Nintendo Circle Pad Pro for Nintendo 3DS XL

I bought this from a seller through amazon RAREWAVES-IMPORTS. I could not be happier with the product. It works as it should and the company got it to me from Europe in less than a week. Awesome experience. I only played resident evil revelations so far but if it works as good for all games that support the extra analog as it has for RE:R then it is a wise purchase. If you need it, just buy it. I would have never played RE:R without experiencing major issues without it. Games like that just need a second analog. Score #1 My favorite part is the L2 & R2 triggers. Thats a whole extra two buttons not on the original DS:XL. A very sweet addition. And as has been stated the system just clips in real nice and snug (too bad its so huge once its attached though). I do wish it shared its power source with the DS itself but 1 AAA battery is an ok trade off and it lasts a while as well. Score # 2, it comes with a battery. How many companies actually give batteries with the product these days?

I have not received the device as of yet. Because the seller is out of country it takes about a month to receive the package and the shipping is close to $10. I know that there are very few places to get an XL version. The Nintendo official site offers one for $20 but it is currently out of stock. [...] With that in mind this seller goes in and out of stock on a daily bases in addition the pricing for the the circle pad can also fluctuate on a daily basis from over $60 to around a $20-25 range. My suggestion if you really want it and don't mind the wait for shipping I would watch the pricing and grab it when its low. Otherwise look somewhere else UPDATE: Upon receiving the device I couldn't wait to try it for "Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance" the only compatible game I have at the time. Here are the Pro's and Cons worth noting PRO: - The circle pad pro gave a more ergonomic feel to the boxy 3Ds - It gave a gap so my hand didn't constantly bump the volume switch up to max while playing - The system was responsive to the wireless controls - The 3Ds XL fit it nicely and was snug but easy to remove when needed. CONS: - In the context of the game I tested there were no new controls other than the second D-stick gave some camera control which was clunky since you had to reach past it to get to the action buttons (A,Y,X,B) - The same thing occurs with the shoulder buttons, no new or useful controls that the existing buttons can't already handle. - Since this is the XL version it is to be expected that it makes the system fairly bulky and hard to reach the buttons if you have shorter thumbs. - The touch stylus either had to be out or permanently in the 3DS because the circle pad pro covered it up. In conclusion for the game I played (Kingdom hearts Dream Drop Distance) it on it was no difference or even a hindrance for the controls. I can not account for other Circle pad pro compatible games such as Monster Hunter 3 or Kid Icarus. If I play either of these games I will do an update on the review to take into account the usefulness of the circle pad pro.

The item worked well for a few months. Then, it stopped working. I replaced the batteries with new ones but that did not solve the problem. I tested the replacement batteries and they both had a full charge. Shame, because for the games I play, the added control we have with this controller is an absolute necessity. Now, my 3DSXL is just an expensive paperweight.

