Can I Fix a $20 Super Nintendo from Japan?

EPILEPSY WARNING: This video contains rapid flashing imagery between 13:50 and 17:30.
So I recently picked up a couple of Japanese game consoles - specifically a Nintendo Famicom and Super Famicom. And they only cost me $20 each... but will they work? Let's find out!
● Resources:
Replacement Power Adapter: www.digikey.com/en/products/d...
SNES Schematic: wiki.superfamicom.org/uploads...
TheRetroChannel's Recap Video: • SNES repairs and the g...
Chapters:
00:00 - I spent some money
01:44 - Famicom Unboxing
05:27 - Super Famicom Unboxing
08:45 - Initial Testing
11:14 - The Power Adapter
12:49 - Using the Famicom
13:23 - Super Famicom Broke
14:55 - Diagnosing the Display Issues
17:34 - Cleaning & Retrobrighting
19:34 - Recapping
23:11 - Results
24:35 - Reassembly
24:58 - Playing Games (and failing to read Japanese)
32:54 - Outro
● Patreon:
/ michaelmjd
● Gear I use to make these videos: www.kit.co/mjd
Camera: amzn.to/3ipyKc5
Tripod: amzn.to/3pqxycn
Microphone: amzn.to/35UbkXb
Editing Software (Premiere): amzn.to/39kawfS
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Amazon: www.amazon.com/?tag=teammjd-20
● Music/Credits:
Super Mario World Cartridge Image at 14:24: forums.launchbox-app.com/file...
Background Music:
"Hanging Out", "Brighton Lights" and "Rest" from the KZbin Audio Library
"Airport Lounge", "Mining by Moonlight", "Ultralounge" and "Spy Groove" by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com
"A Torrent of Trouble, "Small Green Alien", "Apartments" and "Misplaced My Keys" by Stevia Sphere of steviasphere.bandcamp.com/
Outro Music: Silent Partner - Bet On It
Amazon Affiliate Notice: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. All Amazon links that I provide will use my affiliate code with Amazon.
Some materials in this video are used under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, which allows "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, and research.
#MichaelMJD #Famicom #Restoration

[@UntLion]

Fun fact: The Super Nintendo in PAL regions shared the same console, controller, and cartridge design as the Super Famicom. Only the US was different with their Super Nintendo.

[@alvesrenanmusic]

Brazilian PAL-M version of Super Nintendo (1993) had the same console, controller and cartridge design as the the US Super Nintendo. Not sure if it counts as PAL as well.

[@UntLion]

@@alvesrenanmusic Oh, really? That's actually something I've never known before. Thanks!

[@linuxstreamer8910]

the super famicom/pal snes looks better then ntsc snes

[@CrashFan03]

only downside is that they added resistors to the PAL SNES controllers to make it incompatible with any NTSC systems. they even region locked controllers

[@FatherMcKenzie66]

@@alvesrenanmusicChad USA

[@Chris.123]

I think I’ve been watching this channel for years

[@cybi124]

20 hours ago? video 40 mins ago. someone is time travling

[@Chris.123]

I get early access to videos

[@f5203]

​@@cybi124can't wait till we get to the point where we stop having people ask this every single time.

[@cybi124]

@@f5203 bruh.

[@cybi124]

@@f5203this is the first time i seen this. chris told me the answer. you did not need to say that

[@godminnette2]

Incredible deja vu in this video for MattKC's "Buying a $1 Wii from Japan." His Wii had similar visual output issues, and faulty capacitors was also the issue! He also had a nerve-racking experience attempting to replace them. Highly recommend the video if you haven't seen it.

[@hw_driver5988]

They should Collab

[@pishagerudo]

mattkc is goated

[@shadowtheimpure]

30:45 That pitcher had no idea what he was doing, walking two batters back-to-back like that.

[@Leahi84]

Great job on your first time recapping! So glad it was successful!

[@BlobVanDam]

I enjoyed seeing a more technical restoration video. Great job with the recapping!

