CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

My Hori Compact Pouch DS Lite case arrived today from Play-Asia and I have to say, from the moment I took it out of the wrapper I was pretty impressed with it. I'm about as finicky as anyone when it comes to cases for my portable game systems. I don't like the zipper to touch the game system at all when I'm zipping and unzipping the case. I also like the inside of the case to be made of as soft a material as humanly possible. But above all I want a case that's going to be durable, offer the type of protection I'm looking for, and looks as good as my portable system does, which in this case, happens to be my new Ice Blue DS Lite system. If those criteria are met, I'm generally quite satisfied with a case. So the question is: How do I like this Hori Compact Pouch case?

We'll start with my obsession with the zipper touching my game system. Fact is, if a metal zipper is touching my system when I'm zipping and unzipping the case, it's going to scratch it. That's just a fact. Luckily the Hori case has a nice fluffy layer of cushioning that goes up around the DS Lite system in order to keep the zipper from touching it. Critierion #1 met. The entire inside padding of the case is also made of an extremely soft fabric which just seems to hug the little DS Lite just right when you pull the top down to close the case. No worries of scratching there, and it does offer a little padding in case you drop the system, although I wouldn't trust a case this small when it comes to dropping the DS Lite. It doesn't have that much padding. Criterion #2 met. Durability is an important factor in a carry case for a delicate electronic device like a DS Lite system, because if you can't count on your case to stay in one piece, how can you expect it to protect your valuable handheld system? Once again the Hori case lives up to the challenge and is extremely well made and even the stiching is flawless. The zipper is fairly smooth and doesn't snag on the soft inside cushioning, and the zippers even have tassles on then for easier gripping when opening and closing the case. Criterion #3 met. So far so good.

So we know the case is well made, but does it really protect the DS Lite? The simple answer is, to an extent. This is not a hard-body case or one with a lot of padding, this compact case's main goal is to fit snuggly around the DS Lite, keep it from getting scratched while being carried around, and keep as much dust away from it as possible. Those things this case does with ease. That being said, if you're looking for a case to protect your DS Lite during extreme conditions, like dropping the system, you may want to invest in a hard shell case instead of this one. Criterion #4 met. Last but certainly not least, does the Hori case look as good as it functions? To put it bluntly, hell yes! The light blue case I bought almost matches the exact color of my DS Lite system to a tee. You'll barely be able to tell the slight difference in hue between the two. It also features white highlights around different parts of the case which give it a very clean look when blended with the pastel color of the case. Criterion #5 met. To sum it up, I've owned tons of different cases for my various portable systems over the years, but this Hori Compact Pouch is one of the best I've owned. If you're looking for a simple, yet effective case to protect your system from dust, scuffing, or scratching from everyday use and transporting, this is the case for you. RATING: (9.0/10)

** I knocked off 1 point on the rating because the DS and GBA game pouches inside the case don't stretch at all and it doesn't hold as many games as I would have liked, but I'm being a little nitpicky here. **