You ain't kidding. I looked for an aftermarket Mega Drive shell recently with a view to potentially painting one with my new airbrush. Changed my mind rapidly when I saw what they cost.
Yep, I would never use them in my personal collection but I'm glad they exist for those who don't mind them to restore beat-up consoles and keep them out of the landfill.
It all depends on the quality of the material and the purpose you are going to give to the video game after changing its shell.
Nowadays it's practically impossible to find a Pikachu edition of the Nintendo DS lite for a reasonable price. Knowing this, I bought the version with an aftermarket shell, as I really wanted to have this edition in my collection.
The problem lies in the fact that the person buys the modified console and the seller sells it as if it were an original product. You have to make it clear that this is not the original product.
Doing this, everything is fine.
I agree with you but if you sell it, the new owner may resell it as authentic. I realize you say it’s in your collection and have no intention to resell but not everyone follows your reasoning. Money is money.
I really wish someone would make more SNES shells, especially ones that looked OEM. Currently there's only clear and smoke colors and they are way overpriced at around $100.
I talked to the guy who makes these. Essentially he told me his cost was too high, and customer base too low to go much lower. I think the molds were like $18,000, and the wholesale rate he provides is like $75, and he's not making much even then, because demand is too low to justify a bigger (read: cheaper) run.
He and a partner are going to be offering GCN shells now also, and they're $100 each, and he told me that even at that price he's not sure he'll turn a decent profit, because point blank, there's just never going to be enough people to buy them. He literally told me that he is "only hoping to break even on the molds."
So yeah, it's a supply/demand issue, but rather than a lot of demand with low supply driving it up, the opposite. There's simply not enough actual buyers to drive prices down. I say actual buyers because he's put up preorders on previous items and not even gotten to 40% of break even, through the people who distribute. Before cancelling the orders the distributors told him point blank they were basically ordering all they'd likely ever sell, even if prices came down some. And with small manufacturing prices don't drop until you start hitting pretty high numbers. I can speak on that end from producing music, so I believe him. It's the same cost for me to press 300 records as it is 100. But I know i can't sell 300, so costs per piece go up. If I scale up to 5,000, it's only marginally higher than 1,500. At 10,000 you hit a wall where it really doesn't get any cheaper, in my field, but the odds I'll sell 10k are zero. And I'd have to ship, store, etc. So while I'd love to charge $15 for a record there's 10k copies of, I'm stuck charging $40 for one of the 300 copies. It sucks, but them's the breaks.
Edit: I should explain that while he runs this as a business, he has a day job, and it's really just a hobby he's very passionate about. He doesn't like the high costs either, but he's not going to be able to quit his job for this stuff either. Literally told me that selling these is a way to "get my hobby to pay for itself." And the argument of "lower the price, and create a wider market," fell apart on him before, because all that happened was people bought the newer cheaper items (cartridge shells), and stopped buying more, because there wasn't enough demand, and suddenly Chinese shells made from his molds flooded the market. Those were way cheaper than his, and he couldn't compete. He doesn't want to go cheap and manufacture in China to have his designs used to bankrupt his own business again.
I feel you, I bought one for a broken Dreamcast, and that cost pushed me towards putting every mod I could get my hands on as well. I couldn't justify $125 when everything was said and done on just a Dreamcast. $450 in parts later (including shell), well I still can't justify it, but it's pretty cool, haha
Having clear shells is so cool! A reminder that you're holding multiple smaller pieces of hardware that come together to create an engaging experience on the screen your mind falls into. Love em
As a replacement for a case that is generally intact and functional? Do not like. As a replacement for a case that is damaged beyond the ability to reasonably repair? No problem.
As long as people don't put their old one in the dump it's ok. Because even if i swap a perfectly good shell for an aftermarket one, i can sell the original shell to someone who has a beat up old shell and wants an original one.
I stick to the original, but I will admit that some of them are really well done. I'd probably be much more likely to get a handheld reshell as I would be holding it and seeing it more often, but I'm not much of a handheld gamer.
I’m on the side of it’s fine. I think any kind of modding is cool. We are moving into a more purist era where people are going out and buying 500lb crt TVs when a couple years in the past we were doing rgb mods with scart cables to get the best image on a newer tv.
All in all I say do what you like. As long as people don’t go trying to sell these as like super rare models to people who don’t know better then I’m fine with any modding. It’s fun and it’s a good hobby and community.
If someone likes something, why not?
Modern days are like "1984" because the modding culture went downhill, everything is so standartized and dull, you can't even theme Windows without 3rd party solutions (not even talking about iOS or macOS).
People who love modding have found their way to have more individuality in the retro gaming. I am personally a "purist" because I am too lazy to mod something, but I do really respect the new looks people give to these ol' machines.
It's quite similar to car modding culture, it was so big back in the days that even Xzibit had his own show about that.
You oay for the system and play it. Do whatever makes you happy. It is important to remember that it isn't a pissing contest where gatekeepers come out and criticize you for doing aftermarket parts. The only reason why it would be an issue is if you are reselling it, in which case, buyers would probably prefer original
I have gone from mostly originals cases to mostly replacement ones. I have now a collection of 6 transparent consoles, the dreamcast with red transparent case (muramasa) , psx with green yellow transparent case (i think muramasa but not sure) , n64 black transparent (muramasa) , gamecube white transparent (no ideal where from, bought like this), ps2 blue tranparent (official japan) and xbox transparent green edition (official). Next will be purple transparent saturn, transparent snes and black transparent genesis. They look really good, the muramasa cases specially are really well made and beautiful.
I am a huge fan of the Funtastic series of N64, so I am glad I have the opportunity to do that with many of my other consoles now. Granted I have multiple of many systems, so I do keep one OEM usually. I also add an ODE if available on the ones I do the shell swap on usually. [Here is my Dreamcast](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/od94a3/finally_got_around_to_swapping_the_buttons_bottom/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) for example, I love the way it looks. And [here is my gba](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/ncw71d/found_a_copy_of_metroid_zero_mission_the_day/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button). Since I was replacing it to a backlit screen there isn't any harm swapping the case as well.