[@MarkMann1]

The Famicom's design really aged very well. I really like how the controllers connect to the side and the cartages are smaller and easier to look at VS what we got in the USA

[@OverTheHorizon840]

And you Can Still Buy Them today

[@bluemetal04606]

If only the controllers had longer cords and was detachable.

[@theengineer-dellconagher]

rf only though which sucks unless you want to mod it

[@pum6454]

the reason we got the NES design in the US is because of the video game crash, nintendo marketed the NES as an "entertainment system" rather than a home console and made the NES look more like a VCR, which is why you insert the cartridges in the NES like that

[@MarkMann1]

@@pum6454 I'm well aware, but thank you.

[@anon_y_mousse]

Agreed about that box art, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone just squirted a bunch of flux on that board before reflowing it and never cleaned it off. I like the 8-Bit Guy's method for retro-brighting, because it seems to be the most thorough method all around.

[@nyanpasu64]

My SFC has the same flux around the main chips. I assume it's just that gross from the factory.

[@lunarnaut3]

I watched mattkc’s wii video and immediately knew what the problem was with the snes

[@sokoloft3]

The twist method works just fine. The important part with it is to not pull up as you could lift the trace pulling up. Personally I bought a cheap 858D hot air station and used that to desolder my SNES's caps.

[@spikeworks]

i absolutely love the look of the super famicoms box. great vid

[@cybi124]

fr

[@OtherLoo420]

fr

[@glonch]

Bravo on your first recap! Well done.

[@neuro_davinci]

If you don't mind, I have some suggestions for your retro bighting setup. I got into all of the retrobrighting stuff last year, in the end, I got everything working perfectly every time. Get a large plastic storage tub with air tight lid, cover the entire of the inside with tin foil (including the lid). Then get some reels of UV LED stirps (I use 905nm), repeat the last step with the lights, covering the lid and sides of the tub in LEDS. Do the same clingfilm technique you used in the video (I think you call it seranwrap?). Place it inside the box, put the lid on and put the box on a heat mat. The heat mat is important because it activates the Peroxide. I'm sure you get advice about this stuff all the time, but this works perfect for me, every time, and I thought it might help you.

[@MichaelMJD]

I appreciate the suggestions! I’ve tried a few different lighting arrangements/setups but haven’t considered using strip lights before - that sounds like it might be worth a try! I’ve used this lighting setup a few times in the past and usually get pretty good results with it so I’ve just kinda stuck with it haha. But I’ll make a note of this for next time!

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Isn't this the same setup that odd tinkering uses?

[@ChloeKenobi]

this is a really great video michael!!! love seeing your process of hardware troubleshooting (and gaming, of course)

[@Jim-Jam]

Enjoyed being along for the process. Great vid

[@HuskeyJay]

Hey! I work at Sally Beauty, was shocked to see Salon Care developer in yet another non hair application! it works wonders for whitening yellowed objects up, however, make sure you restock your developer at least every year! Even if the cap is screwed tight, developer typically will last up to a year before degrading in quality/efficacy. Weirdly enough, it'll start to have similar qualities to spoiled milk, having an off smell and starting to 'curdle'. Just wanted to make sure as I haven't seen that labeling for it in a while :) Love your content, keep it up!

[@slimcognito383]

I would be too nervous to recap anything so I’m impressed you got right your first time

[@TheRetroChannel]

Nice work on the recap job. The Super Famicom is almost impossible to bring back to its original colour once it's that yellowed. Unfortunately they tend to just go from yellow to white if you retrobright them enough (no grey zone). And thanks for the shoutout!

[@bandu6969]

hi

[@SithlordSigma]

Man nice job on that recapping, good stuff. I bodged my first surface mount attempt, lifted the pad right off the board because i was too scared to do the twist (heh). Naturally my 2nd attempt went just fine and replaced several, all because i did the twist anyway regardless of any fears. -my first ever full console recap was my childhood sega CDX.. to all the people whose hearts just stopped at hearing this; It was successful :^)).

[@RacerX-]

Wow for a first time recapper and SMD to boot, that was nice work! As you said ignore the pitch forks and torches because someone will always get worked up about how you do it. It gets way easier as you go and I hope to see more videos like this.

