Fancy a change of colour? Get a DS Shell Kit!

Update: Nintendo DS Lite replacement shell review and guide now available here 

Nintendo DS
Replacement Shell Review

In the past, I've met a lot of people always curious where they could get replacement shells to modify, or where they can get a new coloured DS.

After some digging around, I came across an eBay store which sells some top quality DS shells in multiple colours!

(You can visit the store here at, http://video-games.search.ebay.com/_Accessories_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfrppZ25QQsacatZ49220QQsassZonlinebestchoice)

The DS shells come in a variety of colours.

Black	Silver	Pink
Red	White	Blue

I received the Black shell (Courtesy of BestBuyTechMart), and was astonished by how quickly the shell actually arrived, considering it's coming from Hong Kong. The DS shell was shipped 21st March and arrived this morning on 25th of March. It took just 4 days, not bad considering I've had to wait 4 months in the past from things from Hong Kong to arrive! I'd definitely recommend BestBuyTechMart to anyone looking for a DS shell!

The DS shell was well packaged. It arrived in a box stuffed with bubble wrap (I'll pop the rest of the bubble wrap later), inside another box labelled Ninetudo DS Shell (not a misspelling, it's what it says). All professionally packaged! But really, we're after the inside junk, not the box so I pulled out the insides.

I've decided for the moment that I'll leave the durability, etc. remarks until the end of this review, not because its negative, and not because its positive, but so you can see exactly how the install went for the moment!

I found the shell in a small polythene bag. All the parts were inside the shell including stickers, bungs, and the Nintendo Logo! All of the buttons are included, including the springs for the shoulder buttons and the rubber things (you'll see what i mean) and the screen lens! The only things they didn't include were the volume button and the DS itself (but for $15 I was hardly expecting an entire system).
 

So, equipped with my trusty Tri-wing screw driver (used for removing the external screws of the DS / GBA / GBC / GB including the Gamecube controller). I set out to disassemble my DS to install the new shell!

Now, I say with caution that taking it apart is the easy bit. Remembering how to put it back together is the tricky part! So, to help you out I've decided to do this next part in steps for you to refer to if you ever get in trouble with disassembling or reassembling.

I first started by taking the rubber bungs out of the top screen face. This isn't the easiest of tasks, you'll have trouble finding something that will do the job without breaking the rubber bungs (not that you need to, since the replacement shell has brand new ones with it). I recommend using something like a needle, but you can also use a scalpel blade if you're a back street surgeon because you lost your surgeons licence, or you do pottery. Both valid reasons why you would own a scalpel!

Before you go any further, I would highly advise you to take out your battery right now, including any DS and GBA games you have installed!

Pop the edges of the top screen and the top part should come away.

Store the screws in a bag or tray or something so you don't lose them!

Now, undo the screws for the antenna / sound connection PCBs and take out the speakers. Put them aside for the moment!

There is a long thin ribbon cable going down into the bottom half of the DS. This has to be disconnected from the a antenna / sound PCB. To do this, you have to clip up (not out) the black connector release clip to release the ribbon cable. Be careful else you may do some damage to the connector release clip.

Once that's done, screw the PCBs down gently, just to stop them getting in the way and flip over the DS.

Take out the 7 screws in the bottom plate of the shell.

Take out the 4 screws in the PCB, take off the antenna wire and remove the shoulder buttons and the two screws.

Carefully lift up the mainboard (which is also attached to the screen) and you will see where the ribbon cable goes through the hinge to the top screen. There is a screw next to it. Undo the screw, a plastic piece from the hinge comes off. Take off the sound switch plastic and put it aside. You will need this later.

The ribbon cable is stuck to the top screen with double sided tape, just carefully pull that off. Carefully untwist the ribbon cable from the top screen and feed it through the hole, and feed the antenna wire through to the top screen. The DS should now be split up in to two sections.

Take off the top screen and the antenna PCB and take out the plastic power LED thing.

This next bit is a bitch! Using a screw driver, you have to force the hinge pieces out of the shell as they are required for the new shell.

Here's a diagram of where to push to get the hinges out.

At first they wont go, you have to use a lot of brute force!

Now that you've got, pretty much everything you need. It's time to start assembling the new shell including the new buttons.

Start by putting the hinge pieces in the new shell, you will notice they have to line up in the hole to go in, and even then its no easy task! They have to go all the way in for the shell to be any use!

Once that's accomplished, it's just a shell of reversing the process and start feeding the ribbon cables back through.

You will notice there are extra screws given with this shell. I'd recommend you use the original screws, but that's my preference.

Once its all back together, it's just a case of putting the stickers on, and admiring.

There are new bungs to put over the holes in the top screen.

The shell now looks like the authentic thing, including all stickers and buttons.

Now, this is one thing I never actually noticed until after I was putting on the base plate but there is actually a stylus included!

So, now I have a brand new stylus!

Upon installing the shell, there are some differences with the quality of the plastic. The plastic used for these shells are definitely softer than the stock Nintendo shells, so they will be easily prone to scratches and dents. The Nintendo DS logo below the bottom screen makes this shell look even more authentic, in fact, you wouldn't even know the difference unless you were told! Be careful with the screws, if you turn them too much they get sucked through the plastic!

Don't get me wrong here, the plastic is strong enough, but weaker in comparison with the stock Nintendo DS shell.

The overall quality is definitely superb. It only took me an hour to install and all the pieces of the shell fit together perfectly.

I'd highly recommend this shell to anyone and at $15 with a plentiful supply for sale, I'd go for it. Especially since most DS shells available from the original DS cost a bomb more than $15 (that's including postage).

Get your shell now!

Update: New link

http://video-games.search.ebay.com/_Accessories_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfrppZ25QQsacatZ49220QQsassZonlinebestchoice