New Project, looking for input & gauging interest

[wiggy]

Very nice.  The force is strong with this one.  This case would make one of my mustard yellow snes the star of the room

Haha!  Thanks

Must have good looking snes!!! 
Any plans for a matching nes and n64?

Indeed. The order that I'm thinking of at the moment is:

SNES mini
Neo Geo MVS 1/2 slot
NES toaster
N64/SNES phat
NES mini
Who knows after that. If I'm successful enough to have made it through that many consoles then I'll be a happy camper. Anything goes as long as there's a large enough market for it. I imagine the SEGA consoles would be a great next step after the big N consoles are taken care of.

[CommunistGamer]

Indeed. The order that I'm thinking of at the moment is:

SNES mini
Neo Geo MVS 1/2 slot
NES toaster
N64/SNES phat
NES mini
Who knows after that. If I'm successful enough to have made it through that many consoles then I'll be a happy camper. Anything goes as long as there's a large enough market for it. I imagine the SEGA consoles would be a great next step after the big N consoles are taken care of.

Whats the n64/snes phat?

[wiggy]

I meant either the N64 or the SNES phat (SNS-001). Not sure which I would do first. The market will most likely direct the order that I go in, not my own personal preference.

Realistically, the consolized MVS is really the best place to start, but it will require a lot more work since the unit needs to be both housed and re-worked to operate as a stand alone console. I'm only tackling the SNES mini 1st because it's EXTREMELY simple. A re-shell can't get any easier than the SNS-101

[CommunistGamer]

I meant either the N64 or the SNES phat (SNS-001). Not sure which I would do first. The market will most likely direct the order that I go in, not my own personal preference.

Realistically, the consolized MVS is really the best place to start, but it will require a lot more work since the unit needs to be both housed and re-worked to operate as a stand alone console. I'm only tackling the SNES mini 1st because it's EXTREMELY simple. A re-shell can't get any easier than the SNS-101

Well i know other people sell very nice cmvs neogeos,
So why dont you start at the snes

[wiggy]

The only nice ones I know are the wooden ones I posted on the 1st page.  Otherwise they tend to be an arcade unit bolted to a plastic cutting board.  Consolized MVS is big right now, and I want to capitalize on that!

[CommunistGamer]

The only nice ones I know are the wooden ones I posted on the 1st page.  Otherwise they tend to be an arcade unit bolted to a plastic cutting board.  Consolized MVS is big right now, and I want to capitalize on that!

Okay, good luck then

I still think we should get the n64 and nes, i'm planning to make arcade cabnets for them

[Maben]

Wiggy:

Interested in this project quite a bit.  Can you please explain more about what you are doing with the SNS-001 for yourself?  Is your goal just to take an "SNES Mini" and make it even smaller?  Are you trying to just go for a redesigned shell that is more appealing to you?

[Deadpool]

i can use that snes shell with my snes mini or jr ?

or i have to buy a fat snes to use that shell?

[wiggy]

The design that I posted is for an SNS-101, which is the mini or SNES2.

I do plan on doing a case for the older, bigger SNES as well (SNS-001).

There's really not much to this. I am designing a new plastic shell for the unit. The only real purpose for this is to refresh the appearance of the console. The SNES mini has one small drawback when compared with the 001 units and that is lack of S-video output. Luckly it's relatively simple to restore that functionality with some simple hardware. A service that I will gladly provide for anyone that's interested. I'll be modding mine this weekend so that I can properly quote a price for such a service.


Here's the current status of the project and my list of items that I plan to include with the product:

Meeting with manufacturer next Wednesday to get some initial price estimates and materials/process recommendations.

Refine design

Engineer design (model all nesessarry parts and check tolerances)

Send model out for prototyping

Check proto for fitment. If all is well, move forward. If not, tweak proto until It works as desired and then make changes to 3D models. Order revised proto if needed.

Design packaging and graphics

Get quote for packaging

Create instruction manual

Have photos taken of final proto for marketing purposes

Build and register website


Lots of work to do still. But hopefully I'll have a completed and functional prototype in the next 3-4 weeks with packaging to follow shortly afterward.

[Deadpool]

you have a lot of work to do, i will buy one of those snes shells i simply love the design.

make sure to have some stock for my Birthday

[CommunistGamer]

This is going to be epic.

[TyrannicalFascist]

Wiggy those SNES mockups are legendary...    I think it's a great choice to start with a simple design that anyone can change out on a popular system. I'm really liking the look of those, kind of like a sleek, simplified US SNES/SFC hybrid. As far as packaging, I could go either way, if you keep the packaging pretty small. Do you have any name ideas for this SNES design?

