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Nintendo Entertainment System


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Alowishus
Joined: Aug 04 2009
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 09:04 am Reply with quote Back to top

Hey all,

So i got a NES today (woo at last) and you all being experts in the system since you all mostly grew up playing with it and i who knows very little about it (with regards to the actual functioning) i have a question.

Is it always such a bitch to get things to load?

The console i bought is "supposed to be" region free and had it's had its pin connector replaced - i checked and it looked pretty new to me. However when i stick games in 90% of attempts so far have heralded a white screen. Not a flashing screen, the power light is fully lit and red. What is the beef with this?

I appreciate that even though the connector was replaced the console is still old and that the games are still old too and they may just be the problem. Is this like a normal occurrence?

If i fiddle with the cartridge a bit i eventually get the games ready to work but it boils down to this question:

Is this just the norm for the NES and to get games running or have i been sold one which doesn't work? I bought this from ebay and it stated that it worked fine and having replacement parts one would assume it works fine, i have no problem with asking the seller why they have sold me something that doesn't work.

This essentially is what happens:


NES Gurus i require your help!

EDIT: Also i was given new cables with it - which shouldn't be a problem but i am plugging into aerial and not av.
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justdrop
Title: Supreme Overlord
Joined: Jan 11 2012
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 10:22 am Reply with quote Back to top

Rule of thumb for NES cartridges: When in doubt, blow it out.


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Beach Bum
Joined: Dec 08 2010
Location: At the pants party.
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 10:32 am Reply with quote Back to top

I remember the one we had as a kid, even brand new, took some effort to get games working. Didn't matter if you'd been playing the game 10 minutes before, if you took it out you either cleaned it with these rubbing alcohol cleaning tools we had or blew on it to get it to work again. Damn thing was touchy as hell.
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Bob Dylan`s Blues
Title: Worlds Strongest Man
Joined: Jun 08 2011
Location: Your nightmares
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 10:41 am Reply with quote Back to top

Yeah nintendo entertainment systems are worse than girlfriends, you have to work hard to turn them on. Usually its just dust in the games or the system itself so blowing into them does help (like with girlfriends).
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Optimist With Doubts
Title: Titlating
Joined: Dec 17 2007
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 10:48 am Reply with quote Back to top

Keep the old one for aesthetics and get the top loader for games.


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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 11:26 am Reply with quote Back to top

Optimist With Doubts wrote:
Keep the old one for aesthetics and get the top loader for games.

Honestly, this. As much as love the Classic NES, the top loader works a lot better. This is largely because it doesn't have the lockout chip, but also because the Zero Insertion Force feature on the Classic NES doesn't quite work as advertised.
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Alowishus
Joined: Aug 04 2009
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 11:42 am Reply with quote Back to top

I appreciate that a top loader probably works better but was the top loader even released in Europe? If it was it seems to be pretty rare, all searches so far have only found the US version. I would wikipedia it to find out but it's fucking all blacked up for that SOPA thing.

I imagine it must be the games as the system looks pretty clean. Also yes i have found that it's a total bitch to even put the games in/take them out.
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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 11:48 am Reply with quote Back to top

Were the games tested? Do you know if they should work, or are you just hoping they work? The old NES could damage cartridges too, if I recall, by bending their pins and pushing the board too far back into the cartridge for it to read properly.
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Alowishus
Joined: Aug 04 2009
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 12:43 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Yes right basically i got 4 games: SMB, Kung Fu, Powerblade and Goal.

The first three perfectly after a bit of fidgeting of the cartridge - i have found if you don't push it down that theres a greater chance of them working. Like if i go over to the console and press power on right now Kung Fu which is in will load up perfectly. It's only when you take it out that it messes up again, i imagine it's something to do with the pins not touching correctly or something.

Goal seems to work but then it freezes up. I'm not too bothered about Goal because it's shit.

EDIT: I'm gonna try cleaning the games here and leave them to dry for a while and see if it helps.
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justdrop
Title: Supreme Overlord
Joined: Jan 11 2012
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 12:47 pm Reply with quote Back to top

If blowing directly into the cartridge doesn't work, use rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab. While rubbing alcohol can deteriorate the contacts if allowed to sit, it's also good for cleaning them short term. Plus the carts are 20 years old and probably have deteriorated anyway.


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Alowishus
Joined: Aug 04 2009
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 12:59 pm Reply with quote Back to top

I just used window cleaner on it. The cotton buds were literally black. I'm gonna give it a while to dry and see what happens.
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Tomdincan
Title: Test Icicle
Joined: Oct 02 2010
Location: Temple Shalina
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 01:00 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Windex or some type of glass cleaner and a swab will clean them well.


I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning sociopath.
 
