Has anyone ever casemodded a game cart?

[zeello]

I was browsing the finished projects section and I had this idea.
Couldn't you take apart the game cart and just use the inside? The advantage to this is that you can make an N64 portable that is more compact and/or has better styling. (e.g. no cart protruding out of the system)

Not just N64, the same applies to SNES, NES, Genesis, etc.
For N64, it really seems like the shell takes up way more space than it needs do:

SNES too:

Aside from using the cart "naked" you could hypothetically make your own custom case.
One idea i had though is to simply use a screwdown collectible card holder.

Maybe toss the screws, and just glue it to the cart, and you could print your own cover art and glue that on.
Ideally the game would still work on an unmodded system, so there is no wish to reassemble the cart.

 

[Prog]

I'm pretty sure that this was done or at least thoroughly discussed a few years ago.

 

[vskid3]

Its been discussed. One of the arguments against it was, while some games don't fill the case, there are some that do. Plus it kills the collectability/resale value of the games. With devices like the 64drive available, I see even less reason to do it.

 

[Kickback]

Considering how high certain games sell for there is no way i'm pulling my carts apart, i'd be down about £200-300

 

[laingsoft]

If I remember correctly, Beta or SS or someone was building a portable N64 that only took modded carts. I don't know if they finished it, but modding the carts has for sure been considered.

It kills resale value + reduces compatability.

 

[zeello]

yea I thought about it some more and some of those issues had occurred to me.
- what if not all carts are the same size (looks like I was on the money)
- certain games might be too valuable to ruin this way
- the mod is never 'done' as you will continue to have to mod every game you decide to play on it (in turn this means the system is unsaleable)
- The cart slot will have to fully cover it so it doesn't look bad. A regular cart has good styling in comparison so you might as well leave it exposed.
- all carts have to be done in the exact same way or else the game will not fit in the slot.

But anyway, you guys say it has been thought of already.. so nvm.
Still... it would be kind of neat if someone pulled it off..

 

[Kickback]

If size is an issue, you could use an Everdrive (or 64Drive for N64 specifically), then you wouldn't have to worry about swapping carts at all.

 

[ttsgeb]

Not what you were talking about, but worth the mention:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

 

[wallydawg]

Not what you were talking about, but worth the mention:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

The Earthbound Zero NES carts Wiggy made were so cool

 

[ttsgeb]

Pretty much everything Wiggy does is cool.

 

[Zero]

Does it really kill the resale value?

It might not be ideal, but there's nothing stopping you from keeping the old case and putting the board back in that if you want to sell it. Might actually keep your labels in better condition if anything.

I could see it being useful for reducing the size of a portable, but it's probably not worth the trouble to do it just for fun.

 

[ttsgeb]

You could also build an adapter for unmodded carts with relative ease. May not be pretty, but if you decide you're lazy later on, you don't have a problem.

 

[Fluxedo]

^ Maybe mod a GameSharrk cart do something along those lines?

 

[Basement_Modder]

^ Maybe mod a GameSharrk cart do something along those lines?

The simplest ghetto way to do this would be to x-acto slice the traces on the board, both sides, near the edge connector and the slot end, then scrape the traces before the cut and run jumper wires up to the slot. The difficult part would be fitting said cart in your little cases.