Fixing eBay Junk - N64 Game Super Mario 64 - Trace Repair

In this video, I repair an N64 game that will not turn on. I only get "no signal" on my TV. I go through some basic troubleshooting, then find the issue to repair.
#RetroRepairs #RetroGaming #N64
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Thanks for watching

[@Term271]

It’s good to know that there are people who try and save these games from being tossed into the trash or being destroyed

[@rafaelc7757]

We can tell its a work of love. The trouble and time to fix it...

[@_SixthDay_]

Yeah unlike disc base games. I’ve got a couple that will never come back sadly from being resurfaced.

[@joshshrum2764]

I actually have a really pristine copies of Mario 64, and Ocarina Of Time.

[@joshshrum2764]

@@_SixthDay_ I mean those can die to if they get scratched to hell.

[@Term271]

@@joshshrum2764 cool my copy of sm64 is a bid faded from the sun

[@MrShagdog80]

I really enjoy your content... I actually play it while i am fixing broken consoles and games ect. In a few cases it has actually pointed me in the right direction on some things when I've missed something. Keep the videos coming.

[@MegaArcon]

I enjoy your videos and I personally appreciate how you don't smash-cut though your process. I'm sure there are lots of small things you could edit out to bring the runtime down but I enjoy watching the whole process play out in real time (excluding the cuts to and from the console of course. Those are expected give you'd need to move your camera).

[@nicotoscani8270]

You’ve inspired me to learn how to solder and mod/fix old consoles

[@antonnym214]

Nice find! That is THE classic cartridge for the N64. I also love the Mario kart 64. All good wishes.

[@SolKnightt]

Have you ever tried a 1-Up Card? Cleans and buffs the pins in carts. Also, yay Kona!!

[@RetroRepairs]

I haven't, but I've seen them

[@SolKnightt]

@@RetroRepairs I've had mine a few years. The console cleaner version did wonders for my childhood Sega Genesis. :)

[@RyanHull76]

Love this channel. I was able to fix 10 of my carts with your tips and tricks. Method as well. Thank You!!!

[@joshtries965]

Just adding a suggestion since I didn't see it in the video: Adding UV curable solder mask/glue/resin really helps with sealing everything so it's secured and safe from humidity. Anyways keep up with the awesome videos ^^

[@rpavlik1]

I suspect you could also just use nail polish.

[@RetroRepairs]

Agreed. I've actually used green nail polish on a different video. It's held up

[@thomasandrews9355]

@@rpavlik1 you definitely can

[@lorengameau9570]

Great video really informative. Thanks i'm looking at getting into some repair to restore some of my old games and having never fixed a trace before its a pretty daunting task initially!

[@allolebarilliertaxi4304]

An advise that was given to me by pros in woodworking : be at ease with your tools. You have the rights technics but you weren't at ease. You worked better the moment you cut your wire (better grip, better strand spiraling). Also you could have folded your jump-wire better with a iron tool than your fingers by pressing it against your table or pulling it with a pair of tweezers. Although, you should consider holding your wire with tweezers while soldering, it is more accurate, you can block it against the circuit and not fearing burn from your iron.

[@marcianzero_yt]

Probably good tips. The good thing is: Other people see that they are not alone struggling. With experience everything will get better and more easy. But tweezers are really invaluable for this kind of job. :)

[@mrjohnklake]

I wish you could have fixed the front label but still very informative and entertaining! Salute to you and your patience fixing those traces!

[@estebangodoy386]

It's so wicked cool to see how they get repaired

[@Kerby]

came for the repair, stayed for the cute doggo, subbed!

[@pmcquay1]

Ome thing ive learned with tiny wire like this is not to try and do it in two heats. If you bend the wire so that it lays perfectly and heat it one time it will work more often than doing one side and then the other. Because the second heating also melts the solder you put on in the first heat.

[@doc.sk8erdie286]

Good luck finding Mario's hat! lol😁

[@marcianzero_yt]

My advice would be tacky flux. This fluid stuff burn off too quickly for me, and perhaps also for you. At the same time. If you flux your wire directly on the PCB you won’t spill on your mat and save some of the stuff...

