WraptorSkinz (Xbox 360)

As an Xbox 360 reviewer it is my ultimate goal to become "mainstream", and start reviewing what the big time reviewers review. I know that in order to do this I need to start off covering simple products/games, and eventually work my way up to the more expensive ones. This is one of the reasons I began requesting controller add-ons earlier last month. Surprisingly in my quest to gain contributors I found a few product designers including WraptorSkinz that were willing to give my reviews a shot. I had not expected such a welcome response considering I've been turned down, or ignored for nearly every controller review request I've made. I suppose skins, and grips aren't as much of a hassle to send as controllers would be though.

WraptorSkinz is one of those decal companies that only a limited number of online customers have likely heard of. In fact I myself had never heard of them before doing my search for products to review. I actually ended up stumbling upon their website during a Google search. When I browsed the website found an interesting selection of different controller, and handheld decals/skins. My main interest was in the Xbox 360 skins though. After a few back & forth email interactions between me, and the product owner I was given the go ahead to do the reviews. I was surprised to hear that the WraptorSkinz owner was going to allow me to review a console skin that wasn't actually listed on the website yet along with the controller skins we had initially agreed upon. It might humor you to know that I literally requested a "manly" set of skins since the website also caters to the ladies, and children with their selection of designs.

The above picture you see is the actual WraptorSkinz set that I got in the mail today. As you can tell the design is of red Punisher-like skulls in a confetti pattern on a black background. All of the skins that I received were made specifically for the Xbox 360 Slim console, and controller. If you choose to purchase a set from the website you can get them for the older console types as well. You can obviously tell that the Console skin came in three separate sections. This is simply to make the application an easier process. The controller skins on the other hand covered less space, and do not cover the entire face of the controller. I assume it was designed this way just in case you have a set of grips that you want to apply as well.

Applying the skins to the console wasn't exactly the easiest task, but the three section layout definitely made things go more smoothly. If you were wondering about how everything fit together you'll be glad to know that none of the three console skins overlapped. Placing them on the console in any order will work. There are definitely some things to keep in mind when applying the console skins though. You'll want to apply them starting slowly at one end making sure there are no air pockets left along the way, and slowly progress by laying the rest of the skin/s down as you go. As far as lining everything up is concerned it's very simple to do. Everything lines up perfectly with the buttons, disc tray, USB outlet, and even the bottom corner pads. I think that the air pockets will be your biggest concern when applying the console decals/skins.

Compared to the console skin application the controller skins are a much more difficult to apply, especially if you already have grips applied as I did. I actually didn't want to mess up my Squidgrips by handling them too much, so I ended up peeling them back enough to apply the skin. It was a trying procedure, but eventually I did manage to get the skin set properly in place. I'm sure that if I had of applied my Squidrips after I applied the WraptorSkinz things would have worked out much easier. The best tip I can give you for applying the controller skins is start at the top, and line them up with the top of the controller. Be sure to make sure the Thumbstick holes, and other button holes fall into place during the process.

I think that this product is very much worth the asking price. If you order through the website you'll pay $6.95 for the controller skins. The original listing price is $9.99, so you're definitely getting a deal. When it comes to the cost of the console skins I'm not sure how much they are going to cost since they are not yet listed? The controller skins are a decent price however considering that the product is made of a good quality vinyl material that won't easily tear (as are the console skins). Another thing you'll be interested in knowing is that some of the available designs come in a variety of different colors. The set I got for example is originally listed as blue, but there were four or five other colors you could choose from. As I mentioned earlier in the review there are all sorts of different designs including a Union Jack flag (for all my British friends out there), a WWII Bomber War Plane, and even a Rising Sun Japanese Flag among many others. If you like a snazzy looking console, or controller that you can show off to your friends/family then I'd strongly suggest investing in some of these. They provide protection to your console/controller as well as give it that special personal touch that video game enthusiasts often look for in the competitive scene.

WEBSITE: http://www.wraptorskinz.com/

Skulls Confetti Blue/Red: http://www.wraptorskinz.com/Product_Details.asp?ID=11748