NES Tips and Tricks

[@slipangle3027]

There's this thing out there now called the "blinking light win" which is a much better solution. It replaces the cartridge connector with a straight-forward one instead of the one where you have to push down, and it replaces the spring-loaded tray with a completely flat one that doesn't move. It basically replaces all the main points of failure with things that actually make sense.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

You don't have to push down, there are no models of the NES where you had to push down other than the top loader for obvious reasons. Just insert the cart into the slot and you're done. No need to ever push down on a side loader.

[@adamsfusion]

Another tip: The old electrolytic capacitors love to bulge and leak, and replacing them with newer, more stable versions can add decades to its lifespan. Remember: The farads should stay the same, but the replacement's rated voltage can be higher than the one you took out.

[@jwhite5008]

Important addition: Low-ESR caps are highly recommended and for anything hi-tech from 199x and newer they are mostly required. The capacitance (mF) can go somewhat higher in filtering circuits (where larger caps are used) - this may improve stability with low quality electric power or allow save you another trip to the parts shop - but not too high since that compromises the ESR (equivalent series resistance) and some high-frequency noise may get through. Sometimes a 0.1mF to 1mF ceramic cap in parallel may also help with very noisy situations. Capacitors lose both capacitance and ESR as they age, faster if used, so replacing *all* caps on older electronics (not just the bulged and leaking ones) can fix it.

[@1337Shockwav3]

avfusion "the farads should stay the same" ... more like your stupids should keep off the internets. I've seen more hardware being ruined by idiots attempting to swap capacitors than machines being in actual need of a repair of them.

[@SupraViperhead]

Hans Meier "your stupid"? Of you're going to insult someone's intelligence, perhaps you should use proper grammar, lest you prove yourself to be a bigger idiot than those that you insult.

[@1337Shockwav3]

SupraViperhead: You're looser. Especially when it comes to detecting what's an actual point and what's obvious trolling. GET OFF MY INTERNETS.

[@SupraViperhead]

Sorry, I didn't have my Snickers this morning.

[@williampfeifer2136]

Centuries isn't long enough. I want mine to last until the heat death of the universe. Do you have a cleaning kit you can sell me?

[@surajlal]

entropy, things are cooling not heating lol

[@SergioAF08]

Great, the part when they do the chip part won't appear on the video now I don't know how to disable that chip :/ I need to know what pin I need to take off, and where do I solder to the ground

[@danielrhodes7594]

Can those 2k memory chips be replaces with larger ones? If so will it improve the quality any?

[@BawesomeBurf]

I've done this several times over the past couple years, and it always feels good to bring a non-working NES back to life. I always just leave pin no. 4 floating though. I prefer cleaning and adjusting the pins to buying a new pin connector because I hate throwing away original parts, and some of those replacement connectors have a death grip on the carts.

[@Spud8]

Plz can you make a GameCube laptop but it must have the game boy player in there

[@mokendkomer]

spud YES!!! Gamecube is the best console of all time

[@yourtechbreak]

make the wii portable and use it as a gamecube... is easier: the wii is more compact

[@mokendkomer]

MasterPhyton GD&MC Yeah. Great idea. But you won't get the classic startup sound.

[@KuraIthys]

That's a thought... The Gameboy player doesn't work on the Wii because the expansion port is missing. But is it completely gone? Or are there any internal pins that still have the appropriate signals for that? (my guess is, no, because you remove everything you don't need in high volume electronics, but if it shares fundamentally the same chips as a gamecube, it may just exist.)

[@trevorgrover5619]

THREE-IN-ONE Wii, GC, GBA! TOP CONSOLE!!!

[@honorablejay]

Another way to bend the pins, if you don't want to chance breaking them, is to simply boil the 72 pin connector. For mine, I filled a small pot with distilled water (didn't want to chance my tap water since I have extremely hard water), brought it to a boil, then dropped the connector in it for 15 minutes. Once I pulled it out, let it dry and cool down, all the pins had bent back to factory spec (or damn close to it). The grip is really tight but it works fine, and the plastic housing for the metal pins is solid enough to not melt.