[@ballsrgrossnugly]

Actually, there is a whole Pace series on soldering from like the 70's for techs, it all looks outdated now but they had the best tips and tricks for this kind of thing. Their tip for cleaning up traces was to use a surgeon's scalpel. I bought a handle and about 10 or 20 blades in foil packets for about 15 bucks on Amazon I believe. It feels like a tank in your hand, solid surgical stainless all the way baby. They recommend the curved blade so you can get better control of where the actual scrape is made, and the scalpel is about as sharp as you can get. Straight blades tend to dig out triangle shaped channels, where curved ones will gently scrape down to the bare copper with a nice rounded channel. I highly recommend those Pace soldering guides. I am much mode confident with all kinds of soldering techniques just from watching what they do!

[@RetroRepairs]

Thanks for the tip, sounds like a great series

[@ballsrgrossnugly]

My bad, The video with the scalpel tip was here. I watched a few different channels a couple years back all at the same time. Pace still has some good tips, but this one is far more up to date. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqXcYnpriqeMmJI

[@ballsrgrossnugly]

@@RetroRepairs The one I linked in the reply was the one with the tool recommendations, but the Pace ones are good to just absorb in the background while you are doing other things. Very interesting stuff!

[@teh_supar_hackr]

I was just thinking the same thing when I saw this video pop up in my feed after watching that one

[@rimmersbryggeri]

Just wathched the clip your thumbnail comes from. Coincidense.

[@maxrichards5925]

I find broken traces to be very unfortunate. Thankfully there's a work around for them.

[@RetroRepairs]

At least they're fixable. Bad ICs sometimes can't be saved

[@cameronmisegadis3980]

@@RetroRepairs tips for troubleshooting bad ICs?

[@Copper20]

These broken traces are exactly why Nintendo warned people about with blowing into cartridge.

[@coffee115]

Bahaha! I know EXACTLY what happened to this cart. The most popular version of the GameShark for Nintendo 64 had a really tight cartridge slot. Some kid put a little too much force on the game to get it in the GameShark and cracked the traces on the board. I fixed a Harvest Moon 64 cart that had the same exact problems.

[@mrsillystrings4075]

Fiberglass pen is for cleaning the contacts not rubbing the green off. That's what they use them for.

[@3vi1J]

I don't know what Nintendo was thinking with that spacer. I guess they never saw the problem, or didn't consider we'd still be using these things at this late date. :) Thanks for this channel and sharing your experience. About a year ago, inspired by yours and other KZbin repair channels, I did my first repair. It was a Genesis cartridge that /oddly/ had a broken via. Signal got to one side, never came out the other. I fixed it by flooding the via with solder. Haven't seen that particular issue pop up on any of my subscriptions yet.... probably should have filmed it. :) Keep saving these classics!

[@Copper20]

As he said before, the spacer itself doesn't cause any issues, but if the cartridge gets wet or gets left in humid conditions then where the spacer is doesn't allow evaporation so that causes the traces to get corroded and eaten away. Also this isn't limited to the n64, that same problem happens just as much on the SNES and NES (despite that they don't have spacers, they can still suffer the same "line" thing that's seen on the cart here)

[@border056]

Thanks for sharing this. I had a SM64 cartridge with intermittent issues. Some minor trace damage like show. 34awg magnet wire is going to be your savior if you’re doing trace repair like this. Much easier to work with.

[@Brianreese83]

good job. a bit painful to watch you solder but you got there. lol doesnt have to be pretty to work. I once saved a casiotone vl1 this way. good stuff.

[@TheThomasites]

White balance can help with the colour changes while working on the bench.

[@mitchmckeiver1429]

Always love watching a good repair video on something that means so much to us all ❤

[@KISSbestfan]

Another tiny repair. Its more frustrating than doing bigger stuff, but hey, sometimes its the case as well. I have done a small repair myself lately. Actually being a resistor replacement, but I remembered a few tips from your older vids, so I kind of knew what to do. I'm using way too much flux though. I need to learn how to apply it better. Or buy myself a flux pen like you

[@RetroRepairs]

No such thing as too much flux 😁 But that reminds me, i need to respond to your email

[@jamisonlm3]

I'm sure we've all been there banging our heads against the desk wondering why we can't solder that little wire.

[@yummyklown9226]

Try using an actual contact cleaner rather than IPA. Deoxit or Deoxit Gold would be a better choice.

[@Spacedoggs]

A lot of people use flux to prep the soldering area, but I've consistently found better results with jelly donut filling. Most of the time I use strawberry, but in a pinch I'll use raspberry. I've never tried lemon, but then I'd have to eat the rest.