[@MichaelMJD]

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@crispycuero]

MJD, I’ve been watching you for a while now. Thank you for always making good content I can watch.

[@Coleson-xn1nz]

Yo love the content bro, keep grinding ❤

[@cybi124]

heart emoji

[@nojuanatall3281]

You did great on those surface mounts!

[@ZachryMedearis]

The music and retrobrite makes me think of the 8-bit guy! Love both of your channels

[@GamingHistorySource]

Congrats on your successful recap job! It's nerve wrecking as hell to have to do the surface mounts but is so satisfying when you succeed.

[@funey9541]

I have been watching you for about 3 years now. Thank you for all your content!!

[@TKFTGuillotine]

Famicom Tetris is fascinating because it was technically unlicensed, but it directly resulted in the same team doing Nintendo's international versions on Game Boy and NES. It also got two sequels in the form of Tetris 2/Super Tetris 2 (unrelated to the worldwide release) and Super Tetris 3, which are both significantly better. Though admittedly, the definitive version of Tetris in Japan is Sega's arcade version, which is as iconic there as the NES/GB versions are here.

[@judgmenthammer5254]

Fantastic video. I was watching a bunch of retro console repairs, and then your new vid release, and boom similar subject. I hope to see that copy of Yoshi's Island working one day.

[@barra352]

Great restoration! Makes me wonder now if you are going to continue on the Compaq Portable. I've been waiting for the second part in years.

[@youssifmansour]

Thank you so much MichaelMJD for your videos i've been watching your videos for a long time. I love your videos

[@JessicaFEREM]

you can leave hydrogen peroxide in water and bathe it in, getting the bubbles out twice a day. it doesn't require heat or light, it just takes a week, but it comes out perfect.

[@BigHead2615]

Man, excellent job at recapping the Super Famicom! I was like you when I wanted to, and decided to start learning how to recap, and as such, how to solder and desolder, my own Super Nintendo console last year. The first one I did, which is a console I've had since the early 2000s, I was successful with, did not lift or otherwise tear any pads off the pcb board, and it still works great now. I then decided to start buying and "collecting" earlier / SHVC model Super Nintendos off eBay... the first one, I was successful with. Then, the next one, is when I had my first experience with lifting / ripping a solder pad off the board. But overall, its been giving me practice and experience with doing that kind of work, and I'm not too upset that I messed up not just that 3rd console, but also a 4th replacement board I bought to put into that 3rd console. I went the method of, use a soldering iron to heat up one side of the surface-mount caps, and slowly and gently tilt that side of it upward, then switch over and do the same thing with the other side of it, and just back and forth maybe once more of each side until it comes off. Yes, that method has worked great for me, like I said, my first two times / first two console projects were successful with no damage on my part. I was afraid that the method you used, would no doubt lift or rip off pads, but I'm glad to know that, at least in your case, it didn't.

[@jishan6992]

Amazing work on replacing the caps!!

[@GYTCommnts]

Awesome episode! About the caps, Adrian Black from Adrian's Digital Basement use that method with some differences. In both his channels he recently made a full recap of Mac motherboards and explained everything about it too. And finally... The cool time-lapse is back! 😊

[@WindowsXP2600]

youtube vanced

[@GDI221]

Yeah, he convinced me it is the best method. He is doing it all the time and it never really failed him.

[@andresbravo2003]

This is really great. Possibly one of my favorites for restoration!

[@gremio_editz]

Very interesting video! Love it! ❤️

[@ntma]

very cool video, man! glad you got it working

[@lexluthermiester]

@MichaelMJD You did great! Your soldering technique was good, it seemed like you were being very careful and methodical with your approach to the work needing to be done and you seemed like you were taking things one step at a time. I say bravo! The only thing I would do different, and maybe do this in your restoration video, since that bottom of the SuperFam can't be restored to it's original color, spray paint it. Find a darker shade of grey that will match the top face and eject button. Lowes carries a great selection of paints but there are other places to buy them. It doesn't have to be exact, just close enough and it will look really sharp! I've done this myself to systems that have very bad discoloring. Also get a gloss clear coat to finish or it will look weird. Good luck and have fun!

