3DS Second Analog Stick Add-On Confirmed. Bundled With Monster Hunter Tri 3G

7 September 2011

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Posted by:Josh Romero

A 3DS Attachment featuring a second analog stick/Circle Pad, has been CONFIRMED. The add-on will be bundled with “Monster Hunter (Tri) 3G” in Japan and released later this year!

This was confirmed via Famitsu with the first official screenshot of the new add-on attachment, and the announcement of the new game it will be bundled with. Word on whether or not this new second analog stick attachment will be released outside Japan, and whether or not it will be bundled with Monster Hunter Tri 3G overseas, hasn’t been announced.

The Circle Pad 2 Attachment is a small device that snaps onto the entire 3DS system, giving players a second Circle Pad that sits to the right of the A, B, X and Y FaceButtons, and also features a trigger button! What the button is called isn’t known yet, R2 perhaps?

Monster Hunter Tri 3G meanwhile, a remake of the Wii game released last year, will include 2 new weapon classes, new underwater battles, local multiplayer and potential online components, as well as a new monster named Blakidos (who also graces the cover for the game), and, naturally, compatibility with the 3DS’s new second Circle Pad Attachment. Whether or not the attachment will get an actual name, is likely to be revealed at the Tokyo Game Show 2011 next week.

All of this comes hot on the heels of the fact that several reports have surfaced rumoring at a new 3DS redesign that would add a second Circle Pad. Why would they do that? To better compete with the competition, mainly the PlayStation Vita, which features two analog sticks; in light of the slower than hoped for 3DS sales.

However now that the new attachment has been ousted, a full redesign of the system is unlikely. At least, unlikely for now. Nintendo is notorious for redesigning their handhelds about every two years, like with the DS. Which was originally launched in November of 2004, then followed by the DS Lite in June of 2006, the DSi in November of 2008 and the DSi XL released in March of 2010. The 3DS of course was released in March of 2011.

What do you think about this new attachment. Good idea or bad idea?

Here is a trailer from the Wii version of Monster Hunter Tri.

Via Destructoid