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Why did NoA redesign the SNES for the US?
- Thread starter ggx2ac
- Start date
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Bruh we don't have SCART inputs over here in North America so I don't even know what you mean >_>
I'm not against colorful boxes... in fact, I love them, Super Famicom gets it right. But I feel that North American SNES boxes nail the aesthetic they're going for: dark/sleek/tech... while the PAL ones just feel like a half-colourful/half-black bar disaster.
Everlya_Apocryha
Banned
the only royalty i associated purple with is the artist formerly known as Prince. (RIP)
-hadouken
Member
Nah, it's not cheaper to commission a new design and to tool-up/manufacture a different set of plastics. One shape for global consumption would have saved them money.
Robin64
Member
Haha same.
And the good news is, the guys who did the NES one have already got the SNES Classic interfacing with a PC in the same mode the NES Mini used.
-hadouken
Member
Oooh, where can I read more about this?
edit: NVM - plenty to read. Can't wait to get Stunt Race FX running on it!
-MD-
Member
Agreed.
Reducing manufacturing costs was mentioned regarding the NES revision and when NCL took over hardware design worldwide from 1995 starting with the N64.
You wouldn't have two different SNES designs if you were trying to reduce manufacturing costs. You'd have one.
Lance Barr said he designed the US SNES because the Super Famicom wasn't edgy and that he wanted add-ons where you stack the SNES on something else like Sega 32X/CD that it wouldn't look like bags of bread.
Bjoern the Smexy
Member
Reposting this since I was curious what people think of the logos in comparison:
JP/EU use the left logo on the cover art for SNES games.
US uses the right logo on the cover art for SNES games
Puking blue and red Pac-Men for life!
Robin64
Member
http://gbx.ru/?showtopic=123317&st=360
It's Russian, but he does vids with subtitles, and there are pics of it showing up in Windows further down.
yanipheonu
Member
I'd admit being a bit blinded by Nostalgia. The US SNES just reminds me too much of my childhood.
But I'm not going to pretend the original version isn't sleeker.
But I'm not going to pretend the original version isn't sleeker.
cantona222
Member
I like how unsymmetrical the Genesis/Mega Drive is.Despite growing up as a SNES kid, I feel that they're both ugly in their own way. The NTSC is boxy and bland, whilst the PAL/SFC is anonymous looking. The Mega Drive on the other hand...
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Some details about the US SNES design and its carts that I would argue are superior and you PAL peeps might not know them just from pictures:
1. The wide slide-forward power and reset buttons are a unique design interaction. Almost toylike and playful as you slide them forward with multiple fingers and the screen turns on or resets. I have a Super Famicom and its switch and push-in reset button are not nearly as novel.
2. Concave shape on the X and Y buttons gave some variety and feedback as to which buttons you were pushing.
3. The cartridge design in North America is better overall than the SFC/PAL carts. I definitely like the look of SFC/PAL carts, but functionally they are much worse. They just don't stack or line up in any meaningful way due to their curved shape. They tend to flop over even when lined up on a shelf. The SNES designs can not only stack nicely and line up nicely with others on a shelf, they can actually stand up on their own because...
3. ..The cartridges also came with dust caps. Perhaps not as needed as NES dust caps, but they are adorable, preserve your contacts from getting dirty, and as mentioned they allow you to just stand the cart up like it were an Amiibo or something. There's a lot of nostalgic fetish involved in having a nice minty SNES game with its dust cap... the same feeling as an NES game in its sleeve.
4. End labels. So nice to be able to read your collection when the games are stacked up or in an organizer of some sort. It even had a colour-coded line that told you whether the game was first party or third party: Nintendo-published games were red, while third party games were purple.
1. The wide slide-forward power and reset buttons are a unique design interaction. Almost toylike and playful as you slide them forward with multiple fingers and the screen turns on or resets. I have a Super Famicom and its switch and push-in reset button are not nearly as novel.
2. Concave shape on the X and Y buttons gave some variety and feedback as to which buttons you were pushing.
3. The cartridge design in North America is better overall than the SFC/PAL carts. I definitely like the look of SFC/PAL carts, but functionally they are much worse. They just don't stack or line up in any meaningful way due to their curved shape. They tend to flop over even when lined up on a shelf. The SNES designs can not only stack nicely and line up nicely with others on a shelf, they can actually stand up on their own because...
3. ..The cartridges also came with dust caps. Perhaps not as needed as NES dust caps, but they are adorable, preserve your contacts from getting dirty, and as mentioned they allow you to just stand the cart up like it were an Amiibo or something. There's a lot of nostalgic fetish involved in having a nice minty SNES game with its dust cap... the same feeling as an NES game in its sleeve.
