Game Safe
Score: 90% Developer: Nyko
Function: This handy little item is a mini-CD holder for Nintendo Gamecube games. Called the Game Safe, its secondary functions are to protect the games by being durable and to have the same kind of small, portable design that Gamecube owners love in their system.
Performance: The simple ideas are often the strongest. Why bother having a game case that includes storage for things besides games when all you really want are the CDs themselves? Not to digress, but it's incorrect to say these are miniature 'CDs' when the Gamecube actually uses a DVD format. But, who really cares about that... Enough to say that the Game Safe holds up to 12 disks in quality 2-sided paper and plastic sheets, set page style inside a rubberized case not much larger than a Gamecube game. At roughly 1-inch deep, even when fully loaded, the Game Safe is very portable. And, in keeping with the name, top-quality stitching and reinforced edges mean you won't be wearing this case out anytime soon. It's tough. The 'durable material' Nyko used looks suspiciously like plastic, but it definitely will resist punctures or tears. Besides being tough, it has a nice bumpy surface that makes it easy to grip. Another neat feature of the Game Safe is its belt clip, secured to one corner by a plastic and vinyl assembly. Most of us have pockets big enough to hold this teeny case, but if your pockets are full, you can clip this thing on any available loop or hook. Portable, small and durable...everything you'd want in a carry-case for a mobile console.
Features: Holds up to 12 Gamecube game disks Durable plastic and vinyl construction Belt-loop attached for snap-on convenience
Drawbacks & Problems:: For those who want the games and nothing but the games to take on the road, Nyko's Game Safe is the perfect answer. If you're hoping to take manuals, cords and whatever else you think you'll need with you, that stuff will need to go elsewhere. I have found myself on both sides of the carry-case fence, sometimes wanting more room to store stuff and sometimes thinking the sheer bulk of cases made them almost unusable. But, there's no denying the purity of concept that went into Game Safe. It is all about carrying your game disks, and doing that job well. I worry a little about the belt snap assembly, being all plastic without some metal at least in critical stress points. Only time would tell whether this would stand up to repeated tugging and snapping, but it seems solid enough. The case is excellent, and a nice way to grab some games and head for a friends house or just to store games in a compact space and know they'll be protected. A very solid product that's low on frills but high on utility.
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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