SIZE DOESN'T MATTER! - Nyko PowerPak+ Review for Nintendo 3DS By Weegee8

By Weegee8
POSTED: 28 Jun 2012 21:21
BUMPED: 27 Oct 2018 06:06
CATEGORY: Reviews
FEATURED: Yes (Rlad116)
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Sup, noobs. What? Are you surprised that you saw that this blog is made by me? Yep. I haven't made a blog in an entire year, literally. I'm going to try my best on it, but please keep in mind that I don't have professional Blog experience.

The 3DS is a preety awesome portable gaming device, but if you own a 3DS, you are obviously aware of a tremendous failure of the hardware. The rather short battery life. 3-5 hours is NOWHERE good for a portable device. Heck, Nintendo even installed the wireless StreetPass feature and Pedometer rewards feature to ENCOURAGE you to take it everywhere and always.

Luckily, I was looking through remedies to fix this issue, and I managed to come across this little bugger. The Nyko PowerPak+ Battery Pak (aka The Big Black Butt).

So you may be wondering if this is just a gimmick or a crappy rip-off, but it's not, so that's why I'm making this review.

LOOKS AND FEELS

The Nyko PowerPak+ has a really stylish mat finish, kind of what the Nintendo DSi's outer shell was made of. I would say it is more enjoyable to hold with the new texture than the original plastic cover. It has some sort of finger grooves for added comfort. It has the Nyko logo clearly branded. It also has a metal plate on the back for charging support on Nyko's own charging cradle, but you can still charge it with the regular AC adaptor. If you have enormous sweaty paws like me, the mat texture may become uncomfortable when on heated play. Saw what I did thar?

SIZE

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER!

The additional battery life does come with a sacrifice. The battery pak definetly adds a bit of bulk and weight to the hardware itself, however it doesn't make it fatter or heavier than your mother after a donut binge, neither sacrifices the comfort when in hands. You will get used to it very quickly. You obviously CANNOT charge your 3DS in Nintendo's Charging Cradle with this installed.

INSTALLATION

Unfortunately, the Nyko Power Pak+ requires you to loosen and remove the back cover of the 3DS to access the original battery and remove it, and then install the PowerPak+. It does include a straight-forward instruction manual and trouble-shooting section in 9 languages, so no hassle. This does void your 3DS warranty, so don't moan to Nintendo on why they cannot fix it for you when you drop it like a clumsy brat. However, the installation is quick and easy. The NPP+ includes the installation materials (along with the CUTEST screw-driver ever), so you do not have to get off your lazy ass to go buy them separately.

PRICE

I was surprised at the price of the battery. The battery itself for 15 ozzy dollary-doos at my local GameStop, I also saw it priced at 10 dollary-doos at Amazon. You can also buy the battery, and Nyko's Charging Cradle for 25 dollary-doos at GameStop (I am unable to review this because I don't own it.) I would personally recommend JUST the battery. It is a GREAT DEAL for what it has to offer. They even gave us a 3 month warranty to replace the battery if it's defective.

Now comes to the big moment.

PERFORMANCE

When you first get the battery pak, it doesn't come with any juice. There is a lovely red warning sign with the kit that tells you to FULLY CHARGE IT FIRST to get the most out of it. The first charge takes around 4-4.5 hours. And other charges take 3.5-4 hours.

The Battery Pak offers 6-10 hours of battery life, or double of the original battery. Does it really offer what it says? Yes, yes it does.

These results were recorded with Nintendo 3DS at brightness level 1, Power-Saving Mode off, wireless on, 3D mostly off (80% of the time), and volume at a moderated level.

Since this is a real-world use case scenario, it is normal to not achieve exactly the estimated maximum of 10 hours of battery life, or minimum of 6 hours in some cases (i.e Playing an online game such as MK7). It still should fall close within the 6-10 hour range.

