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[ggx2ac]

As we are heading to launch this week of the SNES Mini Classic, I was wondering, why?

I already heard how the NES was designed differently to look less like a toy because of the videogame industry crash in the US but, the SNES didn't really need to be redesigned.

I was trying to look up articles and there's isn't much, there's one here from Nintendolife that references another source which is Nintendojo interviewing NoA employee Lance Barr which can only be found here apparently: https://assemblergames.com/threads/interview-with-the-nes-case-designer.8530/

There is more in the link above but I posted the parts relevant to the thread.

Lance Barr was also involved in the design of the NES for the US so I wanted to include quotes from that since it's interesting.

How the NES was designed for the US and the redesign version:

ND: What do you do for Nintendo now?
LB: My title is Product Design Director. I manage both graphic design and industrial design projects within Nintendo of America.

ND: Can you tell us about the prototype process and inspiration for the final case design of the NES?
LB: The original design of the NES was worked out over several months including a stay of a couple of months while I worked in Japan at NCL. The design was conceived as a wireless, modular system, designed to look more like a sleek stereo system rather than a electronic toy. After the first public showing in the US at the Consumer Electronics Show, I was asked to redesign the case based on new engineering requirements. To reduce costs, the wireless function was eliminated, as well as some of the modular components such as the keyboard and data recorder. But the biggest change was the orientation and size requirements to accommodate a new edge connector for inserting the games. The new edge connecter was a "zero force" design that allowed the game to be inserted with low force, and then rotated down into the "contact" position. The case had to be designed around the movement of the game, and required the shape and size of the NES to grow from the earlier concepts. Many of the features remained, such as the two-tone color, left and right side cuts, and overall "boxy" look, but the proportions change significantly to accommodate the new edge connector.

ND: When it came time to redesign the classic NES, why did you decide to go in such a different direction, rather than shrink the original console design, like Sony did with the PSone and Slim PS2?
LB: We considered a reduction in scale, but the point of the redesign was reduction in manufacturing costs so everything was evaluated. The redesigned NES did not use the "zero force" connector, but instead relied on a direct insert connector. Form following function, the new connector placed the game 90 degrees to the main PCB and eliminated much of the bulk needed for the old electronics and connector. The redesign was made several years after the original, which was designed in 1984. The boxy look was out and I thought it was time for a more sleek and inviting look.

Why the SNES was designed the way it was for the US:

ND: The Super NES design is quite square compared to the Super Famicom. What was your motivation for going in that design direction?
LB: The Super Famicom was maybe okay for the market in Japan. For the US, I felt that it was too soft and had no edge. We were always looking at future modular components (even the NES had a connector on the bottom), so you had to design with the idea of stacking on top of other components. I though the Super Famicom didn't look good when stacked and even by itself, had a kind of "bag of bread" look.

Why NCL handles the design process of the hardware for all markets worldwide now:

ND: Why is it that all the case designs have been handled by NCL from 1995 on? Do you have any input into those designs at this point, in order to ensure American appeal?
LB: Individually designing a product for a given market would definitely appeal to more consumers, and would be seen as having a more current, in style look. Because of the low cost of packaging, companies almost always individually design for each market--regardless of the language requirements since they know that for the cost, you can better reach your intended audience. But with products, the realities of manufacturing and time to market make it necessary to design in a single, world-wide style. Nintendo started to do this beginning with Nintendo 64. Of course the down side of this is that a given design never quite fits the needs of a particular market as well as it could had it been specifically designed for that market. Within these bounds, Nintendo localizes the hardware for each market, mainly thorough variations in color.

And according to the Nintendolife link:

Lance Barr is still at Nintendo of America after a long 34 year career, where he resides as its Design & Brand Director.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Because the original design was ass.

 

[wrowa]

Because the original design was ass.

The American Super Nintendo might be among the ugliest consoles to grace this planet

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

Because the original design was ass.

The US design was a horrid abomination. It looks bulky and clunky. The redesign was waaaay better.
The Japanese/EU design is smooth jazz in comparison. It just looks awesome. something you wanna play, not something you wanna stack.

 

[inner-G]

Because the original design was ass.

I prefer the US design, especially the convex/concave face buttons.

 

[Soodanim]

The US design was a horrid abomination. It looks bulky and clunky. The redesign was waaaay better.
The Japanese/EU design is smooth jazz in comparison. It just looks awesome. something you wanna play, not something you wanna stack.

Definitely. That's without even mentioning the colour schemes.

