Review by Nick H.
Handheld systems are amazing. As a kid I spent a lot of weekends away from home – which meant spending a lot of weekends away from my beloved NES and TI99/4a. However, once I got a GameBoy for Christmas, those weekends at my grandma’s or on the road with my parents was a good deal more bearable.
However, with all of that travel, a handy way of transporting my system, games and spare batteries became a necessity. Fast forward to present day, and it seems like more kids (or adults like me) are carrying around portable gaming units than ever, and I find a travel case like the Super Mario Bros 2 for Nintendo 3DS XL to be incredibly useful.
Visually, it is awesome. Gold trim and background reminds of the gold coins from Mario (which adorn most of the graphics on the case and the pull out system case). It is sharp, and my youngest absolutely adored it (seriously, there was a squeal involved) when I showed it to her. Aside from just looking good, the construction is excellent as well. It has a nice soft, padded feel all of the way around. This makes it comfortable but also protective in nature as dropping it – the cases provide excellent padding.
Almost as importantly, this offers excellent organisation as well. My youngest in particular struggles to keep track of her games, her cables and her stylus. So far, this has made it much easier on her as it can hold up to 29 games with the slots along the side. It also has a cinched strip of fabric next to the game holders for a stylus as well. I do wish there was room for even a second one of those – an alternate case I own for my 3DS has three stylus slots, and that comes in handy in case one gets lost on a trip.
There is a mesh pocket that can be used for holding car chargers and power cables, its flexible nature letting you cram a couple of things in there without it ever stretching to the point of becoming damaged. I really like the removable system case, however. I have a similar item for my PlayStation Vita, and the padded case still looks nice, but it lets you store your game system more securely while giving you a handy way to rip it out (it uses velcro to stay in place) and just take the case on the go – while still offering plenty of protection for the unit.
All of the materials appear to be of high quality build. At first I thought maybe the zipper might not hold up, so I sat there for far longer than I care to admit, opening and closing the unit and it never stuck or broke (what I go through to test these things for you, dear reader). The velcro held up to rigorous testing as well. This thing is sturdy. The pull out case is big enough that even a 3DS with some sort of armour on it slides in and out very easily.
There is really nothing at all to complain about in my experience with this Super Mario Bros 2 Nintendo 3DS XL Pull and Go Folio. If you are looking for a secure way to carry a DS system and some games and accessories, this is an excellent option for you.
– Nick H.
US Editor
