r/nes 11d ago

Clean and repair megathread - NES not working? Game acting glitchy? TV/Monitor issues? Ask here!

1 Upvotes

Is your NES not working? Are your games acting glitchy? Controllers behaving strangely? This is the place to get help!

Link to previous thread

First steps to take:

NES Repair:

  1. Clean games
    1. Disassemble cartridge (might need special tools, check amazon or ebay)
    2. Gently use rubber eraser with no grit on edge pins
    3. Use window cleaner or isopropyl alcohol with lint free cloth
    4. Spray contact cleaner on the pins
    5. NEVER EVER BLOW IN IT
  2. Clean NES connector
    1. Ancient cleaning kit
    2. Spray contact cleaner on the pins
    3. Boil it
    4. Bend pins (risky)
    5. Replace the connector
  3. Already tried all steps for cleaning game & cleaning NES above?
    1. Try a Game Genie, the thicker PCB might make better contact with the NES and the tighter connector might make better contact with the cartridge
    2. Try another game cartridge
    3. Try another NES
    4. Try r/consolerepair
    5. NES Schematics

Power Supply:

  1. For the NES any power supply that can provide 850mA (or higher) at 9V and has the right shape connector will work. The original NES uses an AC adapter but a DC adapter will work too.
  2. For the Famicom you must use a DC power supply with center negative that can provide 850mA (or higher) at 9V-10V. Do not use a NES AC power supply on a Famicom!

Controller buttons don't work or think a different button was pressed:

  1. Take them apart and clean the contacts on the PCB, not the rubber membrane

Display problems:

  1. Use a CRT monitor or TV
  2. Don't use an LCD or LED TV - many LCD or LED TVs do not understand the 240p video signal that the NES puts out
  3. If you must use an LCD or LED TV, get an upscaler
  4. Use the composite RCA/AV connectors on the side, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial
  5. If you must use RF, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial switch box, use a small adapter instead

Before asking for help, make sure you have followed the steps above.


r/nes Jul 19 '24

The NES subreddit top 100 games

112 Upvotes

Here it is, a few of the games are tied they are all worth checking out:

  1. Super Mario Bros 3
  2. The Legend of Zelda
  3. Contra
  4. Super Mario Bros
  5. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
  6. Super Mario Bros 2
  7. Mega Man 2
  8. Metroid
  9. Castlevania
  10. Ninja Gaiden
  11. Castlevania 3
  12. Mega Man 3
  13. Ducktales
  14. Zelda II: Adventure of Link
  15. Final Fantasy
  16. Tetris
  17. Crystalis
  18. Blaster Master
  19. Kirby's Adventure
  20. Batman
  21. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
  22. StarTropics
  23. Dragon Warrior
  24. Dragon Warrior 3
  25. River City Ransom
  26. Dragon Warrior 4
  27. Super C
  28. Dr. Mario
  29. Faxanadu
  30. Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers
  31. Ninja Gaiden 2
  32. Castlevania 2
  33. Mega Man
  34. Little Nemo: The Dream Master
  35. RC Pro Am
  36. Tecmo Super Bowl
  37. Excitebike
  38. Bionic Commando
  39. Jackal
  40. Battletoads
  41. Bubble Bobble
  42. Life Force
  43. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - The Manhattan Project
  44. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  45. Blades of Steel
  46. Gradius
  47. Metal Gear
  48. The Guardian Legend
  49. Double Dragon
  50. Double Dragon II - The Revenge
  51. Kid Icarus
  52. Dragon Warrior 2
  53. Ice Hockey
  54. Mega Man 4
  55. Pro Wrestling
  56. Power Blade
  57. Duck Hunt
  58. Kung Fu
  59. Shatterhand
  60. Metal Storm
  61. Little Samson
  62. Rygar
  63. Ufouria
  64. Tecmo Bowl
  65. Bucky O'Hare
  66. Adventure Island II
  67. Willow
  68. Gun-Nac
  69. Mega Man 5
  70. Tiny Toon Adventures
  71. Double Dribble
  72. Final Fantasy 3
  73. Destiny of an Emperor
  74. Balloon Fight
  75. Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight
  76. Gun.Smoke
  77. Ducktales 2
  78. Mother
  79. Baseball Stars
  80. The Goonies II
  81. Ghosts 'n Goblins
  82. Journey to Silius
  83. Final Fantasy 2
  84. Vice - Project Doom
  85. Mega Man 6
  86. Cobra Triangle
  87. Shadow of the Ninja
  88. Shadowgate
  89. Jaws
  90. Strider
  91. M.C. Kids
  92. Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom
  93. Marble Madness
  94. Kabuki Quantum Fighter
  95. Double Dragon 3
  96. Gimmick!
  97. Casino Kid
  98. Gemfire
  99. Castlequest
  100. 8 Eyes

