Turning my DS Lite into a Pokédex

[@tianyiyang2885]

Great video! I followed this guide to reshell my DS Lite and it worked perfectly! A couple things to be careful if you are following as well: 4:14 - You don't really need to detach the touch pad cable, as we are not taking off the bottom screen in this process, and putting that cable back in is a HUGE pain. 10:25 - It might be easier to just pull the microphone and wifi cables out before rolling the ribbon cable in. 11:44 - Use the ring that comes with the shell bundle instead of the OEM one. See 15:34

[@elliotcoll]

Great advice! Thanks :)

[@julieboruta]

30:30 the directional pad and buttons from the original shell are made to a different thickness then the replacement once and the shell is made to the replacement buttons and directional pad thickness so the ds lite is not wanting to be seated flush with the bottom shell do to the to thick buttons and directional pad. I hope this helps clear any confusion everyone is wondering about.

[@nathonso_edits]

It does look like the plastic was slightly bowed as well like Elliot said

[@Narque]

i have also used this same shell from extremerate and i used the included rubber contacts and buttons and mine also has that slight bend in it

[@NotJuanGonzalez]

If that were the case then it wouldn’t sit flush on both sides because of the xyab buttons. As well the top of the ds lite has a slight concave to it so that the buttons have a decent gap to not make contact with the top half.

[@abdullahrex4769]

WOW!! I can't believe how did I miss that. I did 4 DS lite reshells. And thinking about it only the ones I used the original button has a visible gap.. I just did this shell yesterday and used included button..its flush almost perfect.

[@flyzfm5060]

​@abdullahrex4769 you didn't that guy was just yapping, the other person who commented said they did the same shell swap with the buttons made for it. Same issue, it's the seller.

[@gralnrath]

20:33 "What's the harm eh?" So I know this was a rhetorical question and you weren't specifically asking for criticism, but in the interest of educating everyone and to help maintain the longevity of consoles everywhere I wanted to offer this tidbit that I've found most people aren't aware of. Love the channel BTW, that Pokedex shell kicks ass. Many switches and pots have a lubricant inside applied at the factory. Flooding them with alcohol washes away the lubricant, causing friction wear to occur faster. Not all switches and pots are lubed, and I don't know if the nintendo ones specifically are or not, but it's usually best practice to either; only clean pots and switches that have demonstrated malfunction, or after cleaning them, add an electronic lube like Deoxit fader grease that's easily applied with a syringe, or F5 spray lube, that I would spray into another container and use a dropper to dispense. Absolute best practice would definitely be to clean and re-lube everything, but it's being pretty nitpicky and it's often not necessary to keep a console working. Stylus sheath is a good term. Love it.

[@acomingextinction]

I appreciate the education. Had no idea this was a danger of alcohol cleaners.

[@galghoul3042]

This is quality information, thanks!

[@levi-young]

thank you for sharing this! incredibly helpful and important information. I'll 100% be adding this to my mental repair catalogue

[@gralnrath]

@@levi-young I'm super glad to be of help. Good luck with your projects and repairs.

[@lanedj801]

I had to replace the top screen on my ds lite and I remember rolling the ribbon cable in the hinge and thinking how the employees must have been professional cigarette rollers in the factory.

[@tray84]

yea. "cigarettes"

[@illumigamecorner4837]

Honestly, stylus sheath is probably the best name I’ve ever heard somebody call that so now I will always call it a stylish sheath

[@JASPACB750RR]

With the black buttons, I would’ve used the black L/R buttons and stylus sheath as well. Would’ve completed the overall scheme. What do you think? And I agree, stylus sheath is my new name for it as well.

[@CaptainW_rCrimes]

a Japanese company with a history of having some of the worlds best swords, i can defs get behind calling it a stylish sheath

[@BBB_bbb_BBB]

I gotta say, it's impressive just how cheap the DS Lite was considering how much seems to be packed into it. And I know with mine I had put in several thousands of hours and its hinge never became loose, the screens always looked nice, everything just worked. I'm fairly confident I put even more time into it than I did my Game Boy Pocket.

