Has anybody used the Circle Pro Pad yet?

I went out to buy Resident Evil Revelations and the guy behind the counter asked if I wanted to buy the Circle Pro Pad to go with it, I completely forgot that the thing existed so I said yes. It was £20 which is kinda crappy seeing as its $20 in America, but I had just been paid so was more happy buying things. I played the game for about 30 minutes with the CPP and really found it a nice experince. Sure it makes the machine look ugly, but it makes it play so much better. I tried it again without it and that game is no where near as fun without the CPP, so I advise you all go and get one if you want to play that game.

The big thing is that this thing makes this game not a fantastic portable product, it is quite heavy and bulky and can not fit in your pocket. But I personally play all my handheld games at my desk or in bed or in various places in my house. So that aspect does not effect me.

Does the placement of the second analogue feel okay?

How heavy does it make it? and how is it in terms of gripping the console.

I want this game, but was sceptical about the CPP, i was going to skip it.

I got it on thursday and I think its pretty great. It also feels more comfortable in my hands than the dinky 3DS normally is. It can fit in your pockets (at least it fits in mine) although I havent had it outside yet. I played the demo without it and hated the controls but enjoyed the game enough to buy it with the pad and it works alot better, I can also see how it will improve Kid Icarus because a rail shooter with two sticks is always preferable. I also got it for £5 cheaper since I had reward card points to use and its my birthday so I have cash to burn and im not really sure if it is worth it. I can say that I like it and hope that more games will support it and justify the purchase.

Edit: I also dont think it heavy at all (unless you are incredible feeble), proabably half the 3DS, if that

@NekuSakuraba: It feels oddly natural, doesn't feel wierd at all.

@Sayishere: I sit in a way so the 3DS rests on my knee, so it doesn't bother me. But I will say that it is indeed heavy. Reminds me of the DS fat.

If youd have got it from Zavvi about 2 weeks ago the pad was basically free (theyve upped the price now). The pad is reeeeally ugly but very comfortable to use. It's not very heavy at all. It makes Resident Evil a lot easier to play as you can move and shoot easily. It definately is manageable without it though as I played through the demo 5 or 6 times without much of an issue.

I'm still waiting for the next version of the 3DS, which will hopefully have all that stuff built it. But it's good to see that the thing they have now at least works as advertised.

@Sayishere: Updated - So I played it for another 45 minutes and although it was resting on my knee, seeing as it was so big my hand felt stretched after the fact and it ached a bit.

I honestly wish they'd gone with a design like this. Even if the model in the image is a little crude, I think the basic concept is much better. Instead of having an enormous thing that makes the 3DS too big to carry around, it could've been kept small enough. A positive of the CPP is that it seemingly makes the 3DS more comfortable to hold for longer sessions, but I think the base model of the 3DS should be capable of that to begin with.

@Jack268: that is exactly what irritates me the most right now, see my 2nd problem.

@WonderboyCoz: you must not have read the Kid Icarus/CPP news because KI: Uprising will use the Circle Pad Pro only to enable a left-hand mode, nothing else! It will not allow you to control the camera or cursor with the right pad, it's only for lefties!

I just got my Resident Evil/CPP bundle and played about an hour. So far I'm a little disappointed by the device.

First problem: My hands fall asleep! Granted, this happens to me with all handheld devices for some reason but this time it felt like it set in faster. That is probably a very me-specific issue since I heard nobody else complain about that so far.

Second problem: The position of the right pad is irritating since that is the natural position for the face buttons on literally every controller ever. You normally hold a handheld/controller and it is designed so your palm wraps around the outside and lets your thumb rest naturally on the B (Nintendo) / X (Sony) / A (MS) button but here, the natural resting point is on the right pad and you have to reach over to the left on the x-axis to reach the buttons which feels unnatural. That is something you can get used to, though. It just takes a while.