[@3DSage]

That kid was me. Do you have Aaahh!!! Real Monsters?

[@MatthewWeiler1984]

Great video, I'm going to try disabling the lockout chip. But I bought 4 of the 72-pin replacements off of eBay years ago. I have 3 in a box just waiting until the 1st one dies.

[@NinjaKurosai]

Matthew Weiler those replacement pins are garbage. All you need to do is disable the lockout chip and you'll be OK

[@MatthewWeiler1984]

+Brandon Ramos Ya, I heard that recently :( But I don't have much choice anymore... I tossed the original 72-pin unit years ago when I first replaced it.

[@BawesomeBurf]

I hate them because they have a death grip on the cartridge sometimes which makes it very hard to get the game out.

[@MatthewWeiler1984]

+BawesomeBurf I guess you could just bend them to loosen their grip. Granted, you don't want to loosen them too much :p

[@tails64dsntchannel8]

Wow, perfect timing, i just got my first NES this morning :)

[@Quiltfish]

>Jim Henson across the street. Ok, that got a doubletake out of me.

[@JFD62780]

Quiltfish You're telling me. I was like, "He's still alive? YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!1!! [/KermitFlail]" for a brief second...

[@lilg8017]

They left it to the comment section

[@techhonour3821]

Completely missed that one.

[@Supadupanerd]

Have more Felix time. His demure demeanor reminds me of myself. He's my spirit animal.

[@Phoboskomboa]

My NES had an interesting defect in that it would work without pushing the game down. I found that I could get games that weren't working in friends' consoles work in mine by not pushing the game in all the way. It wouldn't have been possible if I couldn't leave the game in the raised position, so there was room for it to stick out a little bit.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

It's not a defect, all of them are supposed to work without pushing them down. The reason they didn't work in their systems is that the cart wasn't pushed the right distance into the NES to read.

[@Phoboskomboa]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade Wow, 7 year old comment reaction. That's a blast from the past. Defect or not, my NES worked differently than any of my friends'. Theirs would do that power blinking thing if the cart wasn't pushed down.

[@dinkyflix]

I worked at our local FuncoLand during college. That was back when it was FUN to work there. I left as soon as Barnes & Noble bought them and it became LAMEstop

[@BMUSTDIE]

Felix is not amused

[@minibigs5259]

I love the stories! It sounded like Felix doesn't so much.... :-D

[@TazarZero]

When is Felix ever amused by anything? He seems like he doesn't want to be on camera have the time.

[@SumDumGy]

Felix needs a stick removal.

[@WR3ND]

Felix is my favorite. Was looking forward to a potentially informative video for a moment there instead of frivolous anecdotes.

[@marcobravod]

Thanks for the video. I have a question. I didn´t understand the part with the chip. Is there another video where i can see this process step by step? Thanks again!

[@ThorHammerhand]

This is the cpu, this is the ppu, and this is the pew pew pew.... only used in the game "life force"

[@finalbossoftheinternet6360]

imma chargin mah lazer

[@Jingleboy14]

"My NES is a bit buggy." "That sounds great." I love how condescending that sounded, even if not intentional

[@rya3190]

I know it's been nearly 4years, but you wouldn't happen to have the circuit for the keyboard you made for the text radios you made?

[@tomb8430]

Is it possible to cut the track on the board? Or is the board multi-layer which makes that not possible? Unsoldering the chip would be tricky, but I don't want to cut the leg of the IC which would be non-reversible. Cutting the track would be easily reversible. Any idea?

[@mikahl757]

Keep our NES running by disabling the LockOut chip (also enables unlicensed cartridges to run) & decadal maintenance of Male pins on the console or replacement. Thanks for the PSA, enjoying the channel and all its relevant content! ✌ subscribed.

[@uroborous01]

will i need to do this for every game cartridge i want to play?

[@RyanUkAus]

I see that Atari 800 system lurking behind you, do you know of a good alternative power supply for one of those as they seem to use a 9vAC 3.4A which I can not find a suitable replacement for!

[@Bahamut1988]

No soldering required, just cut pin 4 and you're golden, though there's nothing wrong with thoroughness.