[@bauster]

OMG Thank you! You saved my super famicom! I was looking all over for this issue and no one had details! THANK YOU AGAIN! and I am now a dedicated subscriber now.

[@tacomaken3338]

Congratulation on the successful recap!

[@DarthCrust66]

I really like this different style of video it has a nice flow to it

[@j.w.techchannel]

Very good video, I enjoyed it. Well done on replacing the capacitors first try 👍

[@bs_blackscout]

Great work on the recap!

[@IfritBoi]

$20 each for the FC and SFC is a huge deal. Amazing find and nice restoration vid!

[@Stefan_Payne]

gratz on you fixing your Super Famicom! Bummer you got the revision with the old CPU. So I recommend you have as much fun with it as you can and get as much out of it as you can. Enjoy this device as it was made for enjoyment!

[@Shinray1kuo]

I'm actually kind of annoyed to see this video doesn't seem to be doing as well as your other videos. I really liked this one and I appreciate that a lot of work went into this video...

[@aeriumsoft]

your videos are the ultimate calming experience

[@_BELMONT_]

i recently found out there are two through hole caps inside the RF housing in a SNES! crazy! congrats on your recap! it's so nice when it fires back up no problem!

[@absolutestupidity]

bro i’ve been watching you for half my life now your content is amazing

[@musicalplayzyt]

michaels content honestly makes my day

[@albertisaurio]

what a good video man, I love your style

[@keiiko]

Now, i did not expect to receive fixing, recaping and retrobrighting on this channel, what a surprise, but welcome one 👍

[@sinkcat0113]

I love this style of video!

[@krzysiekp.9555]

Great video as always. I'm curious about one thing. In that Yoshi game, did you check if the chip legs are loose? Seen a few videos where people fixed games by resoldering chip legs. I will admit, those were Gameboy games but maybe there's a similar problem with this Yoshi.

[@hello_I_like_to_do_stuff]

good recapping job Michael

[@dogecode386]

25:14 Might be worth reflowing the solder joints on all the chips inside the cart. I know some game boy carts have that problem where legs on the chips lose connection to the board and then of course the game doesn’t work.

[@henrix210]

It's also one of the games with a Super FX2 chip so might be related as well

[@noinfo6942]

I love the timelapse music. It just gives me a feeling I can't explain.

[@UltraPoyoColt]

I really love Japanese consoles, and I’m glad to see you covering things like this! (Hope you enjoy the retro games!)

[@xXBlueSheepXx]

This video was kino, keep it up MJD

[@pasemek2501]

MattKC fixed a similar issue on a Wii. The capacitors that smooth video out the signal were old and needed replacing. The whole testing, research, fixing process was very similar as well including the "best way to remove capacitors" conundrum.

[@citrus.airways]

This video gonna be fire 🔥

[@JARVIS1187]

I have the same problem with my european version of Yoshi's Island. Every other game I throw at my (european) Super Nintendo works, just Yoshi's Island gives me a black screen without anything working. Had a friend reflow all the solder on the game's cardridge but to no avail. The seller still insists it worked on his end. Cleaning up the pads and all the stuff didn't work for me either. If anyone has a suggestion as for what might be the problem, I'd also be happy to know! By the way: for your first soldering job you did very well! Glad to see another of these great retro consoles back to be fully working! Treat them well :)

[@Null_Experis]

Some advice from another person who learned soldering and electronics repair courtesy of youtube: Practicing on a PC motherboard is starting on hard mode. PC Motherboards are often 4+ layers of copper, and often have very large copper ground and power planes that take up 1-2 of those layers, so trying to get solder flowing on them is like pulling teeth. The huge copper plate acts like a heat sink and wicks away the heat on your soldering tip very quickly. Another issue with large multi-layer PCBs you want to be aware of is the potential for the board to warp and damage itself due to localized heating causing thermal expansion in one area only. This is more of a problem with hot air rework, but you can also cause this by overheating a stubborn ground connection in an attempt to remove it.

[@nensondubois]

Honestly, "retrobrighting" isn't good for the console in the long run and would be fine leaving it brown. Good video though and I'm glad there is another in-depth repair video.

