Elliot I have a question, can you put a gba ips display to a gba sp Because I have a gba sp 001 and I am not a big fan of the washed away colours of it
Replacing a broken DS shell with an aftermarket one was one of the first fixes I've tried after discovering your channel. After abt 2 days I bought a broken ds to salvage the shell from instead and the aftermarket one I lit on fire on the garden porch and watched it melt to destress from all the bs I had to go through.
yep.. i'm probably going to do the same in the future except just get a salvage shell to repair mine with.. i wouldn't let something with such sentimental value become so janky and cheap.. no way jose
The instant you open something like that, and see light through it it's pretty much a no go. When they aren't supposed to be translucent, and are partially never a good sign.
This video is an emotional rollercoaster. It starts off so cheerful and exciting, but the second Elliot inspects the shell closely it just flips into complete insanity, and Elliot goes borderline insane as well. This is a top tier video.
There are major variances in chinese replacement shells. I bought a $30 one and it was like this one. Got an $8 one, and it's really close to the original, with better quality plastic, minus a bunch of flashing that wasn't trimmed off.
i just had to repair my DS1 with a chinese replica shell, and for $11 from alibaba in slate grey, ended up with a magnificent piece of reverse engineering with stiffer buttons and a more intentional looking design.i reused the original metallic blue upper clamshell backplate, but even the nintendo sticker for the new shell looked better then the original and actually matches my silver SP perfectly, which the blue hull's does not. the variance is severe.
@@chaoticsky Nope, sry, you wrong, they were plastic, atleast the version I had/still have. I got my og DS on launch too, so it was 100% the 1st modell.
My DS Phat has an all plastic stylus. In fact the only Nintendo system I have with a metal stylus is the original 3DS, which they did because they put it into a DS Lite sized shell and put it vertically so it's stupidly short if it doesn't telescope. Everything before and after that, at least ones I have, use plastic ones.
@@zarrl9529 (I did for a very short amount of time but the main reason was because I left it in my closet when the 3DS came out. Funny considering I prefer the DS to the 3DS.)
Finally... I need people to get on with making custom Phat DS Shells and DS Buttons. Theres nothing on this, only for DS Lite. I need the shell either in custom colors or closely as possible to the original colors... Same with the buttons, but I want all the buttons in the bag, and not separately....
Looks like you may have swapped the left and right hinges. The first gba sp I reshelled I did the same and they reacted very similarly to your nds with no nice clean snap open/close like you'd expect. The moment I swapped the hinges left for right and right for left it worked as expected.
@@TheRetroFuture weird, never removed original ds hinges so had no idea they are different. I figured they'd be like sp hinges which look nearly identical (well some revisions are color coded, but others are the same color).
I think if it was an aftermarket console shell, you could get away with poor quality plastic, cosmetic issues etc. But for a handheld or controller shell, how it feels in your hands is more important than looks, so even if it was matching reds and a perfect mold, if it feels cheap then it feels cheap. No getting around that.
I remember buying one of those, the exact same color. I had gotten a fantastic deal on a fat ds for 5 dollar in working condition but it was yellowed so I said hey ill just shell swap. I did and now the buttons are sunken in, I feel like I can break it from mental force, and im afraid to charge it.
I replaced quite a lot DS shells and those replacement shells rarely match in mold. And because of the awful cheap plastic I usually only replace the broken parts and reuse as much as possible.
I bought a aftermarket shell for my DS lite* because it was a Pokemon Daisuki Club shell. I had to trim some parts with my exacto knife to get it to fit in place. Not to mention one aftermarket shoulder button doesn't click back up right away when you press it so I'll have to use the original buttons for that. So I understand your complaining in this video. 😂 I'm not too picky though and am pretty happy with mine.
I’ve seen these reshelled units on ebay. Sellers pricing them as high as $200 trying to deceive buyers that they’re just immaculate examples of original units. The tell tale signs I’ve seen in all of them are the screw bump near the screen. And then the Nintendo logo is just not even close.
These aftermarket shells are absolutely rubbish. I picked one up for my DS Lite and ended up tearing the top screen ribbon cable because the slot for the ribbon cable wasn’t cut out neatly. A little snag of plastic actually tore through it...
Good Grief! I did a shell swap in back in... 2008, and the chinese one I bought, while far from perfect, was *MUCH* better. At least everything fit correctly, without color differences between the parts. It was the first time I ever "modded" a console, and I remember being VERY nervous back then. The issue with one of the shoulder buttons not working was known back then. There is a closed hole near one of the buttons, and you will need to open it with a Dremel or similar tool. Compare with the working one on the other side and you will find it. I wrote an article (in Portuguese) on my blog about the process, there are some pictures at the end of the post. Judging by your video, you got the same kit as I did back then, minus the box saying it was a "*Ninetudo* DS" shell. I went for a "stormtrooper" look, white with black buttons. I imagine a high-quality Pearl White shell would look really good. Thanks for the video! Blog post: rigues.badcoffee.info/2008/08/24/recauchutando-um-nintendo-ds/
This is exactly why you cannot find ANY now. I even tried commissioning Alibaba and they strung me along for 3 months before saying they just couldn't fulfill my order
hey thanks me for giving future me advice I bought a clear purple extremerate ds lite shell and a purple dsi she'll and will use the included screws for sure!
