HOW TO FIX THE BLINK OF DEATH ON A NES

djulls · 25th February 2007, 11:17 AM

turn nes on.
red light blinks.
ahhh game doesnt load...
any ideas...
anyone wanna sell me their nes?

MBinns · 25th February 2007, 3:21 PM

I was actually fiddling around with this last holidays.
The way I improved it (still sometimes get it but 90% it works fine) was to pull it all apart (not very complicated, just get the cartridge reader off the mother board by undoing all the screws and pulling it off) and then kind of 'bend' every pin up so that it gets greater contact with the game cartridge. Quite time consuming and I think I bent mine a bit too far and now the games are bloody hard to pull out but at least they work

I think cleaning the pins with alcohol might help too.
There should be more detailed guides on the net if you google it.
If you don't want to do all that then the usually sell the reader bit on ebay which would work better.

I'm surprised how long I stuck with Solstice and Shadow Warriors 2!

djulls · 25th February 2007, 4:05 PM

cheers illl give it ago...
i just got double dragon / mario bros / duck hunt / some pinball and a zapper gun// but damm it wanna play it sooo bad.

PogiPinoy · 25th February 2007, 10:24 PM

From my old NES, I did the same and unbent the pins, then it works!

SithLord · 26th February 2007, 12:26 PM

If you check ebay, you can find replacement 72 pin connectors, which is what I did.

I tried unbending the original ones, but to no avail (I left a cartridge in there few a few years ...

).

Also, windex and a cue tip is great for cleaning the contact pins on your old carts ! Worked for me

Jaysimar · 27th February 2007, 10:47 PM

my aunty used to use nail polish remover on the cartridges to get them working

elvis · 28th February 2007, 7:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaysimar

my aunty used to use nail polish remover on the cartridges to get them working

VERY bad idea. This will do damage to the cartridges over the long term thanks to the acetone solvent. If you are getting to the point where the cartridge pins themselves are so dirty that they are losing contact with the console, I strongly suggest you stop shoving crap in your console, because that's the only way that sort of thing will happen.

Similarly, any fool who blows air over their cartridge contacts is an idiot. I've lost count at how many people swear this works. Meanwhile they blow spit all over their cartridges and cause the contacts to oxidise over time. Genius.

The "blink of death" is due to a NES design fault. The cartridge slot is on a flexible plastic membrane that bends as you push the cartridge down into the NES. Over many years, the fatigue on this cause the metal contacts to crack, and the unit cannot read the cartrdige.

Bending it back is a temporary fix at best. As mentioned, the only true fix is to replace that membrane with a new one.

New NES units are being made in Japan now that the NES design patent has expired, and Nintendo didn't bother to renew it. These units offer S-Video out, and a top-loading cartridge design ala the SNES/megadrive. This offers much better lifespan of the internal parts, as there's no soft flexible plastic moving around every time you throw a game in. The units are cheap and region free, and worth buying if you're a NES collector.

Invader_Stu · 28th February 2007, 8:35 AM

Elvis: I've unsuccessfully fixed my old NES (bought a 72-pin replacement off eBay but it just didnt work) anyways can you link us to some decent NES replacements?

I saw mixed reviews on one a year ago (I think IGN Gear reviewed it) and basically I was scared off buying one. Anyone have any first hand knowledge of NES clones? I have about 40 NES games collecting dust - I could sure save some money on the Wii's VC if I could get a new unit

elvis · 28th February 2007, 11:04 AM

Google "NES clone" and you'll find tonnes.

Neo Fami, Generation NEX, and RetroCon are just three of thousands. Most retail for around US$30 plus postage.

I don't know of any Aussie distributors, but don't let that put you off. I haven't bought a video game nor a console locally in 5 years now, and never had a problem buying from overseas via the web.

seadog · 28th February 2007, 1:59 PM

if u want the nes pin conecter...

Quote:

hey mate, was good to meet you last night. glad the power cable works. when it blinks you can jiggle the cart around (with the power on) and the flash suddenly stops. When it does, hit reset and it should power up to the game screen and work fine. If you're using your overseas carts, you might need to clean the game contacts first, i use a rubber nail file and gently rub back the contacts till they are clean. Ofcourse the best fix is a new 72 pin connector, don't buy from the aussie ebay though - way too expensive. I've bought a couple from a US ebay seller called 'Games Palace' - heres one of their auctions http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PREMIUM-72-P...QQcmdZViewItem

seadog · 28th February 2007, 2:06 PM

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thum...2007/2/13/7018
read that before thinking of buying the Fc twin thats on ebay for $45us.

alvarez · 15th June 2007, 10:55 PM

Gametraders stores sell the connecotrs or atleast they used to.

Ive found a new conector (Watch the ebay ones some are utter crap) and a good clean of the carts worked wonders, I dis assembed the cart (reqires a gamebit screwdriver) and then clened the utterly filthy contacts with braso then alcohol which I think may not have been wise but it worked.

genxor · 16th June 2007, 12:53 AM

I can also vouch for the crappy quality of the eBay replacement connectors. I bought one, threw it in my NES and it worked for a little while. After a few days it was back to the blink though. I was rather annoyed after spending a few days cleaning all of my cartridges. This was around the time the "generation NEX" was announced. I was holding out to get one but the reviews weren't that great in the end.

