I love video games, but that’s kind of obvious. The only way I can express that is through writing. Well, that and editing videos. Getting pretty nifty at that, cough. Anyway, there are so many other talented people out there with skills I wish I had the knack for. Here’s a great example: custom console mods. Oh sure slapping on some paint, or a custom skin from an online shop wouldn’t be too hard. Some of the selections in this article are just that. The thing that really drives me wild are those that can actually mod their consoles into something else. I love game hacks and I love do it yourself projects, so I thought I should combine those two loves into this list. It seemed like a fitting next step since I’ve covered both of those other topics.

So while I may not be up to snuff on the technical side, I can at least appreciate these creations from the sidelines, promote them, and make those creators feel all warm and fuzzy. Well, some of them at least. I also found quite a few custom jobs that were boring, lame, or just plain ugly. As one who can’t do it themselves, I realize it’s hard for me to judge. Even with the bad ones, I know there has to be some passion behind these projects and that’s great. A failed experiment may lead into the Mona Lisa someday. The Mona Lisa of custom consoles that is. I think that’s a good enough warm up as any. Enjoy!

29 Dope: Nintendo 64 Advance

For those hungry for a portable Nintendo 64, but don’t care about four controller ports, this model is the one for you. It’s not an exact duplicate of the Game Boy Advance body, but you can tell that’s what this modder was going for when they designed it. Compared to the other model it’s a lot sleeker too. I’m sure it still weighs a ton, but it just goes to show there’s a lot of different ways to make a fan console based off of the same hardware.

28 Lame: Steampunk Boy

Part of me likes Steampunk. The other half thinks it exploded too fast and am starting to sour on it. A little can go a long way, but for a time everyone was doing Steampunk this, and Steampunk that. Thankfully it’s subsided over the years, but because of this trend, we got custom consoles like this Game Boy. Ouch! It looks like it would cut me every time I played and then I’d have to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot. No thanks.

27 Dope: The Real Wii U Experience

I covered this in my DIY article, but it bears repeating. This is not just a Wii U pad. Oh no. This is a promise made real. Someone hacked the console and rigged it with a Raspberry Pi, turning it into a classic emulator on the go. While it’s still not as cool as the Switch, it at least is made useful again. I mean with every Wii U game practically out, or about to come out on Switch, why bother keeping it around? Here’s a reason.

26 Lame: Don’t Eat The Mushroom

I love fan art, but it takes a lot to please me if I have to look at it on a constant basis. When you take over a whole console, well, things can get out of hand. Take this for example. The art completely obscures the Game Boy.

Where is the D-Pad? Oh, it’s that mushroom. I assume I could get used to the color arrangement, but I’d be more afraid someone would think I liked toking up. The art is very reminiscent of a hazy 90s culture.

25 Dope: The Super Switch

This is a simple custom skin overlay for the Nintendo Switch that makes it look like the Super Nintendo. Excuse me, I mean the Super Famicom, which is the Japanese equivalent. Look. I love my gray and purple box with patches of yellow from fading just as much as the next guy for nostalgia reasons, but the Super Famicom is the prettier console by far. That’s why this a sick custom Switch. Now if only we can get some SNES games on the thing.

24 Lame: A Burnt Mess

Help, my Super Nintendo melted! Oh, wait someone just made it look like that. Cool… I can’t wait to show my friends how much care I take of my stuff. I really want a system on my shelf that screams, “I’ve been in the microwave!” On top of that, it tries to be a rugged Boba Fett homage. Okay, enough of this silly charade. If you can’t sense the sarcasm I don’t like this thing. This makes Boba Fett cry.

23 Dope: A Super Nintendo On The Go

Tracking down a fan made portable Super Nintendo was harder than I thought. Why? Dozens of companies have made their own SNES consoles for sale on the market. Even I have one called the SupaBoy.

Why switch when you can go super?

It’s pretty cool, but since that isn’t technically a fan mod I present this example instead. Not as cool as the SupaBoy, but the fact someone went through the trouble of creating a portable SNES on their own is still rad.

22 Lame: Pokémon Battlefield

What in the eight fingers of Homer is going on here? Is that a Nintendo 64? It is! Wow, I bet that thing fits nicely in one’s entertainment center and I bet those figures don’t heat up at all. I mean if this was a diorama, or something with the N64 I might admire it. As a console, it’s just whack. I like the controller coloring though. Of all the Pokémon to choose, why Mew and Mewtwo? I get that it’s a callback to the first movie, but that’s hardly the most epic battle in the series’ history.

21 Dope: The Sword In The Console

Normally I don’t go for gold consoles, but this mod is faint enough that I like the paint. This is an actual Super Famicom, which you can’t tell so much from the body, but the multicolored buttons on the controller are a giveaway. The art is ripped straight from A Link to the Past, my favorite Zelda game in the franchise. So this custom job speaks to me. Mad props to the controller skins especially, and choosing the Master Sword as the central art design.

