Problem with my first NES

[Snatch1414]

I got an NES with a new pin connector from a friend recently. Just to put it out there, he's a lifelong friend and I have no doubt there's just an unforeseen problem after he tested the console, but I figured it'd be easier to post here than take it back to him as we are about an hour apart travel-wise.

The new connector makes it really, I mean really hard to pull the carts out of the system. Like so much so that at first I thought something was flat out wrong with the console. A quick google search revealed that it's just really tight in there with the new connector. Fine. The thing is he told me he tested it and if I happen to get a gray screen just jiggle the game a little and it should fix it. I've gotten a gray screen or nothing on the screen at all about 9 out of 10 tries and eventually just gave up. The other thing is that after using a death grip to get a cartridge out a few times now when I push the cart down it grazes the plastic in the front of the system so while it does fit it's not a clean fit, and again I can't get the carts to read. Does anyone have any general advice? Thanks

[cookie monster]

First clean your game with alcohol and a q tip whith the pins being so tight it may only read the game when it is not push down in the tray if the game hits the lip of the console when you push it down then the game is not all the way in the pins hope this helps

[Teh Lurv]

An NES with an original pin connector shouldn't have a ninja death-grip on carts. It sounds like either your friend replaced the pin connector with a 3rd party manufactured connector, or he bent the pins while cleaning the connector.

You may need to remove and examine the pin connector to review the pins.

[AppleQueso]

Often those new connectors work best if you actually leave the cart in the UP position. Try that.

Also yeah, clean your games too.

[Hobie-wan]

As for the pop down, your friend might not have reassembled the NES improperly. There's a lip on the tray mechanism that is supposed to go under the edge of the board and it is easy to miss doing that.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16550

[Snatch1414]

Thank you for your advice (and thanks 'again' to Hobie-Wan). I'll try what I can of this tonight.

[Ziggy]

Indeed, I've done that my first time around. The carts couldn't be pressed down correctly. Though it's easy to open and fix.


And yes, clean the carts! I'm 99% certain your problem is just dirty contacts. You may also have to clean the pin connector on the console. It'll be easier to clean it if you open the console up, which you'll be doing if you wanna fix it so the carts can be pressed down anyway.



As for the death grip, yeah, it can be a pain in the ass. On my current NES, I remember when I first put the replacement connector in there. It was almost impossible to remove carts, and quite annoying. I stuff a Game Genie in there a few times, which is known to wreck pin connectors, and now the grip is tolerable. Still pretty tight compared to the original NES connector, but much easier to remove the carts.

[sosoyo180]

I had the exact same thing happen to my NES and when I played any game with a Game Genie, it worked fine. I have no clue why it worked it just did.

The more you take and put in cartridges, the easier it is to take them out.

And if you don't have a Game Genie, this does not help you.

[Hobie-wan]

I had the exact same thing happen to my NES and when I played any game with a Game Genie, it worked fine. I have no clue why it worked it just did.

The more you take and put in cartridges, the easier it is to take them out.

And if you don't have a Game Genie, this does not help you.

The Game Genie has a thicker board that carts, so that ends up bending the pins a little further. Eventually they won't make good contact with the thinner cart boards. One would need to bend the pins back in the system a little to correct it. Similarly the Saturn Game Shark is terrible for the Saturn slot.