Smashed Super Nintendo Smoke Grey Case Swap Restoration - From a Sad Shell to a Stunning

//This video is proudly sponsored by PCBWay! Whether you're a hobbyist or a professional, PCBWay offers you a wide range of high-quality services including PCB prototyping, PCB assembly, 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding. Thank you to Elaine Hu and the entire PCBWay team for their support!//
In this video, we take on a fun project to reshell a smashhed up Super Nintendo console, replacing the damaged shell with a stylish smoked translucent case! We go through dismantling the old console, testing the hardware, and using a "custom 3D-printed tool" (LOL) to clean the cartridge slot.
Along the way, I noticed that the capacitors may need replacing, but unfortunately, I don't have the right ones on hand. We'll cover that repair in a future video.
Join me for this satisfying SNES restoration, where retro gaming meets "modern" (90's look) upgrade!
If you enjoyed this video and want to support the channel, consider supporting MFS on Patreon at / markfixesstuff or Ko-fi at www.ko-fi.com/.... Your support helps me continue creating retro gaming and computing content!
#SuperNintendo #RetroGaming #ConsoleMods #SNES #ReshellProject #3DPrinting #SmokedTranslucent #RetroRestoration #SNESMods #CapacitorReplacement #GamingDIY #SupportCreatives

[@Acheronus80]

I bought a SNES on release day, from Tandy on Slough High Street ... Damn I'm old!!!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I just turned fifty. We are both becoming dust lol

[@Acheronus80]

@@MarkFixesStuff you're not wrong!! Wish I could find a TV to get my old Grandstand SD-070 working on, or a composite mod,and really show my kids how we gamed in the 70's!

[@FireballXL55]

LOL I was about to mention the 78xx reg screw, then you let us know you had remembered at last.

[@julianbrown1331]

Blimey - such convenient timing! My new SFC case arrived last week… beat me to the building!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Excellent! Are you changing the back panel?

[@johnabbitt690]

Great video, lovely SNES case! I remember back in the day comparing the SNES and MegaDrive. To me, the Sega machine may have been uncensored, but the SNES had better graphics and the digitised speech always sounded better too.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I felt the SNES was a bit more fluid and solid feeling in gameplay. A weird way to describe it, but it felt more official. The Mega Drive felt more edgy though. More punk. Agree on the technical aspects and how it seemed.

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

The cartridge slot on that new shell is bigger than the one on the old shell. Perfect for SNES cartridges from the Americas.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@blitzerblazinoah6838 yes. I forgot to mention the adapter slot!

[@inceptional]

If there was a "watermelon" version of this like the Funtastic N64, I would so love that.

[@squidjam]

There's a red one in AE, but it might be a different shade than what you're talking about.

[@squidjam]

Ah, wait, that's for the US version... There's a purple one for the PAL though.

[@inceptional]

@@squidjam Where can I go to check out the red one?

[@Theseanparker]

Bloody loved the video! And that case... LUSH

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I really can’t stop looking at it.

[@bobbus_74]

I do love a smoky black shell. looks so good. Nice job, Mark

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Cheers Bobbus. So nineties!

[@scottgamedev]

Very nice work, Mark... and pleased to hear you'll be doing the 60Hz dual-oscillator mod so that the machine can achieve its full potential with that flash cart! Plenty of other commenters have also mentioned other hardware quirks to look out for, but are you also going to add Voultar's SNES 2Chip RGB edge enhancer? Unless you've lucked out and have one of the super rare 1CHIP PAL SNES units!

[@emmettturner9452]

The silver [whisper] “back panel” [/whisper] screw threads into the modulator so no need to tack-solder. Just secure and solder normally. Months ago I got a PAL-modded SFC from Thailand with an even worse top shell. What little was left crumbled to bits in my luggage. There wasn’t a single intact screw post and a capacitor even fell off the board. The audio was bad and I pretty much had no cartridge audio for Super Game Boy but that was also the case for the other SFC/SNES consoles I brought back (definitely wasn’t my SGBs). Most of them have frequency mods with a replacement PAL RF modulator installed but this one had a region mod and a RGB to PAL CVBS encoder using the ubiquitous Sony CXA1145P. Still 60hz with no PAL RF. It was definitely a Japanese NTSC GPM-01 board.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Bloody hell. Of course that's a better idea with the modulator! Thank you! The regional differences in those territories "in between" standards are often really interesting. I'm quite keen to do a switchless dual oscillator region mod for this one. With the shell being smashed I didn't feel bad about replacing it.

[@emmettturner9452]

LOL! Well, another tip to ensure power jack alignment is to pin it to the back panel with the adapter plug before soldering it down. Since you have a detachable plug you won’t even have a cord in the way!