25th February 2007, 11:17 AM	#1
djulls Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 55	HOW TO FIX THE BLINK OF DEATH ON A NES turn nes on. red light blinks. ahhh game doesnt load... any ideas... anyone wanna sell me their nes? __________________ my music djing for noobs myspace.com

25th February 2007, 10:24 PM	#4
PogiPinoy Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sydney (No Cable) :( Posts: 1,382	From my old NES, I did the same and unbent the pins, then it works! __________________ BLAQUE - Believing in Life and Achieving a Quest of Unity in Everything OCAU Club PDA Member #6 Nintendo Club Member #4 OCAU iPod Owner #65 ASUS Owners Club \|\|Dr. Pepper Club Member #21\|\| Motorola V-Club Member - V3i DELL Laptop Owners Club

26th February 2007, 12:26 PM	#5
SithLord Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,086	If you check ebay, you can find replacement 72 pin connectors, which is what I did. I tried unbending the original ones, but to no avail (I left a cartridge in there few a few years ... ). Also, windex and a cue tip is great for cleaning the contact pins on your old carts ! Worked for me __________________ Nintendo owners club member #30 I Got White Van-ed club member #2

28th February 2007, 8:35 AM	#8
Invader_Stu Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Melbourne Posts: 761	Elvis: I've unsuccessfully fixed my old NES (bought a 72-pin replacement off eBay but it just didnt work) anyways can you link us to some decent NES replacements? I saw mixed reviews on one a year ago (I think IGN Gear reviewed it) and basically I was scared off buying one. Anyone have any first hand knowledge of NES clones? I have about 40 NES games collecting dust - I could sure save some money on the Wii's VC if I could get a new unit __________________ Eskimo - Q9400 \| Gigabyte GA-EG41MF-US2H \| XFX HD4890 \| 2X2Gb OCZ Titanium DDR2-800 (5,5,5,15) \| LiteOn 18X DVD-RW \| WD 320Gb \| Seagate 1TB \| Dell 2407WFP 24' Widescreen \| Silverstone SG01E \| NeoHE 500W Successful Trades:mikaal, dred0r, DracZ, googlevich, doogs2590, eva2000, aristotle, darkjedi, 1n1n1iS3, Baringa, aalu

28th February 2007, 11:04 AM	#9
elvis Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Brisbane Posts: 19,876	Google "NES clone" and you'll find tonnes. Neo Fami, Generation NEX, and RetroCon are just three of thousands. Most retail for around US$30 plus postage. I don't know of any Aussie distributors, but don't let that put you off. I haven't bought a video game nor a console locally in 5 years now, and never had a problem buying from overseas via the web. __________________ Child's Play Charity

25th February 2007, 3:21 PM	#2
MBinns Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 42	I was actually fiddling around with this last holidays. The way I improved it (still sometimes get it but 90% it works fine) was to pull it all apart (not very complicated, just get the cartridge reader off the mother board by undoing all the screws and pulling it off) and then kind of 'bend' every pin up so that it gets greater contact with the game cartridge. Quite time consuming and I think I bent mine a bit too far and now the games are bloody hard to pull out but at least they work I think cleaning the pins with alcohol might help too. There should be more detailed guides on the net if you google it. If you don't want to do all that then the usually sell the reader bit on ebay which would work better. I'm surprised how long I stuck with Solstice and Shadow Warriors 2!

25th February 2007, 4:05 PM	#3
djulls Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 55	cheers illl give it ago... i just got double dragon / mario bros / duck hunt / some pinball and a zapper gun// but damm it wanna play it sooo bad.

27th February 2007, 10:47 PM	#6
Jaysimar Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Brisbane Posts: 283	my aunty used to use nail polish remover on the cartridges to get them working

28th February 2007, 2:06 PM	#11
seadog (Banned or Deleted) Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Adelaide,Au Posts: 290	http://arstechnica.com/journals/thum...2007/2/13/7018 read that before thinking of buying the Fc twin thats on ebay for $45us.

15th June 2007, 10:55 PM	#12
alvarez Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Geelong 3218 Posts: 2,565	Gametraders stores sell the connecotrs or atleast they used to. Ive found a new conector (Watch the ebay ones some are utter crap) and a good clean of the carts worked wonders, I dis assembed the cart (reqires a gamebit screwdriver) and then clened the utterly filthy contacts with braso then alcohol which I think may not have been wise but it worked.

16th June 2007, 12:53 AM	#13
genxor Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Perth Posts: 339	I can also vouch for the crappy quality of the eBay replacement connectors. I bought one, threw it in my NES and it worked for a little while. After a few days it was back to the blink though. I was rather annoyed after spending a few days cleaning all of my cartridges. This was around the time the "generation NEX" was announced. I was holding out to get one but the reviews weren't that great in the end.