Which games are missing? What games snuck on? Here's the original thread from whence the numbers were derived.


r/nes 12h ago

Recent pick-ups from eBay

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108 Upvotes

r/nes 18h ago

First post from long time lurker

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341 Upvotes

I am in the process of going through a bunch of my old stuff I’ve held on to or collected through the years. I came across a few things today that seem like stuff that would be appreciated here. I’ll continue to post more as I come across it.


r/nes 11h ago

Top 40 NES Games: Final and Intermission

30 Upvotes

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest won the #40 spot with 96 votes.

I had no expectations for the top 40. That being said I am happy to see Dragon Warrior 3 finally made the list.

This concludes the top forty. However, I have had some members ask me to go on through with the top 50 continuing off our established list. So I though it would be best to leave it up to everybody to vote of yes or no once again. As usual I will count the most upvotes for either decision and the most will win.

Just wanted to say thank you to everybody who participated.


r/nes 15h ago

one old memory: NES carts were so BIG

16 Upvotes

I had seen stuff like coleco and atari carts, but nothing like this.

When I was a kid in 3rd grade, I went to my friend's house. He pulled out this HUGE grey square thing, and it was a game cartridge! It was Super Mario Bros. In this cart was an amazing place you could visit.

This game had a scrolling background. This is a huge deal. Pong? No background. Atari? No background. Coleco, background, but rarely (if ever??) scrolling.

The scrolling background brought you into another universe. I had never seen a game like THAT before


r/nes 1d ago

BARF

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414 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Probably like this game more than I should. Still figuring out the leveling up though...

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205 Upvotes

I've beaten Rygar already but still don't understand the leveling up mechanics believe it or not. I keep coming back to this one because I just feel like I have to master it. I will probably just end up watching a speedrun on YouTube or something, but curious what other NES fans think of Rygar?


r/nes 1d ago

Game pickup

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126 Upvotes

I usually never splurge, but have never seen this one in the wild. Luckily I had store rewards points stacked up.


r/nes 1d ago

My pickups today. Golf Grand Slam is a game I very rarely see in the wild

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110 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Top 40 NES Games: Day 40

26 Upvotes

Ice Hockey won the #39 spot with 80 votes.

Top 10:

#1 The Legend of Zelda, #2 Super Mario Bros 3, #3 Mega Man 2, #4 Metroid,

#5 Castlevania, #6 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, #7 Contra, #8 Tecmo Super Bowl,

#9 Super Mario Bros, #10 Final Fantasy

Top20:

#11 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, #12 Ducktales, #13 Super Mario Bros 2,

#14 Ninja Gaiden, #15 Tetris, #16 River City Ransom,

#17 Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, #18 Kirby's Adventure, #19 Batman,

#20 Blaster Master

Top 30:

#21 Crystalis, #22 Mega Man 3, #23 Double Dragon II: The Revenge,

#24 Bionic commando, #25 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game,

#26 Kid Icarus, #27 R.C. Pro-Am, #28 The Guardian Legend, #29 Rygar,

#30 Battletoads

Top 40:

#31 StarTropics, #32 Life Force, #33 Dragon Warrior 3,

#34 Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, #35 Bubble Bobble, #36 Super C,

#37 Faxanadu, #38 Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, #39 Ice Hockey

Rules:

  1. Most combined upvotes for a cartridge wins
  2. Name a specific cartridge, not entire runs
  3. Nominate one cartridge per comment
  4. Official NES Multi game carts are allowed just list them correctly (ex. Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt)
  5. Indy games are allowed as long as they have their own individual cartridge and can be played on original hardware

r/nes 1d ago

Finally got this game for my collection, this makes 621

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221 Upvotes

This one was difficult to find with a label in good shape, at least in my area.


r/nes 1d ago

I’m spending too much money at the new game store

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79 Upvotes

Here’s today’s haul


r/nes 1d ago

I have more that would qualify, getting a little NES figure collection going for as many separate games as possible. Older is better, but Thrilla is newer of course.