[@emmettturner9452]

Oh yeah: These consoles were all gray market imports with warranty stickers by whoever did the conversion back in the day. Most were originally Japanese consoles but one was an American SHVC-CPU-01 that had clearly been through a fire (melted corner). It had the usual frequency mod and bodged-in PAL modulator but the interesting thing was the standard power jack coming out of the left side with a perfectly drilled hole. It was clear they had a drill jig and used the structure around the eject mechanism to consistently align the port before gluing. Back then there was no 220v adapter available for the American consoles, leaving them no better option. The non-standard jack was intended to keep Americans from using an AC NES-002 plug. In Japan the FC/SFC adapter was DC. I don’t know why they didn’t just use a rectifier like PAL systems. The real reason these replacement shells come with the back panel and LED/controller port module is so that they can fit American boards. Yeah: those parts don’t swap.

[@frankowalker4662]

It looks great in that smoked case.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It feels really nice too. some shells can look good and feel a bit plasticky, but this has a really solid heft.

[@frankowalker4662]

@@MarkFixesStuff Cool.

[@geezerdiamond]

That’s a lovely looking case! Well worth the effort. Will you be rescuing the serial number and ID stickers from the bottom of the old case (or making new ones)?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@geezerdiamond I suspect that new ones from Etsy might be in order.

[@lindoran]

I just restored a super famicom with the bitfunx case .. it is my favorite console right now :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I want to do the dual crystal mod so that this one can run all the games at the right speeds and screen sizes. I tried to get a Super Famicom from Japan but the postage put me off in the end.

[@missionpassed4584]

Whenever I watch these snes fix videos I always wonder if it was my old one, had it when it was released, had great fun with it for a few years then my brother got a playstation and it dwarfed it in gaming, so sold it to get more games for the playstation.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Tale as old as the wind. I have similar ones myself.

[@jd213_]

Yeah, I've seen quite a few Super Famicoms with brittle plastic like that. I hope someone comes out with a Master System shell, as some of those can become brittle, too (but at least they can't turn yellow)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I was walking past CeX today and they want £120 for a Master System 1. I really wammt one with the slot... but not that much!

[@SparksNZeros]

@@MarkFixesStuff it might make for a fun video restoring all the lost functionality of the model 2 mastersystem with the mod kits available from consoles unleashed, you can even get a card catcher for playing those games on a model 2 as well

[@griff5476]

Love it. Nice one mate 👍

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Cheers mate!!!! It's a lovely machine. Recap next.

[@BodaScambaits]

Yes! Let’s go!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Snes fans UNITE!

[@ichigen511]

LOL! "Blast processing seems to be involved in the damage." Well played fine sir! I wonder if we're ever going to see that Sega vs Nintendo docu-movie that was talked about years ago.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I'd love to see that.

[@Alexander-jo7tu]

I'm pretty sure you're aware but just in case - pay attention to that C59 cap because it was a 'factory defect' of SNSP-01 boards as they included a polarised cap on that 12v circuit. Nintendo fixed that on later SNSP-02 revisions. The best solution is to replace it with a non-polarised one of the same rating. My previous SNES died after that leakage caused it to smoke underneath. Luckily, the one that I currently own already came in with that cap replaced.

[@marcpearson2913]

Nice vlog footage of Blackwater Aldi there!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

WE ARE OPENING CHECKOUT 3

[@Vortagh]

Looks like the screws might actually not be Philips, but JIS. Great video!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I can never really tell. I know the JIS screws sometimes have a dot, but that's where my observational skills end.

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

"Violence it is from now on." Pretty much sums up the Warring Twenties.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Unfortunately yes.

[@steven-vn9ui]

I think those screw are JIS, not phillips. They used to use them in Japanese RC stuff back in the day.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I said to another comment that I can't really tell the difference. I know I had trouble with the supplied screwdriver.

[@squidjam]

Could the controller be fixed with the 8bitdo replacement PCB? It would be cool to have matching shells for the controllers 😍

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Funny you say this. I was considering a 8bitdo grey wireless controller! a.aliexpress.com/_Eu80GP7

[@InfiniteLoop]

it would be really nice if y ou could get that style shell that worked with the US style SNES, I hate the way the US model looks compared to the Euro / Japanese case.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I agree ☝️

[@InfiniteLoop]

personally I would have painted the heat sinks a Flat Black to they didn't stand out so much,

[@colincurrie9151]

Nice. Can the top plates of the shell be removed / changed like the original? I think it would look good with the original top plates on it.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@colincurrie9151 Yes. Done people have done that. Obviously the original here is too manky.

[@Stefan_Payne]

The Two Barrel Jack Connectors I suspect are slightly different and are included because one is for the PAL SNES and the other one is for the SUper Famicom. That would be my guess...

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I genuinely think they are identical. No idea why there are two.

[@Stefan_Payne]

@@MarkFixesStuff oh, the Super Famicoms and PAL SNES Plugs are in fact almost identical and just checked, the outer diameter is the same... THe difference is that one has a smaller nibble than the other one... THere is an easy trick to verify that: take out your Mega Drive 1 Power Plug (such as the 1602-18 and plug it in. If it fits, its the Famicom one (and for Super Famicoms in EU that is a legitimate way to use them), if it doesn't its the SNES one. The other way around sadly works (=SNES AC Plug) works in both, kinda, somewhat...

