Suggesting more of a knee-jerk reaction than a measured response, Nintendo's move to deal with 3DS's continued struggle at the tills – largely put down to cheap software on smartphones – has been to unveil a new peripheral.

The 'extended slide pad', as it has been dubbed by Nintendo, was not announced at the Tokyo Game Show press conference as expected, but instead has slipped onto the firm's Japanese website.

Pad play

The add-on requires its own AAA battery to work, and equips 3DS with an additional circle pad on the right side of the device.

It's a move Nintendo believes will free up developers when it comes to mapping out controls in their games, though it's unlikely to appease investors, who are currently calling on the firm to adopt mobile and social games development.



Set to ship in Japan on December 10, the pad comes in at ¥1500 (around $19.50/£12) and will benefit from some of the platform's biggest forthcoming releases, including Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, Resident Evil Revelations, Monster Hunter 3, Dynasty Warriors VS and Kingdom Hearts 3D.

Nintendo is yet to confirm its release in the US or Europe.

[source: Joystiq]