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Redesigned 3DS Circle Pad puts an analog stick under your index finger

Dual-analog controls are pretty standard these days -- two analog sticks on either end of a control pad designed to fall directly under the user's thumbs. Hori's new 3DS slide pad accessory throws this notion out the window: it installs a second control pad on the same side as the handhelds primary input, putting the slider directly behind the console's L button. The accessory is built specifically to accommodate Monster Hunter diehards, but it's not as odd as it sounds: Japanese gamers have made a habit of modifying Nintendo's analog accessory into obtuse and unexpected configurations. Hori's layout is designed to allow players to move their character and manipulate the camera with just one hand, freeing up their right thumb for attacks and in-game actions. The accessory (available in both 3DS and 3DS XL variants) is available in Japan only, for now, to the tune of 2,980 yen.