[@TheCoolDave]

Nice to see, I always wanted a set of them..... Hmmm, I think I will have to finally do this...

[@karll3144]

I dont expect my comment to be read, but you can simply put your iron on the capacitor while ON. The heat will affect the capacitor's ESR value, thus making less resistive. Great trick for quick diagnosis. You might also want to measure any DC offset on each side of the capacitors, preventing a DC potential to get through a "leaky capacitor". That will negatively affect your signal fed to the television. In addition, you can get an oscilloscope to visually measure the signals and also a great way to get acquainted with a scope. For your solder, keep in mind that computer motherboard contains Lead Free solder. Over the counter iron for sale are for the most part decent for leaded solder. Acquiring regular board like any old device would be a much better option for practice. Motherboards needs lot of heat to work with. Good work all in all !

[@catdog726]

Great job MJD well done replacing caps

[@travputer3971]

The 8 bit guy recapped a macentosh LC 2 and had simmeralar capacitors and used the same methead to pull them off and not damage the solder pad!!!

[@milesthepeacefulinkling286]

The OG Famicom's design did really age very well. 🎮 I really like how the controllers connect to the sides and the cartridges are smaller and easier to look at versus what we got here in the states.

[@JTRAIN]

I can remember the video that you made years ago about the SNES, which is related to this video

[@Win_7]

did anyone else notice the different style of editing i think its a nice fresh up and its an interesting style

[@VIRACYTV]

Thats the very same power supply that reddit suggested to me for the Sharp Famicom Twin that I bought. It works fantastically for that as well.

[@cybi124]

time for a good time lapse ad plays

[@Dwedit]

You can break off tabs on the American SNES and play Super Famicom games. Aside from that, I'd suggest cleaning the cartridge slot. One thing I tried was folding an index card, putting some isopropyl on it, and putting the folded end into the cartridge slot. You see some dark streaks come out, so you know that's doing something.

[@ZonicMirage]

The nice thing about the the Famicom and Super Famicom is they have the same AC adapter, down to the part number. Additionally, it has the same specs/connector as the ones used with the Mega Drive 1 and PC Engine. I use my US Mega Drive adapter on my JP MD, Famicom, and SFC.

[@AvidSonicFan]

Even I have to say... You did a remarkable job for a soldering beginner with only the tools you had on hand! 😆 EDIT: Not to mention that your retrobriting was a lot more MacGuyver-esque (and thus, more effective) than certain other KZbinrs with probably more experience in that field.

[@ratmaster2000]

So did you get these units from Yahoo! Japan Auction using buyee? How much was the combined shipping? I ask because you say you got them for $20, and wondering if that was what you won price was or is there some buy it now I am missing?

[@kajioukun]

25:11 had the same problem with mario rpg on my usa snes, the cartridge slot had 2 broken pins which caused mario rpg fail to load. replaced the cartridge slot and now working fine, also you could also clean the cartridge slot

[@bub_sy]

I worked in electronics manufacturing for 30 years & twisting sm electrolytic caps is definitely the way to go. I never used braid to clean up pads though. I've seen to many people solder the braid to the pads & rip them off.

[@themcc1879]

Having lived in Japan for since the early 2010s I don’t know how much you paid for the SFC but the condition is “woof”. A gem quality working SFC should’ve only cost about 4,000 yen at most. Yoshi’s island is a 110 yen game at most. The three games you got for the SFC that ranged 500 to 800 yen must have been from a tourist trap here. Be aware anyone buying vintage stuff from Japan these days. Due to a weak yen the junk items are being sold overseas at inflated prices. If you really want a working Yoshi’s Island I will send you one free of charge MJD because I love your content. Maybe some candy or something with it. Also, here in Japan there are USB adapters for the power input available as well as pre modified FCs with AV out.

[@akumatsutranslations]

When I bought my Famicom, it came with a composite video mod and a Chinese power adapter that could vary the output it was working with. For anyone looking into these consoles, I would recommend doing so as well.