Total usage statistics (according to Activity Log)

SAT: 0:25 (day I got battery, usage after battery is installed and fully charged)
SUN: 2:30
MON: 2:08
TUE: 2:29
WED: 0:55 (until 12:52 PM)

HOME Menu: 0:25
Sleep mode: 2:53

TOTAL PLAYTIME: 8:37 (according to Activity Log, doesn't include Sleep Mode time or time spent on the HOME menu)

PLAYING ONLINE: 3:03/8:37
(playing online greatly reduces the results of the total battery life, therefore this is important to mention)

1ST TIME CHARGING PROCESS: 4:05 (The first few charges for most batteries usually take unusually long since it is a brand new battery, so it is completely normal to exceed the estimate of 3.5-4 hours charging time.)

2ND TIME CHARGING PROCESS: 4:12 (Same thing occured. Again, it is normal since it is still a new battery.)

CONCLUSION

The Nyko PowerPak+ is a great addition to your 3DS if you are a hurdc0rez gamer or when you're out and about for most of the time, away from the charger. I was satisfied with what it offered.

THEREFORE, I GIVE THIS A DECENT 8.5/10.

UPDATE 10/28/2018: IT EXPLODED A YEAR AGO DO NOT RECOMMEND

Thanks for reading.

Note: I do not own the pictures. They all belong to their sole owners.

+10 -1

Finrod
29 Oct 2018 13:31

Misleading title.....

inSein
28 Oct 2018 16:55

Lmoa owned

banjo2
27 Oct 2018 13:51

Self-feature

admin abuse

Gemini Guardian
27 Oct 2018 10:52

tfw was interested in purchasing this thingamajig

but uh

no explosion pls thank

oswaldo123
27 Oct 2018 07:16

You're alive?

Weegee8
27 Oct 2018 06:34

this was bumped bc this battery pack ended up being trash and it exploded so 0/10

Darkstarm
04 Jul 2012 15:26

Quoth Bryguy58:

Quoth wowroflquote]Quoth Elmeria: I never have 3D on. Its too hard to keep it perfectly in place while gaming.

I know, right?

Bryguy58
03 Jul 2012 05:37

Quoth wowrofl:

Quoth Elmeriaquote]I don't have a problem with my original 3DS battery... I have it on brightness level power saving mode on, wireless on, and 3D off 100% of the time. I play online a lot. I get it to last 6-8 hours at a time.

3D off? What's the poit of owning a 3ds if you don't use 3d...[/quote] I never have 3D on. Its too hard to keep it perfectly in place while gaming.

wowrofl
02 Jul 2012 04:25

Quoth Elmeria:

I don't have a problem with my original 3DS battery... I have it on brightness level power saving mode on, wireless on, and 3D off 100% of the time. I play online a lot. I get it to last 6-8 hours at a time.

3D off? What's the poit of owning a 3ds if you don't use 3d...

Jack10
30 Jun 2012 15:10

I wish I would've asked to get that for my birthday... xD Oh well. I already have the Nyko Power Pak+.

Elmeria
30 Jun 2012 00:43

I don't have a problem with my original 3DS battery... I have it on brightness level power saving mode on, wireless on, and 3D off 100% of the time. I play online a lot. I get it to last 6-8 hours at a time.

IblisFlare
29 Jun 2012 22:40

Actually this doesnt void the warenty of the 3ds because you can only access the battery

Kion127
29 Jun 2012 20:38

Ehy don't you just charge your 3DS while you play? I do itwith my DSI all the time.

Weegee8
29 Jun 2012 14:46

Quoth starfire001:

So Is the power pak more better to get for the battery life or is the 3DS XL have an better one?

The 3DS XL just offers an additional 30 minutes or so of battery life compared to the original battery.

starfire001
29 Jun 2012 14:14

So Is the power pak more better to get for the battery life or is the 3DS XL have an better one?

Lakhlan01
29 Jun 2012 06:05

Big Black Butt: Long life, Cheap, and accessible.

Weegee8
29 Jun 2012 05:49

Quoth charizardman283:

Now if only there was a thing that increased shoulder button life (my R button is starting to fizzle out after about 8 months) and I'm sure that everyone else needs one.

The contacts below the button get covered with dust over time. Make sure you blow (not spit) through the button to get that dust out. If it still doesn't work, then it may be because of misuse.

