Nintendo 3DS portable console slidepad for gaming

Kids love video games and most of them start their first lesson in gaming usually from small TV video game consoles or cheap brick game consoles.

Nintendo started picking up the pace in the gaming industry by introducing old TV video game consoles. Some of the consoles they introduce lately have a small resemblance to the old models. Consider the new portable gaming console Nintendo launched. Named as the Nintendo Circle Pad Pro, it also has a Japanese equivalent known as Nintendo Slide Pad.

Slide Pad is supposedly a satisfying offer for Nintendo 3DS portable console users. Slide Pad is basically an add-on peripheral for the Nintendo 3DS and of course, it is battery powered.

Features of the Slide Pad:

Weighs about 132 grams

173.2 mm wide, 93.2 mm tall and 42.3 mm thick

Adds an analog stick to the 3DS which will be on the other side

Smooth surface and good overall comfort in handling the device

Three shoulder buttons – one on the left and two on the right

Easy plug-in to the 3DS and holds 3DS firmly

Powered by AAA battery offering long battery life

The easy to plug-in Slide Pad has a pretty firm grip and holds the 3DS tightly. The 3DS’ major drawback was that it sports only one analog stick, which doesn’t make it much different than pre historic TV video game consoles. The Slide Pad when plugged with the 3DS adds one more analog stick on the right and the peripheral is detected by all the games on start up. Gaming experience will be better thanks to the improved consoles.

Although the 3DS with Slide Pad isn’t as cool as a Sony Playstation Portable, the console wouldn’t disappoint you when it comes to performance. The latest Resident Evil game – RE: Revelations works perfectly fine in the 3DS with Slide Pad. One major change you will notice is the size. With Slide Pad plugged in, the console would transform from its short form factor into a bulky piece of gaming entertainment. This makes handling easier although the big size is a downer.

Slide Pad is a pretty cool add-on but it isn’t flawless. There are a few cons. Slide Pad has an infrared sensor which aligns with that of the 3DS. But the alignment isn’t very precise. You have to adjust it to properly align it so that the 3DS detects the Slide Pad. If this drawback is tolerable, then you would be disappointed again when you know that the Slide Pad blocks WiFi switch and the cartridge slot. This means you have to undock the 3DS from the Slide Pad so as to change games or take out the stylus.

With just a few cons, the Nintendo Slide Pad for 3DS will get a good overall grade for its performance. Slide Pad for 3DS is priced around Rs 1,000/- as per the reports.