't a small device to begin with, but docking it in the Circle Pad Pro will destroy any illusions you had about being able to stuff it in your pocket. Seated in the second-stick cradle, the rig measures 7.5 inches wide and 4.5 inches deep. It's almost two inches thick, and suitably huge. Fortunately, it bears the extra bulk better than its predecessor: the original Circle Pad Pro turned a fairly portable device into an unwieldy mess. The XL variant only makes the device <em>slightly </em>larger by comparison. It's still notably hefty, but the effect is simply less of a nuisance thanks to the more sizable host device. The 3DS XL is already too big for the average pair of jeans -- what's an extra inch?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">It looks better than the old model, too, with a wedge-like shape that tapers down towards the front of the cradle. The backside features an engraved Nintendo logo and two lightly bulging grips. Besides the obvious starboard analog stick, there isn't much to the accessory's front: a recessed area for the console, a few rubber nubs to hold it in place and an IR emitter to communicate with the 3DS. There's also a screw-secured AAA battery compartment, mimicking the original model's unfortunate requirement for its own power source. All in all, it's lightweight and comfortable to use, despite its size.</div><h3 dir="ltr" id="title1" style="text-align: left;">Installation and use</h3><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00440.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Installation instructions are conveniently printed in the cradle's recessed area, illustrating a simple two-step procedure: drop the 3DS in from front to back. Following the diagram produces a satisfying click, with the 3DS XL locking into place. Pretty simple. Using it in-game sometimes requires a little more effort -- <em>Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance</em>, for instance, needed us to dive into the game's pause menu to activate the accessory. Other games, such as <em>Resident Evil: Revelations,</em> automatically detected the Circle Pad Pro and reacted accordingly. The device can also be calibrated using the in-game menus, and some titles even include a vague battery life tool: "The Circle Pad Pro still has plenty of battery remaining," <em>Kingdom Hearts</em> told us. Okay, then.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">If you're familiar with how the original accessory affects gameplay, you won't find anything new here -- games don't play any differently on the new Circle Pad Pro than they did on the old one. Even so, we're still impressed by how much of a difference a second analog stick can make. Playing <em>Kingdom Hearts</em> with the peripheral echoes the feel (and superior camera control) of its home console origins, and <i>Kid Icarus: Uprising</i> uses the accessory to unlock a special left-handed control scheme. Some games even feel broken without the accessory -- in <em>Resident Evil: Revelations,</em> the player can only move and shoot simultaneously if they are using the Circle Pad Pro. It changes how the player approaches the game.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">We were surprised to find how comfortable the Circle Pad Pro was, enough so that it's worth using even for games that don't utilize its second analog pad. The accessory's thick body provides a sturdy grip for gamers with larger hands, leaving us less prone to cramping during long play sessions. Despite the new analog stick's jutting right-hand shelf, we were still able to reach all of the handheld's native buttons with ease. The unit's extra weight <em>could</em> get tiring if held in the wrong position, but overall we found the Circle Pad Pro-equipped 3DS XL to be more ergonomic than the stock offering. The analog pad itself feels great too, mirroring the 3DS' own slide pad perfectly.</div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/dsc00486.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately, the 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro fails to make the most out of being a second-generation accessory. That is, it didn't fix <em>any</em> of its predecessor's mistakes. The Circle Pad's cradle blocks the 3DS' game card slot, SD card, stylus and wireless toggle switch. These are items that 3DS owners use on a regular basis: changing games, using the touch screen and disabling WiFi to save battery life. Undocking the handheld to perform any of these functions is cumbersome and frustrating, and we can't imagine why Nintendo didn't use the accessory's second iteration to fix the faults of the original. It's a crippling oversight, transforming an otherwise novel and useful accessory into an occasional nuisance.</div><h3 dir="ltr" id="title2" style="text-align: left;">Wrap-up</h3><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="DNP Nintendo 3DS Circle Pad Pro review just like the original, but bigger" data-src-height="347" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/newclos24.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">In the end, the 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro is little more than a larger, slightly more comfortable version of its predecessor. It's a niche device designed only to work with a handful of games. It doesn't improve on the old design in any significant fashion, but it does offer some fringe benefits thanks to the 3DS XL's larger size. In the end, it works as advertised, providing a solid second analog input for games that support it. So, is it worth the $20 asking price? Well, that depends -- do you play <em>Monster Hunter</em>?</div></div>

Nintendo 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro review: just like the original, but bigger

Nintendo seems to have a knack for repeat performances. Nintendo DS? Quickly supplanted by the DS Lite -- and the DSi didn't last too lo...