I bought the Circle Pad Pro mainly for Resident Evil and Monster Hunter (the latter of which is still shipping as of writing this), and after owning it for a few days, here are my thoughts on it based on the games I have, design, and overall value. Games: As of right now, I only own two games that take advantage of the CPP; Resident Evil Revelations and Nano Assault EX. I'll start with Nano Assault first. Using the Circle Pad Pro essentially turns the game into a twin stick shooter (for most levels). Instead of using the ABXY buttons to control where you shoot, you use the second circle pad to aim, and zR shoots. For most of the levels, this control scheme works flawlessly. There is a certain type of mission though that switches the gameplay into that more akin to a bullet hell, where one stick controls the location of your ship, and the other controls your crosshair. This works okay, but it leads me to one of the things about the CPP that somewhat annoyed me. The circle pad is slightly but noticeably more loose on the CPP than on the 3DS XL. This makes it a bit easy to overcompensate at times, but eventually you learn to adapt to it. Now on to Resident Evil Revelations. The second circle pad and additional triggers are a much welcome addition to the controls for this game. The controls are set up so that the second circle pad is used for camera control, the zL trigger is used for aiming, and zR is used to fire and interact with things. I must say this control scheme is a lot less awkward than the ones that are used without the CPP. Again my only concern is how loose the circle pad is on the CPP compared to the one on the XL, but it's something you get used to and learn to adapt to. Design: Let's get the negatives out of the way first. The first thing that you will notice out of the box is that the thing isn't small. It will add a significant amount of surface area to your XL, making it nigh impossible to fit into all but the biggest pockets. Also, the XL sits slightly to the side, essentially making the system feel lopsided. It also cuts off access to many of the ports; including the game card slot, the SD card slot and the stylus slot. It does leave the headphone jack, power jack and volume slider free, thankfully. The L button on the XL is not replaced like the R button is, and is unfortunately a bit recessed compared to the zL trigger. This makes it a bit of a pain to press. Now one thing that may be a plus for some and a negative for others is the weight of the peripheral itself. It's very light. By itself, this makes the CPP feel rather cheap and plasticky (grammar/spelling?). On the plus side though, it doesn't add much weight to the already heavy XL, which means that fatigue will not set in much faster than without it. So what's good about the design? Well for starters, it adds a second circle pad and two extra inputs to your XL. The bottom also gives you a bit of an ergonomic grip on the system, further lengthening the time you can play until fatigue sets in. The system also makes a satisfying click when inserted into the CPP, and the rubber grips on the peripheral are surprisingly good at keeping the system in place. If you're using a wrist strap and drop your XL, you don't have to worry about your CPP falling off and smashing on the ground as it will pretty much stay right in place. The added surface area is a big plus if you have bigger hands, as it gives you more to grip onto. Value: As of writing, Nintendo's website has the CPP for 3DS XL listed as unavailable. I've seen domestic versions of the CPP listed for between $30-$40, while I've seen Japanese imports listed for $20. Now, if you're worried that the Japanese version will not work with a North American or European XL, don't. Nintendo did not region lock the CPP, so any CPP will work with any 3DS XL. Now, before you go "Well, the Japanese version is $10-$20 cheaper than the US version of the CCP, I'll go buy that one," remember shipping. Also, not many games support the CCP, but the games that do are some of the better games on the system and have high replayability. Here is a list of games that support the Circle Pad Pro: -Steel Diver: Sub Wars -Retro City Rampage -Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance -Kid Icarus: Uprising -Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater -Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate -Resident Evil: Revelations -Nano Assault/Nano Assault EX -Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy -Cult County (Release: 2015) -Ironfall (Release: Q2 2014) -Moon Chronicles (Release: April 2014) For those who do not want to read my wall of text review, here is a quick list of the pro's and cons I've found with the Circle Pad Pro: Pros: -Adds 3 new inputs. -Better ergonomics/better feel when holding the system -Separate battery/will not impact system battery life -Has firm grip on system/will not fall off easily -More surface area/great for bigger hands -Does not add much extra weight to the system -No region lock/Will work with any system no matter the region it's bought from Negatives: -Increased surface area/decreased portability -System sits slightly to the side/feels a bit lopsided -Cuts off access to several ports -Circle pad is a bit loose -feels cheap and plasticky by itself -limited game support -L button hard to press Who would I recommend this for: Well, if you own any or all of the games that support it, and you don't mind the extra bulk that it adds to the system, I would completely recommend the Circle Pad Pro.

I have no idea why the heck Nintendo would make something like this circle pad pro while not making enough games that are compatible with it. I know should have done some research before buying it, but I didn't know that Nintendo is such a dummy.

Per il prezzo ottimo acquisto. Per chi non vuole ancora upgradare la propria console alla versione New, è un accessorio molto utile, specialmente in giochi come Residenti Evil o Monster Hunter. Ottima qualità di costruzione e peso ridotto, anche se di dimensioni è abbastanza ingombrante (ciò non toglie che è comodo). Consigliato.

It works great for games that have two axes of camera movement. Games like Monster Hunter 4 benefit highly from this. I'm not sure if the normal 3DS feels different but this one for the 3DS XL feels great in your hands. I am contemplating having it attached whenever I use my 3DS XL just because of the ergonomics of it. Holding a 3DS/3DSXL normally can get uncomfortable after a while just due to its shape not really being optimised for its purpose. The Circle Pad Pro offers a nice curvature on its right side, allowing your hand to grip it comfortably.

el mejor complemento para la 3ds XL te permite jugar a todos los juegos en 3D como en una consola de sobremesa además de la empuñadura que le da comodidad a la consola. Personalmente no me molesta que no se puede sacar el stick porque no los uso en los juegos y el no poder sacar el juego tampoco es muy molesto.

Good Controls, Runs well, sized pretty well for the XL, I guess. Dies a little quickly though.

Excellent produit, non seulement on gagne un deuxieme pad mais les boutons R et L sont reportés pour améliorer la prise en main de la consôle. De plus l'arriere du bloc est rendu érgonomique et offre une prise en main qui fait penser à une manette de xbox entre autre. Pour ma part le pad est finalement peut utiliser à cause d'habitude de jeu établi sans, tester sur mh3u la prise en main plus agréable de la console et le report des contrôles sont pour moi le principal atout et améliore sensiblement mon expérience de jeu. Seul bémol le pad en lui même dont la précision n'est pas très probante.