[@RetroRepairs]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJSko6GbpdCbrJI

[@HaralHeisto]

Word of advice with those fibre pens - don't rub them against your fingers like that, you really don't want fibreglass strands breaking off into your skin!

[@ericbernard8864]

I usually use my fiberglass pen to clean very dirty connectors edges, it works fantastic for that!

[@acumenium8157]

Is this translucent blue N64 the same one you made in a much older video? Also, hi Kona! :D Always great to see her pop up and help with the repairs. This was a weirdly damaged cart. The RF shielding and PCB were almost too clean for what seemed to be tremendous damage from friction/possible moisture. Did the spacer actually serve a purpose? You've repaired quite a few carts that were damaged from it and others that lacked it entirely, but still worked. Did it make connections more reliable on average or was it just a "it might help" thing like the overabundance of RF shielding on consoles like the PlayStation and stuff?

[@Veritas1980-Chill]

I was hoping you would clean the shell and reprint new labels.

[@bubsy3861]

Soooo... what about that package of cartridges from last mail day video? Did they work? I mean I still like to see testing process on camera even if they all work )

[@Darlypants]

I don't know if this is something you want to do something about, but... See if there's a white balance setting on your camera. The blue mat you do your work on is confusing the camera's auto white balance/AWB, and turning everything else yellow as a result. Your thumbnail is a perfect example. Most every camera has a manual white balance option though. You can use that to dial in a white balance that leaves your cartridges gray and your hands human-colored. And it has the added bonus of not constantly shifting tones throughout the video. Here's some pointlessly in depth auto white balance info: the reason your camera is turning everything yellow is, as I mentioned, the blue mat. The purpose of auto white balance is neutralize strong yellow or blue lighting conditions. Indoor light is typically yellow, outdoor light is typically blue. White balance attempts to turn both of those to a neutral white. So because it sees your blue mat as blue light, so it starts adding yellow in an attempt to turn the blue mat to gray. The blue mat becomes slightly less blue, but everything else goes super yellow. If you watch the video you can see the camera struggling the entire time trying to figure out what the heck it's supposed to do with all the blue. So yeah, you can fix the problem by setting the white balance manually to a setting where everything looks normal. Or, I don't know, put a couple more things in the shot so the camera can get a grip and stop flipping out trying to compensate for a problem that doesn't exist.

[@bjmarchives]

Thank you!

[@tretrotrotre]

Hello, i have this pokemon stadium 2 cartdridge that won't boot up, i found a broken trace and after repairing it now it shows the Nintendo logo and i can hear the Pikachu at the start, but that's all, After that only shows a black screen, i also did a reflow on the ROM chips but no luck, any ideas buddy? Thanks for reading this, i learn a Lot with Your videos.

[@cirugiaretro]

Nice repair! A bit of UV Mask and it’d be perfect!!

[@juanbermudez964]

Wow you have 80k subs and Poot skills! Perfect prof that anyone can make it in KZbin

[@n0lain]

Great video, I did have a question about something to fix. Have you done any videos fixing torn-up contact pads? (not sure if that's the right name) Was trying to add a battery holder to my brother's Pokemon Ruby, and the little pad that you solder one of the battery tabs on came straight off. Was looking into it and it seems like everyone has their own suggestions (glue, jumping it, etc.) so I was curious if you'd ever encountered something like this.

[@RetroRepairs]

Not on a battery terminal, but i have had cases where capacitor pads were ripped off. Easiest thing is often to run a jumper wire to the closest good spot to solder to

[@n0lain]

@@RetroRepairs So I'd glue down the tab on that end of the battery holder, scrape back the masking over the trace, and solder a wire from the tab to the trace? Thanks for the help btw! You probably get swamped with questions so sorry about that lol

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

The second one gave you a hard time. But it works.

[@xtine4justice]

You did a great job with not getting frustrated. I was getting frustrated on your behalf. Great video. Thanks again.

[@JamSessionsEX]

pls. pls show cleaning the plastic n stuff too :c

[@ToxcynTV]

I tried replacing a dead battery on my super Mario allstars cart but I put the battery in wrong and now the SNES wont turn on with that game in the slot, no power. Only when I remove it. Did I completely fry the cartridge or can I save it?

[@Shinzizzu]

This looks really frustrating.

[@CoinHuntingDrew]

So are those black plastic pieces in the cart a MUST for the game to work?