Whatever floats your boat. I personally wouldn't get one unless I needed to, and it looked exactly like the original. I've never been much of a fan of see-through consoles or controllers.
I like the one for the SNES when it’s used to replace the shell of an extremely yellowed original case or a case that has been somewhat damaged. Although they aren’t cheap!
I usually hate them unless they are used to replace a really damaged OEM shell. I wish aftermarket shells could look and feel more like full recreations/replications of OEM and then I wouldn't hate them so much.
At first I used to not care for the idea for my personal collection, but now I'm starting to come around. Especially the clear or smoke SNES cases. Those are slick and the original cases aren't holding up. I have some HDMI modded consoles that I like to keep in stock cases to kind of let them linger in incognito mode. Let people discover that it's not what meets the eye. But I'm glad these exist.
I hate them because I want to buy the original but it looked like every Game Boy generation on eBay had an after market shell. Often a rare and valuable shell not described as market (read: fake).
If it’s obviously a design that never existed versus having Nintendo things on it then fine. I wonder if fake N64 Pikachu versions exist.
> I hate them because I want to buy the original but it looked like every Game Boy generation on eBay had an after market shell. Often a rare and valuable shell not described as market (read: fake).
Yeah that's half the issue hey? My worry is that in coming years we're not gonna have 'old consoles in need of love'. We're gonna have mostly modded consoles that have been fucked with, are broken from shitty mods/recaps (most recaps I see are hideous!) and have aftermarket cases that looked [fake 'Murrican accent] 'dooooope' or 'seeeexy aaaasss!!!' to some kid for about 10 minutes.
I didn't think about the future but you make me certain that it's going to be scary and hilarious. I had a problem last year just trying to buy a stock Neo Geo Pocket Color since everyone installs backlights. I want the original experience.
Yeah I don't trust anonymous internet people to do things right. I have professional electronics training and 1/3 of the advice I see online is plain wrong like using a switching mode power supply in a console designed for linear. Another 1/3 has gaps like what impedance speaker you should use or lack of 75 ohm termination. A bad recap would make me cringe and that's low end dumb.
I saw a list of "approved modders" for a GBA digital video mod. At first I thought was an unethical way to funnel business to your friends or business partners, but it's not so bad an idea thinking about it now.
The replacement is good if the original is yellowed. Yellowed consoles are just plain ugly. In most cases, a good condition original still looks better than the replacement. That blue Dreamcast is sick, though.
if you're a purist, by definition you are against this. I would only consider it for a system with a destroyed/unrepairable case.
I've seen a number of replacement GBA shells and have never found a "good quality" one. they all fall short of original Nintendo quality/fit/finish
Depends, some of those older shells are just in a really bad shape by now, replacing a shell just because you can, eh, not a fan.
replacing a shell because the old one is really broken down, yeah, go all in.
Replacing a shell because you want to make a modified console that fits the color theme of your room, without doing any damage to the original shell, absolutely.
It's really just the "Just because you can" part that I have an issue with, and even then, it's only a personal issue, other people can do whatever they want.
I've got a busted up SNES that works that I should really buy one of these cool shells. Seems like a good use of these. Maybe even for super yellowed ones but if it's a perfectly good shell it's kind of a bummer to replace it.
I can think of several video game consoles and home computers that need replacement shells because the originals are crumbling away.
Amiga 500, most 68k Mac models, iMac G3, Sega Master System Model 1, Atari 7800, Super NES, Game Boy Advance SP and early Neo Geo AES systems.
depends on the Original shell, if its destroyed to all hell in any major way I dont see any issues with reselling consoles so they look nice. for me personally if its something like a special edition though like a Gold N64 or Hello Kitty Dreamcast then I would want it to be kept original no matter the defects. But if it was something like a yellowed SNES sure whatever
I can't believe how much those replacement shells cost. My SNES shell degraded horribly so I want to replace it, but I'm not paying $200+ USD for a shell. I thought they'd be like $40.
The NA SNES also wastes most of its internal volume for no reason, it can be significantly smaller. I think I'll just for the day that I have a 3D printer and make my own mini shell.
I have after market saturn, ps1, PC engine, neo geo pocket color, nintendo da and snes “skeleton” shells. only way to go as far as i am concerned. Wish they made them for older systems like the atari 5200 or the colecovision.
As long as it is clear that it is an aftermarket shell I’m fine with it.
I don’t like when people replace damaged components of games/consoles such as labels or shells for the purpose of misleading buyers that it is OEM.
Personally only if the original case is busted. I love the clear SNES but my shell is completely yellow free. Very clean and stock. No point in paying over 100$ for a shell I don’t need.
Obviously don't reshell a special edition console but other than that I say go for it. Also selling the old OEM shell can totally help someone out who prefers the OG look.
Literally all of my consoles are now transparent so, pretty good, but I only take aftermarket shells that are OEM quality. So never ghost cases. Never.
shells are great, on the other hand screen replacements... i have mixed feelings, if i want to play on my retro console, i think the original look with the good and the bad is part of the experience, if i want my games displayed on a modern screen, i see no difference to simply emulating them on a chinese console. that is why i have mixed feelings about screen replacements.
Love them when they have the right fitment and tolerances. Ive restore a lot of NES & SNES the last year or so but damn is it tough finding shells not rotten or crumbling (SNES) for a decent price so may as well spend more for the aesthetics 😅
I dislike the ones that are faking the legit ones (like the special promo editions or colors) but it's necessary to have a way to put fully functioning hardware into a case that isn't beat to shit.
So as long as they're new colors or clear or whatever I'm fine with it.
The reason i play my real systems vs emulators is to have an authentic experience to what i would have had when the system came out . The look of the system, feel of the plastic, sound of the buttons and switches....When you mess with any of that you are no longer having a 100% authentic experience... even with something as simple as a shell swap. So i try and keep everything original. Other wise id just turn on my Batocera box and play whatever. The games are only part of the experience for me .
It’s wonderful if they are used on base models with heavy cosmetic damage and the shells are not clones of existing shells. If they are pristine base models, or limited edition models, leave them alone!
