Kid Icarus: Uprising bundled with 3DS stand in Japan

By Tom Phillips Published 12 January, 2012

To hold the system steady while you play.

Update: A Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer the company had "nothing to announce at this time".

Original story: Angelic shooter Kid Icarus: Uprising will be released with a stand for the 3DS in Japan.

Lead designer Masahiro Sakurai revealed the new peripheral via his Twitter account last night.

The game's touch-sensitive airborne shooting can "work better" when the screen is "secure", Sakurai wrote. He suggested gamers try it with other 3DS games too.

Kid Icarus: Uprising lands in the UK in March and already supports the Circle Pad Pro peripheral for lefties. We're checking with Nintendo to see if European gamers will get a go on the stand too.

10
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard. @TomPhillips151 on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Phillips archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (41) Latest comment 4 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Ryze #1 4 months ago

    eh?

    8/10.

  • jaguarwong #2 4 months ago

    Because nothing says 'portable gaming' like a stand...

  • riz23 #3 4 months ago

    Why? Might be nice if you were watching say a 3D film on your 3ds, but really this is pointless tat surely?

  • Toothball #4 4 months ago

    I can see how this is useful in concept. I liked playing Metroid Hunters on DS, but it was a bit awkward to hold for extended sessions. Mostly I play my 3DS on the bus though so a stand wouldn't help me there, although playing games with a stylus on the bus can be tricky at the best of times.

  • binky #5 4 months ago

    This just shouts: Inherent design flaw with the game's control scheme.

    The 3DS is a great bit of kit, but these 2 add-ons aren't doing it any favours as all they do is highlight potential failings with the hardware.
    Edited by binky at 12/01/12 @ 10:10

  • Baban_Iesu #6 4 months ago

    This will bring the screen count on my desk to 5. By my reckoning, I am straying into Bond villain territory and I for one couldn't be happier.
    Thanks Nintendo!

  • frunk #7 4 months ago

    LOL...

    The 3DS is like one of those magazines that come out around New Year where you can build "your own ship" with only 300 "low cost" installments.

    I think Nintendo's strategy is to let you build your own Wii U out of all the bits they sell you.

    Stop it with the dumb add-ons and make your games work with what you sold us in the first place. Believe in your original concept and stop trying to give us a Vita... I will be buying one of those too.

    Between the two of them I may be able to eek out a decent journey on the batteries.

  • ACCH #8 4 months ago

    Is this like a joke or something? They obviously recognize the problem of handling the system with only one hand otherwise they wouldn't be making this thing. They already manufactured an add-on that would allow you to play the game holding the console with both hands, hell they even tossed in support for the damned second stick but only as an option for lefties. Instead they make ANOTHER add on to make the game a bit easier to play?

  • superfurry #9 4 months ago

    A stand, a joypad add-on? I wish they'd just hurry up and release the 3DSi. I can't bring myself to buy a 3DS when, given Nintendo's previous, there'll be an updated version soon.

  • wizlon #10 4 months ago

    Why not just add camera control to the Circle Pad Pro? Do it Nintendo!

  • kirinnokoshin #11 4 months ago

    I’ve played this at a couple of demo events and although the controls felt a bit odd at first, I got used to them after a few minutes. The key will be if there are enough pockets of respite from the action to give your stylus hand a rest. Steel Diver and DS Zelda games are perfectly comfortable as you don’t need keep the stylus fixed to the touch screen constantly which is what causes aching. I’m quite happy they are trying something new with the controls in this one.

  • wizlon #12 4 months ago

    A stand? All we need now is a visor and we've got the full VirtuaBoy effect!

  • mrpon #13 4 months ago

    More plastic!! Arghh!!

  • zeroboo #14 4 months ago

    Too many peripherals...

  • RoOhDaMite #15 4 months ago

    I'm really starting to think this game was meant to be a wii Rail shooter first, then they decided to bring it for the 3DS to show off its 3D effects during presentations but never managed to make the gameplay work with the new control scheme.

    It sure would have made a great launch title back in spring 2011. Too bad it didn't work out.
    Edited by RoOhDaMite at 12/01/12 @ 10:24

  • Bigmac1910 #16 4 months ago

    I think this stand is absolutely necessary to keep the 3D effect intact, as I only play in 3D, but now Im really on the fence on buying this game. They should delay the game a little bit and support the circle pad pro properly. (As it is already supported for lefties)

  • BigDannyH #17 4 months ago

    As we move away from the standard control system we are finding a lot of issues. No room for Kinect, huge lag from motion controls and unresponsive touch screen controls to name a few. 2 of the less obvious ones are unfortunately a result of Ninty trying something different.

    The fact that 3D on the 3DS goes wrong as soon as you move the screen made the combination of 3D and moving the DS when aiming on Zelda a joke. Meant most people just turned the 3D off.

    And using the Wiimote on Skyward Sword resulted in constant re-calibration of the pointer. Every time you change your sitting position it went bonkers.

    These things are designed to make the experience more immersive yet when using a traditional controller you forget it's even there and just get stuck into the game. These new control methods are constantly making you think about the controller sucking you out of the experience.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #18 4 months ago

    Don't get all the hate for this here. From the day I got the first DS I was hoping for something like this because lying in bed playing with such a stand is (at least for me) more comfortable. It's not an issue at all holding the (3)DS but I don't see why a free addon is a bad thing.

