GBAtemp's review of NDSL replacement cases

[funem]

I was originally going to replace the shell on my DS but I watched a video of a pro doing it on one of the websites that sell them and bottled out. Instead I purchased a DS Lite Polycarbonate Case With Silicon insert made by Blackthorns which comes in three different packages with two colours of insert in each.. They are Orange/Pink White/Ice Blue and Black/Blue.. It adds a couple of millimetres to the overall DS size but mine has gone through some bumps and scuffs and it looks fine still. The one I bought was made by a company called Black-Horns, a couple of friends of mine bought other makes but they seemed flimsy and snapped quite easily by the narrower parts of the case. This is the best option IMHO to pimp your DS if you haven't the bottle to fully change your case. Matter of fact I bought two lots so I could get the four different coloured inserts as they were so cheap, about £5 if I remember correctly.

Don't know if the links allowed to a sales site but you can see what they look like at renchi dot com and search for "DS Lite Polycarbonate Case With Silicon" they are out of stock but at least you can see what they look like.

Nice review BTW.

 

[AndreXL]

So weird...
I was on to replacing my casing for the longest time an only now did I do it.
After completing the task, here is GBATemp with reviews about it!

Ahh yes. The one I have was the Nintendo DS lite shell (image on the middle)

After completing the task, made me wish that I should have also bought rubber contact replacements for the buttons.
Treat that as a reminder to those who want to do this kind of thing!

 

[SaltyDog]

I was inspired to change my ds to the zelda case until i saw wiiroom shipping costs. I think my blood pressure shot up to 200/160! 19$ shipping for a 24$ product, although nearly not as crappy as the psp replacement cases which cost 23$ shipping for a 21$ product. sure looks nice though...

 

[azotyp]

I'd like to add that if anyone need full dissasemble guide (top and down half), here's the link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62647765@N00/...57594277451148/

 

[cupajoe]

This is an incredible review. Long.

 

[T-hug]

Excellent review of a product that would otherwise not recieve as much attention.
Ordering a kit myself from dealextreme!

 

[SkH]

thieves like us,
the Gold case is just like the original Limited Zelda DS Lite one? 'Cause it looks like it's the original case...

And very professional, too!

 

[Rock Raiyu]

I got the Full Replacement Housing Cases for NDS Lite from dealextreme. I never even got to finish putting it on cause it was difficult to figure out where the microphone wire and another wire went which somehow ended up ripping the cable to my top screen. My mom was the one that broke it so she had to buy me a whole new DS (the new Cobalt/Black DS). Hated the fact that it didn't come with instructions...

 

[Jdbye]

This is a very useful review, since I've heard that NDSL replacement cases tend to be of low quality or otherwise inferior to the original.

 

[Kayday]

I just replaced my NDSL with a transparent smoked black one and it looks great aside from a few things. Becareful of the power button, you can break it off easily as I did but I was able to epoxy it back on. My case didn't fit perfect and there's a gap on the bottom case. I'll probably epoxy it shut. Other than that, the process was easy and I'll probably do another one since I gave this one to my brother. I'm looking at the Zelda case.

 

[Romain]

Hello, I have a question for you guys:

What does exactly means post ? ("full set of replacement screws, posts and springs" for the dealextreme one). Looked on Google but without success.


In fact, I want to know if it is the small iron axis which retain the trigger in its location, because my brother blown up a fuse on his DS, I tried to repair it, it's been successfull however, I lost the R trigger and the metallic part (this "axis"), so I need a new one and I hope it is included with the dealextreme shell or another!



Thanks a lot

 

[thieves like us]

thieves like us,
the Gold case is just like the original Limited Zelda DS Lite one? 'Cause it looks like it's the original case...

And very professional, too!

yeah, their zelda knock off is extremely well done (as evident in that last picture). that's a case swap that I did for a friend of mine.

QUOTE(Romain @ Apr 5 2008, 06:46 PM) What does exactly means post ? ("full set of replacement screws, posts and springs" for the dealextreme one). Looked on Google but without success.

