The 3DS has long been hurting for a reasonable case, and by "reasonable", I mean a case that doesn't make you look like a 10 year-old kid with a Sega game-gear tucked into a nylon briefcase. Unfortunately, for the most part, this is what 3DS owners have had to put up with, making do with whatever 3rd party case they can find on amazon or ebay. I've tried quite a few, and I'll just say this; you can tell when you are holding quality, and it's pretty obvious that most of these third party cases aren't quality. However, after spending the last couple weeks with the Cityslicker, I'm pleased to tell you that the folks over at waterfield.com have created not only the most "adult" looking case I've come across, it's also rugged, well-padded, has high quality stitching and leather, and perhaps most importantly, it protects your stuff and doesn't make you look like a little kid.
Waterfield is a San Francisco based company that specializes in high end bags, carrying cases and wallets, and they have got a definite winner with the Cityslicker 3DS XL carrying case. Offered in grizzly (brownish), black, crimson and blue, you can tell that careful thought and quality products went into every aspect of this case, from the smart design to the soft double leather flap. The case is made of ballistic nylon and "premium leather", and both feel great from a tactile standpoint, especially the leather. It really does earn the "premium" adjective, and the leather flap is actually two pieces of fine leather stitched together. The crimson color is darker in person, looks great, and aesthetically, my only gripe is the "Made in SF" on the cover. While there is certainly nothing wrong with being proud to be based in the Bay area, the "Made in SF" looks tacked on in my opinion, and takes away from the simple, smooth look of the case.
The stitching is thick and straight, and the flap uses snaps instead of a zipper, which is a smart choice, as buttons are going to hold up to wear and tear better than a zipper in the long run. The first few times I snapped the flap shut it was a bit of a (literal) stretch, but after a week or so it had broken in a bit and the flap closed comfortably. I'm no longer worried that the flap is going to pop open if I handle the case roughly, and it doesn't seem like the case will continue to stretch and become loose.
The interior is plenty cushy, and it's so snug that at first you almost wonder if your XL is going to fit. Just like the flap, it stretched enough after a week of use to accommodate the XL a little more easily, but it still cradles the device snugly, like a tight, pillowy hug. The back of the case has a stretchy, zippered pouch that you can use to store an extra stylus, earbuds or even extra games if you had to. My only gripe is that there isn't a dedicated slot/space to store the charger, although you can definitely store it in the zipper pocket in pinch. As you can see in the picture, it bulges out a bit with the charger packed, and takes away from the smooth look of the case, but this is a minor gripe. Even with the bulginess, you can still pack everything up tidily in the case.
Inside, there are three slots for cartridges, and they are made out of the same top notch leather. As I mentioned before, you can tell that plenty of thought went into making the case, as the pouches for the game slots have a cutout, making it easier for you to slide them out. There's even a loop on the bottom of the case to make pulling your XL out easier. It sounds like a small thing, but especially after suffering through a bunch of other cases with terrible designs, I really appreciate Waterfield going the extra mile on the little things.
