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.

[Pichu]

Besides the Top Loader?

Hmm...Not sure which clones are good..

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

There's no such thing as a good clone.

That having been said check to make sure your new 72 pin was installed correctly or that all of the pins are intact and aligned correctly.

[Dylan]

There's no such thing as a good clone.

And that's the Gospel truth.

That having been said check to make sure your new 72 pin was installed correctly or that all of the pins are intact and aligned correctly.

Yeah, I'm suspecting that something is askew around there. I guess I'll have to pop it open and have a look.

Besides the Top Loader?

Does the top loader have a more efficient system? If it does, then I might have to consider the investment. Then again, those things go for like $70, so maybe I'll just stick with bad hardware and extra effort a little longer.

[Pichu]

Yes, my friend got a TopLoader, never had another NES problem. It's like all other toploading systems, very well built. At least in his case.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

There's no such thing as a good clone.

And that's the Gospel truth.

That having been said check to make sure your new 72 pin was installed correctly or that all of the pins are intact and aligned correctly.

Yeah, I'm suspecting that something is askew around there. I guess I'll have to pop it open and have a look.

Besides the Top Loader?

Does the top loader have a more efficient system? If it does, then I might have to consider the investment. Then again, those things go for like $70, so maybe I'll just stick with bad hardware and extra effort a little longer.

Heh, Amen brother!

The US Toploader is nice, but the RF only quality is horrible at best and the AV mods for it are just about as bad given the poor shielding and encoders used.

I ended up saving up the cash and picking up an AV Famicom and Absolutely love it. Not only does it have AV Cables AND output in true stereo (AKA not dual mono) natively but it also gives me access to all the games we got screwed over on in the US like the Japanese version of Castlevania 3 and some frankly awesome SHMUPS that used expansion chips. Plus, with the right converter (I ripped one that was designed for the regular Famicom open and use it as there aren't any designed just for the AV Fami) you'll have access to all your favorite American games too.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

There were some US Toploaders that did feature the signature Nintendo AV Multiout on the back, but they're typically quite rare or sold as if they were any other Toploader without a mention. This is because they were provided as replacements for owners who broke their existing units and were only sent to customers directly from Ninty.

[Dylan]

I ended up saving up the cash and picking up an AV Famicom and Absolutely love it. Not only does it have AV Cables AND output in true stereo (AKA not dual mono) natively but it also gives me access to all the games we got screwed over on in the US like the Japanese version of Castlevania 3 and some frankly awesome SHMUPS that used expansion chips. Plus, with the right converter (I ripped one that was designed for the regular Famicom open and use it as there aren't any designed just for the AV Fami) you'll have access to all your favorite American games too.

Now that's peaked my interest a bit. How much does an AV Famicom go for, is it significantly more expensive than a standard one? Also, what am I looking for as far as a converter is concerned?

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

AV Fami's typically run anywhere from $80-$150 depending on condition and boxed/unboxed and games included etc...

I can say I overpaid at $120 for mine, but I was desperate for one and jumped on it after not much haggling at a con. I typically see these hitting between $80-$90 on average though.

As far as converters go it's a bit of a crapshoot. Basically most are designed to be used with the much more shallow cart slot of the Original Famicom and therefore must be disassembled to fit into the AV Fami's deeper cart slot, or there are some that flat out don't work for whatever inexplicable reason.

All in all though I love the thing, it's insanely small, runs amazingly cold, has the best NES controller design ever and just looks damn cool. Plus most Fami games are dirt cheap like the majority of NES stuff so imports are almost always an option, and it gives you the option for the vast majority of import only titles.

[Dylan]

That's pretty pricey, but considering the extra features (especially that it's import friendly) I think that I'll eventually make the investment. Until I scrounge up the money though (and manage to hold off on games for a second) I'll keep popping 'em in the oven.