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3DS still outpacing predecessor in comparative sales, says Nintendo

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" itemprop="text" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/07/sf4.jpg" /></div>It took a hefty price cut and a holiday sales boost to coax the 3DS out of its predecessor's shadow, but these days Nintendo's autostereoscopic handheld is doing just fine. NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime says it isn't slowing down either, revealing to <em>GamesIndustry</em> that more than 8 million consoles have been sold in the US in the last two years -- beating the original DS' first two years by a million units. Software sales are picking up too. "Life-to-date 3DS game sales surpass 20 million units in the US, and that's just physical," Fils-Aime explains. "It doesn't include digital sales." Both digital <em>and</em> physical software sales have increased by 55 percent in the last year, and according to Nintendo executive vice president of sales and marketing Scott Moffitt, 11 percent of last year's 3DS games were downloaded from the handheld's eShop. Nintendo's digital escapades may not be perfect, but it's good to see that its downloadable sales push seems to be paying off.<br /> </div></div>

3DS still outpacing predecessor in comparative sales, says Nintendo

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Nintendo 3DS update moves your saves from retail games to downloads

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Nintendo 3DS update lets gamers move saves from retail games to downloads" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/3ds-us-2011-03-21-800-31-1300715352.jpg" /></div>Let's say you bought a pair of cartridge-based games to go with your Nintendo 3DS, but you're embracing our all-digital future and want to replace them with downloadable copies. You won't have to toss all your game progress at the same time: a newly available 3DS firmware update includes a tool to move save files from a retail copy to its downloadable version. The transfer is strictly one-way, though, so there's no falling back for gaming Luddites. Nintendo offers a bonus if you're fully in step with the online world, though -- background downloads can now start just by closing the lid while the eShop is running. Both elements of the update are simple on the surface, but they could go a long way in helping us ditch a legacy of plastic game libraries.ss<br /> </div></div>

Nintendo 3DS update moves your saves from retail games to downloads

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Nintendo slapped with $30.2 million in damages for infringing glasses-free 3D patent

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Nintendo slapped with $30.2 million in damages for infringing glasses-free 3D patent" data-src-height="400" data-src-width="600" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/20111015nintendo3dshed.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">In 2011, former Sony employee Seijiro Tomita launched a suit against Nintendo, claiming the 3DS infringed on a patent he holds to display 3D visuals without glasses. Today, a federal court in New York decided to award Tomita with $30.2 million in damages for Iwata and Co.'s infringement. The house that Mario built unsuccessfully argued that it didn't rely on key parts of the patent, and that Tomita was just one of several folks it met with when it was looking into 3D tech in 2003. Nintendo's pockets are certainly deep enough to handle the sting, but we can't imagine it's a welcomed loss with sales forecasts taking dips.</div></div>

Nintendo slapped with $30.2 million in damages for infringing glasses-free 3D patent

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Nintendo announces 'mint white' 3DS XL, Tomodachi Collection bundle for Japan

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Nintendo announces 'mint white' 3DS XL, Tomodachi Collection bundle for Japan" data-src-height="332" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/3dsllmintwhitebig.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Just in case your desire to catch them all extends to Nintendo 3DS variants, the company announced today that in Japan it's releasing a new mint white edition of the 3DS XL (called the LL in its home country) April 18th. Priced at 18,900 yen just like the (many) others, it keeps the styling simple with a green lid and white casing. Also arriving on the same day is a special edition bundle commemorating the latest <i>Tomodachi Collection</i> life simulation game, priced at 22,800 yen and showing off a more distinctive splotchy look. You can get all the info straight from virtual Iwata's news desk in the Nintendo Direct video embedded after the break while we keep an eye out for new models -- like that slick transparent demo unit -- crossing onto Ushores this summer.<br /> <img alt="Nintendo announces 'mint white' 3DS XL, Tomodachi Collection bundle for Japan" data-src-height="390" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/tomodachicollection-3dsxl.jpg" /></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_WsFLHd1H48?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>

Nintendo announces 'mint white' 3DS XL, Tomodachi Collection bundle for Japan

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Nintendo's stork to deliver 3DS models in blue and pink to Japan

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><hr dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" /> <div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Nintendo's stork brings twin 3DS models in pink and blue" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/02/nintendo3ds-pink-blue-2-27-13-01.jpg" /></div>If you're a gamer and love you some bright colors, Nintendo's got just the bundle of joy with a couple of new 3DS models. "Pink Gloss" and "Light Blue" colors will arrive to the handheld console on March 20th along with a boost in memory from the usual 2GB to 4GB for 15,000 yen (about $160). The rug might be pulled from under your brightly-hued dreams if you're not in Japan, though -- only players in that country will be able to nab it.<br /> </div></div>

Nintendo's stork to deliver 3DS models in blue and pink to Japan

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