[@Obenfiquista81]

Great video. I bought 2 Dreamcast and one super Famicom from Japan as well super cheap. I haven't tested them yet iam a little e it scared of trying to plug them in here in Europe even tough I already bought a universal plug converter. It says there somewhere in the box that goes from 110-220 I think which is the voltage here in Europe. Will this be enought? Thanks

[@sokoloft3]

You should look into changing the voltage regulator and also doing the capacitor mod to it

[@futaboll420]

Can we all agree MJD makes our day?

[@theinsideoftechnology5134]

Agree

[@DominicPROTASer]

Yes

[@cybi124]

copyfarm comment but yes he does

[@theengineer-dellconagher]

No. My day is worse. I now hate living solely from this KZbin video

[@futaboll420]

@@cybi124 maybe :3

[@postingid1717]

I got a copy of Yoshi's Island the other day that booted and froze at the "Nintendo" logo right after the chime sound. Cleaning the contacts made no difference. The board was in great condition and looked perfectly fine visually. I reflowed the legs of all the chips and it works fine now.

[@BeginnerDayTrader]

Michael, try a plain old white eraser that you probably have lying around for that copy of Yoshi's Island. You'll see the dirt come off as you brush through the pins. You'd be surprised at how well it works at reviving cartridges.

[@eDoc2020]

If you encounter other devices with a messed up video output I can suggest using an analog b&w TV for testing. Their simpler circuitry can usually deal with an improper signal level better than newer televisions, and especially better than modern digital capture devices which expect a near-perfect signal.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

21:48 The hot air station is pretty much being used by anyone who's doing surface mounted components and chips these days. You likely won't waste money buying one of those.

[@wolf1438]

When I was a kid I could get only Polish Pegasus console which were Famicom clones and now as I remember, they have also very similar packaging style like these in a video. One big peace of molded styrofoam. Also just recently I have watched Adrian's digital basement channel last video and his wiggle method - he was recapping apple Mac Classic II and used same method.

[@Garberekk]

you should make more develepmont history videos! windows 2000s history is pretty interesting! :D

[@krzbrew]

Nice pliers!

[@wryyyy]

Actually a very early rev.1 Super Famicom that, where the Sony soundchip is located in the independent module next to the caps you recapped. Odd that Nintendo decided the sound circuitry needed such overkill shielding and isolation. The later revisions had the soundchip integrated on the main motherboard, with apparently no change in sound quality. Some folk like to claim that the early models might even have slightly noisier output.

[@dionelr]

Good job getting that SFC working. I'm sure you were doing this for the experience, since I found it easier to break the two plastic pieces from my SNES to allow Japanese games to work. But that probably wouldn't make an interesting video. I lived in Japan in the early 2000s an found Japanese games to be way cheaper. I suspect that Japanese people don't think of games as an investment like in the US (heck, even real estate is not considered good investment in Japan for a number of reasons). Or maybe space constraints is the primary driver. It's easy to find games for under $5.

[@titanisback1]

Been watching you since the windows 7 start menu in windows 8 video... we're both old MJD.

[@JamesTK]

The Super Famicom works with a 9V DC power supply. The only thing connected to the AC is the bridge rectifier which will happily pass the DC through with no issue

[@AaronMT]

That yellowing under the SNES 😮

[@yanghao8351]

It's great that the problem was only the caps. That model of SFC is one of the first generations of the system. You can tell first generation SFC consoles because they have 4 rubber feet at the bottom. However those models are known for chip failure problems. Replacing the caps helped extend its life.

[@TTTKyouma]

Oh damn! I actually go to Akiba almost every week since I live in Japan now. I can look up for some famicom/super famicom games for you if you want

[@bumpybumpybumpybumpy]

I got a Macintosh classic II that needs to be recapped and I have a similar amount of soldering and no capping experience. Seeing this has motivated me a bit more to attempt it.

[@stevethepocket]

If you need even more motivation, Adrian's Digital Basement did a recent Mac repair-a-thon where he recapped a Classic II among other things.

[@bumpybumpybumpybumpy]

@@stevethepocket Will look into it, thanks!

[@snich1950]

I really like when an MJD video become a Conan episode, explaining everything and finding the culprit.