[@RoddyDev]

These wires... I would have raged and broken everything (not really)

[@Risingstar_Roblox]

Best video

[@hardcorepablo]

@RetroRepairs - Hi, I have 2 Mario Kart 64 cartridges and one of them is not booting up. I cleaned the contact with 99% isopropyl alcohol and special contact cleaning solution. I also did the continuity test on all traces (all seem to be fine) and the game is still not booting up. Is it possible that the game ROM chip is faulty? Or could it be "copyright protection - boot" chip?

[@johnburrows7938]

Making real hard work of that one. That soldering iron is rubbish , invest in a Hakko or similar. I’ve just invested in one an FX951, with soldering micro pencil, it’s much easier.

[@TheRealMapleSyrup]

So, I enjoy the content and I am subbed, but my man…you gotta fix that white balance, or invest in better lighting. Everything looks yellow and muddy. Maybe a nice large silicon work mat in a neutral color.

[@LJacyHenry]

I believe you would have much better results if you would clean that soldering tip every joint you make. I have been soldiering all my life. And I know this will help you.

[@ZekeLeom]

Do you do commissions? I have a copy of Pokémon crystal I bought locally that has two pins messed up on one of its chips

[@mikecruz6916]

love the channel Mr.Adam I have learn alot from your videos I would like to suggest repairing a ps2 controllers I have brought two ps2 controllers form ebay one was totally dead one was had D button up and L2 not working

[@TheStickCollector]

Cool

[@DaRealV]

I repair Macbooks for a living, and neither I nor anyone else in the business I know uses fiber glass pens to scratch away solder mask. I'm using an exacto knife or old tweezers.

[@ronaldhenson3379]

It's worth saving nintendo 64 games especially super mario 64

[@JASPACB750RR]

@15:50 you really fluxed this repair up… Haha.

[@RetroRepairs]

Oh flux off

[@JASPACB750RR]

@@RetroRepairs nah it wasn’t a insult. I’m sorry if it came off that way. But the way you said flux this made me laugh. The “dad joke” was there to be made. I’ve tried small repairs like this and have literally said, flux this and tossed it. Good work man. Keeping retro stuff alive.

[@RetroRepairs]

Oh no, i got it, i was just keeping the pun/joke going. I was hoping it wouldn't come across as me being ticked off, but evidently not. Cheers

[@JASPACB750RR]

@@RetroRepairs ahh gotcha. Just clearing the air. Don’t want people thinking I’m being a D to someone doing some cool stuff in the rabbit hole.

[@RetroRepairs]

Hey no worries here man

[@mykeg2401]

Kona is super cute!

[@SpazzyJester]

A dog for an assistant is legend 🤣 It's mind blowing how much patience and effort you have to be in each project you do 😳🤯 Keep making more awesome content 😎👍

[@speakerbasstester1639]

agreed

[@leesanford4103]

I have a Mario 64 that I have taken apart and tested traces and cleaned and I still can’t get it to work any suggestions would be awesome

[@EmceeRad]

I thought the package was a gross piece of cheese, that being said, good video

[@CandyGramForMongo_]

Flux is the past. Flux is the present. Flux is the future. All successful paths pass through flux. Flux is the one, the only, true path.

[@GustavoMdeOliveira]

good, but it seems that protection will damage the soldering after sometime

[@biobear]

can you possibly help me out? I have a copy of fighters destiny, no broken traces, used the multi meter and every pin was fine. changed the capacitor, and reflowed everything. any idea what the issue might be?

[@paradigmdream]

i feel like it would help a ton to clip the wire off from the bundle. it seemed like the weight of that was pulling on it quite a bit. great video though!

[@androide2597]

I sware that package looked like a melted craft single

[@QWERTYCommander]

How do you get a Mario 64 cartridge in this state and not even have a 70 star save file!!!! I've kept my games in such a good state over the years and you come across people treating them like garbage!

[@mrsillystrings4075]

It's the video store rental edition I bet 😂

[@lekander4]

good work but please get something to fixture the card with and the wire im panicing hahaha

[@ChickensinHighDef]

Somehow I wasn't previously subbed, but I corrected that!

