Getting my NES to run is a massive pain *Update: or not?

[Dylan]

I swear, the 72 pin connector is brand spanking new, the cartridges are squeaky clean, and I think that I can get a game to load properly maybe 1 out of 30 times. Additionally, I was playing Mega Man a second ago, and then suddenly the game decided to glitch up graphically and my progress was for not. The NES's hardware is really giving me problems.

Are there any good alternatives to the standard NES? Like something without all of the technical difficulties.

Come on, chaps.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

I have always used pure alcohol. Well, 80% as it states on the bottle anyhow. Works perfectly for me.

Well there ya go.. there's a little water in there anyway. Right now I'm using the common alcohol from the dollar store and the standard one they have is 50%, I don't even mix water in.

They sell both 80% and 90% at most dollar stores and pharmacies for only $1 + tax too so it's something to consider.

The biggest concern is "hard water". Regular tap water is "hard" as it contains minerals, calcium, fluoride, etc... etc... and that makes your clean alcohol "dirty" and it can therefore wreck your games by leaving deposits such as calcium and chlorine both of which eat metal at the molecular level.

If you honestly want to use a twice diluted mix and scrub harder than you have to just get some distilled water (NOT SPRING OR PURIFIED WATER) at your local supermarket for the mix as it contains no foreign minerals or contaminants.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

I swear, the 72 pin connector is brand spanking new, the cartridges are squeaky clean, and I think that I can get a game to load properly maybe 1 out of 30 times. Additionally, I was playing Mega Man a second ago, and then suddenly the game decided to glitch up graphically and my progress was for not. The NES's hardware is really giving me problems.

Are there any good alternatives to the standard NES? Like something without all of the technical difficulties.

Come on, chaps.

I helped out at the start......

[CRTGAMER]

I swear, the 72 pin connector is brand spanking new, the cartridges are squeaky clean, and I think that I can get a game to load properly maybe 1 out of 30 times. Additionally, I was playing Mega Man a second ago, and then suddenly the game decided to glitch up graphically and my progress was for not. The NES's hardware is really giving me problems.

Are there any good alternatives to the standard NES? Like something without all of the technical difficulties.

Come on, chaps.

From 2nd page, if not this mod then maybe chance on a top loader clone?

A bug in your ear. I imagine a toaster could be modded as a direct front plug in to work as a top loader. Anyone hear of this? Maybe might go that route with Rob I aquired a little while ago. Hmmmm.

[Dylan]

Oh don't worry, I've acquired enough information. I'm just saying that I do in fact possess the basic knowledge of cleaning games.

[Hobie-wan]

Using actual electrical contact cleaner is of course best, and contains no water.

[BocoDragon]

Oh don't worry, I've acquired enough information. I'm just saying that I do in fact possess the basic knowledge of cleaning games.

I read that part... All I know is that cleaning carts took my NES from 20% boot likelihood to 100%. It was absolutely a perfect fix in my case, so I had to bring it up.

I read that you said "the cartridges are squeaky clean"... but that doesn't mean you actually cleaned it, right? Perhaps you just observed that they didn't look dirty... my theory is that EVERY NES game is dirty, and I religiously clean them before they even touch my machine.

If you have done that, and it still doesn't work... then yeah, you need new hardware.

But personally I would find another NES for five bucks somewhere and put a new pin connector it (and clean carts!!)... NES's aren't generally so fickle that you MUST run to Famicom land for easy boot perfection... but perhaps your particular NES is fickle.

My big issue is that I think NES carts + converter sticking out of a Famicom looks hella ghetto. I'd use a NES for NES games and a Fami for Fami games... but perhaps I am a nutter.

EDIT: I'm kinda scared of water now.. I will admit.

[Hatta]

Using actual electrical contact cleaner is of course best, and contains no water.

This can't be emphasized enough. Not only is it water free, but the hydrocarbons do a much better job at solubilizing any greasy particulates that may have accumulated on the contacts. Dries completely clean in under a minute too.

[Dylan]

An interesting development: apparently not depressing the cartridges helps with this problem a lot. I can pretty much get any game to boot on my first try as long as I don't push the cartridge down while it's in the system. Is anybody familiar with this method? I've never heard of it before, but it's literally solved all of my problems.

[Hatta]

Yes. Some of the new 72-pin connectors are tight enough that you don't need to depress the cart. Not sure why it won't work depressed, it probably changes the angle or something.