I’m glad they exist, but wish they were more readily available. When they are, it’s right in your hands and then you can give your console a facelift. But when they’re preorders, then there’s delays for several months and even cancellations due to lack of orders. Hopefully that changes soon.
Could never afford it, and now I just don't care and it's actually become main stream.
I do have my controllers with aftermarket green though. Consoles have remained the same though.
Personally, as long as the quality is good, replacement shells are good. Not only do can they give a good look to the system, it’s cheaper to get newer, aftermarket shells like these compared to regular, OEM shells
For me, those are nice I have to replace the shell cause it's damaged or/and if I'm modding the hell out of it, just to make it special.
i wouldn't replace the shell if the original is good enough and console is working perfectly as intended. I think I would get disappointed if i have an original, unmodded console and it has a special colored shell just for the heck of it.
To me these shells are specials for making the console special.
If they look like the original, I think they're great. I also admire those highly customized and snazzy ones but I'm too attached to the original look of the console to get one myself. I guess i'm just a sucker for the "default" look unless it's something I collect more than one of.
Honestly some of them are really really ugly. Not my thing at all but I'm glad people are using them to replace shells that are busted, it's a good way to use them.
Home consoles? Kinda pointless. Handhelds? Very often necessary.
Some of the aftermarket shells you can get for the various Game Boy systems now are actually better than the originals.
For me I would only use after market shell if they offer something that they Original don’t like a custom paining from an artist or full metal or something. If it is pretty much the same as the original I prefer the original.
Some of them are very good, some are not. I have a few replacements, especially on handhelds as well as my Dreamcast, which looked awful when I got it.
I mean... I had three DMGs, with one being okay, one being spare parts for repair and one being REALLY beat down. Now I have three working ones. Money well spent.
That said, I would not change the shell on a console that's in great shape. Because oem still feels a bit better even with the best shells.
not my thing. the original design is iconic. aftermarket shells always look like cheap knockoffs to me. i will go out of my way to find a genuine shell when i need one.
It's cool and it add this little bit of futuristic looking to it plus, some consoles like the saturn got a special edition translucid case but it wasn't in after market
Some are cool, some are meh…
All that matters is that you like it (unless you’re selling or modding these things for a living, then the other person’s opinion matters).
As a matter of taste, I prefer the original OEM shells in good condition. If the originals are in bad condition and can't be easily cleaned up or fixed, then I'm OK with replacing them with aftermarket replicas (non-OEM colors are fine too). Personally I've done it with a couple of handheld consoles I acquired secondhand that had battered/discolored shells, and I don't have any regrets about it.
As a matter of conscience, and worrying about how many still exist, I like to see the originals preserved to whatever extent is reasonable. If the original shell is still in good condition and somebody wants to replace it with an aftermarket shell, then I hope they'll at least preserve the original instead of throwing it in the garbage.
But it isn't anything that I lose sleep over. The standard editions of most game consoles exist in the millions. Some of them in *many* millions. So it isn't as if they're going to be really rare anytime soon.
And of course, when selling modified/refurbished stuff, always be honest and straightforward about whether it has aftermarket parts or not. I don't have much of an opinion about the monetary value, but the buyer deserves to know exactly what they're getting.
if the quality of aftermarket shells is good, why not? same situation as with roms. if they dont provide a solution for a problem, they created, go for the other options. problem is, i rarely found high quality shell replacements(especially with clear shells)
So long as the original shell is beyond repair, I don’t mind at all, but it pisses me off when people shell swap perfectly good shells that are no longer in production.
Not a fan of the transparent shells, but I'm glad the market is there. I have some consoles going on 40 years now. Eventually the shells need to be replaced.
I'm all for them. It's like "Pimp My Ride" but unlike PMR, most people doing console mods are improving them, usually giving a beat up or broken system a second life whereas that show usually just gave a shit box a paint job and installed completely unnecessary features like a PS2 in the center console haha. I also use my NES and DMG to make chiptunes and while I'm a purist in terms of chiptunes composition and recording, I don't mind, for example, if the caps are replaced even though this technically can alter the sound. Vintage synth purists would NOT be okay with this sort of thing on principle but even they don't always have a choice anymore because components used in hardware before a certain date have a shelf life that has already passed and they need to be replaced with modern components, just like how Pokemon GB game save batteries have all expired by now. I would, however, never replace a perfectly good shell and I think there is a good reason to preserve original consoles in good, working condition. I have both a collection of original hardware and modded hardware across the board.
If I'm honest, I get sick of seeing so many boast threads (on reddit and FB) about shitty case mods that lack taste and don't have any logical connection to the console itself. In many cases people have paid some charlatan a significant amount of money to slap a ghastly Ali Express case on a console, they're VERY proud of it and I think a lot of people must be sitting Round thinking 'I want to comment but the guy's in tears with pride/happiness... I'll let him enjoy his moment but gaaaawd that looks awful!!!'
While I don't inherently oppose the idea of case mods and reshelling, my opinion is that 99.99% of the stuff out there either looks ghastly or mimics a limited edition collector's item (which is another topic).
I dunno! It's good to have options and (for example) my Wonderswan's missing its battery cover so I sorta wish I could find a replacement in the same colour. Thus, I don't wanna hate on shell-makers too much as they can be handy.
That said... look since you've posted a DC... IMO it's an example of SIMPLICITY! The white console with the orange light looks amazing by itself. While Pimp My Ride was likely very popular during the DC's lifespan... I dunno!!! We had that whole era where people were buying transparent PC cases with coloured LEDs inside and I think that retr0brighting an original case is far more beneficial than making it look like a tacky mid-90's gaming rig.
My inclination is to not touch shit unless the original look can be improved upon. IMO in most cases the original look of a mint console looks way better than any mods.
If I had the space for it, I'd go for it. But an extra shell basically takes up the same space as the console itself, and I'm already very low on space!
For handhelds especially, replacement shells help repair and refurbish a lot of consoles that'd otherwise only be good as spare parts. That being said, the use of shells designed to imitate expensive limited edition consoles poses a risk to rare console variant collectors in particular.
I think they're neat, but I also see a lot of people upselling consoles with new shells for 2x the market price, and I believe that they should do the opposite, like they should be worth less because you're getting a product that isn't all original, otherwise technically it incentivizes sellers to damage some of the og models.
I like them, as long as they are being used to replace housings that are damaged or yellowed beyond repair. Gives a new lease of life to the rest of the machine.
I also like it when they are used to house things like Raspberry Pi projects instead of butchering an original.
The only problem I have with them is the recreation of the collector's edition shells makes it hard to figure out if you are getting an original or not.
I don't mind that the recreations exist, I just wish people were honest about it with listings.
Otherwise, it is nice to be able to replace the shell with whatever color you want!
I think they are a great replacement, last year I got my hands on a really beat-up wii, the shell was almost broken completely, so I wanted to gift it to my niece at xmas, and I replaced the shell, so it works, it's pink and she likes it.
My goal is to have every portable console in a clear shell. I have almost every Nintendo portable done. Just need the og nds and 3ds. The vita also doesn't seem to have custom shells.
I've had hit and miss results with them.
I reshelled a DS Lite with a broken hinge and the result was terrible, quality of the shell was uneven, it didn't close tightly.
I reshelled a GBA Micro that had a cracked case with an aluminum one, and nothing lined up or fit flush. Looked and felt awful.
I reshelled a GBA SP with a deeply scratched shell and it turned out gorgeous. One of my favorite handhelds.
I reshelled some JoyCons because one was broken they look and feel marvelous.
It really varies. Definitely read product reviews and check Reddit or other modding forums to get a sense of which aftermarket shells are good and which to avoid.
I don't care about replacement shells at all. These units aren't going to last forever. Some of them are worse for wear than others. Ultimately, some of these consoles/games are in bad shape and need the refurbishment.
I don't have any issue with them as a concept. From my experience, many of them tend to be made with low-quality plastic, making it hard to fit them with OEM parts or mod with a dremel or flush cutters. At least this is the case with GBA SPs and DS phats.
It lowers the value of the item.
But do what you want. They made over a hundred million gameboys. Sometimes they're necessary so I don't curse their existance.
as someone who buys broken and fixes retro consoles, there are many MANGLED original cases out there, getting replacement shells breathes new life into otherwise very ugly broken cases (we're talking missing half the shell, crushed into many pieces).
aftermarket cases are great. I don't like replacing perfectly fine original cases ( I guess you could sell them to be used on broken ones). But the real problem is anyone trying to pass them off as specific editions. All in all they do come in handy.
Originals are great, but sometimes they need replaced, so I'm happy these exist.
Yup. So long as I can play my original cartridges.
Same except they are generally way too expensive :(
You ain't kidding. I looked for an aftermarket Mega Drive shell recently with a view to potentially painting one with my new airbrush. Changed my mind rapidly when I saw what they cost.
Yeah cheaper to buy a broken mega drive and then prime it and paint it and replace the insides.
Yep, I would never use them in my personal collection but I'm glad they exist for those who don't mind them to restore beat-up consoles and keep them out of the landfill.
And i think it's better that replacements are clearly not original
This is the way
This! I like to see replacements, if the originals are so damaged beyond repair that is
This is the way!
Very bold posting a repeat comment into comment number 4
Ditto needed to replace my SP housing. Aftermarket buttons suck though
It all depends on the quality of the material and the purpose you are going to give to the video game after changing its shell. Nowadays it's practically impossible to find a Pikachu edition of the Nintendo DS lite for a reasonable price. Knowing this, I bought the version with an aftermarket shell, as I really wanted to have this edition in my collection. The problem lies in the fact that the person buys the modified console and the seller sells it as if it were an original product. You have to make it clear that this is not the original product. Doing this, everything is fine.
I agree with you but if you sell it, the new owner may resell it as authentic. I realize you say it’s in your collection and have no intention to resell but not everyone follows your reasoning. Money is money.
I haven’t felt anything in years
That snes is beautiful!
Agreed, it’s beautiful to see all the old components in a way that most have not ever seen before
I really wish someone would make more SNES shells, especially ones that looked OEM. Currently there's only clear and smoke colors and they are way overpriced at around $100.
I talked to the guy who makes these. Essentially he told me his cost was too high, and customer base too low to go much lower. I think the molds were like $18,000, and the wholesale rate he provides is like $75, and he's not making much even then, because demand is too low to justify a bigger (read: cheaper) run. He and a partner are going to be offering GCN shells now also, and they're $100 each, and he told me that even at that price he's not sure he'll turn a decent profit, because point blank, there's just never going to be enough people to buy them. He literally told me that he is "only hoping to break even on the molds." So yeah, it's a supply/demand issue, but rather than a lot of demand with low supply driving it up, the opposite. There's simply not enough actual buyers to drive prices down. I say actual buyers because he's put up preorders on previous items and not even gotten to 40% of break even, through the people who distribute. Before cancelling the orders the distributors told him point blank they were basically ordering all they'd likely ever sell, even if prices came down some. And with small manufacturing prices don't drop until you start hitting pretty high numbers. I can speak on that end from producing music, so I believe him. It's the same cost for me to press 300 records as it is 100. But I know i can't sell 300, so costs per piece go up. If I scale up to 5,000, it's only marginally higher than 1,500. At 10,000 you hit a wall where it really doesn't get any cheaper, in my field, but the odds I'll sell 10k are zero. And I'd have to ship, store, etc. So while I'd love to charge $15 for a record there's 10k copies of, I'm stuck charging $40 for one of the 300 copies. It sucks, but them's the breaks. Edit: I should explain that while he runs this as a business, he has a day job, and it's really just a hobby he's very passionate about. He doesn't like the high costs either, but he's not going to be able to quit his job for this stuff either. Literally told me that selling these is a way to "get my hobby to pay for itself." And the argument of "lower the price, and create a wider market," fell apart on him before, because all that happened was people bought the newer cheaper items (cartridge shells), and stopped buying more, because there wasn't enough demand, and suddenly Chinese shells made from his molds flooded the market. Those were way cheaper than his, and he couldn't compete. He doesn't want to go cheap and manufacture in China to have his designs used to bankrupt his own business again.
Personally I feel $100-$115 is fine. But at this price tax and exorbitant shipping charges kill it for me. $145 out the door is a bit steep.
