NES Game Genie Maintenance

[ElkinFencer10]

My Game Genie has started glitching on me a bit - the usually abrupt graphics crap out during a game - so I figure it wouldn't be a bad idea to clean it. I know how to clean the contacts that go into the NES, but how would I go about cleaning the part into which I plug the game? Thanks for any advice.

[CRTGAMER]

Alcohol saturated Cardboard cut to width of the slot. Plug in and out a few times, repeat with dry side. Let dry or blow out with a can of air.

The Game Genie can ruin you NES though. Take a close look at the connector thickness, the part that goes in first. It is thicker then a NES game cart connecter. Compound this by the angle it sits when inserted, it tends to open the NES console connecter spring contacts too far.

[ElkinFencer10]

Alcohol saturated Cardboard cut to width of the slot. Plug in and out a few times, repeat with dry side. Let dry or blow out with a can of air.

The Game Genie can ruin you NES though. Take a close look at the connector thickness, the part that goes in first. It is thicker then a NES game cart connecter. Compound this by the angle it sits when inserted, it tends to open the NES console connecter spring contacts too far.

Yeah, I know that it will bend the contacts over time, but from everything I've read, it's not an overnight thing (at least from what I've read, it seems to take a few years of regular use, and I don't use it regularly at all), and besides, it will give me an excuse to patronize ApolloBoy's repair thread.

[CRTGAMER]

Alcohol saturated Cardboard cut to width of the slot. Plug in and out a few times, repeat with dry side. Let dry or blow out with a can of air.

The Game Genie can ruin you NES though. Take a close look at the connector thickness, the part that goes in first. It is thicker then a NES game cart connecter. Compound this by the angle it sits when inserted, it tends to open the NES console connecter spring contacts too far.

Yeah, I know that it will bend the contacts over time, but from everything I've read, it's not an overnight thing (at least from what I've read, it seems to take a few years of regular use, and I don't use it regularly at all), and besides, it will give me an excuse to patronize ApolloBoy's repair thread.

I used it just one time to test, such a tight fit. A game cart by itself would not work afterwards until after a few inserts. Lucky for me the spring contacts inside the NES did not "remember" the Game Genie's stretch.

[ElkinFencer10]

Oh wow. I've never had that happen...Thanks for the warning.

[harper]

Alcohol saturated Cardboard cut to width of the slot. Plug in and out a few times, repeat with dry side. Let dry or blow out with a can of air.

Or you can just use an NES cart, works just as well if not better.

[ElkinFencer10]

Alcohol saturated Cardboard cut to width of the slot. Plug in and out a few times, repeat with dry side. Let dry or blow out with a can of air.

Or you can just use an NES cart, works just as well if not better.

What do you mean use an NES cart? How would I use a cart to clean the Game Genie?

[harper]

Alcohol saturated Cardboard cut to width of the slot. Plug in and out a few times, repeat with dry side. Let dry or blow out with a can of air.

Or you can just use an NES cart, works just as well if not better.

What do you mean use an NES cart? How would I use a cart to clean the Game Genie?

Use a q-tip to wet the contacts of a game with alcohol and insert/remove the cart from the Game Genie a few times. Basically what CRT said, except you're using a game instead of a piece of cardboard.

[Hobie-wan]

Use a q-tip to wet the contacts of a game with alcohol and insert/remove the cart from the Game Genie a few times. Basically what CRT said, except you're using a game instead of a piece of cardboard.

That might scrape some things loose with the help of the alcohol, but a piece of cardboard will absorb a bit and particles of crap will stick to the damp cardboard so they can be removed.

[ElkinFencer10]

Thanks for all of your suggestions, guys. I found a nail file the thickness of a credit card and used it to sand some of the corrosion off, and then I cleaned the contacts with a toothbrush. It's as good as new now.