4. End labels. So nice to be able to read your collection when the games are stacked up or in an organizer of some sort. It even had a colour-coded line that told you whether the game was first party or third party: Nintendo-published games were red, while third party games were purple.
you can google the meaning behind colors. that's what royal purple is, power and wealth.
the super famicoms dirty grey with colored buttons looks very 80's. at least every time I see one that's the time period I think back to... McDonalds play place in particular for some reason.
the grey used on the snes is much nicer looking... at least before yellowing. there's very little purple on the console, it only there as an accent color to make it pop which it does well without being "in your face".
The design language differences between the SNES and the Super Famicom have always made me think of the design differences between early 90's vehicles in the US and Japan. Japan had switched to sleek curves, and America was still behind with boxy angles. I imagine that angular design language in America is associated with luxury back then.
Y'all acting like we couldn't of had concave and colours on the same controller.
They redesigned the SNES because they wanted to compete with the Genesis in the united states. They couldn't obviously change the form factor too much, so instead they made it more harsh and angular looking (as per style at the time).
Glad they didn't change the PAL release though - that thing is an absolute beaut.
They redesigned the SNES because they wanted to compete with the Genesis in the united states. They couldn't obviously change the form factor too much, so instead they made it more harsh and angular looking (as per style at the time).
Glad they didn't change the PAL release though - that thing is an absolute beaut.
Zomba13
Member
I hate the US SNES design. It's just not pleasing to look at. The EU/JP SNES is a ncie, welcoming thing to look at. It might not be cool and slick and edgy, but it looks nice.
This is coming from a Mega Drive kid so I don't have the nostalgia of a SNES sitting under my TV. The Mega Drive looks sick though, it looks like this powerful machine from space, like you'd see it in the console of a Tie Fighter or something.
This is coming from a Mega Drive kid so I don't have the nostalgia of a SNES sitting under my TV. The Mega Drive looks sick though, it looks like this powerful machine from space, like you'd see it in the console of a Tie Fighter or something.
AtomicShroom
Member
Reposting this since I was curious what people think of the logos in comparison:
JP/EU use the left logo on the cover art for SNES games.
US uses the right logo on the cover art for SNES games
Strangely they forgot to change that when localizing Super Mario World. It took me a very, very long time to understand why this was there:
-hadouken
Member
Exactly - it's the Darth Vader of consoles. Science fiction meets samurai.
-shadow-
Member
I will never understand how someone can like the US design over the international design of the system. Even taking nostalgia out of it, design wise, and colour wise, it's just an abomination.
Well that and it gave us needless purple coloured buttons in Super Mario RPG, that they never bothered recolouring for Europe.
Well that and it gave us needless purple coloured buttons in Super Mario RPG, that they never bothered recolouring for Europe.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I think the Japan/PAL one is better but I'll never understand what drives people to call the US one an abomination.
Oh wow. Yeah that does suck. I always thought the game's UI looked superior in the Japanese version.
I do think the Japan/PAL ones are better married to the look of their console, if that's what you're saying.
But I love North American cartridges on their own. They're more solid, easier to stack and lineup, have end labels, can stand upright with their exclusive dust caps, etc.
I think it's a great cart design.... and the proper sequel to NES carts with their horizontal line patterns.
Robin64
Member
When hakchi3 becomes available for the SNES Mini, one of my actions will be to apply this "PAL" patch to Mario RPG to get the proper colour buttons.
(This patch keeps it at 60Hz, there's another that converts it to 50Hz but you definitely do NOT want that)
Yep, exactly.
What do you mean with the dust caps though? The PAL cartridges could stand upright too.
Razzorn34
Member
I'm glad this was first post. I couldn't agree more. I always liked the US redesign.
IdreamofHIME
Member
I remember 1st seeing a US SNES on an episode of Roseanne and wondering what the fuck it was.
Ugly little bastard.
Ugly little bastard.
funking giblet
Member
PAL or go home
Except 50hz 
JayBabay
Member
I can't believe how much shit the US SNES gets! I never thought twice about it till I saw all the hate it gets here. For me, because of nostalgia, it will always be remembered fondly and preferable.
As far as the controller goes, even though no one does concave buttons anymore, they were great for the era because many games had you holding down that Y button and your finger rested in it comfortably for extended periods.
Also, the color scheme, in my opinion, looks more mature and modern, even today.
As far as the controller goes, even though no one does concave buttons anymore, they were great for the era because many games had you holding down that Y button and your finger rested in it comfortably for extended periods.
Also, the color scheme, in my opinion, looks more mature and modern, even today.