[@fattomandeibu]

Normally, I'm not big on case replacements, but yes, that was a requirement on this occasion. That also brings me to the fact that those things must be near indestructible. Despite the ubiquity of the things, it is the only game console that I've never witnessed a broken example of. The worst I've had to deal with, not counting actual physical destruction with a hammer or something, in all my years and probably 100s of SNES consoles I've dealt with is a dirty cartridge slot.

[@Daz555Daz]

1992 - crazy how late we got the SNES in the UK. Playstation arrived only 3 years later.

[@danielson9579]

I think that board needs a dip in the ultra sonic cleaner 🙂

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It’s in storage I’m sorry to say. Most of the gear is now packed up!

[@mbob4337]

I like that the shell makes the system accept US SNES carts. So I could buy this to replace my US system shell too. That's probably why it comes with a controller port replacement. The US LED light is on the front, and wouldn't work.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Maybe? I’ve not got a US SNES. I’m not sure the motherboard is the same shape? It is wider for the squarer US carts for sure

[@Mrshoujo]

I would take on the challenge to super glue / epoxy those broken pieces & fix the shell.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@Mrshoujo I’m waiting here with the glue pot!

[@frankowalker4662]

Speaking of a couple of tools at 10:20, where are Terry and Dave during all this hard work ?

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

They're helping Kim Justice move home.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@blitzerblazinoah6838 No. That's a cover story. They;re in Turkish Jail... again.

[@frankowalker4662]

@@MarkFixesStuff That makes more sense.

[@lindoran]

The Japanese boards require the whole back peg to be clipped off it's a problem with different boards revisions being slightly different

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I think the shell is great and much better quality than some other replacement shell kits for other consoles. Things like you mention here are going to crop up I guess. I can't moan too much!

[@fueledbyregret]

Feel free to make use of your big tip anytime. Got to get the job done properly ;)

[@frankowalker4662]

17:45 The most frightening game I ever played in my youth.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@frankowalker4662 the original survival horror!!!!

[@frankowalker4662]

@@MarkFixesStuff Definately. I still play it on my (nearly) original 81.

[@johnnythefixer]

I just bought some Vessel Megadora 900 screwdrivers, which are JIS ( Japanese Industry Standard ) Maybe they would be good for working on these consoles ? They do seem to be a lot more grippier than standard Philips screwdrivers

[@MarkFixesStuff]

do they have a ridged tip?

[@johnnythefixer]

@@MarkFixesStuff Yes

[@SparksNZeros]

this model needs C59 replaced with a bipolar equivalent to prevent damage to the board as it often leaks and kills the cpu, just for when you get around to it :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@SparksNZeros Thank you for this information. I’m actually ordering the caps myself rather than getting a kit.

[@GeirSandstad]

Oh, we know who did it, don't we...Mark? 😊

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Genuine answer is that Alan Hammerton (editor on Fusion Magazine) gave it to me in this state. I think it was from a job lot of "junk consoles" and he was clearing out his workshop. He also gave me a couple of spares boards with various bits missing. I'm balming Sonic though.

[@GeirSandstad]

Ok... 😊

[@preferredimage]

Nice shell. I think its a shame to cover up the board. Definitely consider a traco instead of 7805 and ditch the heatsink and RF shield.

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

You should get your hands on a Hong Kong SNES PAL Version console. A very interesting official variant.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

So 60hz PAL??

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

@@MarkFixesStuff A Japanese Super Famicom with PAL SNES branding and a 50/60 Hz switch by the back cable jacks.

[@Melechtna]

You think THAT'S ridiculously over engineered? Don't open a switch controller, ever. Absolute nightmare it is.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I’ve done the kids switch controllers a few times due to stick drift. Yeah. Nintendo do love a puzzle!

[@Melechtna]

@@MarkFixesStuff I've known complex 3D puzzles that are less likely to just destroy itself, at least puzzles are designed with the process being reversible in mind.

[@JoseBrisenoJr-hj1pu]

A USB c mod and HDMI mod and led lights mod and active memory capacity upgrade

[@talideon]

Of course this would involve Mark fingering his slot...

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Every crevice needs cleaning 🧽

[@KrunchyTheClown78]

Why did the US get a different looking SNES? The PAL version looks so much nicer.

[@talideon]

'90s 'tude.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

The PAL version is just the Japanese Super Famicom shell so I suppose they must have felt that it wouldn’t do well in the US market? I agree by the way. I think the Japanese and PAL system styling is much more sophisticated looking and the US version looks more like a toy. Maybe that was the point?

[@zero0ryn]

Did the Bros Smash it?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@zero0ryn it was a Sonic boom 💥

[@anthonyaviles8665]

Where are the 3d print files

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Do you really want them? I could upload them somewhere.

[@anthonyaviles8665]

@@MarkFixesStuff I do I can use that

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

Get an Analogue Super Nt instead.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Sounds new?

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

@@MarkFixesStuff new six years ago, discontinued last year. Best SNES going.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@blitzerblazinoah6838 I'm a bit weird and tend to not be that interested in the newer retro stuff. I think the fragility of the older things appeals to me more than playing them I suppose?

[@blitzerblazinoah6838]

Think of the SNES as a Mega Drive for girls.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@blitzerblazinoah6838 so… better then??