My first reaction when I saw Nintendo's 3DS Slide Pad Expansion was disbelief. There was no doubt in my mind the system should have always had a second analog stick, but this as a solution? This seemed to be the worst way possible to do it. A clunky cradle that adds significant bulk to an already so-so system design? Not so hot. Today, however, my opinion is changing a bit. I've had time to hold the device in my hands. Honestly, it's not that bad.
First and foremost, the Slide Pad Expansion is light. Despite the peripheral's size, it doesn't add much to the overall weight of the system. (It is worth noting though that I don't know if the AAA battery was installed into the device.) In some ways you'd be pressed to know anything significant had been added. That's definitely good news.
Despite its size, the Expansion is very comfortable. Gripping a 3DS encased in one is not cumbersome at all due to the curve of its shell, and I found myself naturally finding the system's two R buttons and two L buttons. Of course, the increased size is a double-edged sword. In some ways the 3DS is easier to hold than before. However that comes with a cost - with the Expansion, the 3DS is far less portable.
One thing to note - because it expands the right side of the 3DS so much, the Expansion "replaces" the traditional R button with one of its own. However on the left side, the system's own L button can still easily be used. The Expansion basically features three of its own shoulder buttons, one of which covers an existing button. The microphone jack and volume slider are still easily accessible.
The positioning of the second circle pad is the only part that worries me. Though it's possible to reach the four main face buttons on the 3DS, it is slightly awkward, partly due to the position and partly due to the distance, which feels just slightly greater than it should be. I have reasonably long fingers, but those of you with smaller hands may struggle. It will be interesting to see if that immediate discomfort subsides with more hands-on experience.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to play a game using the Expansion. That would answer a number of questions, including whether thumb movement from the second pad to the face buttons is actually an issue or just temporary. Similarly, it will be interesting to see how effective the new L and R buttons are. The L2/R2 buttons have a surprising amount of give - I'm curious if they're actually analog inputs.[/p]
Source
There's a little video in the source if you wanna watch, and rest of the article too
First and foremost, the Slide Pad Expansion is light. Despite the peripheral's size, it doesn't add much to the overall weight of the system. (It is worth noting though that I don't know if the AAA battery was installed into the device.) In some ways you'd be pressed to know anything significant had been added. That's definitely good news.
Despite its size, the Expansion is very comfortable. Gripping a 3DS encased in one is not cumbersome at all due to the curve of its shell, and I found myself naturally finding the system's two R buttons and two L buttons. Of course, the increased size is a double-edged sword. In some ways the 3DS is easier to hold than before. However that comes with a cost - with the Expansion, the 3DS is far less portable.
One thing to note - because it expands the right side of the 3DS so much, the Expansion "replaces" the traditional R button with one of its own. However on the left side, the system's own L button can still easily be used. The Expansion basically features three of its own shoulder buttons, one of which covers an existing button. The microphone jack and volume slider are still easily accessible.
The positioning of the second circle pad is the only part that worries me. Though it's possible to reach the four main face buttons on the 3DS, it is slightly awkward, partly due to the position and partly due to the distance, which feels just slightly greater than it should be. I have reasonably long fingers, but those of you with smaller hands may struggle. It will be interesting to see if that immediate discomfort subsides with more hands-on experience.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to play a game using the Expansion. That would answer a number of questions, including whether thumb movement from the second pad to the face buttons is actually an issue or just temporary. Similarly, it will be interesting to see how effective the new L and R buttons are. The L2/R2 buttons have a surprising amount of give - I'm curious if they're actually analog inputs.[/p]
There's a little video in the source if you wanna watch, and rest of the article too
