Modding a front loading NES into a top loading NES

[second.exodous]

I swear I've seen a few sites on how to mod a normal front loading NES into a top loading NES. I've tried googleing it a few times with no luck. Even with different terminology.

The reason I ask is I have 4 working NES consoles, all the old front loading kind, and I'm going to get this years 8-BIT XMAS for a gift and want a top loader so you can see the LEDs. I e-mailed and they said they were most likely going to make one for this year and start shipping in October or November, that means I only have 8 more months at the most!!! I procrastinate a lot.

The reason I don't want to buy an FC Twin or a Retro Duo is the sound is off on both of them, and I have 4 working NES consoles so I thought may be it would be cheaper to mod one and it would be cooler for a gift I would think. The top loading NES is also more expensive than a new FC Twin or Retro Duo on ebay for some reason, and I don't like how it looks compared the the original.

I've guessing its an easy mod, and I'm sure I can figure it out my self, I just want to see how people did the case mod.

Thanx,
Stan

[Tibia]

The one I'm most familiar with is Vomitsaw's (Heavecleaver's) Damn Skippy NES. He pretty much built a new case from scratch. Here's his project page. It looks to me like he used part of an SNES case for it. You could PM him here or he's got contact info on his site.

[XCVG]

You'll need to get a NORMAL cart slot with 72 pins, maybe steal one off a clone? Or cut the wrong side off of the cartridge connector and use that. Then solder it and mount somehow.

[second.exodous]

Wow, that is one heck of a mod. I just wanted to use the NES case.

As far as the 72 pin cartridge slot, there are places to get those. I could also remove the one in the NES and re-use it, just wire all the bins to the PCB board. I just want to see how other people do it, it's not that I can't figure it out.

Edit:

Oops, I went to add a reply before you posted XCVG, that is what I was thinking.

[Exdeath]

You'll need to get a NORMAL cart slot with 72 pins, maybe steal one off a clone? Or cut the wrong side off of the cartridge connector and use that. Then solder it and mount somehow.

...Therefore, I elected to build my own adapter using a 72 pin card edge connector and wiring it directly to the board of the pirate NES.


At the top, the 72 pin American NES cartridge slot, at the bottom, the Famicom board. Note the empty connections in the middle…


My research taught me the differences between a Famicom and a NES cartridge slot. The NES has all the same pinouts as the Famicom plus about 14 extras. 4 of those are used for the NES to access the “Lockout” chip on the game cartridge. (the Famicom did not need a Lockout chip to run) The other 10 or so allow the cartridge direct access to the Mystery Expansion Port on the bottom of the NES.

This might be worth a look.

[goodie]

I recommend using the connector from a Game Genie. It's the most reliable 72-pin connector I've found.

[second.exodous]

As far as reliable goes I thought the connectors of the front loading NES wore out because how it loaded, you had to push in at a weird angle. The top loading NES, although pretty much the same connector, didn't wear out did it?

Besides, I've fixed I think a total of 6 NES consoles just buy using a bobby-pin to bend the connector contacts back. I still find it funny that sites sell new connectors for the NES when all you need to do is bend the contacts. This only needs to be done once every 5 years or so, and that's if you play it every day, switching games every 30 min. Anyway, I'd be ok fixing it every now and then if I had to.

[nevermind1534]

As far as reliable goes I thought the connectors of the front loading NES wore out because how it loaded, you had to push in at a weird angle. The top loading NES, although pretty much the same connector, didn't wear out did it?

Besides, I've fixed I think a total of 6 NES consoles just buy using a bobby-pin to bend the connector contacts back. I still find it funny that sites sell new connectors for the NES when all you need to do is bend the contacts. This only needs to be done once every 5 years or so, and that's if you play it every day, switching games every 30 min. Anyway, I'd be ok fixing it every now and then if I had to.

The top loader didn't use the zif connector, it used a regular card connector. I have two top loaders, so I wouldn't have to do this, but I might see how one with a top loading mod sells on ebay. Thanks for the idea!