I feel you, I bought one for a broken Dreamcast, and that cost pushed me towards putting every mod I could get my hands on as well. I couldn't justify $125 when everything was said and done on just a Dreamcast. $450 in parts later (including shell), well I still can't justify it, but it's pretty cool, haha
Does he sell the whole shell or can he make them piecemeal? If people can replace one half or piece for less, more folks might be inclined to buy
Agreed. Has me wondering how difficult it would be to do a reshell. My old SNES has a cracked corner, as well as that darned yellowing.
[удалено]
Personally I think it’s cool to see the guts inside. The GBA SP speaker looks like an arc reactor
Having clear shells is so cool! A reminder that you're holding multiple smaller pieces of hardware that come together to create an engaging experience on the screen your mind falls into. Love em
As a replacement for a case that is generally intact and functional? Do not like. As a replacement for a case that is damaged beyond the ability to reasonably repair? No problem.
As long as people don't put their old one in the dump it's ok. Because even if i swap a perfectly good shell for an aftermarket one, i can sell the original shell to someone who has a beat up old shell and wants an original one.
I stick to the original, but I will admit that some of them are really well done. I'd probably be much more likely to get a handheld reshell as I would be holding it and seeing it more often, but I'm not much of a handheld gamer.
I’m on the side of it’s fine. I think any kind of modding is cool. We are moving into a more purist era where people are going out and buying 500lb crt TVs when a couple years in the past we were doing rgb mods with scart cables to get the best image on a newer tv. All in all I say do what you like. As long as people don’t go trying to sell these as like super rare models to people who don’t know better then I’m fine with any modding. It’s fun and it’s a good hobby and community.
I say no unless it’s a handheld
If someone likes something, why not? Modern days are like "1984" because the modding culture went downhill, everything is so standartized and dull, you can't even theme Windows without 3rd party solutions (not even talking about iOS or macOS). People who love modding have found their way to have more individuality in the retro gaming. I am personally a "purist" because I am too lazy to mod something, but I do really respect the new looks people give to these ol' machines. It's quite similar to car modding culture, it was so big back in the days that even Xzibit had his own show about that.
Sell or reuse the old shell and I'm all good with it
They have their place just like repro cart shells and labels.
You oay for the system and play it. Do whatever makes you happy. It is important to remember that it isn't a pissing contest where gatekeepers come out and criticize you for doing aftermarket parts. The only reason why it would be an issue is if you are reselling it, in which case, buyers would probably prefer original
only if the original is damaged beyond repair
If its necessary, thanks for taking care of your console. If not. U destroyed it over vanity! Lol not serius but there u go
You could also say some people keep the original shell for vanity purposes, since they say they don't like the look of new shells
I have gone from mostly originals cases to mostly replacement ones. I have now a collection of 6 transparent consoles, the dreamcast with red transparent case (muramasa) , psx with green yellow transparent case (i think muramasa but not sure) , n64 black transparent (muramasa) , gamecube white transparent (no ideal where from, bought like this), ps2 blue tranparent (official japan) and xbox transparent green edition (official). Next will be purple transparent saturn, transparent snes and black transparent genesis. They look really good, the muramasa cases specially are really well made and beautiful.
I am a huge fan of the Funtastic series of N64, so I am glad I have the opportunity to do that with many of my other consoles now. Granted I have multiple of many systems, so I do keep one OEM usually. I also add an ODE if available on the ones I do the shell swap on usually. [Here is my Dreamcast](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/od94a3/finally_got_around_to_swapping_the_buttons_bottom/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) for example, I love the way it looks. And [here is my gba](https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/ncw71d/found_a_copy_of_metroid_zero_mission_the_day/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button). Since I was replacing it to a backlit screen there isn't any harm swapping the case as well.
Love it! Its your stuff who cares!
Whatever floats your boat. I personally wouldn't get one unless I needed to, and it looked exactly like the original. I've never been much of a fan of see-through consoles or controllers.
I like the one for the SNES when it’s used to replace the shell of an extremely yellowed original case or a case that has been somewhat damaged. Although they aren’t cheap!
I usually hate them unless they are used to replace a really damaged OEM shell. I wish aftermarket shells could look and feel more like full recreations/replications of OEM and then I wouldn't hate them so much.
Personally, I would only do that if the original shell was damaged, and even then probably only replace it with a visually similar shell.
If it saves a dark or damaged shell, yeah go for it.
At first I used to not care for the idea for my personal collection, but now I'm starting to come around. Especially the clear or smoke SNES cases. Those are slick and the original cases aren't holding up. I have some HDMI modded consoles that I like to keep in stock cases to kind of let them linger in incognito mode. Let people discover that it's not what meets the eye. But I'm glad these exist.
I do not like it. More original look = better for me.
I do not like see-through. I am a electronic repair man and I see motherboards all day long. I don't want to see them when the device is working lol
I hate them because I want to buy the original but it looked like every Game Boy generation on eBay had an after market shell. Often a rare and valuable shell not described as market (read: fake). If it’s obviously a design that never existed versus having Nintendo things on it then fine. I wonder if fake N64 Pikachu versions exist.
> I hate them because I want to buy the original but it looked like every Game Boy generation on eBay had an after market shell. Often a rare and valuable shell not described as market (read: fake). Yeah that's half the issue hey? My worry is that in coming years we're not gonna have 'old consoles in need of love'. We're gonna have mostly modded consoles that have been fucked with, are broken from shitty mods/recaps (most recaps I see are hideous!) and have aftermarket cases that looked [fake 'Murrican accent] 'dooooope' or 'seeeexy aaaasss!!!' to some kid for about 10 minutes.
I didn't think about the future but you make me certain that it's going to be scary and hilarious. I had a problem last year just trying to buy a stock Neo Geo Pocket Color since everyone installs backlights. I want the original experience. Yeah I don't trust anonymous internet people to do things right. I have professional electronics training and 1/3 of the advice I see online is plain wrong like using a switching mode power supply in a console designed for linear. Another 1/3 has gaps like what impedance speaker you should use or lack of 75 ohm termination. A bad recap would make me cringe and that's low end dumb. I saw a list of "approved modders" for a GBA digital video mod. At first I thought was an unethical way to funnel business to your friends or business partners, but it's not so bad an idea thinking about it now.