In fact, I want to know if it is the small iron axis which retain the trigger in its location, because my brother blown up a fuse on his DS, I tried to repair it, it's been successfull however, I lost the R trigger and the metallic part (this "axis"), so I need a new one and I hope it is included with the dealextreme shell or another!

Romain:
yes, the posts are the metal shafts that hold the L and R buttons in place inside of the shell.

 

[94dan]

I just purchased a transparent case from divineo.cn that seems to be the same as the one you bought from clearxbox. Should I expect the quality to be as bad?

Link to product: http://www.divineo.cn/cgi-bin/div-cn/nds-lgcc

 

[jesus_bon_jovi]

A replacement case would be nice to try something like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/cchun0001/set...57604001347784/

 

[thieves like us]

I just purchased a transparent case from divineo.cn that seems to be the same as the one you bought from clearxbox. Should I expect the quality to be as bad?

Link to product: http://www.divineo.cn/cgi-bin/div-cn/nds-lgcc

yes, unfortunately, that is the clear ghost case from clearxbox.com. let me know if the newer ones are any better than what I reviewed.

 

[ItsMetaKnight]

The Pikachu one is really bad. You can see the speakers right through it. The original is much thicker, so you won't see anything behind it...

BTW, isn't it illegal to sell cases that look like official limited editions?

 

[94dan]

I just purchased a transparent case from divineo.cn that seems to be the same as the one you bought from clearxbox. Should I expect the quality to be as bad?

Link to product: http://www.divineo.cn/cgi-bin/div-cn/nds-lgcc

yes, unfortunately, that is the clear ghost case from clearxbox.com. let me know if the newer ones are any better than what I reviewed.

Ah... Well, I'll let you know.

 

[silvershadow]

i bought three shock cases, first one took 3 hours to do, i was new to the whole thing.

second one took about 45 minutes.

the third one i did was trouble, it came with one minor broken piece which caused the right shoulder button not to function. took 7 hours to do this one. it even involved stopping, planning on giving up, then decided to run to the dollar store to buy crazy glue before it closed, and i managed to fix it.

the part i hate the most is separating the top from the bottom..and then putting them back together, the first time i thought it was damaged for sure, but still worked. when i did my second one, a little peice of one of the speaker wires damaged so it was touching the metal of the screen, which causes a "static shock" plus serious battery drain when i press in the top of the ds at a certain place, but since this was my own one, i learned to live with the problem.

 

[thieves like us]

as a favor, I swapped cases for a friend's ds lite this past weekend using the one of the transparent blue cases that I received from dealextreme.com. much to say, I'm extremely pleased with the results and will update the review tonight with a few more pictures. in the end, I ended up leaving all of the screw covers off (since half were not adhesive-backed) and because they're using one of the hori silicone covers.

note:
the two tab holes in the back of the case are slightly smaller than the original cases, which prevent the 2 tabs on hori's silicone protective cover from being inserted. not a show stopper, but something that I feel the need to point out.

additional note:
while not necessary, I swapped out the following parts from an official case prior to performing the swap. the reason for doing so is that I felt that the quality of the parts from the official product were a bit better than what came with the replacements.
- the 3 screws in the lower case half that hold the stylus channel in place as well as the slot-2 metal plate and screws. (the official screws are anodized, preventing any future corrosion from occuring)
- the screw and retaining spring clip of the battery cover. (this allows the screw to remain attached to the battery cover, should you need to remove it for any reason)
- the slot-2 pc board and tri-wing screw for the slot-2 cover. (unlike the solid colored cases, the transparent ones do not come with the "dummy" pc board which provides the tension necessary to hold the slot-2 cover in place)

 

[Another World]

i have often considered modding my case or switching it out for a fill replacement. i never knew who to trust and thankfully gbatemp steps up again with another great review. thanks! i can't believe what some of the ebay sellers are charging for shipping. they should all be reported to ebay, that type of money making is what brings ebay down. i would love to see your review expanded with a 'how to' section, complete with pictures and videos.


-another world