[@ronaldhenson3379]

I remember having fond memories playing super mario 64

[@dr.strangelove7696]

19:16 Yes Flux it! That's your answer for everything! lol

[@RetroRepairs]

The only wrong amount of flux is not enough flux

[@dr.strangelove7696]

@@RetroRepairs Sorry, I didnt mean that disrespectfully. I take it you never seen The Big Lebowski? The Dude goes "F#ck it!" and the old guy says "Yes, F#uck it! Thats your answer for everything!" I took a gamble you seen it and I lost lol

[@RetroRepairs]

No disrespect taken. Yeah I've seen it, but i just didn't clue in to that reference, solid movie

[@TooBokoo]

I think you definitely could've just bridged those cuts with some solder in about 10 seconds and done just as well. Still, made a fun video and the important thing is it works!

[@_DanielPrieto]

You shouldn't have used a cable. A single wire is less messy.

[@RyanHull76]

Love your videos. Is there a recommendation for replacement of the spacer that causes the damage? Maybe just a fiber patch that goes in there, rather than the hard plastic?

[@RyanHull76]

I just hate putting the part back in the cart that caused the issue to begin with.

[@RetroRepairs]

I don't think it will cause issues if you take care of them. I think the problem stems from storage in non-humid or temperature controlled places like an attic or garage. Getting cold or hot will cause condensation and eventually this.

[@graphicsgod]

Maybe cover that area of the board with kapton tape? 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@RetroRepairs]

I'd worry about kapton tape lasting. I've opened up consoles with 20 year olf tape that has turned to dust (granted it wasn't kapton tape, but still)

[@Copper20]

@@RyanHull76 The spacer doesn't "cause" the issue; the issue comes from storing the games in a bad place. This same issue happens with all other cartridges and it's often on the line where the two halves of the cartridge shell meet.

[@mattser831]

I sent you a message through Facebook can you fix my snes?

[@shadowfrost-kz5vo]

subscribed and put that notifications on

[@ps123fan]

really interesting stuff

[@marksmith4831]

needs to practice cleaning tips and soldering alot more

[@ChrisX930]

Cute doggo you have there!

[@stevep9177]

How long can you leave the solder on the heated tip? I have very little soldering experience but it seems like solder is only useful for a very short time. Could that be why the second trace repair was giving you a hard time?

[@andrewclark3325]

I like your videos, and especially one with Kona appearances, but I have to stress this once again - Adam, please buy a third hand with magnifying lamp. With its help this repair should be faster and easier!

[@rpavlik1]

Does anybody make replacement circuit boards that you can transplant the ic's into if the board is really damaged? Seems like that would be useful, especially with a desoldering iron, though more invasive than a small localized fix like this.

[@Mrshoujo]

I would just remove and trash all those N64 cartridge spacers. Or at least widen the slot so it doesn't rub the PCB traces. Hopefully later you'll print and adhere a replacement label.

[@vindaloo63]

Lots of flux is your friend on these tiny repairs

[@mugiwara8166]

No hate but i love falling asleep to your vids

[@shady0808]

Was it not possible to just flow solder over the trace he scrapped away? If it's just a small break in the line?

[@RetroRepairs]

Generally, no. Solder doesn't blob up enough, plus if it broke actual copper once, why trust a solder bridge? Best to reinforce it with some wire

[@shady0808]

@@RetroRepairs 👍🏻 makes sense

[@AJpalma23]

What are people doing with their carts????

[@JuicyJakeRepairs]

this happens to alot of cartirdges, gameboy, SNES etc.

[@RetroRepairs]

It does, but i see it with the n64 more often than others

[@coffee115]

It's GameShark/game genie disease.

[@arlingtontrains7]

Great work sir! 🤡

[@Jaapio777]

Your video's rock man. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it's inspiring. I started restoring my old gameboy today, thanks to your channel I got it working.

[@dgalli79]

Adam are you selling this game?

[@Merlinmagi]

You should have tinned the traces.

[@lokz9632]

Why no solder mask on those traces?

[@tbj84]

Kona for the win!!!!

[@guristaex3119]

That was great ! Nice work

[@lawnboyfreak]

I’ve used this technique before and it works great! I saved my company a lot of money!

[@damienhawthorne8864]

This video was perfect for me! Now I have a better idea of what to do with these old electronics.

[@atelier_AG]

Thank you so much! I watched a ton of your videos, and today I finally tried repairing some traces myself. I fixed a N64 transfer pack, and a Secret of Evermore game. Especially with Secret of Evermore, it was very difficult to spot where the broken trace was. However, your explanation of how to find them with a multimeter really helped out! Thanks!

[@lodestarlondon8850]

Great Video! Do you have any console repairs in the making?