[@itranscendencei7964]

That's so sad about the shell not sitting flush when closed. It's such an awesome looking piece. Regardless, I enjoyed watching the video. These long form repair/mod videos are what made me sub to you in the first place. :)

[@adamt1415]

It's because he used the original DS buttons not the white ones that were less tall.

[@Alic_R1]

Man this had main channel potential for sure!!

[@elliotcoll]

not compared to what i have coming on the main channel!

[@Alic_R1]

@@elliotcoll cant wait =D

[@Addictedtocollecting01]

Yeah, this is pretty routine.. Love the Pokedex shell tho. Can't wait for that main channel content!

[@odeo-]

@@elliotcoll Sounds promising! But I still love this type of videos! Just like how it all started 🤩

[@stephenweir9871]

Maybe the reason why it won't close is because of the height of the original black buttons

[@Albert-ru7ob]

Hey Elliot, thanks for this. I’ve had a real busy and stressful day. Had to wake up early, go through a long school day, and go to a 4-hour baseball practice. It was great to finally get to relax for half an hour and watch what you do before I need to get back to more work. I have a whole essay for an AP class due tomorrow, and I have to do the whole thing tonight (even though it’s a “group” research project you know how those things usually go). Thank you so much for giving me a chance to calm down and take a break from my busy day. Also I absolutely love the DS lite. It was my first console and now that I’m older I love taking it apart. I wish I could have had a guide as detailed as this when I started. I have a couple the DS lite motherboards that I try to use for experimenting with technology and stuff like that (I plan on going college for computer science and electrical engineering mainly because your videos got me hooked on tech), and I have some DSes that my siblings and I use. One thing to note is that the DS lite only needs the battery to boot. As far as I can tell even a dead one works too. As long as you have the board plugged in you can just hook up the battery then take it out as soon as it turns on. It makes the DS easier to test, so I hope that would be helpful to you sometime in the future. And as far as I can tell, that little thing under the stylus sheath and the sticky bit on the GBA slot’s cartridge shield do absolutely nothing. Sorry, that’s a lot to read, but thank you so much Elliot!

[@elliotcoll]

Glad you enjoyed the video dude!

[@Danny.._]

26:33 that little sticker thing is to connect the cartridge slot to ground on the pcb. without that metal covered sticker there would be one more wire that you'd have to run from the pcb over to that bottom cover.

[@NUDELMOB]

Thank you so much for the video! A few months back I brought back my old DS Lite from my parents place with the intent to repair it. I got it used from ebay many years ago and it lasted me only like 2 or 3 months because it too had been shell swapped but the previous owner just violently shoved the screen ribbon cable through the hinge, crumpling it all up and so the screen would just die on me. Now with this video I'm feeling ever more confident in repairing this little guy some time in the future with a new shell and screen :) Glory to the stylus sheath!

[@Geng4d]

Stylus sheath is such a good name that I have completely forgotten what I used to call it

[@elliotcoll]

Auctioning this on ebay for a charity I like - www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134975046514

[@Altitude747]

Cool

[@TheCrandellous333]

Are the arrow pad clearances the same? Maybe stock sits higher

[@valshaped]

Please loosen and re-tighten the top lid screws. You've probably got some tension trapped between the layers-if not, you may be able to *add* tension to flatten it out!

[@constantinosfudas3785]

for the price its at you better fix the imperfections

[@superduperman7202]

WTF!......It's up to £230. Grow up fan girls, it's a cheap 3rd party aliexpress ds lite shell.

[@bleopminecraft]

These custom off brand shells are so cool, I love it when I stumble upon a cool one once in a while

[@fallaciousUnion]

2:13 Just some advice for anyone dealing with any type of proprietary screws a flathead small enough usually works if you wedge it in there

[@fallaciousUnion]

This sounds like using it as a crowbar I just want to preface that I do mean unscrewing

[@totuccioo]

i actually just did this shell swap from this company, i got the Japanese Famicom one and RIGHT AT THE END literally last screw i put maybe 2% more torque than usual cause the bottom shell wasn't seated properly and i stripped the threads on the shell, So for anyone that does this just make sure that it all seats properly before trying to screw the back on!! Solid Video Elliot! Killing it as always!!