[@flamshiz]

will cartridges still work if you don't take the lockout chip off of them? or was that just to demonstrate that unlicensed games will also work?

[@vcval]

dose the lock out chip also control regions pal/ntse ?

[@bunnypig1]

5:36 I love how Felix is all careful and concentrated to try and detach the cable perfectly while Ben is janking the SHIT out of the cable to get it lose...

[@LovelyAlanna]

got some questions mate, what happened to the Portable n64? and also, would it be possible considering the state of wii homebrew and the virtualconsole in it to make a portable wii? only for VC, if the wii has a classic controler then you won't need the ridiculous motion bar or anything like that to control the system, I think that would be a better approach to having portable N64 games.

[@TotalMK]

I don't get it they break off pin 4 then they say you need to ground it? How can you ground that pin when it was removed

[@MicahTheManiac]

Summer Break just started, and a Ben Heck Show made it 1000 times better...

[@beholderlt]

hey Ben, do you mind if I ask what the temperature in your workshop is?

[@Geeksmithing]

I think Ben Heck should do a segment where he addresses the whole "blowing the dust out of a NES cart" thing. It is my opinion that blowing onto the cart pins only furthers to corrode and negatively affect the health of the pins. The moisture from your breath temporarily increases the conductivity of the pins, giving the illusion that you are blowing "dust out" and getting the game to play, but in reality you are doing more harm than good. Thoughts KZbin commenters?

[@MegaZeta]

I'm thinking that 7 years ago, you had a weird compulsion to type out common knowledge as though you thought it up yourself, and all you'd get for it is this pity reply

[@killerms2221]

I disabled the lockout chip in mine just pulling it out with a needle nose pliers. Worked ever since for a few years now.

[@lonewolfette]

I just stumbled on this video because I have a Nintendo that's still working but is very picky. I know very little about electronics. I'd hoped the teardown would have had more explanation, or at least have a separate video about the teardown linked in the description.

[@byfieldmichael1992]

I was told disabling the lockout chip made the game cartridge is a been hotter in the system also I found that if you can get the pin connectors bent back enough to their original shape there's no need to even worry about the lockout switch is this true?

[@swoopnscoop]

Beck Heck throwing some impressive video game knowledge in this one. Nice work guys!

[@DFQreacts]

Does anyone else's PS4 KZbin App freeze up their system when a new Ben Heck video gets uploaded? It seems its every new video i try to play.

[@masheen_]

Ben heck read my mind!!! I was like he should work on the NES and you did. Craziness I say!

[@Cyberdyne_research]

Super nintendo by chance? launch model with the sony audio chip. I come across them all the time, but most are gunky and destroyed by neglect. I know about the 16v fuse, and the capacitor on video out. is there anything else?

[@rusty1187]

if i have an unlicensed game, will disabling the lock-out chip enable me to play it?

[@f3rns]

This is pure gold. Thank you Ben.

[@JC-th5gc]

I know a lot of people prefer the first model, but a similar episode about the NES model 2 would be pretty great.

[@tonycaffeine2642]

Hey Ben great video, I have cleaned and repaired a hand full of Nes in my days, But what do I do if the ROM or PPU chip goes bad. The problem I having with one Nes is it will flash 0and1's on different color screens.

[@betacrest10]

I think there's a 3rd party product or adapter for the NES that you can install that will disable the push down spring feature for the cartridge and the games will still run just fine. Just insert the cart, close the lid, power on and play. I forgot the name of the product though. Edit: It's called the 72 pin connector replacement - Nintendo Cartridge Connector Repair Part the Blinking Light Win.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Why? NES consoles never required you to push down on the cart to read.

[@NakedEggSalad]

I have a couple of GameGears here. One has major sound issues and the other has screen issues. I probably know what the issue is, but you could do a show on it.

[@Rylee_Raccoon]

Could you make a famicom disk system work on the original Nintendo?

[@IggyM]

My eye still kind of twitches every time you say NES, even though I know its coming.

[@kohZeei]

sorry if i missed something, but why remove the whole chip just to cut one of its legs?

