Ever since I wrote about getting a Nintendo DSi XL last November, I’ve been looking for a cute case for it. There are a lot of cases I liked for the smaller Nintendo DS Lite/DSi systems (mainly Hello Kitty ones), but I didn’t see any cases big enough to fit the DSi XL that caught my eye. Months later, I finally found the perfect cute case — this Nintendo DSi XL Character Folio in “Star”! This folio comes in three designs, each featuring a character from Super Mario.

The folio I got features Star, known for turning Mario into “Invincible Mario” who is resistant to any enemy (for a few seconds anyway)! The picture above shows the folio fully loaded with my Nintendo DSi XL system, DSiXL stylus, and six game cards inside as well as the large DSi XL stylus pen shown on the bottom.

Here’s how the folio looks when it’s empty. It’s very thick and cushioned, which is great for protecting your system but can be bulky if you have a small purse or backpack. I’m more concerned about keeping my system safe (while keeping it fashionable ), so I don’t mind the extra weight. The plastic part that holds the system itself (that you can see on the right) grips the system very well. There is also a flap that lays between the system and the section where the games and smaller stylus are stored.

A cool feature of this case is that it can fold into a stand, allowing you to play without holding it. This is ideal if you like playing games that don’t require you to use the buttons or D-pad often (like those brain games or puzzle solving ones like the Professor Layton series which I love). These pictures above show how it transforms into a stand and how the games are displayed on the back. On the picture on the right, the thin rectangular area under the last row of games is where the smaller stylus pen can be stored.

If you don’t mind the extra weight of holding the folio as well as any games you store in it, you could play your DSi XL with it still in the case. It would look like the picture above with the game cards dangling, except you’d be holding the system instead of it sitting on the table. I like how this folio keeps everything handy (including the large stylus which I’ve had a hard time keeping track of without a case), and it keeps my system nice and protected without interrupting my game play.

This character folio also comes in “Pukupuk” (also known as Cheep-Cheep or Pukupuku, but either way it’s Mario’s fish enemy) and “Flower” (the Fire Flower that gives Mario the ability to hurl fireballs).