It's wake up time in the UK right now, it will be interesting to see the shift in opinion over the day when different countries have their say.

 

[LQX]

I grew up with American SNES and I have always liked the design. Same with the Nes, ours I think look better.

 

[danm999]

The US design is really awful. The colour scheme is uninteresting and I hate the squares.

 

[iFirez]

This guy calls stacked Super Famicoms a bag of bread...I like bread. I’m from the UK so the SNES here resembles to Super Famicom and I love it and it’s colourful buttons.

 

[Rickenslacker]

I though the Super Famicom didn't look good when stacked and even by itself, had a kind of "bag of bread" look.

The Super Famicom looks good to this day. It's a sleek sports car to the NA SNES' The Homer.

 

[aeolustl]

The original Japan designs still have a better timeless element than the NA one.
The NA NES still look horrible.

I felt that it was too soft and had no edge.

So you think by making it with edge, it will look cooler...?

 

[thsantos]

The American Super Nintendo might be among the ugliest consoles to grace this planet

I actually think it's ok and the original one was the strange one to me. But that is because I had the american one. I only saw the other design several years after.

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

The American Super Nintendo might be among the ugliest consoles to grace this planet

Look at hardware design of the era. Back in 1991 that was the style. The PAL SNES/Super Famicom are better in retrospect, but at the time the US version is what you'd expect to see.

For some reason.

 

[Chiramii]

I prefer the NES over the Famicom, but my god is the US SNES ugly.

 

[Benzychenz]

Because the original design was ass.

If we're comparing the SNES to ass, then the US design is an old saggy ass when the original is a young fit ass.

 

[BocoDragon]

One way of looking at it is... most Japanese consoles were redesigned and rebranded completely differently in the west, because it was assumed that the markets were just too different (and they were). The odd thing was not that North America redesigned the SNES, but that PAL regions decided not to go with that design. It wasn't until PS1 and N64 that you finally started to see the same design and branding worldwide.

Looking at specific details, Super Famicom features this "multi-colour" scheme on the buttons and logo that seems very popular in Asia, but Americans tend to like more monotone styles. Multi-colors are viewed as very childish. Maybe less so in recent decades (i.e. the modern Google or Microsoft logo), but certainly 25+ years ago. It seems like PAL regions didn't have the same aversion to being colourful.

The American SNES did read as "mature tech" in 1991 American, not unlike the PS2 would a decade later. Super Famicom was confidant being more of a toy. So I don't think it was the wrong decision for America back then.

 

[poodaddy]

If we're comparing the SNES to ass, then the US design is an old saggy ass when the original is a young fit ass.

That's one fine ass saggy bottom then. Damn do I adore the SNES US design, it's just so..... 90's! Just seeing it makes me happy.

 

[danm999]

So you think by making it with edge, it will look cooler...?

Sonic the Hedgehog had just come out! Nintendo had to do something!

 

[23qwerty]

it's like cars, the rounded design looks super dated, the NA SNES looks a bit less dated and better overall

 

[tesqui]

it needed that 90's edge

 

[Cess007]

I will never know what they were thinking, the
SF/PAL desing is awesome

 

[Marty Chinn]

The American Super Nintendo might be among the ugliest consoles to grace this planet

You haven't seen very many consoles have you.

 

[@MUWANdo]

This doesn't answer your question but Miyamoto recently talked about his involvement with the hardware design of the SFC and he seemed to appreciate some of NOA's changes: https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-star-fox-2

Miyamoto: In America, they did their own design for their market. For example, if you touch the X and Y buttons, they’re concave.

Oh, you’re right.

Miyamoto: By making them concave, you can tell the difference between the primary and secondary buttons without looking at the controller. That was impressive. I realized America has some outstanding industrial design. But I was sorely disappointed that I couldn’t call it the Red button! (laughs)

 

[Drkirby]

I think they are both pretty bad, but I like the EU/JP controller color far more.

 

[Stilton Disco]

I always think of it like this:

The US redesign is like an American Muscle car, all big, bulky, powerful looking with its intimidating sharp lines and flat edges. It's in your face and provocative.

The normal design the rest of the world got is a Sports Car, smooth, sleek curves and low profile, designed to look stylish and unobtrusive.

Both make sense for their markets, especially considering the particularly fierce competition between Sega and Nintendo in America where there was less competition and remaining fallout from the US market crash.

