So you’ve purchased yourself a new Nintendo 3DS today, and it sure is a spiffy-looking unit, all sleek and shiny and smooth. You need something to protect it with, right? CM4 has you covered!
Last year I told you about CM4’s Catalyst covers for Wii Remotes, and now the Catalyst line has expanded to include the 3DS. CM4 sent one over last month, and it hasn’t come off my 3DS since.
Available in Black Onyx and Slate Gray color options for $24.99, the Catalyst Slim Cover is a two-piece shell that snugly fits over the 3DS’ outer shell and provides an extra barrier of protection against daily wear and tear.
The two cover plates are made of a sturdy aluminum, but are wrapped in a synthetic leather fabric that is pillowy soft to the touch and gives your 3DS a classy, high-end look on the outside. The inside of each plate is also lined with a fuzzy material, so you can feel confident that the 3DS’ shiny surface underneath is being preserved from dust and scratches.
Unfortunately, with the slim cover attached the 3DS no longer fits in its charging cradle. But it’s still easy enough to plug the power cable into the back of the system and then rest it on top of the cradle – it just doesn’t snap in. You can always remove the bottom plate whenever you need to do a recharge, but this is the type of case that is best left on once you’ve attached it. It’s not that difficult to remove, but it’s one of those things that seems like the more you slide it on and off, the greater the chances of the material wearing down and losing its tight grip around the device.
Other than that potential drawback (depending on whether or not using the cradle is a big deal to you), the cover has cutouts providing easy access to all the necessary ports, switches, buttons, slots and camera lenses. Useability is not limited in any way. In fact, it’s only enhanced.
What I like most about the Catalyst is how smooth and comfortable it feels resting in my hands. The 3DS itself has a shiny exterior, almost excessively so, and something I have been noticing more and more after prolonged use is how the device starts to feel kind of slippery in my hands when my fingers and palms begin to sweat a little. When the device starts to slide down my hands as a result, the bottom corners begin to poke the eye of my palms in an uncomfortable way.
This issue has been completely resolved since I began using the Catalyst. The cover’s plush exterior provides added grip, cuts down on sweaty palm syndrome, and also dampens the corners’ pointy jab.
Obviously, the Catalyst Slim Cover is not the case of choice for a young 3DS owner who is likely to drop, ding, slobber, snot and goo up the device in ways only kids can. It just isn’t built to offer that level of protection. But for more savvy and sophisticated 3DS users who want something that balances style, performance and comfort with a solid defense against the daily grind, this is the case to beat. I just can’t imagine playing my 3DS without it!
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Last week at CES, CM4 announced a Catalyst Slim Cover to accompany Nintendo’s glasses-free 3D gaming portable, the 3DS. Having my own personal experience with the company’s Catalyst Wii Remote covers, I can tell you that CM4’s case work is extremely classy. So when you get your shiny new 3DS in March, the Slim Cover should be a safe choice for a case that is stylish, comfortable and durable.
Tying in with the Catalyst Slim Cover, CM4 is also running a 3DS giveaway with three different prize packs up for grabs. The top prize is a 3DS system with one 3DS game and a Slim Cover. The second prize is the same, sans the free game. And just to make sure some people go home with a little something special, five runners-up will receive a pack of two Wii Remote covers.
CM4’s blog has all the details on how you can enter via Twitter and/or Facebook at the link at the bottom of the page. The contest is scheduled to run until March 1st, so you have plenty of time to toss your name in the hat.
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By now I hope all Wii owners know to practice safe waggle. Remember kiddies: when the Wii Remote comes out, the cover goes on!
But the silicon protector that comes with the Wii Remote by default is a bit bulky, and also quite hideous. Seriously, it looks like some sort of giant condom only the Michelin Man would use.
What about the adult gamer who wants to spice up his or her Wii waggle time with something a little sleeker, a little sexier, and a little more stylish? That’s where new premium accessory manufacturer CM4 comes in.
The Catalyst Wii Remote covers, one of CM4’s first products in a line of gaming device covers also available for the PSPgo, DSi and DSi XL, provide the same basic functionality of that rubber monstrosity you get whenever you buy a new Wii Remote, except they are even more comfortable and don’t look like some alien sex toy you feel almost embarrassed to leave out for others to see. Indeed, living room gamers can now feel proud to set their Wii Remote on the coffee table.
Catalyst covers are made of a synthetic leather that is both attractive to the eyes and soft to the touch. The sides are perforated for maximum grip and comfort during long gaming sessions, and the square around the B trigger button is made of a neoprene-type material, I guess to be absorbent for those with a sweaty trigger finger.
The stitching is of the utmost quality, and cutouts provide easy access to all of the remote’s buttons and sensors. Sliding your remote in and out of the cover is also incredibly quick and easy – even easier than getting into and out of the rubber cover at that — thanks to a concealed zipper on the back with a button-latching strap to secure the closure. This makes access to the battery compartment more convenient too. The covers are also designed to fit over a Wii Remote with the MotionPlus attachment, but are perfectly functional without one – the last little section of the cover will be hollow, that’s all.
One thing the Catalyst covers don’t appear to be built to do as well is protect the Wii Remote from the most severe accidents. The leather cover feels great, fits snugly around the remote, and is certainly sturdy enough to act as a shield against regular wear and tear. But the material is pretty thin and doesn’t have the cushiony resilience of the rubbery, bumper-car design of the standard remote cover. But really, the mature, sophisticated gamer these covers are designed for probably isn’t going to be stupid or careless enough to fling their remote at the TV or slam it on the ground, so the training wheels aren’t necessary anyway.
CM4’s Catalyst Wii Remote covers are very much a luxury product for a specific audience of gamer interested in getting maximum performance out of their gaming experience. They don’t fulfill any great service the free cover doesn’t already provide, and therefore they don’t demand a purchase. But they do achieve the same goal, and they do so with greater comfort, convenience and style. You don’t have to break the bank to get one either. Single Catalyst covers are only $9.99, and you can also get a two-pack for only $14.99. Four color options are also available, including Black Onyx, Slate Gray, Coral Red and Pink Sapphire.
A pack of two Catalyst Wii Remote covers was provided by CM4 for review purposes.
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