[@bloink3511]

These longer style videos are my absolute favorite from you. Cheers mate, stay well

[@elliotcoll]

Get ready for a 1 hour long vlog in canada coming soon!

[@stk42]

0:35 FREEDOM BUTTONS🦅🦅🦅

[@Kovert0331]

I love it when you tubers make 2nd channels for their less "viewed" content bc half of the time it's still really entertaining especially with Elliot he's always up to something and it's interesting

[@hjekydell8186]

Appreciate the more in-depth guide to re-shelling the DS Lite. Hope the next time I try this I won't have to resort to using an official shell piece alongside the new shell when putting it together

[@xRii0N-Sama]

I finally got this shell delivered today! And it turned out so beautiful man I love it, thankfully i got some experience with ds lites but your video still helped a lot here and there. But now i honestly don't know what to do with it i got way to many handhelds so i'm probably never gonna play it, I'm not sure if i should sell it because i am kinda proud about how amazing it turned out

[@craigachuff6087]

I did a shell swap on the original ds. Fun to do. I have a ds lite that is on the brink of a hinge breaking. Thank you for this video. Love the content.

[@JoBot__]

36:32 When he said "bye", he sounded exactly like StampyLongNose.

[@nasrock13.]

Real

[@galibrabat4237]

This is like having a nightmare but you are awake and on youtube. Amazing tutorial, taking nothing away from you but what the heck were they thinking

[@DreamDaddie]

Yay! Something to watch at work!

[@Addictedtocollecting01]

Same here lol

[@megawg39]

Stylus Sheath : "Because you told me too!"

[@Amero2005]

This is the video I needed, I found a broken DS Lite and I've to change the shell (and probably the motherboard) hearing that your first time doing this was when you were a kid gives me enought confidence to not fuck it up

[@LuminescentLight]

I could imagine an anime character, drawing their sword, but instead of a sword it’s a stylus because stylus sheath

[@wifiguy51]

Happy to watch the Stylus Samurai installing his Stylus Sheath. Great video!

[@kalban112]

This is amazing tutorial, despite me not owning DS, I really love detailed and well explained tutorials about modifying HW.

[@coltcrum4386]

Getting those ribbon cables through the hinge is a real pain in the keaster.

[@RetroRynn]

I did one of these a few days ago! On their website, the buttons are supposed to be white face buttons, blue start and select, black d-pad and red shoulder and power/volume switch. They work well enough and look good in that color combo. Also they use the white top screen bezel as well. Nice look with the originals though! Also mine closes fine? Not sure if it was because I got it from ExtremeRate on Amazon rather than AliExpress. I've also done one of their clear shells too!

[@Nas_973]

It’s crazy you posted this after I failed my ds shell swap last night 😂. I actually got through the ribbon cable part no problem but I ended up destroying the digitizer trying to take the bezel off

[@elliotcoll]

oh no!! you can buy another on ebay!

[@andrejwalilko634]

I do love that you picked the red stylus sheath, but I think the black would have worked great too. A small bit of hair dryer heat might help straighten that lid, but obviously it would have to come back apart.

[@claryfairchild2816]

Cool re-shell! I really like the Stylus sheath, it really suits the mod 🙂

[@squidge8808]

Duuudeee loving the stylus sheath!!!! Also you've convinced me to make custom ds lites for my brothers for christmas lol

[@Profile-pictureX]

1:02 rubber covers. I’ve heard that before

[@sheaf6412]

Elliot is the King of the Stylus Sheath! Your videos always brighten my day. Thank you for your wit and your overall passion for gameboys and modding!

