Quite a few people were surprised when Nintendo unveiled the 3DS XL a couple of weeks ago. Part of that shock was due to the handheld’s lack of a second analog stick. After the release of the Circle Pad Pro for the original 3DS, many individuals figured that the next platform redesign would boast a second analog pad. Well, those of us who thought that would be the case were wrong.

Satoru Iwata has spoken up about the matter. Speaking to IGN, the Nintendo president stated, “Attaching a second analog stick is possible but it would have made the system even bigger. It perhaps puts a burden on people that really want that second stick, [but] it’s a call we had to make and these people will have to live with it.”

Iwata went on to explain that adding a second analog stick would result in a bigger, bulkier 3DS XL. Nintendo’s decision to leave out a second analog contraption ultimately makes sense. Most current 3DS games play perfectly fine using a single analog stick and the system’s touchscreen. Sure, it would be nice if Nintendo added that feature, but would it be necessary for most games? Probably not.

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