It's a shame about these shells being so low quality, essentially means the only way to get a good condition OG DS is to buy one and really look after it or simply hope one day a company creates a high quality aftermarket shell much like retrosix does.
its literally impossible to have a good condition DS anymore. the abs used to form the hull is extremely prone to oxidation, and every single color besides slate, black, and white they were originally manufactured in catalyzes the embrittlement. you have to just be lucky with which replica hulls you order
@@F14thunderhawk My OG DS is still in pretty mint condition, even boxed too, i'm aware that it might just have the hinge snap at the plastic one day, so i don't really use it, it's more for the collection. I think the original is the coolest design, looks funky.
I gotta say, my favourite DS ever made was the DS-Lite, To me it has the best design of them all, just simple and easy, plus the DS-Lite is the one I used most out of any handheld console for many year's, I remember getting given 2 from my school playing multiplayer games for ages hah. But the first DS has the charm that it is the first of it's kind, I wish more care was taken into the design of this shell.
That's great to know for me. I sometimes refurbish some old handhelds for some cash and definitely avoiding DSses now, since often enough you do need a whole new case.
@@ylondes9927 but what defines “picky”? the only complaint I had for my transparent reshell for my DS Lite is the subpar DPad, but honestly the buttons were bad even before the reshell so I couldn’t give a damn at that point. Everything else except the DPad felt exactly like the older shell. Either I won some sort of lottery or the shells aren’t as bad as people keep saying they are.
i really wanted to thank you for introducing me to Sendico. Because of you i was able to find a buy a Monster Hunter limited edition PSP 3000 for cheaper than i bought my generic psp 3000 from my country. Was easy to use, though pictures wouldnt load on a lot of auctions but rightclicking where the image is supposed to be, copying the link for the graphic and opening it another tab solved the issue. thanks again
I hope someone like RetroModding will make better replacement shells, I still see people sometimes asking about where to get replacement shells for DS, GameCube and Wii and there are just no good options around.
Four years later, I purchased a similar shell from AliExpress. It was a LOT better than what's shown here. All of the fitment issues are the same, but maybe 90% better, and I didn't have any issues with screws poking out. I did, however, have the same problem with the hinge. I ended up using the pliers from a multitool (in combination with a protective cloth) to just force it in anyways, it worked a treat and did not leave any scratches or scuffs. The GBA slot's molding was a little off, I've yet to test if a GBA cart fits. I suspect it'll be sketchy. The borders for the top screen lens are also about 15% too thick, but I'll just grab the OEM protector off of my old shell. It seems as if the cheap Chinese shells have gotten borderline acceptable, and I hope that's due to the publicity from this video.
so a year ago i actually bought a lot of broken ds' and managed to get them working and replaced the shells with the exact same shells like this. for anyone wanting to buy these, i recommend you stay away from the fire red and royal blue shells! both had the exact same issues as seen in the video but i also bought an onyx black and ice blue but those two seemed to be far better in build quality. i would still recommend staying away from aftermarkets but if you are planning to use the ds' as cap cards then this is a easy and cheap solution
the hinge was an absolute nightmare for me and they added plastic to a few points it shouldn't have been but once i realized that the assembly went a lot smoother. these arent perfect but its better than searching for the brittle originals, i used the original screws for the most part without issue though the lack of threading gave me a bit of an issue, but thats not a manufacturing problem
Elliot you should always use the screws - as bad as they might be - that come with repro cases. I wouldn't recommend buying any replacement NGPC shells then as those ones also require you to use their supplied screws too lol
i can second this opinion. the hinge on my original DS broke, so i ordered an aftermarket shell to a replace it. not only did it take months to arrive, the quality control was terrible. most of the screw threads didn't have a screw thread in them, some of the screws arrived stripped, and the plastic is extremely sharp. not the mention the buttons it came with are far too sunken down into the case. just buy a broken DS without case damage and swap them if you're that concerned
Around 15 years ago I bought a replacement original NDS shell and it was really great quality, if it wasnt an unnatural Teal color youd swear it was original. Even came with a sticker that was very very close to looking original for the back. I could tell right away the shell you got is such sh*t quality right out of the bag!! Incredible as time goes on these things are made cheaper and cheaper
Hi Elliot! I posted on your Facebook group a while ago, I repaired 5 of these using these types of replacement shells. I had trouble with everything that you had issues with too! I bought a variety of colours, and I felt like the red shell was somehow the worst quality of them all, but that was just a feeling not sure if that's true or not. just wanted to share my thoughts. I enjoyed the video and all your other reselling videos! Keep it up!!