Weegee8
29 Jun 2012 05:48

Quoth GleeoK:

Size never matters, quality is priority : )

<hr>

The Nyko power pak+ is good because of its very cheap price and because it does double your 3DS battery life after all...

But the BEST, BEST battery extensor out there is the PowerSkin gaming (3DS), it is the smallest for triplicating (yes, 3x) the battery life and you don't remove your 3DS battery, you directly install it and it acts like a charger...the problem is that it costs around 80 bucks. But getting MINIMUM of 12 hours of play is Godly. Its a must get before any intercontinental travels, which usually last from 8 to 13 hours, or even more if you take 2 or more flights.

I don't think battery is the main priority for me, so I wouldn't spend $80 on that.

charizardman283
29 Jun 2012 05:33

Now if only there was a thing that increased shoulder button life (my R button is starting to fizzle out after about 8 months) and I'm sure that everyone else needs one.

GleeoK
29 Jun 2012 04:37

Size never matters, quality is priority : )

The Nyko power pak+ is good because of its very cheap price and because it does double your 3DS battery life after all...

But the BEST, BEST battery extensor out there is the PowerSkin gaming (3DS), it is the smallest for triplicating (yes, 3x) the battery life and you don't remove your 3DS battery, you directly install it and it acts like a charger...the problem is that it costs around 80 bucks. But getting MINIMUM of 12 hours of play is Godly. Its a must get before any intercontinental travels, which usually last from 8 to 13 hours, or even more if you take 2 or more flights.

Tora.Silver
29 Jun 2012 03:26

BIG BLACK BUTT. You could've just written that, been like "'nuff said", posted it, and it would've been epic.

Weegee8
28 Jun 2012 23:57

Quoth IronShadow:

I agree with Banman on this one, if it isn't official licensed products from the console it originates with, it's a risky move. Take for example the Niko ventalation fan thing for the Xbox 360, it was made to help the console from over heating, and thus prevent the dreaded red ring of death, but has been known to cause the console to overheat much quicker in some cases. a friend of mine experienced just that with the niko fan thing, and regrets it completely.

If anything goes wrong, it's replaceable. Besides, I don't think that a battery would do harm to a system. I was a bit concerned of the same reason, though, before I bought it. I managed to look at some reviews, they all said that it's fine. Also, Nyko is experienced on battery-making.

IronShadow
28 Jun 2012 23:42

I agree with Banman on this one, if it isn't official licensed products from the console it originates with, it's a risky move. Take for example the Niko ventalation fan thing for the Xbox 360, it was made to help the console from over heating, and thus prevent the dreaded red ring of death, but has been known to cause the console to overheat much quicker in some cases. a friend of mine experienced just that with the niko fan thing, and regrets it completely.

Weegee8
28 Jun 2012 23:33

Quoth Dedode3:

mmm, does it will works on 3DS XL?

No.

Dedode
28 Jun 2012 23:22

mmm, does it will works on 3DS XL?

banjo2
27 Oct 2018 13:54
In reply to Dedode

expert english right here

Dedode
28 Oct 2018 02:35
In reply to banjo2

2 0 1 2
I've changed

banjo2
28 Oct 2018 02:41
In reply to Dedode

Good

Weegee8
28 Jun 2012 22:40

Quoth Hylianzombie234:

Quoth Weegee8quote]Quoth MysticalZoey:<blockquote>what does power saver even do? Should I keep it off or on?

Keep it off. In my opinion, it reduces color and crispyness of images. It doesn't help that much.</blockquote>Power saver is just that, power saver. It helps with increaseing how long the 3ds can be on before it turns off.[/quote]

Yes, but I'd rather have a better and crispier image for just a bit more power consumption.

Hylianzombie234
28 Jun 2012 22:32

Quoth Weegee8:

Quoth MysticalZoeyquote]what does power saver even do? Should I keep it off or on?

Keep it off. In my opinion, it reduces color and crispyness of images. It doesn't help that much.[/quote]Power saver is just that, power saver. It helps with increaseing how long the 3ds can be on before it turns off.