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Review: Pelican Gamestop DS Lite Value Kit by PcTech

The item I'll review today is the Pelican/Gamestop DS lite Value Kit. Price: $19.99, online or in-store. The DS Lite Value Kit (DSLVK) is marketed as an all-in-one kit for your Nintendo DS Lite.

Included in the package:

* A soft, neoprene case
* A hardened game case
* 1 extra stylus
* 1 screen protector
* 1 car charging adaptor
* 1 LED keylight Confused
* 1 screen polishing cloth

The Pouch (4 of 5)
Let's get into the meat of the item, which in my opinion would be the pouch. The pouch included in this package is nylon(?) encircled with neoprene rubber. The pouch actually has two compartments. The first, larger compartment has an elastic-tensioned opening and holds the DS. The smaller, front compartment can hold the hard game case. Over the tops of both compartments folds a flap held by velcro.

The pouch itself is fairly small, but isn't really built for compactness. Because it provides cushioning and has 2 compartments, it adds significant size to the DS. I did test the pouch, though, and it fits nicely in my military side cargo pocket, as well as the front pocket of my slacks. I doubt the pouch would fit in a jeans pocket unless they were baggy. However, given the cushioning and the additional rubber protection, I wouldn't feel too scared were I to drop the DS on concrete from my pocket/hands. You cannot play the DS while it's in the pouch, nor can you charge it.

The pouch also includes a belt clip (which I promptly removed) and on the back features 2 more elastic, closed straps...presumably you could run a vertically oriented strap or something through the pouch to hold it onto a backpack or similar item. I haven't tested the beltclip or the rear straps, though by simple examination the belt clip didn't seem sturdy or tight enough for me to trust my lovely DS in it.

The hardened game case (2.5 of 5)
Along with the pouch you receive a silver, hard outer shell game case. Opening the case (which is remarkably difficult to do, since you must press down on the release latch fairly hard) reveals a soft, rubber inside...it actually feels really cool. I'm not sure what that type of rubber is called, but it's almost like felt. Anyway, inside are slots for 2 GBA carts and 3 DS cards, along with a slot for an extra stylus (included).

Unfortunately, there are a couple of problems I see for this case. For one, this thing is thick, and needlessly so. It almost seems like the case is ruggetized if you were to...I dunno, drop the thing from an airplane at 30,000 feet. It's pointless to pad these cartridges with so much rubber material; they're literaly more protected than your DS. Placing the hardened case inside the pouch while a DS is loaded nearly doubles its thickness; so much, in fact, I normally resort to either carrying the case in a seperate pocket, or simply putting the carts in the compartment itself and throwing the case in the corner somewhere.

Furthermore, the GBA slots in the case will not carry the DS Lite's asymetrical GBA cover-slot (at least neatly), so you'll have to arrange it in the case loosely. It's more hassle than it's worth.

On the DS card side of the case, the games are held in their slots by small plastic clips (as opposed to the GBA side, where they snap into place. The bad thing is, these clips aren't made of rubber, which is why on the first day of ownership I snapped one of the clips thinking I could bend it back far enough to actually remove the DS card. Instead of pulling your DS card straight out like any normal, rational human would, you're required to sort of slide the DS cart into place, like you're trying to break into someone's door with a credit card (which, by the way, never works...normally). Okay, it isn't that bad, but you get the picture.

The stylus, LED keychain light, car adaptor, screen protector, cloth (4 of 5 overall)
# Stylus -- It's a pointy stick, just like the original. Nothing more here.
# Car adaptor -- I've tested it and it seems to work fine, though I don't know whether charge times are any faster/slower with this thing. It includes a very long cord, presumably to play at the rear of your limo as your driver charges it with the forward outlet.
# Cleaning cloth -- It's small, it's blue, it's "lint free" for the most part. Yay cloth!
# Screen protector -- A small, included piece of clear plastic-type material with a protective cover (a cover for the cover?). Of course, silly me (being new to the DS world), I thought the cover that you peel away simply kept out dirt...I didn't realize the back of the screen protector was sticky! After misaligning the initial installation attempt, it took a bit to actually manage to peel the thing off; for a moment I was worried it was permanently stuck. I'm not sure how one would remove this if it was perfectly aligned...luckily for me, I screwed up the alignment, a small section was sitting atop the bezel, and I was able to slip a thin piece of cardboard under it to remove it. No residue was left on the screen, thankfully.
# LED keychain light -- Frankly I have no idea why this thing is included. It's sorta like buying a barebones computer kit and getting a free spatula. I suppose it's nice to use in those situations where you can't turn on the main light for fear of waking your kid/wife/pet shadow and you just really need to find that DS cart you accidentally ejected out of your system like the spring from a disassembled pen. If I said I haven't used it already, I'd be lying, though not for any DS-related scavenger hunts.

Conclusion (3 of 5)
Overall, it's only a "meh" package you get for $20. Having yet another stylus is nice, the pouch seems to be adequate, and the car charger works fine. However, including a game case nearly as large as the DS itself is absurd, having only 1 screen protector seems stingy, and the LED keychain light feels very out of place; I would have much preferred to simply get another screen protector attempt instead of the light.

If you're looking for a fairly high quality case and don't mind a bit of "soft bulk", this kit may be worth it for the pouch alone. Don't be surprised, though, if you end up only using the pouch and charger, because the rest seems to be a bit pointless. [Discuss]