I also bought one not long ago. Also poked the shell on the same place where you did and also on the other side of the top shell. The Nintendo DS logo was blurry, so I tried to clean it and managed to totally wipe it from the shell. :D The worst thing you didn't even notice because you played a GBA game is the top screen protector bazels are bigger than the original one. So if you play a DS game you will not see the sides fully. On the main screen a only see half of the battery icon. xD
I'm glad I stumbled upon this second channel video. I ordered the exact same shell from China, the first one came in damaged the second one was fine but ended up with the exact same issues with it, including the pokey-screwy business. I ended up ordering a completely different shell and it turned out to be a rather well made one in gunmetal black. I can give links if anyone is interested...
Zedlabz is just the UK trading name of Assecure, which may or may not be some relation to the chinese manufacturer. Some of the stuff they sell is great and some not so good- but you have the benefit of a uk company to complain to if it's the latter.
Can confirm, aftermarket DS shells are horrible. I got a clear blue one for my DS Lite. I had a hell of a time keeping the shoulder buttons in place just to close the shell. I kind of regret paying money for it.
I bought an aftermarket shell a long time ago for my DS Lite (during its lifetime, even before the DSi...) and it was indeed in very cheap plastic but I still liked it for its mate red colour (to my knowledge, we only had the white one and the black one available in my country at this time...) I had a Japanese DS Lite (A dark blue one) and the shell broke, cutting a part of a ribbon cable between the bottom and top part (which was very unfortunate since, usually, the other side of the shell broke, without damaging the console hardware), so I got the ribbon cable repaired and a new shell that I started to work on... Then my cat ate the mic cable...so I bought a new console, in my country, this time...
I totally agree. I got a aftermarket DS lite cobalt bicolor shell and it has a ton of blemishes and imperfections, and the print on the bottom was misaligned
the reason the shoulder buttons don't feel right is that the screws on the back shell are on too tight! slightly loosen them and it will have a much nicer feel!
I kinda wished I saw this video before I paid like ~£30 for one of these shells. It's taken me ~4.5 hours and I'm not satisfied with the result. The screw holes are awful, the screen flops around, the plastic feels off… but I guess I can at least play it now as before the hinge and ribbon cable was broken 😕 This is terrible
Yeah I bought a replacement silver OG DS Shell for a silver ds which was obliterated, and the plastic was cheap and fit and finish was sub par. I had looked for a while for just a OEM original shell but they are no where to be found. Truly amazes me how some people take care of their systems.
I can only confirm your experience, mine was even worse. The boards that hold the speakers were too loose and I had to put foam under them to make contact, really bad
I would drop what I'm doing and buy one of these if they were as good as an OEM shell. The original DS is my favorite handheld despite the worse screens solely for the shape and THE CLICKY GBA SP STYLE BUTTONS. I honestly feel OG DS phat is a missed opportunity for aftermarket mod makers as the hinges were very easy to break.
Just watched the full video, I had the same issue with the screen being floppy on my DS Lite but its probably a mistake we both made because the first time I placed the new hinges it was actually snappy and then for some reason after i took it out and placed it back in it wasnt anymore
My cousin broke the little plastic hinge on the right side a loooong time ago and the stylus fits really loosely, but it still works and the battery lasts a surprisingly long time. Love my my Phat DS.
thanks for posting this video, I was just about to buy this very shell for the mainboard of a broken DS I scavenged (the original shell on that one had gone so brittle, it was impossible to undo a single screw without the screwpost basically exploding, lol) I'd better get a DS with a good shell, that stopped working for some other reason than buying an aftermarket shell, screen and battery then...
I've had issues with my SP aswell. I didn't have issues with the shell itself but I stripped 2 screws so I can't open it and fix anything that went wrong with the reshell like audio and hinge issues
@@jokeletsplay I threw it all away. There was more work that needed to be done to it and the junk case killed the profit margin on it. It wasn't worth working on at that point.
@@CrashFan03 that's not an issue I've run into on them. I've dealt with stripped heads on larger things in the past. I'm not sure if they make the bits for removing a stripped screw that small.
It doesn’t help that the original Nintendo plastic isn’t very good either. The plastic can get very weak over time (Mine broke in half just by unscrewing the bottom) and the design itself wore down quickly over time… This is one of the main reasons the DS Lite happened.
I don't recommend this video to anyone wanting an aftermarket shell. He should have gotten two because quality can depend on the company/seller. I got an aftermarket shell for $14 USD and it's just fine. It only needed a tiny bit of sanding for one of the button holes, and I had the same problem with that extra plastic bit, but it was really easy to fix. I never had any trouble with the screws. Maybe don't be so negative next time? I also recommend NOT using another original shell, because the one I tried to use literally crumbled in my hands as I worked. It's all in pieces now and I ended up having to throw it away.
Had the joy of an aftermarket replacement screen lens for the DS... Not only is it poor quality but it's got too much masking on the left and right, obscuring part of the upper LCD screen. Okay for GBA games but for any DS games it is VERY annoying. Really wish there would be replacement lenses that are properly masked, the originals scratch easily and by this point many systems have been worn / abused.