[@Nandru85]

I used to be so terrified by that t-rex... I used to go to another room until the menu showed up. Loved the game, btw. love it's music also..

[@jimjimx5418]

I used a sawing motion with an x-acto knife to cut a gap in pin 4. It only took about a minute, and it works perfectly fine.

[@DeadKoby]

I wish you guys would have showed in more detail how to ID the chip to pull. Now I get to search it out.....

[@pshhhNahMan]

Do you have to Disable the Lockout Chip on the games to get it to work? if you've already done it on the System?

[@razredge68]

As far as I'm aware you do not. I can't think of any useful reason to remove the lockout chip from the cartridge since the game would be unplayable on normal consoles. As they said in the video, the console side needed the chip modified to avoid it from forcing the CPU into a reset state. I think they did it here just as a proof of concept that the console would work after being modified.

[@TheMonyarm]

Could you do a video like this for the Famicom next ?

[@TheNerdDwarf]

I adjusted my pins on the connector 4 or so years ago, I haven't needed to click the cart down since. And if it doesn't boot first go its basically always the cartridge pins being dirty.

[@acmild]

Can you still play cartridge with the lockup chip intact in the nes without one?

[@SumDumGy]

Yes

[@JoshuaPritt]

OMG Ben loves the pause music from Battletoads! I love my NES model 101 with the top loading cartridge slot.

[@jakelong4510]

NES tips and tricks *̶B̶l̶o̶w̶s̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶t̶r̶i̶d̶g̶e̶*̶

[@shanecorning5222]

No you have to include a bit of the spittle. You're doing it wrong. Let Me Try?

[@wawarushii]

:D first problem

[@SharifSourour]

That was an awesome episode! Great info.

[@kijihouti2306]

I have a question about games with memory. When I turn on/turn off my system or when the game crashes, I lose all memory on the cartridge. I have come to understand that I need to hold reset while powering on/off the NES. Is there a way to permanently protect to cartridge from the reset.

[@nessotrin]

Kiji Houti There is a battery in the cartridge, change it.

[@johnh10000]

Folks in the "trail" in your videos there is a tracked robot, anyone got the link to that project pls.

[@iCach0]

I'm beginning to think Ben might be an undercover psychic, I was playing Battletoads as this video played in the background.

[@NickHjorth]

Please do a video showing how to make the stereo mod :)

[@justin21002002]

i would love to see a wii u portable. I have found nothing online about one, except plugging it into a power brick and putting it in a backpack. I would love to see you combine the game-pad with the console into one unit

[@spartonberry]

In 2003, Nintendo stopped calling it the Seal of Quality and just called it the Nintendo Seal and gave a more honest statement that buying a game or accessory without the seal will void your warranty. I noticed the change between my Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and "Fire Emblem" GBA instruction manuals.

[@KuraIthys]

It's a pity you can't rip the CIC chips out of SNES and N64 consoles. You can get away with that on an NES because the lockout chip in the NES checks the chip in the cartridge. Even the official NES top-loader removed the lockout chip... On the SNES and N64 however, lockout is bi-directional. A game with a chip won't run on a console without one, and vice versa. Of course, neither of these systems seem prone to security chip related problems, so it's really only homebrew that's affected. For the SNES you can just use a SuperCIC replica chip instead, but the N64 is a bit more tricky... Ah well... Long-term preservation of hardware is surprisingly tricky in some ways. Though having said that, the cartridge-based systems are an order of magnitude more reliable in the long-term than ANY CD-based system, (or those using magnetic media such as a floppy disk or hard drive or something.)

[@adamsfusion]

Yeah, for N64's we tend to use intermediate cart adapters which look ugly. They emulate the bi-directional CIC communication and just make both parties think everything is whizbang good. I hate to say that's why I prefer flash carts on the N64, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@pinfarmer]

There is a kick starter product that fixed the cart pins being bend by how the cart is loaded. It's great!

[@mawkheaf]

Why is that Felix guy devoid of personality? He's like a robot. Quick, one word answers, monotone voice, expressionless face.

[@desktorp]

he clearly hates his life, his job and most especially his boss.