 

[IrishNinja]

Because the original design was ass.

we all grew up loving that grey & purple box, but let's not kid ourselves here: the EU one was infinitely better looking, even the control pads

 

[BocoDragon]

If it wasn't a redesign, no one would call the US SNES ugly. It was a great design, in a vacuum. It's just by way of comparison that people get all hyperbolic about it. I especially see PAL gamers as having no inclination to be sympathetic to it.

 

[oti]

Because the original design was ass.

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
I'm sorry you had to suffer through the garbage that is the US SNES design. I truly am.

 

[IrishNinja]

PS Genesis >>>>

 

[Jake.]

the US "re-design" has always looked like dog shit compared to the glorious EU/JP model.

 

[Rickenslacker]

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
I'm sorry you had to suffer through the garbage that is the US SNES design. I truly am.

I'm getting a European SNES Mini just to rectify the tragedy that Nintendo afflicted on my childhood.

 

[Zalman]

It's a shame they redesigned it. The colored buttons are such a big part of the SNES' identity.

 

[Neith]

Why can't people appreciate both designs for what they are? The US SNES is more modern looking. But still very competent. The original design is retro looking and still competent too.

Jesus people and their fucking bias at everything that is not theirs....

 

[Saucestin_Roast]

I love purple. But the US SNES is real ugly. The Japanese one is the clear king.

 

[Midas]

Why can't people appreciate both designs for what they are? The US SNES is more modern looking. But still very competent. The original design is retro looking and still competent too.

Jesus people and their fucking bias at everything that is not theirs....

More modern? :lol

But yes, it's possible to appreciate both. But people have different opinions.

 

[SporeCrawler]

i like the redesign. the us redesign for the nes was superior to the famicom. the us redesign of the snes is worse than the original but its good in its own right

 

[Contica]

EU SNES looks like you're best friend.

US SNES looks like the schoolyard bully who's gonna make you cry.

 

[brawly]

This man is a low key villain.

 

[Everlya_Apocryha]

Because the original design was ass.

your quote just reinstate the fact that American truly has terrible taste and judgement.

US Dominant Sport: American Football (not played using foot)....Super Bowl, wut...

Rest of the World Dominant Sport: REAL Football (played using foot)..World Cup is truly GLOBAL

US Dominant units of measurement: Imperial system based on ass

Rest of the World dominant units of measurement: Metric system based on logic

US SIM Card: Locked SIM is a thing

Rest of the World SIM Card: WTF is a locked SIM?

US NES/SNES: As boxy as possible design

Rest of the World NES/SNES: Sleek Console design

US OG Xbox Controller: Dukes For Gorillas

Rest of the World Controller: PlayStation 2 Dual Shock 2 (whatisaxbox.gif)

President of US: Donald Trump

President(s) of Rest of the World: NOT Donald Trump

Spoiler

/jk................Maybe?

 

[opticalmace]

Were there only two designs total? Or did they have some funky revision in a territory somewhere? Pics if so.

 

[mrkgoo]

Not to mention the cart designs.


I imagine the change was because the NES was successful, so why not follow the formula.

 

[Rickenslacker]

Were there only two designs total? Or did they have some funky revision in a territory somewhere? Pics if so.

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.

 

[JaffeLion]

Because the original design was ass.

wtf? the original design is much better. the best design is the PAL Version, it also has the iconic button colors.

 

[Mudron]

This man is a low key villain.

This.

I still think the original Super Famicom (and even it's damned box) is the best-looking console ever, while the boxy look of the US SNES was just boring and the weird grey/purple thing just looked pukey to me.

 

[SMD]

I didn't realise this was an argument, I get that people have nostalgia for what they grew up with but that American SNES was an abomination.

Now the spirit of that horror lives on in boxart.

 

[nbnt]

I'll never get the hate for the US SNES design, it looks so damn good with those edges and purple switches. Its defining features are more recognizable than that other generic, dated looking thing. It's iconic.

 

[Everlya_Apocryha]

I didn't realise this was an argument, I get that people have nostalgia for what they grew up with but that American SNES was an abomination.

Now the spirit of that horror lives on in boxart.

I bet your those in support of the US SNES design over EU/JP S.Famicom design also support Imperial over metric...LMAO...

There were so many 'edged' corners on the US SNES, including the Power and Reset switch itself, that i am surprised it is allowed for kids to use them.

 

[ggx2ac]

I also wanted to point out how NoA also changed the logo.

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

 

[oti]

I'm getting a European SNES Mini just to rectify the tragedy that Nintendo afflicted on my childhood.

Finally what was once wrong will be right.
You have my sword.

 

[fluffydelusions]

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.

Literally never seen that version of SNES (US) till now lol and I grew up in that era