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Faced with Nerf or nothing, we choose Nerf
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?!
Zoozen's conceptual Ovo 360 replacement case for Xbox 360
We've certainly got no qualms with hacking up your Xbox 360 case to garner maximum enjoyment out of it, and if production issues can work themselves out, it looks like Zoozen will be stepping to the plate for those who want a pre-fabricated change. Of course, if you're just looking for a glossy white paint job, we're sure Colorware could arrange it, but the Ovo 360 replacement case looks more like a gigantic mouse (albeit a bit less oval-inspired) than a gaming console. The concept displays a full neon underbody kit, all the ports we're become so used to on Microsoft's own design, and a frightening disclaimer that a good bit of "development" is still in the works. But hey, if it's the thought that counts (at least initially), Zoozen's probably got a winner, so be sure to click on through for a brief videotaped overview of the case itself.[Via MaxConsole]
Terminal Tip: Finding by Time
Have you ever lost track of a file that you were just working on? Or were you ever curious about which files an installer has just added or modified? The command line find command offers a simple way to track down any files created or updated within the last few minutes. Its amin and cmin flags tells find to locate files that changed with a certain number of minutes, e.g. to search within 10 minutes: find / -cmin -10 or find /Users/ericasadun/ -amin -3. The - before the time says to find within the time period (with, say, the last three minutes) rather than to look for exact time matches (at 3 minutes ago exactly).
I-Case spring fashion show
Team Xtender, the group behind the chrome casing and Black Knight Wii mods, plans to diversify its line of I-Case replacement shells with a more colorful look. The mod manufacturer has posted photos of its concept models in their new outfits, dressing the Wii and its stand in red, yellow, green, blue, and pink.Nothing has been finalized yet, so don't expect to see these vibrant kits on the market for a while. The I-Case's pricing has been a little more competitive than the SHOCKii's ($40 versus $50), so we're glad to see some competition in the replacement shell market. Click past the post break for more glamour shots from the Wii runway. [Via DCEmu]
SHOCKii replacement shells available for pre-order
When we last previewed Xtreme Enterprise's replacement shells for the Nintendo Wii, we only caught a glimpse of the prototype faceplate and side panels, leaving us to wonder how the completed product would turn out. The Singapore-based company finally released photos of the assembled casing earlier today, daring us to find a flaw with the SHOCKii's design. We think you'll agree after seeing them that there isn't one to be found. The shells are constructed with composite polycarbonate and ABS plastic, fitting together exactly like the Wii's original frame. Xtreme Enterprise has had a lot of time to perfect its process, using the same material for its Nintendo DS and nunchuck replacement casing. You can pre-order the full replacement shells in five different colors: Cool Black, Dreamy Blue, Strat Clear (semi-transparent), Dynamic Red, and Astro Yellow. All of the cases are priced at $69.90.Head past the post break for photos of the SHOCKii's Cool Black shell.
SHOCKii Wii case replacement prototype photos
While most are satisfied with the sterile white casing of their Wii, many still pine for the variety of color options Nintendo originally promised. Gamers looking to add a bit of spice to their vanilla systems will welcome SHOCKii, a collection of replacement Wii cases from the same people behind the CHUCKii nunchuck shells and SHOCK DS Lite cases.Singapore-based XTreme Enterprise has put up the first photos of their prototype "cool black" casing. The ABS plastic faceplate, buttons and controller panels manage to not look cheap at all, despite the planned pricing being equivalent to "a Wii/DS game." The final SHOCKii cases will be available in Astro Yellow, Dreamy Blue, Dynamic Red, Cool Black and Strat Clear.
Case mods: New colors sooner than you think
NDSCentral.com, which has long offered case-mod replacement shells for the DS and DS Lite, is getting ready to open up a new section for Wii case mods. Replacement shells for the Wiimote, nunchuck, and Wii unit itself are now available in black, red, yellow, blue, and translucent. Though the shells are covered in acrylic paint, as opposed to the high-gloss finish of the original units, the added color is just sure to go with your outfit. The shells for the accessories are quite cheap ($14.90 and $11.90 USD for the Wiimote and nunchuck, respectively), so if you're feeling iridescent, head on over.(Don't forget to pick up a tri-wing screwdriver to affix the mod!)[Thanks, Capt. Castellanos!]
Mario Kart DS shortcut demonstration [update 1]
It's embarrassing, I know. To be so thoroughly destroyed by yours truly in Mario Kart DS is a humbling experience. Still, any master such as myself still wants a bit of competition now and then, and thus this video, posted by the folks over at Nintendo of Europe, highlights some of the games' numerous shortcuts and tricks. There are even one or two even I didn't know about (Delfino boardwalk jump!), so with this video in mind, perhaps you'll all fare better in the future. MK:DS won't be back in the rotation for a few more weeks, but the day will soon come. Train, young warriors, and perhaps you might stand a chance.Oh. And that blue shell dodge at the end is a thing of beauty.[via 4cr][Update 1: And typos shall inherit the Earth]
Bling bling! Chrome shell now available
Coming to you from Team Xtender is the full chrome controller shell, complete with LEDs for seizure-inducing fun. How's that for a pimpin' accessory? They say more pictures of the wireless controller shell will be put up soon, but the current ones are just as impressive. These kind of awesome additions could go great with some creative faceplates too.
New Super Mario power-up preview
A video of some of the new power-ups featured in New Super Mario Bros. has been posted on the official website — additional videos will be posted on 5/1, 5/8, and 5/15. The current video features the exciting new Mega Mushroom power-up (pictured) and its counterpart, the Mini Mushroom. The new blue Koopa shell also makes an appearance, transforming the plumber into Shell Mario, as seen in the underwater scene. And of course, what preview would be complete with a Fire Mario sighting?The video also gives us a look at some of Mario's moves, including the ground pound (or 'butt bounce'), double jump, and wall jumping ability. We may have picked up on Infendo's skepticism a few weeks ago, but this new footage had us on that nostalagia tip, hard. You know, all warm and gooey inside. New Super Mario Bros. is set to drop on May 15.
Pandemic talks Revolution (again)
Gamasutra scored an interview with Pandemic's Josh Resnick, the second Pandemic member to speak their opinions on the Revolution. While more focused on the joining of the two distinct development houses, there is some talk of the Revolution. In asking about the difficulties the Revolution presents from a developer's point of view, Josh said "I don’t think it’s going to be as easy to take a product from one console to the Revolution, and so I think we are going to be looking to see how we can tailor our products to that platform. But we do that also with other platforms as well, it’s just that the Revolution may challenge us even more."One of the initial concerns after the Revolution's remote was shown was just how third-party titles would be ported over to the console, something Nintendo stated would be easy provided a shell was acquired by the user. Josh's statements show a bit of reluctance toward porting over their established franchises to the Revolution and instead reaffirm the belief that the Revolution will see fresh titles, exclusive to the platform, from development houses.