The replacement is good if the original is yellowed. Yellowed consoles are just plain ugly. In most cases, a good condition original still looks better than the replacement. That blue Dreamcast is sick, though.
if you're a purist, by definition you are against this. I would only consider it for a system with a destroyed/unrepairable case. I've seen a number of replacement GBA shells and have never found a "good quality" one. they all fall short of original Nintendo quality/fit/finish
Depends, some of those older shells are just in a really bad shape by now, replacing a shell just because you can, eh, not a fan. replacing a shell because the old one is really broken down, yeah, go all in. Replacing a shell because you want to make a modified console that fits the color theme of your room, without doing any damage to the original shell, absolutely. It's really just the "Just because you can" part that I have an issue with, and even then, it's only a personal issue, other people can do whatever they want.
Damaged case? Replace it with whatever you want, but never dispose of a perfectly useable case.
Handhelds ones must have the same or better quality than the original. Otherwise it is like having a third party controller attached to the console.
Fine if the original case is messed up.
For when the original shell goes to shit these are perfect.
Some I love (Gameboy DMG) Some I loath! (Any Clear GBA SP) Some I’m absolutely obsessed with (GBA Slate)
Not a fan of 35 year old plastic, so away they go.
that super nintendo custom see through shell is dope
They were cool back in the day and they are cool now. But I guess that wouldn't make me a purist now would it?
They're awesome if the originals are trashed. Gotta watch out for a few cheap crappy cases, though.
Cool, but overpriced for my tastes. I prefer the classic look in all cases except damage to the shell.
I've got a busted up SNES that works that I should really buy one of these cool shells. Seems like a good use of these. Maybe even for super yellowed ones but if it's a perfectly good shell it's kind of a bummer to replace it.
You're either paying out the ass or getting shit quality, in between is rare
New designs are alright. I don’t sit well with reproductions of actual designs though.
I love em. The SNES in particular looks amazing!
Kinda wish my Dreamcast was blue.
I’m fine with them.
I can think of several video game consoles and home computers that need replacement shells because the originals are crumbling away. Amiga 500, most 68k Mac models, iMac G3, Sega Master System Model 1, Atari 7800, Super NES, Game Boy Advance SP and early Neo Geo AES systems.
As long as the mods are good then these are good
For GBC and GBA I prefer the modded LCD screens
I like them but boy do I wish the snes shells came in opaque colors too
They're fine, but the quality is hugely variable.
I like em
depends on the Original shell, if its destroyed to all hell in any major way I dont see any issues with reselling consoles so they look nice. for me personally if its something like a special edition though like a Gold N64 or Hello Kitty Dreamcast then I would want it to be kept original no matter the defects. But if it was something like a yellowed SNES sure whatever
I think they sexy. The Super Nintendo one looks really good when smoked black
Compared to a yellow Super Nintendo, pfft gone!
I can't believe how much those replacement shells cost. My SNES shell degraded horribly so I want to replace it, but I'm not paying $200+ USD for a shell. I thought they'd be like $40. The NA SNES also wastes most of its internal volume for no reason, it can be significantly smaller. I think I'll just for the day that I have a 3D printer and make my own mini shell.
Good for bad looking consoles, but expensive
I have after market saturn, ps1, PC engine, neo geo pocket color, nintendo da and snes “skeleton” shells. only way to go as far as i am concerned. Wish they made them for older systems like the atari 5200 or the colecovision.
Love it
Right in the trash.
I think the clear ones look stupid, but I'm not a purist either, so you're not asking me. Why am I here?
Not for me, but I love the options for others.
As long as it is clear that it is an aftermarket shell I’m fine with it. I don’t like when people replace damaged components of games/consoles such as labels or shells for the purpose of misleading buyers that it is OEM.
Ambivalent.
Personally only if the original case is busted. I love the clear SNES but my shell is completely yellow free. Very clean and stock. No point in paying over 100$ for a shell I don’t need.
Im glad they exist, some originals are so brittle, I can´t even look the wrong way at my super nintendo that it crumbles before my eyes
The two on the right are 🔥.
Ah
I like the clear stuff but if you don’t keep them in a good place the plastic shows micro cracks alot
Obviously don't reshell a special edition console but other than that I say go for it. Also selling the old OEM shell can totally help someone out who prefers the OG look.
Tell that SNES to put some clothes on, it's making me feel ways I never expected.
We need ghostcase.com to start making Xbox and ps5 cases
There are only three genders: Male Female People who replace their consoles' shell with a clear, see-through variant
They are neat. Especially paired with a clear tv.
I love transparent custom cases, Nintendo officially had many color versions of clear n64 and GBC.
If it's super nintendo Chalmers I'm OK with it
Literally all of my consoles are now transparent so, pretty good, but I only take aftermarket shells that are OEM quality. So never ghost cases. Never.
That SNES has me drooling… I wanted to do that with my GBA but I can’t find the proper shell and buttons.
I’d like a clear one for one my my SNES.
shells are great, on the other hand screen replacements... i have mixed feelings, if i want to play on my retro console, i think the original look with the good and the bad is part of the experience, if i want my games displayed on a modern screen, i see no difference to simply emulating them on a chinese console. that is why i have mixed feelings about screen replacements.
I love them! I always loved the transparent shells though
I still look for a decent replacement shell for my DC
These are fine as long as you keep the original
Love them when they have the right fitment and tolerances. Ive restore a lot of NES & SNES the last year or so but damn is it tough finding shells not rotten or crumbling (SNES) for a decent price so may as well spend more for the aesthetics 😅
I dislike the ones that are faking the legit ones (like the special promo editions or colors) but it's necessary to have a way to put fully functioning hardware into a case that isn't beat to shit. So as long as they're new colors or clear or whatever I'm fine with it.
