New Custom NES Games

[nhm]

I have just started to make custom NES cartridge cases. I am not interested in doing standard material labels. I am branching out into more "artsy" concepts and materials. My first trial game is the legend of Zelda, and here are my first prototypes. I am using cases from retrousb.com. These examples use three different labels. One is a semi-transluscent material with a vine design painted on. The specs you see are actually tiny bits of reflective glitter. The next is a crushed/wrinkled leather paper that has an "antique" vibe to it. The last is a canvas textured label that looks like, well, canvas. Let me know what you think. The crisp picture with the washed out looking case is a scan.
http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/46152/2905245560103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2905245560103326570BeOFHD)
http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/44751/2926250260103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2926250260103326570fwrnih)
http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/44076/2070470590103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2070470590103326570rMdtbj)
http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/35083/2806498470103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2806498470103326570YwHVAz)
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/26136/2548115900103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2548115900103326570NjGHpo)
http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/46206/2712552990103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2712552990103326570orqfJB)
http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/26556/2051027490103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2051027490103326570YrvlnE)
http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/16604/2367047360103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2367047360103326570mdiPwM)
http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/5550/2118073970103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2118073970103326570FiViyx)
http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/46107/2367058070103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2367058070103326570aXkUFm)

[tofu]

These look great, although it's kinda weird seeing so much of the cartridge not being used.

[JSoup]

Nice! I don't know much about reproductions, so I was curious as to where you get the cartridge cases? Is there a mold or something?

[mobiusclimber]

Those are very cool except I gotta say the first one is my favorite by far. The other two look good but if I didn't know they were purposefully done like that I'd think there was just something wrong w/ the label or the printing. I bet the other ones look better in person as opposed to a photo or scan.

[izarate]

Nice! I don't know much about reproductions, so I was curious as to where you get the cartridge cases? Is there a mold or something?

http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=24&osCsid=0c2bc9b6b8d23432ae492ba59d7982d6

[JSoup]

http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=24&osCsid=0c2bc9b6b8d23432ae492ba59d7982d6

Interesting, thanks!

[MachineGex]

Those look great. I hope the glitter doesnt come off. I would hate to have any glitter floating around inside my system.

[Landon]

These look great, although it's kinda weird seeing so much of the cartridge not being used.

I do distinctly remember conversations about this "back in the day".
The general marketing principle was that by making the game case needlessly 'bulkier', American consumers would feel that they were getting more substantive, thus were more willing to pay the prices that new NES carts commanded at that time. If the game cart was "smaller", American consumer psychology would be less apt to pay $40 or $50 for it.

[nhm]

Those look great. I hope the glitter doesnt come off. I would hate to have any glitter floating around inside my system.

I spray a protective coating over the finished label, so nothing should come off.

[Blitzwing256]

not a fan of seeing the n64 era link art on the 8 bit era....but picture choices aside its a fun idea. I picked up a bunch of the differnet coloured cases from retro as well to make some of my own (just havnt had the time)

[Garry Silljo]

I do distinctly remember conversations about this "back in the day".
The general marketing principle was that by making the game case needlessly 'bulkier', American consumers would feel that they were getting more substantive, thus were more willing to pay the prices that new NES carts commanded at that time. If the game cart was "smaller", American consumer psychology would be less apt to pay $40 or $50 for it.

I thought it was because some of the original carts had Famicom converters inside them, thus needing more space. I could be wrong though.

[nhm]

Here's the newest creation. I call this set the "Top Gun: 'You're Dangerous' Edition. The labels are printed on canvas textured paper and sprayed with a protective coating.
http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/43669/2900750210103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2900750210103326570tlQohZ)
http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/12367/2344610180103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2344610180103326570LWizJA)
http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/45808/2168181420103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2168181420103326570QhUsFV)
http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/5901/2355766170103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2355766170103326570ToHnXv)

[Maxx]

Those are very cool except I gotta say the first one is my favorite by far. The other two look good but if I didn't know they were purposefully done like that I'd think there was just something wrong w/ the label or the printing. I bet the other ones look better in person as opposed to a photo or scan.

Ditto. The second looks like damage to the label like so many I've seen at flea markets. I really like the first one. Nice job.

[bunnyboy]

Rounding the corners of the labels may make a big difference in how they look.

The cart size is because the Famicom had no standards, so cart shapes were all over the range. To make the front loading NES work they all had to be the same. The more complex boards like MMC5 use much more of the available space.

[Dirkfunk]

Wow.

As much as I hate the Top Gun games. . . those carts are incredible. Really cool! Very nice job.

[MachineGex]

Rounding the corners of the labels may make a big difference in how they look.


Yeah, the only thing I would change is the corners. They need to be slightly rounded. Besides that minor nit-picking, they look great!

[tubeway]

Yeah, the only thing I would change is the corners. They need to be slightly rounded. Besides that minor nit-picking, they look great!

I dunno, I thought the Top Gun carts looked unintentionally hilarious. Not from a technical standpoint, but just because of the pictures chosen.

[nhm]

I dunno, I thought the Top Gun carts looked unintentionally hilarious. Not from a technical standpoint, but just because of the pictures chosen.

No, it was 100% intentionally hilarious.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Hiiiiiigh way tooooo

THE DANGER ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE

[mobiusclimber]

Hiiiiiigh way tooooo

THE DANGER ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE

Mine's in my danger zone! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHANtdiIGPo

[guitargary75]

Looks great!

[nhm]

If anybody is interested in owning any of these, let me know. I have the Top Gun "You're Dangerous" set for sale on ebay. If your interested, shoot me a pm, I can let them go for a lot less than I have them listed for on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280472012434&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT#ht_2108wt_732

[nhm]

Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, using canvas textured paper for the label...
http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/47157/2593876830103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2593876830103326570ANHCHU)
http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/19836/2911186530103326570S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2911186530103326570WBNENn)

[portnoyd]

I gotta admit... the Top Guns look like pirates. Just seems like a pirate thing to do is slap Tom Cruise thumbs up on a label.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Scientology "You're Dangerous" Approved by Tam Cluise

Free Personality Test Inside!

Don't Touch or Submerge the "Danger Zone" at open end. OK for blow.

[tubeway]

Can you take a picture of one Top Gun cart flying inverted over the other one?

[Icarus Moonsight]

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z230/Acidic_Pain/TopGunFastPeach.jpg

Floating ideas in case your thinking about custom boxes too. Just MSPaint "You're Dangerous" on there somewhere and whammo, custom two cart box. :D