Third problem: This one is probably again very me-centric. My brain has trouble deciding on inverted/non-inverted aiming/camera controls. I usually play inverted but I don't really know if it's the game or the position of the circle pad that sends the wrong signals to my brain. I had no such problems with the demo, though, which I played without the CPP since that wasn't out yet. Resident Evil 4 played fine without using a second stick and I think that is something inherent to the RE games, which have a very different feel to how you aim.

So know this: You do not need the Circle Pad Pro at all to have a better experience. The game was designed to play fine without it (just like RE4 does not require a second stick) so try before you buy! Unless you know you're going to buy MGS3D in a few weeks where I feel the added pad with camera control does much to improve the experience (since that game was meant to play with 2 sticks on the PS2).

The CCP was pretty much my Swan Song for Nintendo's hand-held. Ever since I bought the damned thing I have been putting my neck out for it defending it and Nintendo's choices. Now that I finally experienced how much of a hassle it is to run around with that added accessory for gaming on the go, I decided it was too much for me and sold the thing.

I wish it didn't end up that way, there were some games on the 3DS I was looking forward to. However, I wasn't going to be caught with the Vita and the 3DS, especially since I don't view either as more than a occasional on-the-go experience.

I have a problem with the size of the 3DS, it's way too small and makes my hands hurt after quit a short period of time. I much preferred the DSi XL.

Do you think the circle pad makes it more a more comfortable size? I'd consider getting one, though £20 is definitely too expensive. I don't use it as a portable device really, so the size/ugliness doesn't really matter.

Used it on a friends 3DS to play some Monster Hunter. It's comfortable and light, and definitely made the game feel easier to control, but the portable form factor is out the window.

@ccampb89 said:

The CCP was pretty much my Swan Song for Nintendo's hand-held. Ever since I bought the damned thing I have been putting my neck out for it defending it and Nintendo's choices. Now that I finally experienced how much of a hassle it is to run around with that added accessory for gaming on the go, I decided it was too much for me and sold the thing.

It's not meant to be used "on the go" really. None of the games require it and the most high profile titles using it so far are games you shouldn't really play when you're out and about anyway. The only problem I see is with Kid Icarus if you absolutely need it because you're left handed and can't deal with the regular stick on the left.

@WinterSnowblind said:

I have a problem with the size of the 3DS, it's way too small and makes my hands hurt after quit a short period of time. I much preferred the DSi XL.

Do you think the circle pad makes it more a more comfortable size? I'd consider getting one, though £20 is definitely too expensive. I don't use it as a portable device really, so the size/ugliness doesn't really matter.

as someone said before, it is more comfortable to hold because it's wider and as you can see in the quick look, it's also thicker and rounded.

The only real problem I have run into with it after putting in about 13 hours into RE is that the you have to stretch for the buttons. The Y button being the worst. Maybe it is just the size of my hands, but I find myself always having to look down to mash that button when needed.

The only real problem I have run into with it after putting in about 13 hours into RE is that the you have to stretch for the buttons. The Y button being the worst. Maybe it is just the size of my hands, but I find myself always having to look down to mash that button when needed.

@Zenaxzd said:

@GunstarRed said:

The only real problem I have run into with it after putting in about 13 hours into RE is that the you have to stretch for the buttons. The Y button being the worst. Maybe it is just the size of my hands, but I find myself always having to look down to mash that button when needed.

This sounds scary speaking as someone who has way smaller hands than any dude should. I am talking like I have to shift the Wii Remote down my hand to reach the d-pad from the A button size. I still want the CPP (mostly for KHDDD whenever that comes out) but I really hate that about some of Nintendo's products.

it's not that big, it's just that the positioning is unnatural because we're used to a diagonal shift if we switch from stick to buttons, not a vertical one. you should still be able to reach the buttons even with smaller hands (after all this is made in Japan where people have slightly smaller hands anyway - that's what my stereotypical knowledge tells me at least)

It's out already?

Played it for a few hours this morning after it arrived. Some of the muscles in my right palm really ached after a while, haven't quite figured out why. Controls a lot better though.