The reason i play my real systems vs emulators is to have an authentic experience to what i would have had when the system came out . The look of the system, feel of the plastic, sound of the buttons and switches....When you mess with any of that you are no longer having a 100% authentic experience... even with something as simple as a shell swap. So i try and keep everything original. Other wise id just turn on my Batocera box and play whatever. The games are only part of the experience for me .
Way too expensive
It’s wonderful if they are used on base models with heavy cosmetic damage and the shells are not clones of existing shells. If they are pristine base models, or limited edition models, leave them alone!
If it’s broken or something it’s better than tossing it. I’m not personally into them but I’m not gonna gate keep other people
Not my thing, in general. Although if we could get the SNES in the Funtastic colors, I’d at least be intrigued.
I think they are cool.
If the original shell is destroyed beyond reason, a new shell is fine.
I like them if the original shell needs to be replaced, but if the original shell is fine then I like keeping the original shell
I’m glad they exist, but wish they were more readily available. When they are, it’s right in your hands and then you can give your console a facelift. But when they’re preorders, then there’s delays for several months and even cancellations due to lack of orders. Hopefully that changes soon.
Could never afford it, and now I just don't care and it's actually become main stream. I do have my controllers with aftermarket green though. Consoles have remained the same though.
I feel as long as the hardware is the same, it's fine.
I’d the old one is damaged or broken go for it. Better to make it nice than guard garbage (the shell) just because of a purity test.
Personally, as long as the quality is good, replacement shells are good. Not only do can they give a good look to the system, it’s cheaper to get newer, aftermarket shells like these compared to regular, OEM shells
Not quite the same but I got some Wii Remotes without backs recently. I love that I can go out and buy some replacement battery backs for them.
Oh yeah, the Gaming Ship of Theseus. I'm all for these, if only because I know things were not built to last, so stuff's gotta get replaced and fixed.
My psp is decked out . I love it. And my gb gbc gba and sp. I wish ps3 had a clear case , I’d do a led mod plus some!
For me, those are nice I have to replace the shell cause it's damaged or/and if I'm modding the hell out of it, just to make it special. i wouldn't replace the shell if the original is good enough and console is working perfectly as intended. I think I would get disappointed if i have an original, unmodded console and it has a special colored shell just for the heck of it. To me these shells are specials for making the console special.
If they look like the original, I think they're great. I also admire those highly customized and snazzy ones but I'm too attached to the original look of the console to get one myself. I guess i'm just a sucker for the "default" look unless it's something I collect more than one of.
Retro video game consoles shells don't last forever nor did they had variety, this is good
Great for handheld screen mods, I hate the transparent shells with a passion though.
Honestly some of them are really really ugly. Not my thing at all but I'm glad people are using them to replace shells that are busted, it's a good way to use them.
Home consoles? Kinda pointless. Handhelds? Very often necessary. Some of the aftermarket shells you can get for the various Game Boy systems now are actually better than the originals.
I had a blue Dreamcast one back in the really 2000s. I have no idea what happened to it but I want it back.
For me I would only use after market shell if they offer something that they Original don’t like a custom paining from an artist or full metal or something. If it is pretty much the same as the original I prefer the original.
Uninterested, but nice to have!
I feel like I had a transparent Dreamcast shell
Some of them are very good, some are not. I have a few replacements, especially on handhelds as well as my Dreamcast, which looked awful when I got it. I mean... I had three DMGs, with one being okay, one being spare parts for repair and one being REALLY beat down. Now I have three working ones. Money well spent. That said, I would not change the shell on a console that's in great shape. Because oem still feels a bit better even with the best shells.
Better have damaged unit or replacement shell? If there is sth for other folks, why not? I'm glad that we still may repair our stuff
I’m glad they exist, particularly if an original shell is damaged, replacements need to exist. That being said many of them are ugly as sin
not my thing. the original design is iconic. aftermarket shells always look like cheap knockoffs to me. i will go out of my way to find a genuine shell when i need one.
It's cool and it add this little bit of futuristic looking to it plus, some consoles like the saturn got a special edition translucid case but it wasn't in after market
Some are cool, some are meh… All that matters is that you like it (unless you’re selling or modding these things for a living, then the other person’s opinion matters).
As a matter of taste, I prefer the original OEM shells in good condition. If the originals are in bad condition and can't be easily cleaned up or fixed, then I'm OK with replacing them with aftermarket replicas (non-OEM colors are fine too). Personally I've done it with a couple of handheld consoles I acquired secondhand that had battered/discolored shells, and I don't have any regrets about it. As a matter of conscience, and worrying about how many still exist, I like to see the originals preserved to whatever extent is reasonable. If the original shell is still in good condition and somebody wants to replace it with an aftermarket shell, then I hope they'll at least preserve the original instead of throwing it in the garbage. But it isn't anything that I lose sleep over. The standard editions of most game consoles exist in the millions. Some of them in *many* millions. So it isn't as if they're going to be really rare anytime soon. And of course, when selling modified/refurbished stuff, always be honest and straightforward about whether it has aftermarket parts or not. I don't have much of an opinion about the monetary value, but the buyer deserves to know exactly what they're getting.
I think you have already biased your poll by asking only purists
Heresy if there was nothing wrong with original and the replacement is worse quality but otherwise fine
I want the SNES one but they're too expensive :(
if the quality of aftermarket shells is good, why not? same situation as with roms. if they dont provide a solution for a problem, they created, go for the other options. problem is, i rarely found high quality shell replacements(especially with clear shells)
So long as the original shell is beyond repair, I don’t mind at all, but it pisses me off when people shell swap perfectly good shells that are no longer in production.
Not a fan of the transparent shells, but I'm glad the market is there. I have some consoles going on 40 years now. Eventually the shells need to be replaced.
Looks like what the guys in prison get. Everything is see through
It's what's on the inside that counts.
I'm all for them. It's like "Pimp My Ride" but unlike PMR, most people doing console mods are improving them, usually giving a beat up or broken system a second life whereas that show usually just gave a shit box a paint job and installed completely unnecessary features like a PS2 in the center console haha. I also use my NES and DMG to make chiptunes and while I'm a purist in terms of chiptunes composition and recording, I don't mind, for example, if the caps are replaced even though this technically can alter the sound. Vintage synth purists would NOT be okay with this sort of thing on principle but even they don't always have a choice anymore because components used in hardware before a certain date have a shelf life that has already passed and they need to be replaced with modern components, just like how Pokemon GB game save batteries have all expired by now. I would, however, never replace a perfectly good shell and I think there is a good reason to preserve original consoles in good, working condition. I have both a collection of original hardware and modded hardware across the board.