    Besides, name one handheld electronics device that does not have some sort of stand accessory. Some like them, some don't. Either way, especially if free, why hate it so much? On top of that it's really just personal preference, it doesn't enhance any game in any way at all so nobody is forced to get it.

  • Cadence #19 4 months ago

    Why is Binky getting negged? He's exactly right. Releasing these peripherals (the circle pad and now this) just emphasizes that the 3DS hasn't been designed properly and in particular with this game, it hasn't been designed to work effectively with the 3DS' controls.

  • MattEdWithCheese #20 4 months ago

    No ta, I can keep my hands still without help...

    @riz23 but with only a limited viewing angle, would there be much point?

  • andywilkie35 #21 4 months ago

    Hope this is better than the Kid Icarus game they sent for free this week. Fucking dreadful!

  • binky #22 4 months ago

    @Cadence Phew! I thought I was in a minority there. All previews have said this is cumbersome to play. It SOUNDS cumbersome to play. I'm not saying the 3DS is naff because of that, It's just sounding like the game controls have not been thought about properly.

  • jellyBelly #23 4 months ago

    @BigDannyH I agree, furthermore my body doesn't seem to agree very well with the ergonomics of all these new-fangled control methods. skyward sword gave me so much RSI that I had to abandon it even though I enjoyed what I played

  • NotSoSlim #24 4 months ago

    Hardware revision at E3? Gonna hold of buying one until my birthday in August i think

  • SimonM7 #25 4 months ago

    There's nothing wrong with the game's control scheme, and holding it one handed isn't a problem in itself. This is to maintain the 3D effect as you're poking away at the screen, frantically. It's been a problem with the system all along, but it's especially problematic when you don't have both hands to keep it level.

    Kinda doesn't make it any less disappointing that we need these contraptions, but I for one haven't really had an experience with 3D so far that's been anything but disappointing.

  • kirankara #26 4 months ago

    @BigDannyH

    Cant say Ive had an issue with 3d on 3ds , and i struggle with 3d in cinemas etc, as they give me headaches and cant wtach for more than 20 mins without eye strain.

    By all accounts the control scheme on this doesnt sound the best, but ive never really had issues maintaining 3d on 3ds, bar occasional movement that fecks it up, but then again, we all knew this was case with non glasses 3d anyway. I enjoy the 3d on 3ds, its not in your face and over the top, but subtly adds depth.

    As for stand thing, who cares, dont think that says anything about system itself, but the lack of twin sticks indicates redesign is necesarry at some point, although, im honestly not bothered, as will use the add on, and not give two shits how ugly it is

  • BearFishPie #27 4 months ago

    Excellent. This will also serve to enable improved accuracy when sketching 3D wing-wangs to send via Nintendo Letter Box.

  • eviroboy #28 4 months ago

    You can buy a stand for your shitty iPads, so why not for other motion capable devices? Makes sense. Not everyone uses a handheld purely 'on the go'.

  • eviroboy #29 4 months ago

    @binky Doesn't everything pretty much come with peripherals these days? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, right up there with time travel. Maybe they should ask you to design everything in future, you know, seeing as you're all perfect and everything. Beware the man, or woman, in the shop ready to tie your hand behind your back and force you to buy everything you see.

  • binky #30 4 months ago

    @eviroboy wah?

  • INSOMANiAC #31 4 months ago

    The 3DS is going to be the sized of a laptop if they carry sticking tat on it.

    Still, nice of him to acknowledge that anyone outside Japan won't be getting the best experience

  • trugs26 #32 4 months ago

    I wonder if the stand will be able to support the second analog slider. It would be a pretty epic fail if it didn't :p

  • bilitee #33 4 months ago

    Nintendo may as well postpone Kid Icarus Uprising to coincide with the release of the 3DS Lite- this means that it can be supported with two sticks on the Circle Pad Pro and two sticks on the new console- this would seem a more cohesive approach and we have waited so long anyway...

  • Freek #34 4 months ago

    Yes it's dumb, but it's the fault of the game design, not the hardware. Using a control scheme that requires you to use both the slide pad and touch screen at the same time is an ergonomic dissaster.

    You either use traditional controls or the touch screen, not both.

  • kangarootoo #35 4 months ago

    "The game's touch-sensitive airborne shooting can "work better" when the screen is "secure""

    Implying it doesn't work very well when the screen is not secure?


    "Yes it's dumb, but it's the fault of the game design, not the hardware."

    This.

  • skunkfish #36 4 months ago

    I'm in agreement with Freek. This is why we didn't see a lot of games using the touchscreen & D-pad on the original DS.

  • BigDannyH #37 4 months ago

    @kirankara
    I agree that the 3D is fine, in fact it was great for OOT, the problem was I was moving the system to fine tune my slingshot aim and by doing this it threw the 3D out.

    I quite enjoyed the semi-motion controlled aiming and the 3D effect, but it wasn't really possible to do both.

  • MadCaddy13 #38 4 months ago

    Too many friggin bits n bobs for this machine

  • TonyHarrison #39 4 months ago

    Obviously this is going to end up being built into the 3DS (not very) Lite along with the second circle pad and two extra shoulder buttons.

  • TheEarlOfZinger #40 4 months ago

    Just sold mine.

  • alcides #41 4 months ago

    So the 3D effect isn't spoiled by all the action? This gon look good with the circle pad extention on. :D