Nintendo DSi XL 20 in 1 Starter Kit – Bronze
July 31st, 2010
- Charging Dock, Carrying Case, USB SD Card Reader, and Car Charger
- Earbuds, Audio Splitter, 3 Screen Cleaners, and Carry-all Tote Bag
- 2 Small Precision Styluses, 1 Large Precision Stylus, and 2 Sets of Screen Protectors,
- 3 Game Cases and 2 Wrist Straps
Product Description
The DSi XL Starter Kit provides 20 ways to kick your gaming experience up to the next level. It includes a Charging Dock, Carrying Case, USB SD Card Reader, Car Charger, Earbuds, Audio Splitter, 3 Screen Cleaners, Carry-all Tote Bag, 2 Small Precision Styluses, 1 Large Precision Stylus, 2 Sets of Screen Protectors, 3 Game Cases & 2 Wrist Straps.
Price: $28.99
Buy Now: Nintendo DSi XL 20 in 1 Starter Kit – Bronze
S. Brown
I just bought my DSiXl and had also bought a carrying case/car charger combo pack for $20.00 along with it at Gamestop. Unfortunately, my dog, Remy chewed up the carrying case, large stylus, and the one game contained within it while I was asleep a few days back. (Thankfully, he didn’t get the DSi Xl) In searching for a replacement I came across this product on Amazon and I must say it is really quite a deal. I’ll just do a quick run through of the items you will receive:
1. The protective case: It’s not made of a hard plastic. I’m not sure if it is actually plastic, but it is sturdy. It is also flexible so while it would definitely protect your DSi XL from drops I’m not sure how well it would do if you dropped something heavy on the case itself or say stepped on it or something. The case’s hinge is a piece of thick, sturdy fabric that runs along the entire back edge. The case also has two zippers. When you open it up, in the top part there is a holder for the big stylus and below that (still in the top part) are three sewn in netted areas to hold your games. There are also three little hard game cases for your DSiXL games that are included and they fit right in the netting. My only issue here, and it’s a minor one, is that the stylus holder is so close to the top edge of where the games sit that in order to remove the little cases have to use your thumb and forefinger and pinch each case by its top corners to slide them out. This is not a deal breaker just a little inconvenient. If you have big fingers though it might be more of a pain. The bottom part of the case has two sewn in elastic strips that you slide the entire DSi XL under. So this case will not allow for you to play the DSi XL while it is inside it. Unless you cut out the elastic straps, but then I don’t think the console would be as secure inside the case as a result. Getting the DSi XL in and out of the case however, is very smooth and it sits snugly in the case when it’s all zipped up.
Also included with the case is a nifty Carabiner hook so you can just attach it securely your belt loop if you are on the go. If you don’t like the hook, they’ve included two standard wrist bands.
There’s also fabric tote bag with a draw string that easily fits the entire DS and hard case with no problems.
2. The charging dock is awesome. Plug your power cord into the wall and the other end into the dock. The DSi XL then is seated vertically (lengthwise) in the dock. The dock is not super heavy but once the DSi XL is seated in it it’s heavy enough to not slide around. The dock also emits a cool blue light (bright enough to light up part of the ceiling in my bedroom) from it’s base when it’s plugged in. The DSi XL covers most of the light though once it’s seated in so you should be able to keep this on your nightstand with no problems.
3. The USB SD card reader is another bonus. Now you can transfer photos from you DSi XL to PC with ease.
4. The car charger seems sturdy and the cord is over five feet in length.
Everything else is pretty self explanatory; the ear buds, audio splitter, screen protectors, cleaning cloth, large stylus, and two small styluses.
I am very pleased with this kit and have decided that calling it a “starter kit” is a bit of an understatement as it has everything you need and more for a really nice price. I was a little worried the kit was going to be cheaply made because of the price but that has not been the case. I bought one of these kits for my brother and he was also very impressed with everything it contained.
I highly recommend this product.
**I’ve added some photos and I apologize ahead of time for the quality, they were taken with my IPhone and I’m definitely not a photographer.
