Nyko Power Pak+ for 3DS

While I haven't done any real time comparison tests, I've had my Nkyo-powered 3DS off the charger for 9 hours now (I don't use the dock), and it has only consumed one bar of the battery meter. I'm running White 2 with the C-Gear turned on. Playing it 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there, etc, only closing the lid when it's time to take a break. Using the original battery, the 3DS would have been long dead by now. I would comfortably say this can at least double the battery life. Since it's only a week or so old now, only time will tell if it continues this performance.It does add some weight and thickness to the 3DS, which can be noticeable over lengthy gaming periods. Couple that with sharp edges of the 3DS (unlike the smoother edges of the DS series) it can cause a bit of discomfort. On the positive side, the bottom of the battery is a rubbery non-skid material which does make it slightly easier to grip, and sits on a table-top without fear of sliding away.The battery is really easy to install. Just four screws, pop off the back lid, pop out the old battery, and insert the new battery. While the included tooth-pick style screwdriver is a nice gesture, don't use it. Any game geek or computer nerd worth their salt should have a precision screwdriver set; if you don't have a set, ask around. You don't want to strip the already-easy-to-strip screws, so be careful. If you're not comfortable with this, find a friend (the same one you borrowed the precision screwdriver from).Be careful how long you take, because many games are time sensitive, and if you take too long, the clock will reset. I did not notice this, and when I tried to sync White 2 to the Global Link, it detected a time change and placed a hard-wait of 24 hours on me. I think I saw a discussion here how to quickly pop it out without losing the date/time.Finally, not sure if it's worth noting, but my 3DS is one of the original NA releases (Ambassador Certificate), so the original battery might have already been approaching its end of life anyways.

For those concerned that the Nyko battery will add "too much bulk" to the underside of the DS I can say this is NOT the case. I have tiny girl hands and even with the nyko battery I felt it was very comfortable! I highly recommend this item it adds GREAT rubbery grip to a console which is as slippery as ice and allows it to grip onto surfaces without sliding off or falling. It also still fits beautifully into my 3DS case. I think almost more than the battery life I prefer it's bottom grip.I have to say being that the 3DS battery life is so lousy ( not it's fault ) but still a flaw, this was a GREAT investment. I love to be cord free when playing my handhelds and the 3DS is no exception, particularly on long plane rides. This was definitely worth the buy. It just about doubles the battery life like it says. The only draw back is you can't use the 3DS dock, but you can charge it with the original gray power cord. I don't see how this is an issue considering that's what we've been doing with the DS consoles for so long. In case you ARE concerned and want a charging cradle Nyko carries that too, but I opted not to buy it because I don't see why I can't just use the gray cord.

So far, this is the best thing I have bought for my 3DS. I usually have my brightness setting on 3 and I hardly have the 3D on. Before I had the Power Pak+, I usually got 3 hours of play time. Pretty week. This battery almost tripled my play time. I installed it and it took about 30 seconds. I don't know how long it takes to charge because I usually charge it when I go to sleep. I bought this because I wanted to have something to do on my five hour plane trip and this greatly improved my battery time.My Pros:-A little over of 10 hours of game play on one charge (DOA, Eshop, 3D movies, and Pokedex on level 3 brightness)-10 hours of standby mode-battery adds extra(much needed grip)Possible cons:-extra width to the system, but not even half an inch-doesn't charge on the original 3DS dockBuy it, especially if you play it a lot. You won't be disappointed.(UPDATE 1-22-2012)The battery is still working beautifully. I have had no issues with it yet. I have probably charged the battery about 30 times since I bought it(Doesn't sound like a lot, but I usually get my 10-12 hours out of it). The only thing I would add is that it takes about 5-6 hours to charge, which can be annoying because I do not like playing any handhelds while they are being charged. Other than that, I would buy it especially since it is on 10 currently!!

A got the Power Pak+ the first chance I got, seeing as it double the battery life of the 3DS. The original battery life was a pethetic 2 to 3 hours, so this thing is essential. The only problem is the thickness of the power pak+ (PP+); it add close to a half inch to the thickness of the 3DS. It redeems this by having the material of the battery finger friendly, and it has little indents where your fingers would rest, so it actually adds grip to the 3DS. You can't place it in the original Nintendo Charge Base, due to the thickness, so you have take the plug out of the base and stick in right into the 3DS, or buy the Nyko Charge Base.Overall:The Cons: Thick, Need to buy another charge base if you want to have style.The Pros: Doubles Battery Life, Easy Grip, Easy Install, Low-ish Price.BUY IT! WHEN THE BETTER 3DS GAMES COME OUT LATER THIS YEAR, YOU'LL WANT MORE PLAY TIME!