[@apollolux]

Hey Elliot, groovy job aligning the stylus sheath! Sorry about the top half bend. I don't usually ask the following because it's probably irrelevant, but if you or any other commenter might know I'd appreciate it. I'm looking for a KZbin tech restoration/repair channel I used to watch but forgot to bookmark and KZbin nuked my watch and like history from far enough back that I can't search my own history for it and I want to start watching his videos again. I distinctly remember the guy favored a TS-100/TS-101 soldering iron, has a Canadian or Midwestern/North-midwestern American accent/dialect (like Chicagoan, Wisconsin, or Michigan region), and has definitely done repairs on consoles like the Sega Master System (though KZbin searching has been abysmal for trying to find these videos on keyword searching alone).

[@mortemincarnatam2836]

Macho Nacho Productions?

[@apollolux]

@@mortemincarnatam2836 Nah, it's not Tito doing Retro Renew at Macho Nacho, though I enjoy his content as well. I said guy sounded like he has a Canadian or midwestern/north-midwestern American accent but left out that he's basically white. I've been trying other console repair searches in KZbin's search like PC Engine and Virtual Boy but it's not giving me the result I'm looking for.

[@apollolux]

Somehow magically an old Game Gear repair video of his showed up in the sidebar after I watched a video today! The channel is Borderline OCD, y'all! :)

[@SpectrumofSmarts]

Could the gap be caused by the OEM buttons sitting slightly more proud that the ones provided?

[@hannataiv2494]

I was thinking its this too!

[@DrizGotTheDrip]

From "i don't mind if you call it that" to "if you're watching this video you must now call it a stylist sheath" lmaooo, also keep this type of shi up, we love it!!

[@Lardoization90]

Edit: Just saw the ending, and want to say my replacement shell has this exact problem in regards to closing. Lot's of DS Lite third party shells are faulty in some way or another. This problem was just visual, but as I described below they may also have defects which can cause damage. Try to get an original shell from a defective unit if you can! Idunno about the difficulty of this. It was my very first mod and it basically gave me experience with every type of component challenge (except soldering thank god) in a noob friendly way. Yes the ribbon cable is fragile and the rubber screw covers can get damaged, but you've gotta learn to handle those if you want to start modding any handheld. The ones in the DS Lite are not the most fragile in the world. It's for sure easier than the 3DS or a joycon, and good practice if you want to work on those. The only problem I had was that my replacement shell was absolute garbage (even when i bought it from Zedlabs) and closing it cracked the EM-10 filter on the motherboard (a little plastic square next to the battery housing was just a little off). If the shell you've bought is good (or even better, from a defective DS lite) I think this is actually very good first/second build. And most importantly, a DS lite is a lot cheaper to replace than a GBA if you've screwed it up!

[@Sulfur_Soap]

Brings back memories of the indigo league anime, great job!

[@KobayashiKimiko]

Stylus Sheath. I love your content. Always hands-on and extremely detailed.

[@PedroM125]

Stylus Sheath : "Because you told me too!" Amazing work Elliot!

[@Reevesy95]

Man I can’t wait to start rewatching videos of yours like this once I graduate and find cheap consoles to reshell and personalise

[@thefray123]

I really enjoyed the STYLUS SHEATH

[@SocialBubblia]

I thought you would've made an application that works as a pokedex as well. I'm slightly saddened that this was only a hardware mod.

[@kathleensnyder23]

You should put like “complete ds lite teardown” or something in the title! Because this video is just such a good general tutorial as well :)

[@cosmicpikachu]

"Stylus sheath" is a perfect name that is really cool and makes perfect sense!

[@blankcanvas3358]

Why Nintendo didn’t do this to begin with is beyond me. You successfully made something I would’ve been hyped to get on my birthday years ago.

[@sleaf6]

I love that taking apart a ds reminds you of your mortality

[@kiirabu197]

such a good reference video for anyone fixing stuff on their DS lite in general

[@emergelife]

Wow cool find! I'm genuinely curious to see your daily shopping activity 😅

[@elliotcoll]

an unhealthy amount of sendico, aliexpress & facebook market place 😂

[@slateportraichu5416]

Thank you for the video! Love what you do here!

[@Imamotherfreakingavocado]

Stylus sheath is honestly the best name you coulda called it and I have no idea what other name it could possibly have

[@DerInselaffe]

"Stylus sheath" is such a good name. All that top screen shenanigans had me sweating. I've reshelled a GBA SP before and that was frustrating enough but working on a DS would make me nervous.