20 Lame: Super Plastic Metroid

I’ll start off by complementing the Super Nintendo controller. It’s hard not to like it. The figures are also cool, but I bet this artist didn’t make those. Well, Ridley looks homemade in a janky way. That’s a good way to describe this piece.

Samus’ ultimate nemesis appears: Burnt Trash Ridley.

The creator just glued them onto their console, which they made to look like lava. It fits the Metroid motif, but again, it’s just an eyesore on so many levels.

19 Dope: The Four Elements Of Pokémon

Not much going on with this alternation. Basically, someone just made a Game Boy Advance SP skin starring classic Pokémon. Looks pretty boring, right? While not as flashy as some of the other examples in my list, I still admire the simplistic design. It’s a nice call back to the original Pokémon quadruple threat. Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle are the best representatives for their respective elements. Now and forever. It looks so good I would have thought Nintendo made this.

18 Lame: Stay In The Sewers

Wow, these pieces from Creative Box Gaming just keep getting more and more insane. Why would I want a melted piece of pizza and one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles popping out of my NES? They have one for each of the turtles. No thanks. I’d like to keep my nightmares to a minimum, please. If I thought the other consoles wouldn’t fit in an entertainment center, then this one surely wouldn’t. In fact, if I owned this I’d cover it with a blanket every night. Creepy.

17 Dope: You And Me And Me And You

The Nintendo 64 is kind of a beefy system. Not in terms of power, but I literally mean sheer bulk. That controller alone is enormous. This was for kids? Well someone managed to fit all that hardware inside one box for portable usage. What’s the coolest part you may ask?

You can still play Super Smash Bros. with your friends, on the go, as the iconic four controller ports are built in too. It’d be hard to see outside especially on that tiny screen with four people, but even so, it’s pretty boss.

16 Lame: The Nightmare 64

Okay, I feel a bit bad for including so many Creative Box Gaming pieces on here so this is the last. It is the pièce de résistance in the console horror collection. Here I thought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were horrifying. Look at this thing! I didn’t want to look at the ever-looming moon in Majora’s Mask so why would I want a sculpture of it looking at me on my Nintendo 64? There’s not enough NOPE in the world for this one.

15 Dope: Famicom Pocket

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Based on the name, Famicom Pocket, and the design, you probably think this is a portable Famicom, the Japanese NES, in a Game Boy Pocket shell. That’s partially correct only it’s not exactly the original system. It’s actually the Famicom Mini. That’s right. This little device has thirty built-in classics for the go. Now that’s a slick idea. The screen is a little tight for some games on there, but it’s still pretty nifty. I’d love a SNES Pocket.

14 Lame: Nintendo Metal Box Ultra

On the ugly side of console mods, we have this NES portable. It’s just a metal box with a controller fixed in at the bottom. If you look closely you can see the screen is off center too.

Is that a VCR with a NES controller?

This seems slap dashed together. For that reason, and a fear of getting cut up, I had to put it on the naughty list. It looks seriously lethal. What is that box supposed to be anyway?

13 Dope: A Hefty Price For Portability

Yes, I have a double standard because you could argue this portable Super Famicom is just as bad as the NES metal box. However, since they seemed to have taken the console and controller shells and fit them into a new box, with a better design as bulky as it may be, I liked this one. I’d never want to carry it around, but it is beautiful in the same way 80s car cell phones used to be. I miss those bricks.

12 Lame: Sailor Eyeballs

I’m a bit torn with this one. The slip over cover featuring Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon is great as it is direct art from the show. I’d be afraid of getting made fun of having this though. Plus the one thing that really disinterested me is the A and B buttons being Sailor Moon’s eyes as if they were busting out of her head for Tuxedo Mask. It’s funny once, but looking at it constantly would creep me out.

11 Dope: The WaveRider

This little gem is called the WaveRider. Despite what you may think based on the game on the screen and the fact that this is a GameCube controller, this is actually a portable Wii.

Wave this ride to a smashing victory.

I know! My mind was blown too. You can watch its creator, ShockSlayer; test it out on his YouTube Channel. If it really fixes my issue with the Wii, the motion controls, I’m in! Of course, that means I’d have to build one and there’s no hope for that. I’m not mechanically inclined.

10 Lame: Rock Of The Wild

This whole list is making me question if I’m just being a grump. I mean this Switch mod is technically cool and you can tell they put a lot of work into this model. The thing is you’re not going to have this outside where it would look like a real rock. It’s going to be inside and it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb. Also, it looks like it’d scratch the heck out of the Switch’s screen.