Combining a BitBox with a Shockbox makes a great AW cart case

[Chrone]

I've been on the hunt for a decent case to hold an Atomiswave cart. I've been keeping mine in a Shockbox with some janky foam around it.

It works fine but I wanted something a little cleaner. I've heard of folks using the Sega BitBox cases since it accommodates the EA carts which are nearly identical in size to the AW cart. I was skeptical since the the AW carts a fair bit thicker but said whatever I'll give it a try. So I picked up some BitBoxes and yeah, the AW carts are way too thick and the case won't close without forcing it and warping the bitbox.

So then I got an idea. The BitBox looks to be right about the same size as the cart compartment on a Shockbox and I was thinking that I maybe I could cut out the plastic holder from the BitBox and stuff it into the Shockbox. Sure enough, with some trimming and some double-sided tape it fits in there perfectly.

But now we have the opposite problem, there's a lot of empty space between the cart and the cover. So I cut pieces of some 1/4" open cell foam sheets I had lying around and double-sided taped those in there.

Voila! It worked perfectly! The cart fits snug, doesn't rattle around, and with the foam in the back there's no pressure on the connector. The obvious downside is that it's wasteful and expensive. A Shockbox is currently going for $12.20, a BitBox is $5.99, and getting the insert printed is $3. So we're over $20 for a single case. Totally worth it to me as there's just something so satisfying about seeing those carts lined up on a shelf.

 

[XtraSmiley]

Looks great man!

Where and what insert are you getting printed?

 

[tDRG]

Awesome solution! I've been meaning to pick up some BitBoxes to test, thanks for trying them out. Shockboxes take up a bit of shelf space, so I was hoping to stick with something a little smaller. Anyone know if AW carts fit better in the original EA Genesis cases?

 

[Chrone]

Looks great man!

Where and what insert are you getting printed?

Thanks! I went with the MS6 insert from Southtown. I've used them for probably 150 inserts or so and I've always had good luck. Sometimes the source material of the inserts they offer isn't that good, so garbage in garbage out, but the actual printing quality is great.

 

[Chrone]

Awesome solution! I've been meaning to pick up some BitBoxes to test, thanks for trying them out. Shockboxes take up a bit of shelf space, so I was hoping to stick with something a little smaller. Anyone know if AW carts fit better in the original EA Genesis cases?

Oh good idea! I never considered an actual Genesis case. I have a few of the big cart boxes and just checked for sizing.

The cases won't close in Zero Tolerance and Road Rash. The AW cart is just a tad too thick. The Mutant League Football case is just ever so slightly thicker.

And the AW carts fit in that one perfectly. The case closes just fine and you can hear a bit of a rattle so they're just a tiny bit of extra space between the front cover of the case and the physical cart. Nothing I'd be worried about.

 

[tDRG]

Oh good idea! I never considered an actual Genesis case. I have a few of the big cart boxes and just checked for sizing.

The cases won't close in the Zero Tolerance and Road Rash cases. The AW cart is just a tad too thick. Mutant League Football is just ever so slightly thicker.

And the AW carts fit in that one perfectly. The case closes just fine and you can hear a bit of a rattle so they're just a tiny bit of extra space between the front cover of the case and the physical cart. Nothing I'd be worried about.

Another test fit, thank you! Good to know that some are too small.

 

[Auro]

While the bitboxes for Genesis games aren't thick enough to accommodate Atomiswave carts, the bitboxes for SNES carts are thick enough to close and provide a decent enough (if off-center) fit to the cartridges.

 

[tDRG]

Oh good idea! I never considered an actual Genesis case. I have a few of the big cart boxes and just checked for sizing.

The cases won't close in Zero Tolerance and Road Rash. The AW cart is just a tad too thick. The Mutant League Football case is just ever so slightly thicker.

And the AW carts fit in that one perfectly. The case closes just fine and you can hear a bit of a rattle so they're just a tiny bit of extra space between the front cover of the case and the physical cart. Nothing I'd be worried about.

Thanks again for checking your cases. The thicker ones with the two internal posts on the inside are perfect. I picked up 9 for $19 at my local game store. MLF is too pricy, but some others that seem to come in those cases are:

• Bulls versus blazers
• Tony La Russa Baseball
• PGA Tour Golf II
• NHLPA Hockey 93
• John Madden Football 93

 

[Chrone]

I tried one other case out of curiosity. I found some universal game cases on eBay (I'm sure they're available all over but I just happened to come across them while perusing the bay) that claimed to fit EA sized carts and looked to be the right thickness. Long story, short they don't work well for AW carts. They're thick enough but the inner holder standoffs are a bit too far apart so the cart doesn't fit snugly and kind of flops around. If your AW carts are going to live 99% of their lives on a shelf I suppose these would do just fine and for $5 a pop they're reasonably priced. The genuine EA Genesis cases seem to be the real winner here so I better follow @tDRG's lead and grab some before they get gobbled up by fellow AW collectors.

It wasn't a complete waste though as with a little cutting I found they do fit STV carts quite nicely.

AW:

STV: