Generation NEX: Strange smell coming from system

[YoshiM]

As I'm waiting for someone from Messiah to contact me, I figure I'll ask this here:

I purchased a Generation NEX system after listening to a segment on Retrogaming Radio. I don't want my NES to wear out and I got a deal on the wireless controls and the arcade stick (which I love). I played some games to test on it (Burgertime and Tengen Tetris) and all was well.

A couple weeks later I hooked the NEX upstairs in the game room and I played some Super Mario Bros 2. After playing for about a half hour I shut the system down and pulled the cartridge out. A strange smell wafted from the system. It kinda smelled like hot plastic but it was a bit more acrid. I sniffed my cartridge and it too had the same smell. I plugged SMB2 into my real NES and played that for a bit. No weird smells from the NES deck and the smell on the cartridge was fading so that kinda tells me it's the NEX. It's a smell that you can notice if your head is around the unit, not just in it.

Has anyone experienced this with their NEX?

[DreamTR]

Smells like China!

[RCM]

I've noticed a really strong smell that has yet to go away. I've had my NEX since August 2006. I don't think it damages anything, it's just weird!

[YoshiM]

Doh! Was in the wrong forum when I posted, this was supposed to be in Classic Gaming. That's what I get for doing things in a hurry.

RCM: does your NEX make the cartridges smell too?

[RCM]

Yep, I left a standard NES controller on top of it for a few months and the smell transferred to the controller too. But everything seems to work fine. Hope this helps!

[c0ldb33r]

This thread... is kind of gross.

[MrSparkle]

that sounds like the smell of ionizing silicon to me. you might want to be careful about playing really expensive games in this thing until the company tells you otherwise.

[YoshiM]

that sounds like the smell of ionizing silicon to me. you might want to be careful about playing really expensive games in this thing until the company tells you otherwise.

I've been trying to contact Messiah (playmessiah.com) but my emails go unanswered and I get voice mail boxes in the sales and support departments. The operator is apparently busy because I get that person's mailbox as well.

Makes me feel REAL confident in companies that offer up fresh things for the retro community (*cough* KNURDZ *cough*).

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Every clone system I have smells like what I like to call "freshly cast low-grade plastic" ... if the smell is permeating the entire room you might have cause for concern ... but if it's just a general smell coming from the unit, I wouldn't be TOO worried. If something was arcing/melting plastic, there's a strong likelihood that it would burn out/stop functioning/damage itself after one prolonged use.

I mean, it's always good to be sure of these things ... if you're planning on being home all day - you could try putting a junker game in it and leaving it on for the better part of the day and see what happens ... just monitor it throughout the experience so you don't burn your house down.

[remowilliams]

It's the crappiness of the NEX's NOAC leaking out. LOL

Seriously though, they all have that really strong cheap Asian manufacturing phenolic smell to them.

[nat]

It's just the plastic as has been mentioned. It's "normal" for the system.

[MrSparkle]

that could very well be the case a simple test could be to turn it on leave it on for a bit and smell it, does it smell worse when its on if so it could be an electrical problem. Though i had an fc twin and i have to say i never noticed a strange plastic smell at any point.

[TVs Hasselhoff]

Shhh... it's stinking.

[remowilliams]

Though i had an fc twin and i have to say i never noticed a strange plastic smell at any point.
That's because the FCTwin doesn't smell. The NEX does. :)

[MrSparkle]

haha oops good call.

[YoshiM]

Well so far no luck getting a hold of someone at Messiah. I haven't had a chance to let the system sit with a cart in it...maybe tonight or tomorrow. I also want to re-sniff my SMB 2 cartridge to see if it still has a funky smell. If it still stinks then I really don't want that NEX near my games, even if it is "normal".

[miaandjohnrule]

Well so far no luck getting a hold of someone at Messiah. I haven't had a chance to let the system sit with a cart in it...maybe tonight or tomorrow. I also want to re-sniff my SMB 2 cartridge to see if it still has a funky smell. If it still stinks then I really don't want that NEX near my games, even if it is "normal".

Yeah, their customer service isn't so great. I've had an open report for assistance for several weeks, my wireless NES controllers stopped working.

[YoshiM]

I had the NEX on for about an hour while I did dishes, laundry, etc. Went upstairs at the half hour mark and sniffed the room. Nothing. Sniffed around the unit. Smells okay. Then came up at the hour mark and sniffed around again. Nothing in the room. Sniffed the unit and there was a faint smell of warm plastic. I opened the Famicom-cart door and the odor was stronger but nothing like it was before.

I think nat and remowilliams are on the right track on this. Today I bought a USB keyboard for one of my PC users at work and as soon as I opened the box I got a very familiar whiff. The heat of the unit just heats up the plastic which makes the funny smell. I ran the pin-end of SMB 2 under my nose and the odor is gone. I had the NEX on top of my TV (its got a large flat space on the top behind the face of the tube) and the unit was flush against the TV rather than on the feet so the combo might have warmed up the plastic more. This time I had the unit on the floor. It's still disappointing that Messiah hasn't gotten back to me on this.

Thanks everyone for your input!