Ive gotta say I got a few months ago a couple aftermarket DS lite shells and they looked really good from the outside but in the inside the one I used was rather bad, some screwholes didnt have the holes so I had to make them myself and for some weird reason the part above the GBA slot wont close properly even though theres nothing preventing it to close, like I can close it with my fingers jst fine but then it will pop back out. The power slider and volume slider were super hard to place too but in the end I managed to at least have my childhood DS Lite in a functional state. I wonder how good the other shell is, as of right now I cant really use it since I dont have a second DS Lite lol
I bought aftermarket shells once to repair SP's and GB Micros. My micro shell was SO BAD i thjrew it out, and just bought a second micro in bettr nick. The SP shells were similarly shit, with the same screws penetrating the othersidees plastic until I got one that was transparent. It has a crack but it functions. For my OG 101 screen, I just bought a good ass quality transparent pink and had zero issue.
I mean it would not have been perfect, but being you still had most the original casing, I'd of just replace what you had removed, and kept most of it's original casing.
It's a good thing I saw this video... I was thinking about replacing the case on my DS since the hinge is broken... but uh... I think I'll just stick with the broken hinge until I can find a broken DS somewhere lol
i had one bad experience with bad made nintendo ds shell ... wrong screws and the plastic was wrong made in the place where the up screen connected with the rest body, also the same pocking thing was done... the worst day of my fixing try ever !!!!
Wow... That is the worst shell I've ever seen... Bare plastic with no paint, improperly molded, and messed up rubber bits... Thanks for taking the hit for us.
At least here in the US, I haven't had any of these issues. Every aftermarket shell I've used has been pretty decent. Definitely not OEM but serves its purpose well.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Giving it away - twitter.com/Elliot_Coll/status/1322219834772508672
Lmao! I knew you'd give it away. Hopefully no one wins! (Trust me, that'd be a good thing.)
Why you giving away your Twitter account it doesn’t make sense
I'm pretty sure no one's gonna be raving about that.
Elliot I have a question, can you put a gba ips display to a gba sp
Because I have a gba sp 001 and I am not a big fan of the washed away colours of it
Makes sense
It's a real shame, that DS doesn't get as much love as GameBoy line.
The quality of DS shells is horrendous. I'd rather canibalize another DS.
The DS was the Game Boy of my generarion.
@@TheIrkenEmpire420 OUR GENERATION
the GBA SP also doesn't get as much love as the previous ones
@@TorutheRedFox but people love it? it has the best screen out of all gameboys but definitely the worst ergonomics lol
@@arsenalfanatic09 in terms of shells
Replacing a broken DS shell with an aftermarket one was one of the first fixes I've tried after discovering your channel.
After abt 2 days I bought a broken ds to salvage the shell from instead and the aftermarket one I lit on fire on the garden porch and watched it melt to destress from all the bs I had to go through.
I did the same thing, he made me want to do my own fix on my absolutely trashed original ds and I gave up because the shell was so awful
I did same with xbox 360 controller 😂
yep.. i'm probably going to do the same in the future except just get a salvage shell to repair mine with.. i wouldn't let something with such sentimental value become so janky and cheap.. no way jose
Bwoah, I can hear the low quality of this plastic. Eww
Definitely!
Cool idot
@@smooze0 that’s just uncalled for
@@smooze0 I sense a lot of projection with your lack of grammar.
"How to make a genuine DS look like a Chinese counterfeit in 10 minutes or less!"
No way 10 minutes, the struggle is real when things don't line up properly.
10 minutes on hinges alone.
@@Kalvinjj He meant the Video length
@@antonrickert9427 The video is still longer than 10 minutes.
Yes having a real damaged one is zip way better
The instant you open something like that, and see light through it it's pretty much a no go. When they aren't supposed to be translucent, and are partially never a good sign.
This video is an emotional rollercoaster. It starts off so cheerful and exciting, but the second Elliot inspects the shell closely it just flips into complete insanity, and Elliot goes borderline insane as well.
This is a top tier video.
There are major variances in chinese replacement shells. I bought a $30 one and it was like this one. Got an $8 one, and it's really close to the original, with better quality plastic, minus a bunch of flashing that wasn't trimmed off.
got a link for the good one?
@@RyugaHidekiOrRyuzaki ... Looks like the seller's no longer on eBay.
@@MikeStavola
Ah, wow..
i just had to repair my DS1 with a chinese replica shell, and for $11 from alibaba in slate grey, ended up with a magnificent piece of reverse engineering with stiffer buttons and a more intentional looking design.i reused the original metallic blue upper clamshell backplate, but even the nintendo sticker for the new shell looked better then the original and actually matches my silver SP perfectly, which the blue hull's does not.
the variance is severe.
Whats the edit
"I'm going to give this away on Twitter."
Why Elliot, why are you punishing us? ;(
The stylus has been plastic the whole time
He was thinking of the 3DS one, for sure.
Classic DS always had plastic, yea!