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Alowishus
Joined: Aug 04 2009
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 01:55 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Yeah Goal works a better but there seems to just be fiddling needed to get them all working. I guess that's just a part of the charm of the console haha.
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Vert1
Joined: Aug 28 2011
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 02:32 pm Reply with quote Back to top

You guys must hate the OP. DO NOT BLOW. Simply insert the cartridge with it sticking out a little bit from your NES then slam down. This is much better method for getting your cartridges to work and doesn't damage them. Your welcome.


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justdrop
Title: Supreme Overlord
Joined: Jan 11 2012
Location: Philadelphia
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 02:41 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Vert1 wrote:
You guys must hate the OP. DO NOT BLOW. Simply insert the cartridge with it sticking out a little bit from your NES then slam down. This is much better method for getting your cartridges to work and doesn't damage them. Your welcome.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?117240-DP-MYTHBUSTERS-Blowing-in-NES-Cartridges


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Vert1
Joined: Aug 28 2011
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 03:28 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Blowing on cartridges will damage them. It's not a myth. It's a fact.


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@om*d
Title: Dorakyura
Joined: Jul 10 2010
Location: Castlevania
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 06:28 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Make sure when you insert the game into the NES console you push it forward from both corners of the cartridge. What is probably happening is that the games are slightly tilted in one direction and therefore they are not flush with the connecting pins, causing the issue. The same thing can happen with a top loading NES. I know this from owning and having owned many of each type of the console. Same thing happens with the SNES as well, including Japanese/European variants of the consoles.

Always clean your cartridges and make sure they are stored properly, and remember to clean your consoles as well. You should be able to buy cleaning kits for the NES online, as well as cleaning kits for cartridge games as well.

Never use alcohol to clean the cartridges and never blow into the cartridges.


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Murdar Machene
New Member
Title: bimmy
Joined: Nov 06 2005
Location: the black warriors turf
PostPosted: Jan 18 2012 06:38 pm Reply with quote Back to top

I've always had a bad time getting my cartridges to work. Lots of wiggling and button pushing.
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Mr. Satire
Joined: Jun 08 2010
Location: Termina Field
PostPosted: Jan 19 2012 01:03 am Reply with quote Back to top

Syd Lexia wrote:
Were the games tested? Do you know if they should work, or are you just hoping they work? The old NES could damage cartridges too, if I recall, by bending their pins and pushing the board too far back into the cartridge for it to read properly.

I read that it happened if you used a Game Genie.

Quote:
The Game Genie attaches to the end of a cartridge and is then inserted into the cartridge port of the console for which it was designed. The addition of the Game Genie causes the cartridge to protrude from the console when fully inserted, making the depression impossible. Therefore, the Game Genie was designed in such a way that it did not need to be depressed in order to start the game. This design put even more stress on the ZIF socket than standard game insertion, bending pins and eventually causing units to be unplayable without the Game Genie present.


That quote is from Wikipedia, and there was a citation number, which I removed, if you only believe things on Wikipedia that are cited.


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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
PostPosted: Jan 19 2012 12:21 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Also from Wikipedia, from the NES page:
Quote:
Unfortunately, the ZIF connector was not truly zero insertion force. When a user inserted the cartridge into the NES, the force of pressing the cartridge down and into place bent the contact pins slightly, as well as pressing the cartridge’s ROM board back into the cartridge itself. Frequent insertion and removal of cartridges caused the pins to wear out from repeated usage over the years and the ZIF design proved more prone to interference by dirt and dust than an industry-standard card edge connector. These design issues were not alleviated by Nintendo’s choice of materials; the console slot nickel connector springs would wear due to design and the game cartridge copper connectors were also prone to tarnishing.

Citation numbers removed for reading ease. But clarification: the pins are only in the console.
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Cameron
Title: :O � O:
Joined: Feb 01 2008
Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Jan 19 2012 07:51 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Vert1 wrote:
You're welcome.

Fixed.
justdrop wrote:
Rule of thumb for NES cartridges: When in doubt, blow it out.

Blowing has always worked for me, as well as those swab cleaners that Gamestop used to sell (though I'm sure you could just use some kind of glass cleaner).


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Ghandi
Title: Alexz Aficionado
Joined: May 21 2008
PostPosted: Jan 19 2012 09:32 pm Reply with quote Back to top

It seems like the old tech support problems of old NES cartridges has been solved in here a few times, but I just want to add..

Ah! Memories! Smile

Reminds me of being a kid again.


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Alexz Johnson

 
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username
Title: owner of a lonely heart
Joined: Jul 06 2007
Location: phoenix, az usa
PostPosted: Jan 20 2012 12:16 am Reply with quote Back to top

good job guys. lets get a WHOOOOAAA BUNDY!!


Klimbatize wrote:
I'll eat a turkey sandwich while blowing my load

 
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