What's wrong with my SNES?

[Lodestar]

Hi,

My SNES is acting weird, it still starts, but I don't know what the problem is. Certain parts of games are extremely glitchy or just don't work at all. Example:

Donkey Kong Country 2: This game works until you start a level. As soon as you're deployed, you fall right through the ground and die. (No collision detection, and the graphics are scrambled in levels, too.)

Super Mario World: This game is playable, but it still glitches. The transition effect - like the circle that closes in on you when you beat a level is a really messed up looking square instead. Rotating platforms look completely messed up, and you fall right through them if you jump on 'em.

Drakkhen: This game is heavily based on MODE-7, so it doesn't work at all once you load your game (visable scrambled graphics, but the characters and monsters are still intact). The music and menus are also fine, it's just the world map. And for some reason, the controller receives inputs even if I'm not pressing anything.

So I don't know what it could be, could it be that part of my SNES went bad? Maybe my adaptor isn't providing the right voltage?
(My friend checked the voltage and he said it was at 14v--but I don't know how accurate that is). My last adaptor that I got on eBay (since I lost my original one) was broken, so I bought another. Maybe my SNES was fine before I used that shitty adaptor and may have potentially fried a chip? I have cleaned the contacts and cartridges since then, but it the SNES still glitches up. However something inside the new adaptor seems to have broken loose. It's the official Nintendo adaptor, by the way.

Anyway, just some history...the SNES was working before it was put away in storage for a few years. I just now took it out of the box, and there's no visible damage or anything. I just want the problem diagnosed so I can figure out what I need to do. Ideally, I'd like to be able to repair it myself, but if it gets to be too difficult then I don't know what I'll do. If it's something simple like cleaning the contacts with some special solution, then I could give that a try...beats shelling out for another SNES or spending a lot of money to have it fixed by an unlicensed person. (Sucks that Nintendo stopped servicing these consoles last year)


I just want to get the problem diagnosed first, I guess. Any ideas?

Thanks!

[SnowKitty]

clean the cart slot and the games with alcohol. if that does not work then your snes might be screwed. ive had a couple of bad decks before

[Lodestar]

I did clean them.

[SnowKitty]

I did clean them.

hmm... sounds like it could be a problem with the snes then... best thing to do is run a testcart on it and see what is failed. of course that either requires you to plop down a fuckton of cash for a testcart, borrow one off a friend, or use the rom of one on a flashcart/copier

[D.D.D.]

Anyway, just some history...the SNES was working before it was put away in storage for a few years. I just now took it out of the box, and there's no visible damage or anything. I just want the problem diagnosed so I can figure out what I need to do. Ideally, I'd like to be able to repair it myself, but if it gets to be too difficult then I don't know what I'll do. If it's something simple like cleaning the contacts with some special solution, then I could give that a try...beats shelling out for another SNES or spending a lot of money to have it fixed by an unlicensed person. (Sucks that Nintendo stopped servicing these consoles last year)


I just want to get the problem diagnosed first, I guess. Any ideas?

Thanks!

A possibility: If your storage unit wasn't climate controlled (air-conditioned), it's possible that heat or humidity f'd it up.

[aaron]

I did clean them.

hmm... sounds like it could be a problem with the snes then... best thing to do is run a testcart on it and see what is failed. of course that either requires you to plop down a fuckton of cash for a testcart, borrow one off a friend, or use the rom of one on a flashcart/copier

average gamer will likely not do this.

just get another snes. 40 bucks, tops. problem solved.

[Zandengoff]

I don't mean to advertise, but i have an extra I can sell. PM me if you are interested.