Reviews

Brando Week: Inexpensive Cases for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP

July 28, 2005

PSP Aero Case

I’m not exactly sure what this case is made of (high density foam is my guess) but I do know that’s it’s very tough and extremely lightweight. The case has a dual zip closure running most of the way around the border of the case, except for a black rubber edge along the back of the case, where the two halves are joined together. There’s no logo or branding on the outside of the case, and both the top and the bottom are finished with smooth plastic/rubber piping in a contrasting color. On the back of the case you’ll find a carabiner attachment and a belt loop. The carabiner can be easily removed if you don’t want to attach the case to another bag, though the attachment loop is not removable.

Inside the case there are two storage areas. Under the top flap a largish mesh pocket is the perfect spot to stash your ear bud headphones, though I wouldn’t suggest trying to stash anything much bulkier in there or you’ll have a hard time closing the zipper. On the bottom half of the case two side by side mesh pockets provide UMD storage on the flap that protects the screen of the PSP when it’s in the case. Underneath that flap is the area that holds the PSP. The lining of the case is a soft black material that won’t scratch the device. There are two elastic straps in the compartment that are designed to hold your PSP in the case, but I found that actually playing games on the PSP while it is secured to the case to be rather annoying. The protection flap just won’t stay up unless you contort your hands into a strange position to hold it up and still be able to reach the buttons. And since nothing secures the flap, when the case is open it sticks up slightly (you may be able to see this in the picture above). I think this design could be greatly improved by making the flap out of a softer material that is easier to bend, and in making it a bit longer

As a play-through case, the Aero case isn’t particularly successful. As a simple carrying case though, it’s ideal— cheap, durable, and it provides storage for at least two games (or more if you stuff the case absolutely full). You can get the PSP Aero Case in your choice of blue or gray for $12 at the Brando Workshop web site.

Zip Case for Nintendo DS

The Zip Case for Nintendo DS is very similar to the PSP Aero Case, with a few notable improvements. The materials are the same, and the workmanship is the same high quality. Like the first case, it features a storage area under the top, and there’s a middle flap for storage. You can fit in five DC game cards, or three DS game cards and two GBA cartridges. The big difference here is that the storage flap is properly “hinged” so that when you flip it up to open the DS to play games, or to pull the DS out of the case, you don’t have to struggle with it at all.

The only very slight “problem” is that the game storage flap has a strap to hold it closed with a snap closure which is just under the middle DS game card. It isn’t so hard to snap it closed, but the easiest way to unsnap the strap to access the gaming device is by taking out that middle game card. If it weren’t for that minor annoyance, this case would be a “Perfect 10” award recipient.

There aren’t many Nintendo DS cases to chose from, which is why I’m especially pleased that this case is such a good one. It works equally well as a play-through case or as just a carrying case with a bit of extra storage for games and earbuds. You can get the Zip Case for Nintendo DS in your choice of blue, gray, or gray netted fabric for $12 at the Brando Workshop web site.

All content copyright 2001 - 2007 PocketGoddess.com
XHTML | CSS | RSS | 508