The 3DS posting storm has died down a bit and I've now had a week with the system. I'll post some impressions when I can, but I wanted to throw out some case ideas and see what others are using. I don't foresee myself being a big mobile gamer outside of the house, but I'd still like some good protection while still being feasible to carry.
(ps: Overall 3DS impressions are very good. I'm having a great deal of fun and have absolutely no regrets.)
Being Mobile:
This was actually one of my reasons why I wasn't getting a 3DS and in future posts I'll be sure to collect and display my various negative or possibly snarky comments. Honestly when I'm out of the house I'm either driving, riding and tending to a toddler and generally doing something where I don't have time to sit down and fire up a game. I certainly may have more time on long trips, but it's still not a driving force behind the purchase. Though one area I do look forward to is gaming at lunch at work now that I'll actually be in an office most of the time and not working from home. (that sounds weird, but working from home can be very distracting)
With that said, I'd still like to try and participate in the StreetPass thing and have the flexibility of taking my 3DS along with a small collection of game cards without too much bulk.
Cases:
AmazonBasics Carrying Case:
I ordered this with the 3DS as it looked like a fairly compact case, but has three mesh pockets for game cards and generally a little extra room for other stuff like AR cards and stylii. It has a firm, but flexible exterior and some elastic bands inside to keep the unit secured.
Overall I really like this case for general use or transport in another bag, but it's really too big to go in your pocket. So I initiated the return today and may have another solution (more on that below).
Nintendo Official Executive Case for 3DS:
Having time to kill yesterday I browsed around Wal-Mart (doh! could have had my flame red 3DS for $169 plus a bonus!!) and picked up this small faux-leather case. It's a very compact case that fits the 3DS, two game cards and an extra stylus. It does look more business/professionalish for those of us over the age of 12 who also have a belt full of other similar attachments. (though this case does not have a belt loop)
It added some bulk to my pocket (business slacks), but this would work very well in a pocket of my cargo shorts. While being a nice small size, that's also a disadvantage as I would need something else once my collection of games starts to grow. So I went back after work and returned it.
Nintendo 3DS Pull and Go Folio:
After considering the previous two options and thinking of how I would use this, I believe the pull and go is going to be the best fit. It's certainly larger than the others, but it has a removable small case for when I want more mobility. It also has room in the larger folio for 29 game cards, a stylus and a charger. For $17.99 I think this is a good deal and will probably be purchasing soon.
I love you Amazon:
Ok, maybe that's a bit extreme, but I was very pleased and shocked today when I went to return the AmazonBasics case listed above. Since I'm such a "valued customer" they refunded my $9.99 and told me to just keep the case. I'll certainly be using the $10 towards the Folio or another game, but it was great to not hassle with driving to a UPS store and ensure I have another solution ready for our big road trip next week.
We've spent over $2k through Amazon so far this year and probably more than I would like to add up in 2009 and 2010. (maybe that bumps us up to "valued"?) Though it makes good business sense to just give me the thing as they can cut out the UPS shipping plus their own staff time to deal with the item while at the same time building customer loyalty.
So the basics case for free is really awesome and a great option to have until I have a chance to demo the pull and go folio in person. I've also looked at some of the "starter kits", but decided not to get one as I already had many of the items they included.
Are there any cases in particular that are working well for you? Also, if you're more of a mobile gamer, what kinds of situations work well for mobile gaming in your routine?
I've never really used cases much for my PSP. I had a hard shelled plastic one, but I don't tend to swap out games very often - I've had Lunar and only Lunar in there for about a month now.
ReplyDeleteMy kids have gotten different 'cover' cases, like the protective ones. My son got a Nintendo official one but hated it, and swears it was making his DSi overheat.
DS Lites for all 3 kids were housed in Nerf Armor cases, which all of them loved. The DS's have seen their share of drops, but never broken from one, and my oldest says it helps the DS lite fit her hands better too. Not sure if they have Nerf 3DS protective covers or not, or if you'd even want one.
My oldest has a Kingdom Hearts case for her DS Lite, but it's nothing special. Padded case, room for games and cables. She likes it, but she loves the Kingdom Hearts series so I suspect it could have been made of cardboard and still gotten her seal of approval. :)
Not sure Nerf is my style, but I appreciate the info.
ReplyDeleteI also suspect once Super Mario 3D Land is in there I won't be removing it anytime soon. Well, at least until December 4th that is... :)
so I suspect it could have been made of cardboard and still gotten her seal of approval.
haha
I liked the Nerf armor myself, but I've got kind of big hands, and the DSlites felt really small to me. The Nerf armor made them a bit bigger, and the texture was easier on my hands too. That said, it does hide the color of your ds completely and looks a bit goofy. :P
ReplyDelete