Topic: Second Circle Pad, Monster Hunter Coming to 3DS

[NWR_Neal]

Monster Hunter Tri is getting a 3DS upgrade, and the 3DS is a Circle Pad peripheral.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/27709

A second Circle Pad is coming to the 3DS for the release of Monster Hunter 3G, an update to the Wii's Monster Hunter Tri, this week's Famitsu revealed.

The second Circle Pad will be an extra peripheral that will attach in a similar way as the charging cradle. It'll be placed near the face buttons, and also include L2 and R2 buttons, as well as an extra R1 button (since the system's R button can't be reached easily). Images from the report indicate that the shell will be about two centimeters in thickness, and protrude from the right side of the system roughly the same distance. No price was announced, but 01net's account reports it at around $10.

As for Monster Hunter 3G, it will be an updated version of the Wii release, featuring local wireless multiplayer, touch screen controls, and more. Monster Hunter 3G is set for a late 2011 release in Japan and should be on display at TGS.

[Scatt-Man]

*Insert Picard's Facepalm.bmp*

Desperate Nintendo is desperate.

[Mop it up]

I've seen a picture of this thing, and I have to say, it looks fake. At least, I hope it is fake, because it is huge, ugly, and looks even more uncomfortable...

[Enner]

That's another $10 piece of plastic and bits of circuits. This means I will definitely wait for the inevitable redesign.


Also, controls that are offset from the center of the screen looks so unpleasing. I'm used to it with my keyboard and mouse setup, but that doesn't make it any less fugly.

[TrueNerd]

I really hope this is a Japan/Monster Hunters - only add on.

[TJ Spyke]

Yeah, I agree with TrueNerd. For now I will just assume this is a game-specific peripheral (like the DS had for the Guitar Hero games) and not a system wide thing.

[broodwars]

Well, I hope for 3DS fans' sake that this peripheral is better supported than Wii Motion + was, and for maximum effect that the inevitable redesign incorporates it as well.  There are some great perks to having a 2nd circle pad (such as better camera control and easier implementation of 1st person games), so it would be a real shame if the device was under-supported.

On the upside, having Monster Hunter as the standard bearer for the device in Japan should do a lot to give it wide adoption in Japan, so that should encourage the Japanese developers to potentially support it.

[nickmitch]

I was just thinking that my 3DS was too symmetrical and not nearly bulky enough.

[UncleBob]

The internet amuses me.  Half the people are saying it better be for one game, the other half are saying it better be more widely adopted...

[Kytim89]

A port of the Wii game? If it does not include new monsters then this is a no go for me.

[Mop it up]

(such as better camera control and easier implementation of 1st person games)

On the flip side, it promotes laziness in game design (no game should require camera movement), and first-person games don't work well on a handheld to begin with. The 3DS would be better off without it.

[Tansunn]

That thing looks annoying and unpleasant.  The game cartridge and stylus are both obstructed by it.  Also, it seems odd that they have a slot for a wrist strap on only the right side when the 3DS has holes for a strap on both sides. 

How does it actually interface with the 3DS anyway?  Is it wireless?  Does it need its own battery?

[broodwars]

(such as better camera control and easier implementation of 1st person games)

On the flip side, it promotes laziness in game design (no game should require camera movement), and first-person games don't work well on a handheld to begin with.

True, but programming 3D cameras is a tricky business.  Even Nintendo games have been known to have camera issues from time to time.  It's just the nature of 3D environments.  I'd rather have manual camera control if I need it than to have a camera snag on a tree or wall and not have it. 

As for 1st person games, I'm struggling to think of any good handheld ones, but I wonder if that's more due to no previous handheld having 2 analog sticks than the genre just not working on the format.  With the Vita and the 3DS potentially having 2 sticks each, we may better understand the truth of that within a year.

[Kytim89]

After seeing that hideous add-on, I will take my chances with a single slide-pad, or atleast until the 3DS Lite is launched.

[SeaNet]

Uh oh.
 
Did Nintendo forget something? Or are they trying to gain more third party support?
 
It's a little odd.. I hope it can be used to replicate the facebuttons, but more than likely the developer has to program for it. Too bad, one of my favorites is Geometry Wars Galaxies..
 
and the first game to use it will be... Super Mario 3DS Land!   or the new Layton...

[TJ Spyke]

The internet amuses me.  Half the people are saying it better be for one game, the other half are saying it better be more widely adopted...

I don't see how being widely adopted would be a good thing since it means 5 million+ people would be forced to buy this ugly add-on.

[nickmitch]

The internet amuses me.  Half the people are saying it better be for one game, the other half are saying it better be more widely adopted...

I mean, most people who like it would want it to be widespread, so as to not feel like they wasted the investment, like with M+. Meanwhile, people who don't like it would rather not play one game than be forced to use that. . .thing.

[xcwarrior]

Happy for Monster Hunter reveal, though will hope this is a big update on the Wii version which I've already tacked.

Boo the 2nd analog stick. Unless it comes bundled with a game for free, no way am I buying.

[broodwars]

and the first game to use it will be... Super Mario 3DS Land!   or the new Layton...

I could see the first Nintendo game to support it being Kid Icarus.  SM3DSL doesn't look like the kind of game that'll really need it.  The same goes for Layton, unless it ends up being a 3D exploration game rather than a P&C puzzle game.  Barring Kid Icarus, I could see Nintendo really using this for a 3DS-exclusive Zelda game.

[Enner]

Maybe it's really comfy to hold. There are all sorts of grips and stuff around it. It does hurt portability and the 2nd circle pad will be more exposed to the elements (of a person's bag).

[SeaNet]

and the first game to use it will be... Super Mario 3DS Land!   or the new Layton...

I could see the first Nintendo game to support it being Kid Icarus.  SM3DSL doesn't look like the kind of game that'll really need it.  The same goes for Layton, unless it ends up being a 3D exploration game rather than a P&C puzzle game.  Barring Kid Icarus, I could see Nintendo really using this for a 3DS-exclusive Zelda game.

yeah, I mean SM3DSL and Layton as a joke..   

[Mop it up]

I think someone may want to inspect the picture closer. It looks fake to me, but I'm too lazy to make all the points why.

[TJ Spyke]

I wouldn't be shocked if it was fake, there have been time before when a image popped up online with people saying it was from Famitsu and it turned out to be fake.

[Bboy]

First of all wouldn't be shocked if this was fake, but second of all, I don't really care because it means I can Monster Hunter on the go. I loved Tri, but dedicating 2 hours to a hunt was a pain, on a portable though... Is it really wrong to be such a sucker as I?

[Kytim89]

What are he chances of third parties ignoring this new device?