Looks great! I'm looking forward to the new insert dimensions so I can finish my SNES and SFC fusion templates and start converting my old UGC covers. Are you guys going back to manual straps instead of pouches for these?
Kind of, but the straps are not built in like they were originally on the NES version. To keep the case size as small as we possibly could we actually opted to get custom "pockets" done without a bottom seal (so basically a strap you can stick on yourself). We understand some people could careless about pockets or straps so we wanted to keep it optional. This also helps keep costs down. The optional pockets with the NES add almost 1/4" on to the height of the manuals. This isn't a problem on that case since NES manuals are small, but SNES manuals are huge and anywhere we could save on the size but be able to fit manuals and both cart styles we did. Making them into a strap instead of a pocket allowed us to save on the height of the case. Otherwise the case would have had to be almost a 1/4" taller. Right now they are just slightly taller than the NES cases. I was afraid they make look weird next to NES cases on the shelf, but they look fine.
The spine on these cases is actually more rigid than the NES. It actually has a solid piece inside the spine. This basically eliminates the slight protrusion or bending of the spine on the top and bottom of the NES case as well as making the case even stronger. I feel I could drop kick one of these cases across my yard and it would probably be fine. The reason the NES do not was because they already had to basic size of NES case as a mold and tool set. I just had to order the mold that holds the cart. This mold set was not setup for the more rigid spine. They didn't have a tool set that could fit the SNES + Manual. Well they did, but the case would have been over 9" tall if we used that. So I had to have them make a whole new tool set and mold. This was much more money up front than the NES case, but they said since I was getting a new tool set made that they could do a more rigid spine at no extra cost, so I did. Don't get me wrong though the NES gases are still great and durable, these are just more so. I don't think many people will be kicking their cases across their yard anyways.