Of the other systems you plan to do, the NES top loader is absolutely number one for me. If you can create a much nicer looking shell for that system, it would be amazing. Maybe you could even style it more like the NES toaster, kind of like what the Generation NEX tried to do. On the shell for the NES Toaster, would it be possible to make it take up less space overall? Either way, I'd love to have a nice looking compact NES redesign! I'd also bet that a lot of people would like that too.

So my Wiggy wishlist is:

Simple:
-NES-101 shell
-SNES shell (currently in-progress)
-NES-001 shell
-Sega Genesis (model 2?)

Complex:
-Nintendo Playstation (SNES, PS1, PS2 or some combo of them, based on prototype)
-Sega Neptune (Genesis & 32X in one, based on prototype design) - Sega CD added in as well would be awesome if possible, perhaps as a later Sega Neptune Plus model or something
-Atari 7800 (compact and simple, sleek design, perhaps inspired by the retro "wood" look of the Atari 2600)

[Azarkhel]

Love that design Wig. You've definitely got my cash.

[komodos]

I would love a new SNES case, however the cartridge would still need to be raised out of the slot just as much as the original  as I make use of some 3rd party adapters such as the RetroGEN and RetroPort to play Genesis and NES.

The white one is brilliant looking!

[wiggy]

you have a lot of work to do, i will buy one of those snes shells i simply love the design.

make sure to have some stock for my Birthday

Thanks!  When's your B-day?  

This is going to be epic.

Well, I hope so!

Wiggy those SNES mockups are legendary...    I think it's a great choice to start with a simple design that anyone can change out on a popular system. I'm really liking the look of those, kind of like a sleek, simplified US SNES/SFC hybrid. As far as packaging, I could go either way, if you keep the packaging pretty small. Do you have any name ideas for this SNES design?

Of the other systems you plan to do, the NES top loader is absolutely number one for me. If you can create a much nicer looking shell for that system, it would be amazing. Maybe you could even style it more like the NES toaster, kind of like what the Generation NEX tried to do. On the shell for the NES Toaster, would it be possible to make it take up less space overall? Either way, I'd love to have a nice looking compact NES redesign! I'd also bet that a lot of people would like that too.

So my Wiggy wishlist is:

Simple:
-NES-101 shell
-SNES shell (currently in-progress)
-NES-001 shell
-Sega Genesis (model 2?)

Complex:
-Nintendo Playstation (SNES, PS1, PS2 or some combo of them, based on prototype)
-Sega Neptune (Genesis & 32X in one, based on prototype design) - Sega CD added in as well would be awesome if possible, perhaps as a later Sega Neptune Plus model or something

I only really started thinking about packaging in the last few days.  I was sorting through some of my own collection the other day, moving come boxes and whatnot, and I was reminded that many of us retro collectors are really into the COLLECTING.  We all like our boxes and packaging, so why not include a fresh new package to along with your fresh new(ish) console?  

Then I REALLY started thinking about it and all of a sudden I found myself wanting to completely recreate that initial unboxing of a brand new game system.  You all know what I mean.  Carefully opening tabs, sliding items out of their baggies, etc.

So, with all that in mind, the current plan is to try and completely recreate that experience, as if this were the first time you'd ever seen your SNES.  Expect to have a fresh product label on the bottom of the unit, complete serial number decal to match the number on your original unit, and I'm even thinking of adding break-away import lockout tabs inside the console.  Keep it a virgin NTSC-U only unit, or snap 'em out and play your NTSC-J games in it as well!


As far as the toaster goes, yeah, there's GOTTA be a way to put that in a more compact housing.  There's a LOT of empty space in the original NES, so I think I should be able to come up with something with a tighter footprint.  I'd probably do away with the pop-up cartridge port right off the bat and make just front loaded, no spring action.


You wish list falls pretty much in line with what I have planned except for the Neo Geo MVS, which will be the 2nd console that I plan to tackle.  I actually had a dream that I found a surplus of unreleased front lead PS1s last night and I bought them all to make into SNESations LOL!

Love that design Wig. You've definitely got my cash.

Thanks!  Hopefully I can make this happen for a good price...

I would love a new SNES case, however the cartridge would still need to be raised out of the slot just as much as the original  as I make use of some 3rd party adapters such as the RetroGEN and RetroPort to play Genesis and NES.

The white one is brilliant looking!

How do you mean?  If anything, my port will actually be closer to the board itself, so anything that fit into the original SNES should fit just fine into my revision

Thanks!   So, it seems like folks dig the white, based on the reactions I've seen so far and considering that all 3 of those mockups are the exact same thing except for the coloring.