The original ds stylus before the lite was metal.
@@chaoticsky Nope, sry, you wrong, they were plastic, atleast the version I had/still have. I got my og DS on launch too, so it was 100% the 1st modell.
My DS Phat has an all plastic stylus. In fact the only Nintendo system I have with a metal stylus is the original 3DS, which they did because they put it into a DS Lite sized shell and put it vertically so it's stupidly short if it doesn't telescope. Everything before and after that, at least ones I have, use plastic ones.
@@NinjaChris77 3ds XL also has a plastic one tho.. i believe it's only the regular 3DS that has a metal one
The Mc Donald's toy DS
A greedy
MickyDS
Mc'ds
I still have my original 2004 DS and the shell still 100% never mind some scratches.
Did you Vacuum Seal it? :o
@@zarrl9529 (I did for a very short amount of time but the main reason was because I left it in my closet when the 3DS came out. Funny considering I prefer the DS to the 3DS.)
@@averytubestudios well, at least your DS is in almost Mint condition, but I'm glad you enjoy the DS more than the 3Ds!
@@averytubestudios would like to hear why you like the ds more? I have a ds but currently contemplating in getting a 3ds
I'm gonna remove the paint, and give it a custom paint job
Finally...
I need people to get on with making custom Phat DS Shells and DS Buttons.
Theres nothing on this, only for DS Lite.
I need the shell either in custom colors or closely as possible to the original colors...
Same with the buttons, but I want all the buttons in the bag, and not separately....
The original DS has a lot of personality, I would play it more if the screens were better
Also the hinge on them sucked majorly.
I have a DS Lite and a 2004 DS and I like the 2004 one more because of the larger feel of it and the subpar screens don't bother me too much.
@@averytubestudios Same, I think buttons on DS Phat are much more higher quality than DS Lite though
Also, they're really heavy compared to the DS Lite.
@@TooFurious4 Not to mention they don't break as easily.
The McTendo DS is looking high quality today
Looks like you may have swapped the left and right hinges. The first gba sp I reshelled I did the same and they reacted very similarly to your nds with no nice clean snap open/close like you'd expect. The moment I swapped the hinges left for right and right for left it worked as expected.
I didn’t! They are different sizes and they can only go in one way.
@@TheRetroFuture weird, never removed original ds hinges so had no idea they are different. I figured they'd be like sp hinges which look nearly identical (well some revisions are color coded, but others are the same color).
How ironic that he forgot the hinge cover when he needed a new hinge for his childhood DS.
I think if it was an aftermarket console shell, you could get away with poor quality plastic, cosmetic issues etc. But for a handheld or controller shell, how it feels in your hands is more important than looks, so even if it was matching reds and a perfect mold, if it feels cheap then it feels cheap. No getting around that.
Unfortunately it's hard to find original shells in good condition and that don't cost an arm and a leg.
I remember buying one of those, the exact same color. I had gotten a fantastic deal on a fat ds for 5 dollar in working condition but it was yellowed so I said hey ill just shell swap. I did and now the buttons are sunken in, I feel like I can break it from mental force, and im afraid to charge it.
I replaced quite a lot DS shells and those replacement shells rarely match in mold. And because of the awful cheap plastic I usually only replace the broken parts and reuse as much as possible.
I bought a aftermarket shell for my DS lite* because it was a Pokemon Daisuki Club shell. I had to trim some parts with my exacto knife to get it to fit in place. Not to mention one aftermarket shoulder button doesn't click back up right away when you press it so I'll have to use the original buttons for that. So I understand your complaining in this video. 😂 I'm not too picky though and am pretty happy with mine.
I’ve seen these reshelled units on ebay. Sellers pricing them as high as $200 trying to deceive buyers that they’re just immaculate examples of original units. The tell tale signs I’ve seen in all of them are the screw bump near the screen. And then the Nintendo logo is just not even close.
You would’ve been better off buying a broken red original ds with a good condition shell, but as always u amaze me wit ur work dude
These aftermarket shells are absolutely rubbish. I picked one up for my DS Lite and ended up tearing the top screen ribbon cable because the slot for the ribbon cable wasn’t cut out neatly. A little snag of plastic actually tore through it...
Yeah same. I learned my lesson. This was the first and last time I did a aftermarket reshell
Good Grief! I did a shell swap in back in... 2008, and the chinese one I bought, while far from perfect, was *MUCH* better. At least everything fit correctly, without color differences between the parts. It was the first time I ever "modded" a console, and I remember being VERY nervous back then.
The issue with one of the shoulder buttons not working was known back then. There is a closed hole near one of the buttons, and you will need to open it with a Dremel or similar tool. Compare with the working one on the other side and you will find it.
I wrote an article (in Portuguese) on my blog about the process, there are some pictures at the end of the post. Judging by your video, you got the same kit as I did back then, minus the box saying it was a "*Ninetudo* DS" shell. I went for a "stormtrooper" look, white with black buttons. I imagine a high-quality Pearl White shell would look really good.