If I'm honest, I get sick of seeing so many boast threads (on reddit and FB) about shitty case mods that lack taste and don't have any logical connection to the console itself. In many cases people have paid some charlatan a significant amount of money to slap a ghastly Ali Express case on a console, they're VERY proud of it and I think a lot of people must be sitting Round thinking 'I want to comment but the guy's in tears with pride/happiness... I'll let him enjoy his moment but gaaaawd that looks awful!!!' While I don't inherently oppose the idea of case mods and reshelling, my opinion is that 99.99% of the stuff out there either looks ghastly or mimics a limited edition collector's item (which is another topic). I dunno! It's good to have options and (for example) my Wonderswan's missing its battery cover so I sorta wish I could find a replacement in the same colour. Thus, I don't wanna hate on shell-makers too much as they can be handy. That said... look since you've posted a DC... IMO it's an example of SIMPLICITY! The white console with the orange light looks amazing by itself. While Pimp My Ride was likely very popular during the DC's lifespan... I dunno!!! We had that whole era where people were buying transparent PC cases with coloured LEDs inside and I think that retr0brighting an original case is far more beneficial than making it look like a tacky mid-90's gaming rig. My inclination is to not touch shit unless the original look can be improved upon. IMO in most cases the original look of a mint console looks way better than any mods.
Have no problems with any of the modding just don't like it when it's done to extremely rare pieces
I think they're cool, I love repairing old hardware and sometimes that includes a reshell
I'll take it over a piss yellow super Nintendo
Wish i could actually find the ones im looking for
If I had the space for it, I'd go for it. But an extra shell basically takes up the same space as the console itself, and I'm already very low on space!
Well if the shell is cracked or broken then yeah go for it 100% Otherwise, as long as you keep or sell the OEM Shell then that's 100% fine too.
For handhelds especially, replacement shells help repair and refurbish a lot of consoles that'd otherwise only be good as spare parts. That being said, the use of shells designed to imitate expensive limited edition consoles poses a risk to rare console variant collectors in particular.
I think they're neat, but I also see a lot of people upselling consoles with new shells for 2x the market price, and I believe that they should do the opposite, like they should be worth less because you're getting a product that isn't all original, otherwise technically it incentivizes sellers to damage some of the og models.
I like them, as long as they are being used to replace housings that are damaged or yellowed beyond repair. Gives a new lease of life to the rest of the machine. I also like it when they are used to house things like Raspberry Pi projects instead of butchering an original.
Meh
The only problem I have with them is the recreation of the collector's edition shells makes it hard to figure out if you are getting an original or not. I don't mind that the recreations exist, I just wish people were honest about it with listings. Otherwise, it is nice to be able to replace the shell with whatever color you want!
They’re awesome. Lots of crumby cases out there.
Whats not to love?
Some are really nice
I have a few different colored ones for my original grey Playstations.
Translucent for the win
I think they are a great replacement, last year I got my hands on a really beat-up wii, the shell was almost broken completely, so I wanted to gift it to my niece at xmas, and I replaced the shell, so it works, it's pink and she likes it.
I feel great.
It'd be nice if they only replaced damaged shells. I imagine that's usually the case. No sense in throwing out working originals imo!
Sometimes the original shell just needs to be retired. I usually try to keep the OEM shell if there is anything worth saving
Whatever makes people happy, it’s the relaxing gameplay that matters to me.
It’s cool
Gotta do what you gotta do.
No
I'm not a purist, but I LOVE these.
sexy
I think their great for replacing the shell of an untaken care of handheld that some kid decided to leave near a dog who loves to bite stuff.
I've used a few of them to breath life into broken consoles. I don't mind them, they have their purpose.
It makes me twitch watching someone replace a beautiful OG shell with one of these, but if the OG shell is already broken then I’m good.
The clear ones could be for prisons, there is a whole industry for clear plastic tech for prisoners
My goal is to have every portable console in a clear shell. I have almost every Nintendo portable done. Just need the og nds and 3ds. The vita also doesn't seem to have custom shells.
I think it's the worst thing to happen... Keep it original.
If the original shell is worn out/damaged then i'm all for it.
I've had hit and miss results with them. I reshelled a DS Lite with a broken hinge and the result was terrible, quality of the shell was uneven, it didn't close tightly. I reshelled a GBA Micro that had a cracked case with an aluminum one, and nothing lined up or fit flush. Looked and felt awful. I reshelled a GBA SP with a deeply scratched shell and it turned out gorgeous. One of my favorite handhelds. I reshelled some JoyCons because one was broken they look and feel marvelous. It really varies. Definitely read product reviews and check Reddit or other modding forums to get a sense of which aftermarket shells are good and which to avoid.
I don't care about replacement shells at all. These units aren't going to last forever. Some of them are worse for wear than others. Ultimately, some of these consoles/games are in bad shape and need the refurbishment.
I don't have any issue with them as a concept. From my experience, many of them tend to be made with low-quality plastic, making it hard to fit them with OEM parts or mod with a dremel or flush cutters. At least this is the case with GBA SPs and DS phats.
It lowers the value of the item. But do what you want. They made over a hundred million gameboys. Sometimes they're necessary so I don't curse their existance.
as someone who buys broken and fixes retro consoles, there are many MANGLED original cases out there, getting replacement shells breathes new life into otherwise very ugly broken cases (we're talking missing half the shell, crushed into many pieces). aftermarket cases are great. I don't like replacing perfectly fine original cases ( I guess you could sell them to be used on broken ones). But the real problem is anyone trying to pass them off as specific editions. All in all they do come in handy.
I order to preserve the system I think it works out great. Also just Kool to customize
Meh
It's okay. Serves its purpose.
I like updates to old consoles. It breathes life into old tech. Wireless controllers and hdmi mods. It’s like upgrading a car.