Score Dual Folio Case for DS Lite review: Score Dual Folio Case for DS Lite

There's a lot to like in the efficient design of the Nintendo DS Lite. The clamshell form factor offers a degree of built-in protection and durability, and the chassis can simultaneously store two games--an older Game Boy Advance game protruding from the bottom while a smaller DS game slips neatly into the top slot--as well as the system's touch-screen stylus. But serious gamers need to travel with a wider assortment of games and maybe even an accessory or two. The Score Dual Folio Case was designed with exactly that audience in mind. It's widely available for less than $13.

The Dual Folio Case could be mistaken for a Franklin Planner. Its two zippered compartments open like a book to hold a total of 18 games (9 DS, 9 GBA), the DS Lite, and the portable's AC adapter. The narrower compartment offers six elastic net slots on each side--the smaller DS games fit up top and the larger Game Boy Advance cartridges below. (You can opt to slip additional DS games in lieu of the GBA cartridges, but not vice versa.) The larger one (about 1.5 inches thick) has an identical six-slot game caddy on one side and two larger mesh pockets on the other to hold the hardware. A zippered pouch can accommodate (with a bit of stuffing) the unit's svelte AC adapter, and the larger pocket holds the DS Lite itself--although it's a tight enough fit that you can simply place the Lite inside without having to secure it in the interior pocket with the Velcro strap. (The larger original DS won't fit.) If you don't load the case to capacity, you can probably wedge a few more items in there--earbud headphones and maybe even a tiny iPod Nano-size music player, for instance.

The cloth interior of the Dual Folio Case combines with the faux leather outer surface to deliver ample padding to keep your DS and its games reasonably safe from falls and jostling. But when it's filled to capacity, the case bulges to a volume of 7 inches high by 5 wide by 3 deep, and the lack of a handle, a strap, or loops means it needs to be hand-carried or tossed inside a larger bag or backpack. Moreover, it can take a few seconds to wrest the games in and out of the slim pockets--the larger GBA games overlap and pinch down on the DS ones. And even though the DS Lite power adapter is quite tiny, it's just big enough to make the final zippering an exercise in creative cramming. While it may be something of a tight squeeze, though, everything we've listed does all fit inside as advertised.

If you're averse to bulk, you'll want to search out a smaller case for your Nintendo portable. But if you prefer to bring your DS Lite on the road with plenty of extra games, the Score Dual Folio Case is an ideal traveling companion.