Thanks for the video!
Blog post: rigues.badcoffee.info/2008/08/24/recauchutando-um-nintendo-ds/
This is exactly why you cannot find ANY now. I even tried commissioning Alibaba and they strung me along for 3 months before saying they just couldn't fulfill my order
now they are blowing up my phone and messages daily saying they have them. im like, nah. its prob trash quality and it took 5 months.
Yeah, OEM screws will ruin aftermarket DS shells. You can still use the original buttons tho.
why? What happeens with it?
@@stefanegger Lower quality of the plastic and inaccurate molds could be some of the reasons
hey thanks me for giving future me advice
I bought a clear purple extremerate ds lite shell and a purple dsi she'll and will use the included screws for sure!
It's a shame about these shells being so low quality, essentially means the only way to get a good condition OG DS is to buy one and really look after it or simply hope one day a company creates a high quality aftermarket shell much like retrosix does.
its literally impossible to have a good condition DS anymore. the abs used to form the hull is extremely prone to oxidation, and every single color besides slate, black, and white they were originally manufactured in catalyzes the embrittlement. you have to just be lucky with which replica hulls you order
@@F14thunderhawk My OG DS is still in pretty mint condition, even boxed too, i'm aware that it might just have the hinge snap at the plastic one day, so i don't really use it, it's more for the collection.
I think the original is the coolest design, looks funky.
I gotta say, my favourite DS ever made was the DS-Lite, To me it has the best design of them all, just simple and easy, plus the DS-Lite is the one I used most out of any handheld console for many year's, I remember getting given 2 from my school playing multiplayer games for ages hah.
But the first DS has the charm that it is the first of it's kind, I wish more care was taken into the design of this shell.
The plastic on the shell looks real cheap. I feel like I'll break it by looking at it wrong
That's great to know for me. I sometimes refurbish some old handhelds for some cash and definitely avoiding DSses now, since often enough you do need a whole new case.
I just did my swap yesterday lol Mine was alright, it's much better than the one I chewed as a kid...
Interesting, I don’t have any issue with my shell.
Because you aint picky
@@ylondes9927 but what defines “picky”?
the only complaint I had for my transparent reshell for my DS Lite is the subpar DPad, but honestly the buttons were bad even before the reshell so I couldn’t give a damn at that point. Everything else except the DPad felt exactly like the older shell.
Either I won some sort of lottery or the shells aren’t as bad as people keep saying they are.
i really wanted to thank you for introducing me to Sendico. Because of you i was able to find a buy a Monster Hunter limited edition PSP 3000 for cheaper than i bought my generic psp 3000 from my country. Was easy to use, though pictures wouldnt load on a lot of auctions but rightclicking where the image is supposed to be, copying the link for the graphic and opening it another tab solved the issue. thanks again
I tried this a few months ago on a DS I picked up in a bulk lot. I'm glad to see it wasn't just my fault as you had all the same issues 😂
"mcdonalds toy-esque" i gagged
honestly it is more fun to see elliot complain about it than to acy¿tually see him build it
I hope someone like RetroModding will make better replacement shells, I still see people sometimes asking about where to get replacement shells for DS, GameCube and Wii and there are just no good options around.
why dont you invest in a 3d printer dude?
seems like the next logical step for your repairshop.
another great video btw thanks.
This physically hurts to watch.
Hahahahahahahah
That Red DS Shell Was From The Mario Kart DS Bundle Pack
"This has not gone well" is the understatement of the year. Edit out the F bombs? Great vid bruv.
Four years later, I purchased a similar shell from AliExpress. It was a LOT better than what's shown here. All of the fitment issues are the same, but maybe 90% better, and I didn't have any issues with screws poking out. I did, however, have the same problem with the hinge. I ended up using the pliers from a multitool (in combination with a protective cloth) to just force it in anyways, it worked a treat and did not leave any scratches or scuffs. The GBA slot's molding was a little off, I've yet to test if a GBA cart fits. I suspect it'll be sketchy. The borders for the top screen lens are also about 15% too thick, but I'll just grab the OEM protector off of my old shell. It seems as if the cheap Chinese shells have gotten borderline acceptable, and I hope that's due to the publicity from this video.
The crystal blue shell I got for my hacked DSi was fine, except for the part that I didn't install properly
so a year ago i actually bought a lot of broken ds' and managed to get them working and replaced the shells with the exact same shells like this. for anyone wanting to buy these, i recommend you stay away from the fire red and royal blue shells! both had the exact same issues as seen in the video but i also bought an onyx black and ice blue but those two seemed to be far better in build quality. i would still recommend staying away from aftermarkets but if you are planning to use the ds' as cap cards then this is a easy and cheap solution
the hinge was an absolute nightmare for me and they added plastic to a few points it shouldn't have been but once i realized that the assembly went a lot smoother. these arent perfect but its better than searching for the brittle originals, i used the original screws for the most part without issue though the lack of threading gave me a bit of an issue, but thats not a manufacturing problem
Now we get retromodding to start making these
Elliot you should always use the screws - as bad as they might be - that come with repro cases. I wouldn't recommend buying any replacement NGPC shells then as those ones also require you to use their supplied screws too lol
9:14 so much wrong with this fake shell that even intentional mechanics feel disappointing
Maybe you should start your own store with high quality after market shells and parts/mods
i can second this opinion. the hinge on my original DS broke, so i ordered an aftermarket shell to a replace it. not only did it take months to arrive, the quality control was terrible. most of the screw threads didn't have a screw thread in them, some of the screws arrived stripped, and the plastic is extremely sharp. not the mention the buttons it came with are far too sunken down into the case.