The thing is - the US carts all feature end labels while the PAL/SFC games do not. That is one very useful feature that is often overlooked.
I don't like to store my SNES games in a box simply because it's a hassle to play them that way so end labels make it possible to quickly identify what I want to play. The US carts also sit better on a shelf next to one another.
Such a weird decision.
US design for the SNES is imo one of the ugliest devices ever created. It looks cheap as hell and the two-tone purple colouring is just dull.
OG Super Famicon/EU SNES on the other hand, is one of the most iconic designs in consumer electronics. Everything about it is pleasing to the eye, and the four-colour buttons are now synonymous with gaming culture.
It's as bad as the JP Famicom vs EU/US NES. Famicon is ugly as sin, NES is iconic and perfect and lovely
US design for the SNES is imo one of the ugliest devices ever created. It looks cheap as hell and the two-tone purple colouring is just dull.
OG Super Famicon/EU SNES on the other hand, is one of the most iconic designs in consumer electronics. Everything about it is pleasing to the eye, and the four-colour buttons are now synonymous with gaming culture.
It's as bad as the JP Famicom vs EU/US NES. Famicon is ugly as sin, NES is iconic and perfect and lovely
Lemonte
Member
There were revisions of both the SNES and Super Famicom late into the generation. This is where they started evening out, though I'm still not a fan of the two concave buttons on the SNES controller.
If you take the controllers away they look like paper shredders.
-hadouken
Member
I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to get your take on the respective designs, John. Spill it!
-shadow-
Member
For me personally, years ago it just just a bad design. But time just hasn't been kind to it and, to me personally, it's not gotten that terrible 90's attitude look about it. And that's an age best left forgotten completely. I will give the designer the hats off for the cartridges though. Seriously, why the hell the end labels are gone outside of America is just...
At first this actually confused the hell out of me. I was playing with an actual SNES controller and just couldn't wrap my head around why it was the way it was for hours on end. When it finally clicked I felt pretty dumb for taking as long as I did.
This is really cool, here's hoping they manage quickly with it!
Also, why the hell would someone go through the trouble of making a full 50Hz patch? That just boggles my mind! 😂
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Robin64
Member
To run on hardware as it would've. More a curiosity than anything.
Luckily people go the other way, such as this patch that converts Terranigma to 60Hz that I will be using when I load that game on my SNES Classic.
US looks like a Minecraft-character-head.
Not alone. I used to really prefer the JPN model too, but taking an objective approach, I only really loved the colored buttons. The inconsistent switch dials and buttons for power and reset are anything but sleek. Add in the cheap as hell looking black stamp logo compared to the subtle gray logo on the shell of the US. We got a sleeker unit for sure, but I get how ppl would like the slimmer profile and loathe the purple.
US had to change the logo as their controller never had the coloured buttons that the Japanese logo represents.
Auron_Kale
Member
While I do prefer the SFC design a bit more than the SNES, I prefer the functionality of the US design much more.
One of my constant memories as a kid was that I would spend hours past my bedtime playing my SNES (it was connected to the main TV) and when you're playing in the dark, the large sliders for the power/reset and the large eject button were a godsend. I could easily turn my system on/off, reset or eject my cartridges by feel rather than having to look down at what I was doing.
Sure the SFC has a unique switch for power and a regular button for resetting, but for me, I liked how much more tactile the SNES was in comparison.
As for the colors, I'm a fan of both the skittles and the purples.
One of my constant memories as a kid was that I would spend hours past my bedtime playing my SNES (it was connected to the main TV) and when you're playing in the dark, the large sliders for the power/reset and the large eject button were a godsend. I could easily turn my system on/off, reset or eject my cartridges by feel rather than having to look down at what I was doing.
Sure the SFC has a unique switch for power and a regular button for resetting, but for me, I liked how much more tactile the SNES was in comparison.
As for the colors, I'm a fan of both the skittles and the purples.
ScientificPizza
Banned
Anyone who genuinely believes that the US SNES looks better than the JP/EU one should be locked up for life
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
I imported a Super Famicom at launch, and it was much sharper looking then the eventual purple box that arrived.
Red Liquorice
Member
It had no "edge" - so they gave it lavendar/lilac buttons, that most edgy of colours.
TeddyShardik
Banned
Man, I was going in here wanting to say something like "it wasn't edgy enough", but that's what he actually said!
The Pal Snes is one of the best looking consoles released.
I have taken shits which looked better than the US snes
If only the original PlayStation would have panned out so Sony could have brought the stability updates to PAL SNES
Man, I was going in here wanting to say something like "it wasn't edgy enough", but that's what he actually said!
lol
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