Faced with Nerf or nothing, we choose Nerf
by Eric Caoili 
{ May 8th 2007 at 5:00PM }
There's nothing elegant or alluring about Nerf's DS Lite Armor cases, but they look protective enough to guard against even the most rugged lifestyles. The $12.99 ensemble holds the handheld close with a plastic shell and swaddles it with Nerf's unique foam padding. Nothing short of a tactical nuclear weapon (or a puppy that loves to chew on your valuables) will penetrate its cushioned coat.
Though GameStop advertises that the cases won't be available until next month, Fanboy reader PW was able to acquire one early by setting his DS clock ahead. According to his impressions, the extra padding allows people with "giant gorilla hands" to finally play games on a DS Lite without having to suffer hand cramps. We've got more photos of his Nerf DS Lite Armor after the post break, so don't miss out on those.
You should note that while PW's case is orange, that particular color isn't listed as an option on its packaging or on several online sites. Maybe this is an in-store-exclusive edition? You might want to head to a brick and mortar shop if you want to purchase one anyway, as GameStop's online product page states the following gem: "The DS Lite Nerf Armor comes in 4 colors: Pink, Blue, Black and Green. Colors are chosen at random when shipped."
Who's the genius that came up with that plan?!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
blasphemizer @ May 8th 2007 5:22PM
I have seen them at Best Buy, in all colors.
Beej @ May 8th 2007 5:55PM
I saw them with all colors at Best Buy yesterday too. They look sturdy and... bright.
stix @ May 8th 2007 6:05PM
gamestop has them listed for preorder..anyone seen them in stores yet?
bangladeshiluv @ May 8th 2007 6:07PM
this take the portability out of the gaming system. no thanks.
do you guys live at best buy or something?
Illtron @ May 8th 2007 6:42PM
Saw them at Best Buy just yesterday.
Yan @ May 8th 2007 7:54PM
looks cool but very bulky. may or may not fit in your pockets. still, it is good for monster sized hands. i like the bright colors!
JC Fletcher @ May 8th 2007 8:17PM
It is really ironic that some people are excited about making their DS Lites bigger.
Philosophy @ May 8th 2007 9:53PM
Is it me, or is that an R4DS that's in the cartridge slot? :) (Man I'm so pissed my DS and R4 were stolen!)
dorian @ May 9th 2007 3:50AM
I feel your pain, Philosophy. I remember when a kid in my class stole my gba sp w/ my copy of metroid fusion that i /just/ bought. man i loved the gba sp.
but back to nerf, the thing i love about this idea is it (should) add soft corners to ds and makes it easier to play gba games. This is just specivitory but i can't see myself being wrong. If i am with either of those statement then this thing is dead to me.
SuperDave @ May 8th 2007 11:48PM
Haha, great headline. I have to say, faced with Nerf or nothing, I choose nothing. It's quite big and ruins the DS Lite's slick look.
Ibrahim @ May 9th 2007 1:47AM
OMG it is an R4DS or probably an M3 simply, meh I have to send mine in because of the stupid spring loader issue, it's really dumb. But thankfully realhotstuff.com will take it back for a replacement evne though I messed with it and lost the screw. Really annoyed though, because SNEmuldS 0.5 beta just came out and I want to play chrono trigger, because people talk about it so much. In the alpha version the sound was so crackly and annoying it was unplayable.
Matdredalia @ May 9th 2007 6:51AM
While I understand some people complaining that it'll make the DS Lite "bigger"....personally, that's a perk for me.
Yes, I like my DS's sleek look. But, playing MarioKart or Tetris for hours on end hurts my thumb after awhile because of the cramped space. (Ironic since my entire family makes fun of me for having small hands.)
Not to mention...I paid over 30 dollars for a case for my iPod so that IF I somehow manage to clumsily drop it, it's protected.
Considering my DS is my best friend and I love it way more than my iPod, I definitely want it to have the same kind of protection.
Nerf or Nothing? Nerf
Keith @ May 9th 2007 8:44AM
Heh, Nerf or Nothing! That takes me back.
This looks like a pretty good looking case. I want mine in neon orange!
Xian! @ May 9th 2007 9:06AM
I'm not interested in playing the DS Lite in the case, but I AM interested in protecting it if I need to throw it into a backpack with a bunch of other stuff. Every other case I've read about had some fatal flaw, particularly the hard cases. Maybe this is the case that finally wins me over.
Jason @ May 9th 2007 11:40AM
Nerf or Nothing. I feel old now. Just for bringing back old memories, I'm going to pick a few of these up on the way home tonight. They look like they'll work quite nicely.
J
http://www.nintendoko.com
Nate Beaudry @ May 9th 2007 12:31PM
my my, that DOES look like a M3 Simply. Of course you are using it for Homebrew right? I was under the impression that the members of DS fanboy weren't "morally flexible" enough to use the simply to its full potential... :)
PDubya @ May 9th 2007 12:46PM
Did you not see the screenshot and the comment below the first picture after the jump?
"Hey! Is that Everlasting Love? Awesome!"
Everlasting love is homebrew.
Jackson Pritt @ May 9th 2007 6:08PM
I really like the idea of this case, but not the execution. Sure, it'll protect the front corners, but the DS Lite's weak point (HIT FOR MASSIVE DAMAGE) is its hinge, which is just stickin' out there almost totally unprotected in this case.
I mean, what's the point in a protective case that doesn't protect the part of the gadget that needs the most protection?
strider_mt2k @ May 10th 2007 8:46AM
You know for years I've loved wrapping my consumer electronics in black leather cases, including my Game Boy systems, but for some reason I don't want any case on my Onyx DS Lite.
I want it to acquire the scratches and patina of a piece that has traveled and been used and loved.
I guess it's also because I'm older now and can simply buy another one if this one gets broken or something.
Heck I used to carry a 400-dollar PDA. THAT needed special care. My DS Lite is Nintendo and I'll bet that means it'll hold up regardless.
That being said these cases look incredibly cool.
It's an easy way to personalize, and it adds quite a bit more ruggedness to an already robust design.