just buy a broken DS without case damage and swap them if you're that concerned
Thanks for reminding me that I need to fix my DS Lite I've had since a kid.
Around 15 years ago I bought a replacement original NDS shell and it was really great quality, if it wasnt an unnatural Teal color youd swear it was original. Even came with a sticker that was very very close to looking original for the back. I could tell right away the shell you got is such sh*t quality right out of the bag!! Incredible as time goes on these things are made cheaper and cheaper
Hi Elliot! I posted on your Facebook group a while ago, I repaired 5 of these using these types of replacement shells. I had trouble with everything that you had issues with too! I bought a variety of colours, and I felt like the red shell was somehow the worst quality of them all, but that was just a feeling not sure if that's true or not.
just wanted to share my thoughts. I enjoyed the video and all your other reselling videos! Keep it up!!
I also bought one not long ago. Also poked the shell on the same place where you did and also on the other side of the top shell.
The Nintendo DS logo was blurry, so I tried to clean it and managed to totally wipe it from the shell. :D
The worst thing you didn't even notice because you played a GBA game is the top screen protector bazels are bigger than the original one. So if you play a DS game you will not see the sides fully. On the main screen a only see half of the battery icon. xD
I'm glad I stumbled upon this second channel video. I ordered the exact same shell from China, the first one came in damaged the second one was fine but ended up with the exact same issues with it, including the pokey-screwy business. I ended up ordering a completely different shell and it turned out to be a rather well made one in gunmetal black. I can give links if anyone is interested...
Zedlabz is just the UK trading name of Assecure, which may or may not be some relation to the chinese manufacturer. Some of the stuff they sell is great and some not so good- but you have the benefit of a uk company to complain to if it's the latter.
Can confirm, aftermarket DS shells are horrible. I got a clear blue one for my DS Lite. I had a hell of a time keeping the shoulder buttons in place just to close the shell. I kind of regret paying money for it.
I bought an aftermarket shell a long time ago for my DS Lite (during its lifetime, even before the DSi...) and it was indeed in very cheap plastic but I still liked it for its mate red colour (to my knowledge, we only had the white one and the black one available in my country at this time...)
I had a Japanese DS Lite (A dark blue one) and the shell broke, cutting a part of a ribbon cable between the bottom and top part (which was very unfortunate since, usually, the other side of the shell broke, without damaging the console hardware), so I got the ribbon cable repaired and a new shell that I started to work on...
Then my cat ate the mic cable...so I bought a new console, in my country, this time...
You can SEE the cables under the plastic on the top it is so thin you can see through it!
I totally agree. I got a aftermarket DS lite cobalt bicolor shell and it has a ton of blemishes and imperfections, and the print on the bottom was misaligned
the reason the shoulder buttons don't feel right is that the screws on the back shell are on too tight! slightly loosen them and it will have a much nicer feel!
I kinda wished I saw this video before I paid like ~£30 for one of these shells. It's taken me ~4.5 hours and I'm not satisfied with the result. The screw holes are awful, the screen flops around, the plastic feels off… but I guess I can at least play it now as before the hinge and ribbon cable was broken 😕
This is terrible
Yeah I bought a replacement silver OG DS Shell for a silver ds which was obliterated, and the plastic was cheap and fit and finish was sub par. I had looked for a while for just a OEM original shell but they are no where to be found. Truly amazes me how some people take care of their systems.
The face in the thumbnail is so good
I can only confirm your experience, mine was even worse. The boards that hold the speakers were too loose and I had to put foam under them to make contact, really bad
I would drop what I'm doing and buy one of these if they were as good as an OEM shell. The original DS is my favorite handheld despite the worse screens solely for the shape and THE CLICKY GBA SP STYLE BUTTONS. I honestly feel OG DS phat is a missed opportunity for aftermarket mod makers as the hinges were very easy to break.
Thanks for the review. I was just about to purchase one of those replacements.
Just watched the full video, I had the same issue with the screen being floppy on my DS Lite but its probably a mistake we both made because the first time I placed the new hinges it was actually snappy and then for some reason after i took it out and placed it back in it wasnt anymore
My cousin broke the little plastic hinge on the right side a loooong time ago and the stylus fits really loosely, but it still works and the battery lasts a surprisingly long time. Love my my Phat DS.
