How Tos

How to... Pimp your DS

Make your Ninty handheld one in a million

How to... Pimp your DS
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DS

Bored of your DS looking the same as everyone else's? Or maybe you've a flair for art not commonly seen in the typical nerd? What if you're rich and can't think of anything to spend all your money on now Make Poverty History wristbands are out of fashion? Well however you want to go about it, there's bound to be a way to pimp your DS to suit you, sir.

Note: Any modification of hardware may infringe your warranty. By attempting any of these steps you acknowledge responsibility for your actions, and will not hold Pocket Gamer in any way responsible. Even to your mum.


Tired of that beautiful glossy finish on your DS Lite? No problem, all you need is some sandpaper and a file. Combine them and, in time you'll have a distinctive matt finish. Not being crazy, we didn't actually do this ourselves – see the Neogaf Forum for full details. How to Homebrew using NoPass method pic1

Decal Girl will make you a DS Lite skin you can stick on to your console. You can even create a custom design. Just unzip the zip file and edit the template in your favourite PC or Mac app. Then email it in and make your order. How to mod DS pic2

The Game and Watch mod is super cool and beautiful. Not confident with your French? Basically, take a thin sheet of metal and cut it into shape. Paint a DS orange and attach the metal. You could go for an easier route by using tin foil but it just wouldn't look as good. Besides, you've been desperate to put your CDT GCSE to good use. How to mod DS pic3

The oldskool DS light mod is guaranteed to turn heads. Putting coloured LEDs on top of the machine is a terrifying process but – if you like soldering and robots – is a good way to talk yourself out of buying a Lite just yet. There's both a video and step by step photo guide available for those brave enough. How to mod DS pic4
The two-tone DS Lite mod is one of the easiest to perform and looks neat. All you do is take two Lites of different colours, open them up and mix up the bits when you put them back together. Maybe a friend will want to mix with his. Oh, or a hot girl you meet on the Greyhound bus, like that old Wrigleys advert. You can see some art by the guy who thought this up – Daninski – on his deviantART page.
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Or you could just buy one encrusted with jewels. +D Style has a jewel encrusted DS Lite for just 45,000 Yen – a shade over £200. Bling! Now you've got a pimped DS. Whatever that means. Just remember to keep your console well concealed when leaving tube stations or if you visit dodgy relatives in prison. Don't miss our other DS How Tos. (Mod pics and links for informational purposes only. All images remain the property of their respective creators.) How to mod DS pic6