***Addition. About the screen protectors I haven’t used them yet, but my brother did and he offered the following: There are four protectors total. He messed up the first one because there was a speck of dirt on the top screen when he put it down. But the next two he got right and he said that they look perfectly fine and do not interfere with the functions at all. Basically they each have three layers; you peel off the bottom and that reveals the sticky side that is going to go face down, then line it up carefully. He suggested to slowly roll the protector down (like a carpet or a lasanga noodle if that makes sense) rather than laying it flat because it’s a better way to avoid bubbles. Once it’s in place you peel off the back layer and it’s on. Once he got them on he was very pleased with how they looked.
Rating: 5 / 5
Lindsay Sheffield
This is definitely a great case for storing your DS, and has a few decent accessories.
Screen protectors:
Attach to the screen, but not with adhesive. I personally do not use them, but if the primary user of the DS is a child, I’d recommend it to reduce wear and tear, without ruining the screens.
Earbuds:
They actually do not fit to the XL as was claimed, the plug sticks out about halfway, and it’s really touchy to get the sound to come through them, so definitely don’t get this product if you’re just looking for earbuds for your XL.
Screen wipes:
Nice and soft, they clear the screen of dust and debris without scratching it or leaving a residue like a tissue or towel would, and are reusable.
Accessory bag:
Just your average draw-string bag, handy if you want to carry everything with you.
Charging dock:
Does not work as stated, and is kind of just cheap junk.
Wrist strap:
As with the screen protectors, I personally do not use the wrist straps, but if the primary user of the XL is a child, these would be recommended to reduce the chance of drops.
Styluses:
Not as high-quality plastic as the Nintendo brand ones that come with your DS, but they work. May scratch the screen if rubbed too hard on the screen – for games that require rubbing/scratching motions, I’d recommend just using the styluses that came with your DS. Good for back-up if you’re traveling and don’t want to lose your original ones, though.
Carrying case:
Well made, with 2 rubber straps to hold your DS in place (so it doesn’t tumble or get bumped when opening the case to take it out). Has 3 slots for holding your games, but can’t quite be doubled up. Has a holder for the large stylus, which is great, since that’s the one I prefer to use. The game pocket/stylus slot area is actually attached by velcro, so if you don’t care to carry extra stuff and just want to have one game and your DS, it can be removed/put back as you please.
Game card cases:
Just average card protectors, not really necessary, but good if you have loose games in a bag, to prevent damage.
Car charger:
Have not tried this yet, but seems like it will work fine.
Card reader:
Have not tried this yet, but seems like it will work fine also.
Audio splitter:
As the earbuds do not fit correctly in the DS itself, I doubt this will do you much good – might fit with an ipod.
I recommend getting this product if you’re looking for a small case to store/carry your XL in, but don’t expect anything spectacular. As stated above, the charging dock does not work, but that doesn’t make any difference to me. Having extra styluses is good for backup, and the carrying case is sturdy and convenient (and also has a clip to attach to a backpack or whatever.)
All in all, not too bad, but I wish everything had worked perfectly.
Rating: 3 / 5
Robert W. Smith
this is a nice kit. the carrying case can hold the ds, providing the ds a small measure of protection in the event of a drop. it also holds 3 ds game holders. recharger is nice. the recharging holder seems useless, at least to me (but then, i have cats who’d bat the ds down if it were standing up in the re-charger – i guess their own ds game, huh?). i was very pleased that the materials and workmanship seemed to be of very good to excellent quality. i’ve never gotten anything like this before, so, where i confidently grade books, i can’t confidently grade this. i like it very much and i guess i’d grade it an “A”. if you think that its contents are things you’d really like, then i highly recommend it. i particularly like the carrying case, allowing the ds to be safely carried alongside a small selection of games.
Rating: 5 / 5
DIANNE BOOTHE
Ignore the “how much fun is this game and how do you rate this game overall”, because its not a game. For what we paid, this is a great kit. Has all the things you need when you get the DSi XL. So if you are planning to give the game console as a gift for your child, this kit is definitely worth the money. It has all the things you need. I highly recommend.
Rating: 5 / 5
Rebecca L. Nash
This case makes the Nintendo DS a lot more mobile. It can carry a few games and the accessories and clips to a belt loop or can even be put on a belt itself. Very useful.
Rating: 5 / 5