Wow, who wouldn't want to win the McDonald's DS?!
thanks for posting this video, I was just about to buy this very shell for the mainboard of a broken DS I scavenged (the original shell on that one had gone so brittle, it was impossible to undo a single screw without the screwpost basically exploding, lol)
I'd better get a DS with a good shell, that stopped working for some other reason than buying an aftermarket shell, screen and battery then...
elliot, i bought one of those shells and you have to bend the top part back and from there look for the sport where the hinge just slides into place
Like the GBA SP, you probably have to have the screen open to the detent position when sliding the hinges in.
Ever since I got some crappy GB and GBA I always decide to keep old shells and just fill them and repaint them.
ah yes, hinge.. my favorite aot character
I had a similar experience with the last SP I rebuilt. It was so bad I just cut my losses and threw it away.
F for the gba
i hope u mean that u just threw the shell away and not the gba
I've had issues with my SP aswell. I didn't have issues with the shell itself but I stripped 2 screws so I can't open it and fix anything that went wrong with the reshell like audio and hinge issues
@@jokeletsplay I threw it all away. There was more work that needed to be done to it and the junk case killed the profit margin on it. It wasn't worth working on at that point.
@@CrashFan03 that's not an issue I've run into on them. I've dealt with stripped heads on larger things in the past. I'm not sure if they make the bits for removing a stripped screw that small.
I have a DS Lite with a replacement shell that had a lot of the same issues (different color parts, mold incorrect, different screws, etc.)
It doesn’t help that the original Nintendo plastic isn’t very good either. The plastic can get very weak over time (Mine broke in half just by unscrewing the bottom) and the design itself wore down quickly over time… This is one of the main reasons the DS Lite happened.
I don't recommend this video to anyone wanting an aftermarket shell. He should have gotten two because quality can depend on the company/seller. I got an aftermarket shell for $14 USD and it's just fine. It only needed a tiny bit of sanding for one of the button holes, and I had the same problem with that extra plastic bit, but it was really easy to fix. I never had any trouble with the screws. Maybe don't be so negative next time? I also recommend NOT using another original shell, because the one I tried to use literally crumbled in my hands as I worked. It's all in pieces now and I ended up having to throw it away.
I can see that it's cheap plastic just from looking at it in the video xD
I came from the main channel. I saw the repaint on the other Nintendo DS. I'm so sad that the shell for this replacement sucked. D:
Had the joy of an aftermarket replacement screen lens for the DS... Not only is it poor quality but it's got too much masking on the left and right, obscuring part of the upper LCD screen. Okay for GBA games but for any DS games it is VERY annoying. Really wish there would be replacement lenses that are properly masked, the originals scratch easily and by this point many systems have been worn / abused.
Ive gotta say I got a few months ago a couple aftermarket DS lite shells and they looked really good from the outside but in the inside the one I used was rather bad, some screwholes didnt have the holes so I had to make them myself and for some weird reason the part above the GBA slot wont close properly even though theres nothing preventing it to close, like I can close it with my fingers jst fine but then it will pop back out. The power slider and volume slider were super hard to place too but in the end I managed to at least have my childhood DS Lite in a functional state. I wonder how good the other shell is, as of right now I cant really use it since I dont have a second DS Lite lol
It's not easy to find oem shells that aren't broke or beat to hell. I needed one for my DS lite. The replacement one I bought works great.
I bought aftermarket shells once to repair SP's and GB Micros. My micro shell was SO BAD i thjrew it out, and just bought a second micro in bettr nick. The SP shells were similarly shit, with the same screws penetrating the othersidees plastic until I got one that was transparent. It has a crack but it functions.
For my OG 101 screen, I just bought a good ass quality transparent pink and had zero issue.
dat self-portrait in the thumbnail tho...
I would, unironically, seek out a DS ML shell, because I kinda like them, despite them looking weird.
I mean it would not have been perfect, but being you still had most the original casing, I'd of just replace what you had removed, and kept most of it's original casing.
My Ds Lites are cared for like kings. My DS Phat on the other hand is revered as a God
It's a good thing I saw this video... I was thinking about replacing the case on my DS since the hinge is broken... but uh... I think I'll just stick with the broken hinge until I can find a broken DS somewhere lol
this shell gave me anxiety
Damn that’s a real shame... I need to find a shell to replace my broken one
i had one bad experience with bad made nintendo ds shell ... wrong screws and the plastic was wrong made in the place where the up screen connected with the rest body, also the same pocking thing was done... the worst day of my fixing try ever !!!!
The original DS came with a boring gray plastic stylus just like that.
I had one with an aftermarket shell, it barely lasted 4 months. My current Original DS is a secondhand unit that managed to last several years.
Wow... That is the worst shell I've ever seen... Bare plastic with no paint, improperly molded, and messed up rubber bits... Thanks for taking the hit for us.
At least here in the US, I haven't had any of these issues. Every aftermarket shell I've used has been pretty decent. Definitely not OEM but serves its purpose well.
Do you have any recommendations for a good company to buy ds shells from?