@Tireyo643 said:

It's out already?

In Europe.

@Zenaxzd said:

@GunstarRed said:

The only real problem I have run into with it after putting in about 13 hours into RE is that the you have to stretch for the buttons. The Y button being the worst. Maybe it is just the size of my hands, but I find myself always having to look down to mash that button when needed.

This sounds scary speaking as someone who has way smaller hands than any dude should. I am talking like I have to shift the Wii Remote down my hand to reach the d-pad from the A button size. I still want the CPP (mostly for KHDDD whenever that comes out) but I really hate that about some of Nintendo's products.

I have to do that with the Wiimote too but I had no problem with the CPP.

@DeF: Yeah, stretch was probably the wrong word, Unnatural seems a better fit. I have gotten used to it the more I play with it.

I haven't used it yet, but the guy at gamestop tried to sell me one when i bought a 3ds recently. He told me that its exclusive to gamestop, and if its exclusive to gamestop then it probably isn't a "must have" accessory.

I just got RE:Rev and the Circle Pad Pro. Only fiddled around with it for a few minutes before work, but after fumbling my way through the demo, this was a VAST improvement.

I also like the extra 3DS functionality being incorporated into Revelations (streetpass, coins, etc.) Obvously, if they do nothing but release stuff along the lines of VVVVVV and Pushmo for the rest of the system's life, I'd be happy, but it's nice to see that they're willing to push into other demographics.

Now, if only Nintendo would put out Monster Hunter 3G in the West.

@MuttersomeTaxicab: I love this thing! My hands would cramp up while playing the system after about 30 minutes. The increase in size and form factor for the system is appreciated. It is also nice that the circle pad pro is really light. Adding a bunch of weight to the system would have been a bummer.

No idea what the punishment for the crime of necromancy around these parts are, but I've had a classic 3DS for 3 years now and decided to pick up a Circle Pad Pro to make up for my inconsistent R button which makes it difficult to engage with a lot of games (Monster Hunter 4G, Senran Kagura 2 and so on). Even Fire Emblem If/Fates forces you to use it to choose a partner to support your attack, a series which should really be playable to full capacity with the touch screen let alone the inputs that the Wii Remote has.

I was surprised at how good it feels to hold and that it also had another R button input which allows me to bypass the R button being inconsistent completely, it also happens to have buttons placed much like the Wii U Gamepad which followed it which feels like a better fit than the New 3DS which throws more buttons towards the cartridge. It won't fit in my pocket anytime soon, but it is still rather easy to slide out to switch off the wireless (the only hidden control option).

Will it resolve all of my R button woes? No. A good number of games like Fire Emblem if don't recognise the attachment, fair enough since there is next to no reason to expect someone to be using one of those for a turn based SRPG. Codename S.T.E.A.M had more camera work involved so it was a lucky one from the same year and developer. Gaist Crusher (God) is also an unfortunate case which doesn't support this, presumably since they were trying to push a cute add-on of their own: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/08/weirdness_these_gaist_crusher_3ds_add_ons_arent_particularly_stylish

For people who aren't aware of what the R button does in that game, it handles transformations between Melee Form and Weapon Form (new set of attacks, a unique defense option for each - Melee blocks and Weapon dodges, it can be used to cancel attacks, some enemies are only able to be hurt when first hit with a specific form first and Melee form has great defense) then offers a bonus set of attacks for Extreme Form when held. Since Lock On has been re-mappable in E.X. Troopers and on the touch screen for Monster Hunter, this could have worked out pretty easily with a bit more thought.

Huh, you haven't compliment the ZL or ZR or bonus Circle Pad Option? Yeah. Resident Evil Revelations (already beat it once) still felt well designed for the movement system provided, same goes for Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D (which doesn't support this - so I won't be playing the game for a while >_>). I can walk, run, do scripted dodges when I know what I'm doing and aim while moving. The D-Pad or Touch Screen have done a decent job with what the second Circle Pad handles so far. I might change my mind with more games though.