[@lilg8017]

Ben built him for the show

[@SlavomirG]

He got the job, he probably likes the money, hates all the rest

[@Lilithe]

The instructions I followed years ago used a resistor. I forget which value. I sold that system and a bunch of other retro consoles to an old co-worker though. Right now I want to build myself a Pi3 portable. Just don't have the time to get stuff 3D printed.

[@Strongit]

I was hoping they'd get a bit more into common issues rather than just the lockout chip. I've repaired a few of these now, you'll also need to look at the voltage regulator and the two giant capacitors sticking out of the RF box. They're fairly simple to fix and solve a lot of issues, especially if you're a purist like me who prefers to use the original AC to AC adapter.

[@drmariopepper4354]

If possible could you please do a similar video for the SNES? Awesome Video!

[@Sfekke]

Great video, as always! Keep it up ;)

[@tony714keene]

Ben when I had the Internet in 2011at moms I saw a video on you tube how to disable lockout chip and I took out my nes and took apart tell I saw the board and followed the video of how to brake the lockout chip by the 4rth pin braked till you see snap off and the problem stops for me of red blinking light of death.

[@wallacelang1374]

The Nintendo NES Lock-Out Chip tends to cause the screen to flash various colors when the cartridge does not connect to the slot pins properly.

[@jaredappleseed7037]

I don't know if you are looking for mod ideas or not but if I had the skill set i would love to make an all in one retro console rolling ottoman

[@dougstanton9816]

Is there anyway I could stuff a Wii U into an NES case?

[@tristragyopsie5464]

have you thought about taking the original hardware and 3D printing a new housing? like one that removes the need for the push in press down cartridge slot. not necessarily making it verticle like the Famicom, but removing a fail point and makes the contacts more accessible for cleaning and repair.

[@ecmyersvids]

The Blinking Light Win pretty much does that already.

[@SumDumGy]

Sadly. He did.

[@jelle_smid]

i was charged the equivalent of $100 back in 1989 for this mod... lol. Totally worth it because allowed me to buy the US version of Zelda and Mario 3 at half the price the Dutch retailers asked. Man did i feel blessed.... and all my friends had this mod too.... i guess the store that performed the mod got ritch sleeping.

[@modhappy]

Dude! Felix is pumped for nintendo!

[@Nukle0n]

Really a waste of time completely desoldering the lockout chip, you can just cut the leg right there.

[@JimSan_]

No need to rip out pin 4 on the chip, can just solder in two wires which knocks out it out and leaving the console relatively as how it was built.

[@ИгнатАртурович]

Exactly! That + breaking chip on cartridge made this clip way longer than it was supposed to be. Would have been nice to see some smart modifications.

[@Nukle0n]

Could've maybe shown cap replacement, stereo mod, overclock... Or going wilder, the HiDef NES mod.

[@TheTurnipKing]

My preferred solution is to simply desolder the one leg and bend it up.

[@noanoxan]

You could just not push the cart down. I never did lol

[@zelfaldor]

if you disable the lockout chip on the nes, can it still play a cartridge that is unmodified?

[@SumDumGy]

Yes

[@Flokker]

'He's got more teeth that Steve Tyler' ; legit laughed

[@MorRobots]

Felix is why I watch this show TBH.

[@D3ltaLabs]

awesome episode. reminded me of the original Ben heck series...

[@WaltSorensen]

Would be interesting to see the 2 channel audio hack. Can you do other mods, like maybe add more memory for the 6502 up to the 65k max?

[@DamnDealDone]

2 channel audio mod is nonsense. The NES was mono and game audio was designed for mono. If you do a 2 channel mod you will have guns coming out of the left speaker and explosions coming out of the right. It's not right and far worse.

[@crushermach3263]

Question: I don't have to press the cartridge down when I insert a game. It's been like this for as long as I can remember (about 15 years now). What would cause this? Did my parents buy a modded console? How can I tell?

[@Zestypanda]

Just reset the pins in the cartridge slot. Over time they get pushed down so they no longer make contact with the carts.

[@crushermach3263]

Zestypanda That doesn't answer my question or have anything to do with it, honestly. Did you mis-reply?