[@noeldoesthings]

Even for me, who repairs DS Lites for three years now, this is still entertaining. My first mod was on a GBA. Thanks to your videos, which made me want to do the mod.

[@王勃-Bauer]

The ✨Stylus Sheath✨ my favorite line

[@Timothy.Cuevas]

You did just an excellent job finessing the stylus sheath. Bravo!

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

I'm really glad you go with the original Buttons. It just looks so nice! The black and red looks really good. Maybe to go with the OG Pokédex Style they could have added green and yellow buttons. It's just really sad that it doesn't close properly.

[@cidersam]

Loving the name Stylus sheath. Great informative Video. I thought i ruined one of my DS lites trying to change shells but seeing this gives me confidence i can salvage it.

[@TheKampungNerd]

Stylus Sheath! Btw good job on the shell swap, you made it look so easy! I myself opened a NDSL before and it does not ends very well 😅 so yea good job!

[@turji]

For everyone who want to do work on a NDSl just do it, they are easy as heck to work on.

[@renargues]

Realizing how much Nintendo could've actually done something fun with an idea like this during it's hayday. wowza

[@shortyboio]

0:50 i would not advice starting with the ds lite. Me who broke like 5 ds lites before i learned how to properly work on them. Jokes aside, ds lites have become my bread and butter so see that extremerate is making ds lite shells gives me hope to actually start making and selling some of these ds lites i have lying around in parts.

[@gabex123]

Stylus sheath, also this is such a cool video, itd be cool if you did the white dpad instead since that seems to be a bit more similar to the og pokedexes

[@FJFxGaming]

Stylus sheath 😂, love this style of video, please do more of these ❤

[@davidjams2596]

i have waited forever to see this. thank you elliot for making everything.

[@valshaped]

Pouring IPA into the lid *directly above the screen* sent my heart racing. I recommend not doing that-speaking from experience. There *are* places isopropyl can't evaporate from. Also, regarding the bowed top shell, try loosening and re-tightening the top shell screws! You can easily trap tension in the multilayered plastic sandwich.

[@Enoxix.]

Man, thing looks epic!

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

22:27 so what, you got some guy in a leather jacket going EEEYYYYYYYY

[@MrMcswagg]

Stylus sheath! “If you wanna call it that, I don’t really mind”😂

[@matthewmaidment8464]

That black antennae wire has been the bane of my life 😂, but perseverance has paid off as it's gotten easier

[@matparks9059]

Hey Elliot, when pulling the cable out at the 3:50 mark, why not tie a small string, or piece of floss, to the cable to use as a fish, so when it’s time to put it back you just just pull it thru

[@SkyfighterZX]

Dang that was a cool relaxed video, stylus sheath shall be what it's called from now on For the bowing maybe a bit of hot hair from a hair dryer on low while holding the shell closed tight could help relax the plastic and hold it in position while it cools again, regardless it looks sweet

[@SaikiHanada]

I don't even know what are you talking about, but somehow I really enjoy how you explain everything very clearly 😊but I have to turn on the caption just to check how to spell stylus sheath 😂

[@Gripper011]

Stylus sheath. 😂 Great video. Thumbs up for black buttons. Great choice 👌 👍

[@nic6569]

bowing top is a common problem with aftermarket shells. Bought a black aftermarket shell and that has exactly the same problem of the screen not closibg all the way because it is bowed

[@BeefJerkey]

Custom shells can be cool, I might get some eventually. I did a shell swap once, taking the internals out of a broken shell and putting them into a good OEM shell that had broken internals. Hardest part is definitely getting those wires back through the hinge, and that is even harder to do on DSi and 3DS consoles because there are more wires.

[@adamp34571]

Watched this and had to do it myself. I'd never done any mods on anything at all before, and thanks to the video it went pretty great! I did however break the digitizer clip on a motherboard, and ripped the digitizer off of the ribbon cable because I thought it was a screen protector. At least I bought two DS lites to do this, I knew I'd break some stuff on my first go.