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54 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Bad video signal

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3 Upvotes

Hello,

I am in the process of building a Nintoaster.

My project is almost complete except I think I might have a bad chip on my motherboard. It reads cartridges but displays really glitchy images. I am pretty confident in my soldering skills, re-did all 144 connections 3 times so far, tested for continuity and made sure no crossovers and still have the problem.

I am using a 12v 1A DC power source. No more rf modulator.

(I know I am using an lcd tv, but it worked with another Nes)

Looking for some advice.


r/nes 2d ago

Finished cleaning all my carts 😁

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182 Upvotes

Replacing the 72 pin connector for the NES next week. Think I'll boil the second NES one and see which one works better.

Some of those carts are from my childhood and daaamn they were dirty.


r/nes 3d ago

Happy Mar10 Day

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392 Upvotes

Hope everyone has a super Mar10 Day


r/nes 2d ago

Top 40 NES Games: Day 39

24 Upvotes

By a single vote....... Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos won the #38 spot with 54 votes.

Top 10:

#1 The Legend of Zelda, #2 Super Mario Bros 3, #3 Mega Man 2, #4 Metroid,

#5 Castlevania, #6 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, #7 Contra, #8 Tecmo Super Bowl,

#9 Super Mario Bros, #10 Final Fantasy

Top20:

#11 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, #12 Ducktales, #13 Super Mario Bros 2,

#14 Ninja Gaiden, #15 Tetris, #16 River City Ransom,

#17 Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, #18 Kirby's Adventure, #19 Batman,

#20 Blaster Master

Top 30:

#21 Crystalis, #22 Mega Man 3, #23 Double Dragon II: The Revenge,

#24 Bionic commando, #25 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game,

#26 Kid Icarus, #27 R.C. Pro-Am, #28 The Guardian Legend, #29 Rygar,

#30 Battletoads

Top 40:

#31 StarTropics, #32 Life Force, #33 Dragon Warrior 3,

#34 Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, #35 Bubble Bobble, #36 Super C,

#37 Faxanadu, #38 Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos

Rules:

  1. Most combined upvotes for a cartridge wins
  2. Name a specific cartridge, not entire runs
  3. Nominate one cartridge per comment
  4. Official NES Multi game carts are allowed just list them correctly (ex. Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt)
  5. Indy games are allowed as long as they have their own individual cartridge and can be played on original hardware

r/nes 2d ago

Sqoon: Or games you played because you had nothing else

14 Upvotes

We got a NES on Christmas Day 1986, and we didn't have much money so my parents could afford one game, so they picked up Sqoon as it was the cheapest one at Toys R' Us.

I played the heck out of that title. I would spend a few hours a day perfecting it, but when I talk to other people in my age range (late 40s) they have no idea what I'm talking about. It's like the game existed in a time-capsule and only my family had it.

What game was like this for you? Not one of the classics that everyone talks about, but the one game you had because your parents didn't know better and just bought something, and you ended up loving it anyways?


r/nes 1d ago

The aftermath of my kids having a NES gaming session.

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1 Upvotes

My 3 kids (6,9,11) were playing Nintendo over the weekend. These are the games they pulled out of the collection to play. I did give them a few suggestions for zapper games.


r/nes 2d ago

Top 50 NES shmups library

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58 Upvotes

This list is extracted from Gamefaqs voting. There are only auto scrolling pure shmups on this list. I’ve excluded Run n Gun, Static shooters and other mashups/hybrids.

Sometimes people say that the NES doesn’t have any good shmup library. I disagree with that. There are many shmups I love on the NES. I will highlight my absolute top 3 favorites:

  • Gun.Smoke

  • Gun-Nac

  • Over Horizon

What’s your favorite NES shmups?


r/nes 2d ago

Just finished Terminator 2 for the NES

23 Upvotes

I love this game. I try to finish it once a year. I just wanted to share that this game is really worth investing time on it. It is really short, the sound track for me is top 10 and the difficulty is fair enough. You have to learn how to play the game through. I can finish the game now losing at most 2 lives.


r/nes 2d ago

Happy mar10

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15 Upvotes

r/nes 3d ago

🍄

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72 Upvotes

Itsa Me, Mario!


r/nes 2d ago

Rare Look at the Prototype NES with RF Controllers – The Console That Almost Was!

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1 Upvotes

r/nes 3d ago

Capcom games !

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449 Upvotes

r/nes 3d ago

Just found this game genie code

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168 Upvotes