Should I get a top loader? (NES woes)

[Snatch1414]

I've acquired around ten new NES games in the past week through trade, etc. My NES has decided not to play anything the entire week. I clean every game twice when I take it home. This is getting ridiculous. I even pulled out a game or two I've deemed reliable to work every time, and it's not playing those either. Blank pink screen at best every time.

Does the top loader alleviate a lot of this or is it just a novelty? I feel like my NES only works when it feels like it. I mean it's understandable given the age but I don't really feel like finding, cleaning, and repairing a new NES every year.

[Hobie-wan]

Top loader is RF only unless modded. It will eliminate game starting issues as long as everything is clean, but a good proper clean and bend of the pin connector should help yours behave again too.

[samsonlonghair]

No you should not buy a top-loader. You should fix your NES with a new 72 Pin connector. Google search "NES 72 Pin replacement tutorial". This is super easy, fairly cheap, and requires no soldering.

[Snatch1414]

That's my only thing. I cleaned this particular NES and bent the pins back in to shape probably less than a year ago. I play it 'once in awhile' at most. i guess a new connector would fix it

[Hobie-wan]

Do you live somewhere humid, leave games in the system all the time or use a Game Genie?

[Snatch1414]

No nothing like that or unusual in general.

[Tanooki]

New 72 pin connectors are inferior made junk so they can keep reselling more of them as they're garbage. You get an original 72pin and bend the pins back upwards manually with a pin, or there are boiling methods where you put a towel in a pot, fill with water, boil, put in the pins and keep it moving for a little and it heals it.

Also since your'e talking about no games working and weird colors, the security chip could be failing. It's the big difference from the toploader, it lacks it. PIN4 on a specific chip if it's snipped or bent back disables that garbage so as long as a game is clean and your pins are fine it fires up as reliably as a top loader. Also it will allow most PAL games to work just like on the toploader too.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I have two NES consoles.

One is a "professionally refurbished" model I bought 4 years ago with a new aftermarket 72 pin connector.

The other one is my original from the 1980s. I dismantled it and bent the pins back into shape myself.

I now find my original model to be much more reliable. I would recommend fixing your original pins vs. buying an aftermarket connector of questionable origin.

[bryan_65]

I am in the same boat, I have 4 toasters and I give up. I have tried everything from the death grip new pins to bending and boiling old ones and I am sick of it and have not played a real NES in almost 5 years now.

[CRTGAMER]

I clean every game twice when I take it home. I mean it's understandable given the age but I don't really feel like finding, cleaning, and repairing a new NES every year.

How do you clean the game carts? Disassembly of the shells allows for a much better cleaning of the contacts. The pencil eraser method is the easiest and leaves no chemical residue.

Never use a Game Genie; it has thicker PCB contacts which ruin Top Loader pins.