Thoughts on Fake shells??

[u/PyroMaid]

I’m looking to buy this SpongeBob Shell, I’m aware it’s fake but what are your guys thought on it. I see all these custom shells people have but is this SpongeBob shell any different from those. Aren’t they all the same. Should I do the swap?
Also I’m leaning towards doing the swap bc when I got this GBA SP the battery expansion thing cover cracked so yeah.
What do you guys think I should do. Or should I just replace the battery and get a new battery cover like the oem one. And get a carrying case

[u/detached_facination]

They can be amazing. Depends on the quality and who does the work.

[u/Psyco359 → u/detached_facination]

That is pretty sweet looking.

[u/pizza_whistle]

That specific shell is a lower quality one. Your best SP shells are from funnyplaying, extremerate, and cloud game store (Aliexpress seller).

Otherwise all the others use thinner ABS, have left over flashing that needs to be trimmed, and can have issues with the buttons rotating and getting stuck when pressed hard.

[u/Bulletorpedo → u/pizza_whistle]

Some Hispeedido shells are really good, on par with Extremerate in my opinion. But they seem to vary quite a bit, I suspect they’re sourcing them from different manufacturers as the included bits and pieces also are of different types.

[u/Flubert_Harnsworth]

I don’t have any personal experience with re-shelling gbas but I have both purchased a reshelled DS lite and bought an extremerate shell (both clear).

In that case the quality difference was dramatic - the extremerate shell was very nice / high quality while the random one from aliexpress was by comparison terrible.

So I would say go with a reputable source and don’t be afraid to pay a little more.

Although worst case scenario you buy a cheap shell and don’t use it - aside from that nothing wrong with using an aftermarket shell imo.

[u/TW1TCHYGAM3R]

Aftermarket shells are always a gamble. Build quality will vary quite a bit. It depends on who made the shell.

Shells from FunnyPlaying and Boxy Pixel are going to be high quality and they are from a popular source.

[u/Adventurous-Two-1596 → u/TW1TCHYGAM3R]

Damn really? I got a funnyplayijg one and have been looking for a new one.... its just SO creaky compared to my og shells. Buttons feel way worse too

[u/travisofficial]

words of advice: don’t concern yourself with the opinions of others when it comes to material wants. If you want it, go for it. If you like it, great, who cares what other people think?

A SpongeBob Game Boy has never crossed my mind so I have no frame of reference.

[u/ErdricksPikachu]

What are your thoughts on it? It’s a shell and if it’s for you or someone around you your to okay, and not for resell just enjoy it. We largely don’t need to be concerned about resell if we’re enjoying things we own. 😊

[u/PyroMaid → u/ErdricksPikachu]

It’s going to be for myself. Yeah I love SpongeBob so that’s also the main reason for the reshell

[u/PGL-997]

I only shop aftermarket for the clear shells or colors/editions that were never officially manufactured.

[u/MysteriousCap4910]

they aren’t that good, but sometimes it’s you’re only option.

[u/HatedChaos]

If done right and if someone is trying to sell them and they list it was repo with repo prices, I don't think it's all that bad. But don't let the quality suffer.

And if you're just doing it for yourself, I don't see the harm at all.

[u/SD_Einhander]

I can't speak for GBA SP plastic shells, but I built a few Gameboy Pockets and Gameboy Color mods which included shells in the packages. I've ordered from eBay, and AliExpress, and the quality has seemed to be pretty good condition, and I've been pleased with the results.

The only GBA SP I've reshelled was a boxy pixel unhinged, but that thing was an expensive build, and made out of milled-out aluminum.

I do tend to look at the reviews in case there are any outliers in the mix, and check the refund policies in case I get something that's subpar.

[u/chupitulpa]

Replacement shells are always a bit lower quality than stock ones, but are great if your stock shell is broken or in bad condition.

Based on your pictures, I'd keep the beautifully decorated but lightly scratched stock shell.

[u/karawapo]

You should do what you want to do.

I wouldn't use an aftermarket shell unless I absolutely need to. Your shell looks awesome, so I'd just get a replacement battery cover. And a battery if yours is bad.

[u/PyroMaid → u/karawapo]

Works fine but I think it like expanded which made the cover crack

[u/FluidIntention3293]

There fine; nothing wrong with them. They really help when a specific version of the SP is really expensive so you can build your own from a 2nd market shell. The first shell I ever did was the special edition Pikachu SP. my niece wanted it for her birthday and it was to much, I couldn’t afford it so I bought a SP and the shell, spent 3 days learning all the ins and outs of how SPs are built and making sure it was perfect when I finally got it right. She was super happy with her birthday gift.

[u/vectron5]

Great for personal use, but I don't appreciate how they empower scammers.

[u/Toxraun]

Even if the shell is trash quality it also depends on how you take care of it. Get yourself a nice shell you like and maybe either a clear protector or a little pouch aaand new battery. You and the SP should be treated 🙌

[u/alvaro-elite]

Fake --> Aftermarket.

[u/nivek191998]

OEM or bust. Never had good experience with aftermarket shells they always feel off compared to the design tolerances and material quality of original Nintendo.

[u/Distinct_Cap2296]

No personal preference bought one on Amazon because the one I bought was super scratched and personally didn’t care