Yellow SNES?

[RedBeans]

Sorry if this has been asked ad naueum, but I'm new to classic gaming and I've recently ressurected my SNES that I had back in 1992 but some of the grey parts have turned a yellowish-brown color. It almost looks like it was stored in a room full of cigarette smoke. The console itself playes fine...anyone else have or know what causes this phenominon???

[hydr0x]

it's a very common issue with the snes, nintendo used cheap plastic parts in a lot of them and those yellow and you can't do anything about it :(

[Bratwurst]

It is a case of the plastic degrading. Later models used better plastic that doesn't age as apparent as the first runs.

[Raedon]

This topic was discussed a while ago. Check it out :)

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8096&highlight=snes

[icarwngs55]

I have always been told and believed myself, that these "yellow" snes systems were made that way on purpose...They were the two tone model...meaning two different shades of plastic....I have seen an snes that was in a smoke free house, always kept in the box, and never used... be yellow...leading me to conclude that in fact this "design" was done to a certain degree on purpose...Nintendo must have discovered that people were not taking to well to this "ugly" color scheme and canned it....This is my input...sorry if I happen to be wrong.

Doc :eek 2:

[Red Warrior]

My SNES must be an exception if nearly all of the first models became yellowed. I got mine as soon as they came out in Fall of 1991, and it's still beautiful to this day... and it's never been stored in a box. I've always had it hooked up somewhere.

That's what's always confused me about the yellowing issue. Since mine was a first model and didn't yellow, that sorta threw that hypothesis out the window. Then I thought that maybe it was caused by cigarette smoke, but then that idea was disproved. So I just figured some models had crappy plastic.

[rbudrick]

http://www.sidetalkin.com/images/talkin-10.jpg

http://nintendo.com/mediaFiles/ef352350-82a6-4020-839b-f083ce552326.jpg

Oh, now that just CAN'T be a coincidence. :D

Hmmm..nintendo is conspiring to make ugly half&half consoles...hmmm

Who's wid me?

-ROb

PS..Lol, check out that dude sidetalking! LOL LOL

[sisko]

I have always been told and believed myself, that these "yellow" snes systems were made that way on purpose...They were the two tone model...meaning two different shades of plastic....I have seen an snes that was in a smoke free house, always kept in the box, and never used... be yellow...leading me to conclude that in fact this "design" was done to a certain degree on purpose...Nintendo must have discovered that people were not taking to well to this "ugly" color scheme and canned it....This is my input...sorry if I happen to be wrong.

Doc :eek 2:

Sorry to break it to you, but this wasn't intentional. I've watched my very own SNES going from pretty grey to fugly yellow before my very eyes over teh years.

[The Manimal]

Any ways to distinguish a late model SNES?

I noticed that many of these 'yellowed' SNES's have a difference from my SNES (which I purchased as "Control Set" incl. Killer Instinct + Killer Cuts CD). My SNES has a raised rectangle of plastic on one of the front raised bands (were the power/reset buttons are) with a warning decal on it.


Were these on the latter models only? I know the decal wouldn't have come off the older ones because that rectangle molded in the shell for the decal wasn't on the yellowed old SNES console.


???


I need to pick up a back-up, and that's why I'm asking. Figure I should pick up the newest unit possible. I bought my SNES new in 1997, BTW. Not too long after (one year?), they came out with the redesigned model.

[Bratwurst]

I have a later SNES model with a 1-800 service center decal on that area you described, but no molded in area for the sticker. It isn't yellowing either.

I have since removed that sticker however. :D

[SoulBlazer]

Mine was also bought brand new in late 1991 and always hooked up and used and mine yellowed also.

But not just yellowed -- it CRACKED in some of the corners also. :eek 2:

That's what's make me REALLY believe in the 'cheap plastic mold' theory.

[Flack]

Mine looks as new as it did the day I bought it -- no yellowing or discoloration at all. I bought mine new in January, 1995 for $99. It came with Donkey Kong Country.

[goatdan]

Oddly enough...

I've had SNESes that have yellowed on the top section only, bottom section only or both sections. I think that the most likely answer is that Nintendo didn't really put the original molds through extensive testing and that multiple machines were making multiple parts with various plastic mixes. Otherwise it wouldn't make sense that they yellow in different spots.

[§ Gideon §]

I know very little about supply distribution, but wouldn't the serial # give some sort of clue as to which ones will yellow and which ones won't?

Hey, we're the Roundtable. We should probably sort this out.

[KirbyStar27]

Its the plastic!!! :D Thats is why almost every other snes on ebay you see is a slightly disclolered yellow!

[xertcev]

Just an unrelated story about discolored plastic...

We have two identical fax machines at work, both were bought at
the same time and are the same model number. The one on the left
has yellowed and the other has not .

[Red Warrior]

Mysterious unexplained discoloration of plastic.

It has all the makings of an episode of the X-Files. :eek 2:

[SoulBlazer]

Yeah, we could ask for their help....then maybe I can play Sculy. :evil:

[§ Gideon §]

Its the plastic!!! :D Thats is why almost every other snes on ebay you see is a slightly disclolered yellow!
Huh?

[8-Bit Master]

I have a later model SNES and it has never yellowed at all. My friend has an early model SNES and it did yellow however, and he doesn't smoke. :o

I don't think smoking has anything to do with it. I think there is about a 50% chance that it will get yellow on you or not. My guess on why they yellow in the first place would be cheap plastic.

[rbudrick]

As far As I can tell, it seems to be an oxidization of the plastic....from air touching it...either that, or it's radioactive and is decaying.!! @_@

Anyone willing to smash one to bits to see if it is still white/grey where it breaks? If so, leave it out for another 5-10 years and get back to us on whether that turns yellow too.

Good luck, Mulder and Scully.

-Rob

[Chunky]

i got a yellowed one i will smash for the hell of it., but it's already broken and the inside plastic is more grey than yellow, but the plastic seems to be how to say

"bend before breakable"

like the CDs would bend then 'SNAP' my older snes that i dropped has this same properties. now the yellowed one kinda bends and warps and barely breaks. chocolate that was in the sun for a bit.

[Raedon]

Any ways to distinguish a late model SNES?



All the SNES models have yellowed by now.

[QBert]

Maybe Im wrong here, but could it be light? I didnt read any of those posted past threads, but I looked at the front of my NES controllers, and they are not yellow looking, until you turn it around and check out the backside.
Could be the same type of thing....or smoke...either that or I wrong and everyone continue having a nice day. ;)



QBert