A lot of people are wondering that. I think it comes to a mixture of lack of forsight, plans to let time pass before built in models arrive, and the biggest reason is probably that the 3DS XL already swallowed up manufacturing costs in its model design and Nintendo was unwilling to take losses to start over, especially when this is probably their oportunity to make a profit on each console sale.

You know what? The 3DS XL should have just had a little USB like port beneath the face buttons. The XL version should have just been a second thumb stick that sticks into that port and is easily removable. The form could have stayed the same, we that wanted a right analog could have just purchased one and plugged it in. Everybody would have won.

@d21lewis Actually, the SD card slot is now the right side of the system, so you can't put anything there.

One other thing: A few people in this thread seem to think that the people complaining about the right analog are the same people that complained about the price drop or are people that aren't even interested in the 3DS. I just want to say that I'm probably one of the most vocal people when it comes to the benefits of the right analog. I'm also a strong supporter of the 3DS.

-I got the 3DS when it was full priced. I didn't complain at all when the price dropped. I think it was a good move. I'm happy with my 20 free games.

-I own 14 3DS retail games, six eShop games, six DSi Ware games, and 20 Ambassador games

-I got the Circle Pad Pro and I love it

-I have SIX Nintendo DS consoles in my house right now (Also, two PSP's, two 3DS's, and one Vita)!

I'm a huge supporter of Nintendo, especially on the portable side of things. I just think that adding a second circle pad would mean nothing but good things for gamers that play on the 3DS.

I didn't mean the edges of the system.  I meant that they should have designed it with a little port right there on the face of the console.  We'd remove a little cover with our fingernail and plug in a second stick right beneath the ABXY buttons.

They actually designed something like that for the 3DS a long time ago when they first developed it. It was where you can switch the posistion d-pad and the circle pad by simply removing them.

I mean yeah I would have liked two circle pads in the XL, but when I think about it, DS games would usually just use the touch screen for that kind of stuff, so I suppose it isn't really necessary.

i disagree, touch screen for some things like camera control suck IMHO. which is why having an option for people who dont want to use that is nice. Mario64DS and KH 358days come to mind, but alas i will just avoid those games on 3ds

touch screen is much better than double analog for FPS and TPS imo
I would have loved to play MGS3D and RErevelations that way
also the second analog being optional is the best choice imo
believe it or not, the best selling games dont need and wont need the second cp
Nintendos priority is make money, not please hardcore gamers...

glad you enjoyed the touchscreen i hated it. Glad MGS and RE dont use it(but i wasnt getting them anyway so meh)

funny you say that they dont want to please the hardcore, because with the 3ds thats exactly what they seemed to be doing, with the games they were marketing for it. So maybe they said f it and went back to their usually