The Super Nintendo is one of my favorite home consoles of all time, without question. With its stunning library of software and legacy of influence in the gaming industry, it’s simply one of the best systems that Nintendo has ever made. While I’ve done plenty of modding work on various Nintendo handhelds, I’ve yet to tackle the best SNES mods around. Now, after some serious time at the table, I’ve embraced the 16-bit world and have created a modder’s dream Super Nintendo!
Making the Ultimate Modded Super Nintendo
To add as much extra “super” as possible, I installed some of the best SNES mods available on the market today. With all the mods installed, this Super Nintendo receives a significant upgrade in visual fidelity, hardware and software compatibility, as well as a sleek new look. If you’re interested in applying these excellent mods to your Super Nintendo, here’s a breakdown of everything involved.
The Best SNES Mods
I’ll give you an overview of each mod I installed, but for a more detailed look at the installation process, check out my Ultimate Super Nintendo mod video on YouTube. For starters, I swapped out the standard shell for a custom PAL design, which more resembles the Super Famicom rather than the North American SNES. This sleek black shell was created by R.A.W Talent Art, and combines a gorgeous black finish with vibrant colors, making the console more beautiful than ever.
Since I used a PAL shell and motherboard, this custom Super Nintendo was also outfitted with a SuperCIC mod chip, allowing the system to play games from any region. This open-source mod chip was created by Peter Bartman (aka borti4938), and works wonderfully and as designed.
To improve the console’s compatibility with various televisions and capture cards, while simultaneously reducing sync issues, I also installed the “dejitter” mod. Created by Markus Hiienkari (aka marqs85), the dejitter is another excellent open-source project and a perfect solution if you’re having hardware troubles.
Finally, in an effort to get crisp and clear visuals, an RGB filter board was also integrated into the mod. Unfortunately, this mod wasn’t exactly up to par, resulting in more work than it’s worth. Luckily, there are other options coming in the future, which promise the best RGB graphics possible.
The Fantastic Features of the Ultimate Super Nintendo Mod
To start, it’s hard to overstate just how amazing the custom shell from R.AW. Talent looks. The combination of sparkling and matte paint, as well as the illuminated Super Famicom logo, go a long way in making this Super Nintendo pop on the shelf. That said, the rest of the mods have led to some awesome additions under the hood.
When combined with the necessary cartridge adapter for North American games, the SuperCIC executes its function flawlessly, booting any game in a flash. Although the mod allows for manual region switching with the reset button, the SuperCIC will automatically detect and switch to the required region for any given game, which is wonderful.
On the visual end, the dejitter mod also performs as expected, removing slight graphical aberrations and improving compatibility. However, this mod won’t completely overhaul your visuals, so you should only consider it if you’re running into sync issues. While the dejitter mod is worth looking into, I can’t recommend the current RGB filter mod, as it didn’t result in any discernible picture improvement. Furthermore, the mod puts stress on the console’s PPU2 chip, making it a risky install as well.
Overall, I had a brilliant time creating the ultimate Super Nintendo with the help of some of the best SNES mods available. This project was a long time coming, and I can safely say we did this beloved 1990s console justice. If you’re looking to upgrade your Super Nintendo, I highly recommend checking out the mods featured in this build, and encourage you to keep your eyes out for exciting new SNES mods on the horizon!