[@TheReaIwaIuigi]

Stylus sheath.

[@newguy003]

i got the casing because im getting back into nintendo after years, i have some giftcards so i thought id treat myself to it 😂 will watch this to get it right, i just know ill be shaking with each step. nice video.

[@NotWhiteRice]

I'm at 1:49, and I stripped two of the tri-wing screws, the one in the cartridge slot and the one in the hole under the right bumper, what do I do?

[@comikalz]

Cry

[@Staratopia]

Stylus sheath is best name for it. Also a nice way to get the top screen to lay flat, you could try using yarn to tie it down and leave it tied down for a month to give it new shape.

[@SolamenteTavo]

the mate finish reminds me of the first Nintendo DS, a friend had the red one and what a beautiful machine

[@plebeychips]

I saw DS Lite, saw Pokémon, and clicked. Am a simple human

[@michaelmccrimmons]

In the realm of modern artifacts, akin to the fantastical creations of Middle-Earth, there lies the "Stylus Sheath," a slender and mystical dwelling crafted with the precision of Elven smiths. Resembling the scabbards of elvish blades, this sheath, no more than a few inches long, is a narrow, elongated cavity, seamlessly integrated into the side of a magical tablet known to some as the "Nintendo DS Lite." Its surface, smooth and unassuming, is imbued with the subtle artistry of the dwarves, featuring gentle curves and an elegance that belies its mundane purpose. This sheath, a guardian of sorts, holds within its confines a slender wand, a "stylus," with the grace of a wizard's staff. It is a tool of interaction between realms, a bridge between the world of mortals and the digital lands that lie within the tablet. The sheath's design is deceptively simple yet functional, allowing the stylus to slide in and out with ease, much like the swords of Gondorian knights into their sheaths. In color, it often matches the hue of its host device, ranging from the deep blacks of Mordor to the silvery whites reminiscent of the walls of Minas Tirith. This unification of color creates an aesthetic harmony, making the sheath not just a holder, but an integral part of the tablet's mystical allure. In essence, the Stylus Sheath, though a small and often overlooked part of this modern-day artifact, carries with it the elegance and mystique of the legendary crafts seen in the tales of Middle-Earth.

[@elliotcoll]

WOW. That was thoroughly enjoyable to read. Comment of the video without a shadow of a doubt. Thank you for the entertainment!

[@Bad_pun]

I’ve found if you use a heat gun on the back and set something sort of heavy on it, it can help with the warped shell

[@samfisher5302]

Man, the algorithm was spot on with this one. I was just thinking about doing something like this!

[@memerscangame05]

Stylus sheath really is a good name, It's like a katana for ur ds

[@RolaDsigns]

i love this case

[@Solo.Dissonance]

Stylish sheath sounds better than stylus sheath :D Thanks for the in-depth tutorial!

[@jnickbrown1997]

Found your channel with this. All hail the stylus sheath!

[@AbdullahSajid-tz3sh]

🎉🎉 Stylus Sheep! More ds lite re designs please

[@drewbreezy5854]

An absolute legend when it comes to ds mods

[@Tsuba-2nd]

'Stylus sheath' New phrase of the week haha

[@psilvaferreira]

Just did this to a DS that this video made me buy and it went super well, no cover bow. I don't know if this apparent manufacturing issue was solved by ExtremeRate in the meantime (it has been out of stock, so they might have had an opportunity to review this) or if I was just lucky. Small piece of advice - the original screw of the Gameboy cartridge cover poked a small bump on the opposite side of its shell, it seems that the screws provided by ExtremeRate are ever so slightly smaller, so you should use them. But, also from my experience, the heads of these screws seem easier to strip, so beware (make sure you have the proper size screwdriver, ideally one better than the one provided)

[@Elvisbackpack]

I had an anxiety attack watching you do this. Major kudos, brother, I could never do this with any amount of confidence, let alone as well as you do. Also, stylus sheathe.

[@sakurojason]

Massage the top housing by twisting it back and forth gently and eventually it sits flush. It’s because of the four screws that pull the front back and make it bow up.