[@Zestypanda]

Switch what I said. Sometimes if the pins are too tight they can hold the cart secure enough that it doesn't require being pressed down.

[@crushermach3263]

Would that also mean that if I pressed the cart down it wouldn't work? Because that happens too.

[@Zestypanda]

Crushermach3 Yup.

[@spicydeath82]

have to say, Felix didn't look too thrilled in this.

[@GodsMemeTV]

i would love to see an episode in which you disassembly a FAKE NES or Super NES made in China and compare it to the original one

[@CrimsonSanX]

It'd be pretty cool to see a Dendy on this channel (if it's different enough).

[@jwhite5008]

+ItinerantSoldier, I don't believe Ben would go through ordering one internationally from a Russian auction site, especially since he most likely never even heard of it in first place. And the ones manufactured today under that name are completely different from the "original" ones. The new ones are based on NES-on-a-chip, which means: 1 no-name black-blob chip, and a cartridge slot, so nothing to look at, really.

[@GodsMemeTV]

he does not need to order it from Russia, I have one and it works but Iam outside the US so... the postage costs would be high and the device itself has some "value" too :))

[@jayhollowayii2]

so no more portable 64 eps? whats going on with that build

[@Hambs]

you all should do a video like this for SNES

[@loginregional]

HOLEY UNDERWEAR! This is a pretty good video. OK, so I subscribed so this better be a good channel. Why do I have black smudges on my fingers now? Oh, right. Element14. Got it.

[@dougstanton9816]

Hell yeah the Nintendo customer service number still works. I called it like 3 years ago on some bs just like that. lol

[@greypaladin4560]

13:10 -- "I'm made of the bits of people's souls when they sneeze"...? What?

[@matthewcallen7422]

Wish it would have shown how to tie in ground on the pin from the lockout chip. Little unsure of what was going on there.

[@SkyCharger001]

not all floating pins will cause a fail: back at school we worked with a couple of 4-bit counters that had a weak internal short between clock and carry-in. this worked as a cheap way of identifying the first chip in a multi-chip counter.

[@jesus0ad]

awesome idea, and so helpful

[@DarthChrisB]

11:16 Ben's on solder. He should kick it, it's not good for his lungs.

[@DannyWilliamH]

Yeah, it must give off a certain smell when it reaches a certain temp. He did that and acted like it was no big deal lol

[@AlejandroRodolfoMendez]

weird fun fact: in argentina nintendo sold famicoms instead of the NES. it was weird, you could play the same but in some games you do not get squad. i got some covers on my acordeon of games, you could use it in your videos, just put a link on the description of my channel. i made zelda, mario bros, battletoads, castlevania and a lot of song. even the touhou death waltz. i am still learning to play by myself through youtube tutorials.

[@SwankeyMonkey]

I'm TeamKaren. I also pronounce it N-E-S. I'm showing my age, but I get annoyed hearing those who are new to retro consoles lazily call Nintendo, 'nes'. More than likely the same who don't know how to build a powerful engine, and think the easy way to horsepower is by throwing around the word 'nos' (which is a brand) instead of nitrous, or rather nitrous oxide.

[@yonumpty]

NES and SNES pronounced as a single word was the norm here in the UK back when these were around. No one really said N.E.S or Nintendo. So to me, hearing N.E.S is odd. Just different people would have heard it said different ways.

[@SwankeyMonkey]

Yeah, it's always a regional thing. Like here in the States, depending upon what part of the country you are from, you'd call carbonated refreshments either *soda*, *pop*, or some call EVERYTHING a *coke*. I've noticed that although in the UK they have the MegaDrive, when a Brit refers to the N.A. Genesis, they often call it the Gennie. I know (because of my age) when Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back first came out, everyone simply called the AT-AT phonetically *at* *at*, which only changed recently when it became technically proper to address it by every letter... almost like the N-E-S. :)

[@SumDumGy]

Back in the day we just said Nintendo because there was only one option. It wasn't until the Super Nintendo came around that N.E.S. became a thing.

[@glitchenz]

for the nes audio i use a audio splitter (Dual mono)