Nintendo 3DS Gamer Discovers Sealed Case Has Turned to Dust

Okay, so here’s this wild story: Some gamer, let’s call him Randolph—no idea why that name stuck—finds his Dragon Quest 8 3DS case just… disintegrated. Yeah, you heard right. Brand-new, sealed up tight in its box, the thing turns into dust. Bizarre, right? I’m still wrapping my head around it. I mean, Nintendo stuff usually holds up like a champ, right? But now, I’m wondering if there are other people out there with dusty cases. Seriously, check your closets, peeps!

Now, cases are supposed to protect things, right? If my 3DS took a nosedive, I’d want a shield. But hey, maybe it’s also about style. Slap on a case and—boom—instant vibe. So anyway, Randolph shows off these remains, expecting maybe it looks pristine. Surprise! It’s like the inside got cuckoo without anyone noticing. The design was supposed to have these cute blue-green-brown slimes (I love slimes, who doesn’t?), but the color? Gone. Total ghost town in there. Why did they all vanish like an old magic trick?

So what happened? Well, some say this TPU plastic it was made from just wasn’t cut out for the long haul. Apparently, it eventually biodegrades. Who decided biodegradable was a good idea for game gear? Granted, sure, it’s eco-friendly, but could it have gracefully lived a bit longer? If Randolph got this case back in 2015—the year of odd video game decisions, apparently—it means it was on borrowed time. Done and dusted—pun intended. Wouldn’t have guessed I’d be writing an obituary for a game case, but here we are!

Nintendo has its nostalgia game strong—remember when the 3DS came out in 2011? (A simpler time: I still had hair.) Anyway, maybe this was all part of some big plan, like, “Use it, beat it up, toss it, repeat.” Or maybe some gamers’ cases are tucked away, weathering the storm. Yikes, I need to go check mine!