Huge NES Flaw Finally FIXED With New Sliding 72-Pin Connector // Ninten-Drawer

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The original NES 72-pin cart connector has proven to be unreliable over time. There have been some replacements and “upgrades” over the years to fix the connector's issues, but they too have problems of their own. Now we have a new Mod kit called the Ninten-Drawer which aims to be the perfect 72-pin connector for the NES. So let’s see if it actually is!
Where to Buy The Ninten-Drawer:
► RockerGaming Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/listing/17164115...
► BlueShell3D Store: blueshell3d.com/products/nint...
Where to Find the Creators of the Ninten-Drawer:
► RockerGaming: / rockergamemod
► BlueShell3D: / blueshell3d
Other Parts In The Video:
► Clear NES Shell: retrogamerestore.com/store/ne...
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Timestamps
0:00 Intro
4:05 Parts Used
5:25 Installation Tutorial
10:56 Features
15:02 Pros and Cons
17:26 Final Thoughts
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// TOOLS AND GEAR I Use For Video Game Console Modding (Soldering Equipment, Flux,
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► www.sendico.com/register/2d5a...
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// Intro Music for Retro Renew Series by Matthew McCheskey:
► matthewmccheskey.bandcamp.com/
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Disclaimer: This video is only for entertainment purposes. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of tools, equipment, or from the information in this video is the sole responsibility of the viewer and is to be used at the discretion of the end user/viewer and not Macho Nacho Productions or Tito Perez. If you are uncertain about any step of the process or feel unsure about your skill level, seek a more authoritative source.
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#NES #Nintendo #MachoNachoProductions

[@BlueShell3D]

Just to clarify on those Greenband games. Thin Greenband games are more common and can be a extra fickle if they are not clean, but its the very rare THICK greenband games that are outright incompatible. The version of DuckTales shown is compatible with the Ninten-Drawer, but the Thick banded Hydlide is not Thick Greenband games wont even work in the NES002 Toploader.

[@technocolossus7763]

Y'all got any info on the cartridge connector you used for this? I've been looking for a replacement cart connector for my top loader for YEARS.

[@Roshenbo]

​@@technocolossus7763Reach out to Greg from Laser Bear, he'll actually answer your questions. 👍

[@BlueShell3D]

@@technocolossus7763 We use a custom solution for the NES slot. Cant say more beyond that

[@RobbWes]

​@@technocolossus7763I just got the Japanese version of the nes top loader. Since it comes with the multi out port like that on the snes. It is called the AV famicom. Just needed a famicom to nes adapter. It also has the expansion port that is on the original famicom.

[@MajorOutage]

@@BlueShell3D For those of us who already have a Blinking Light Win in our possession, is there any chance at making a replacement PCB available using your updated connector?

[@BlueShell3D]

Thanks so much for taking the time to review our product! We spent a good year developing and testing the Ninten-Drawer. We're really proud of what we created, and just ecstatic that you viewed it so positively.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

You can definitely see all the design effort that went into it, great work! Came out amazing 👍

[@khiclark31]

Great work! Now your next project should be fighting stick drift for the Switch lol

[@PapaMurphTV]

thank you for this. blinking light win has been a pain for years, already ordered ninten-drawer

[@joveaaron-real]

I'm making this but open source.

[@JigglypuffTutorials]

@@khiclark31Already been solved by gullikit

[@RockerGaming]

Thank you so much to Tito for sharing our project with everyone! Blueshell3D and I are excited and hope this breathes a lot of new life into the front loader

[@jayzah]

Such a great mod guys awesome work!

[@RockerGaming]

​@@jayzah 🙏🙏🙏

[@MachoNachoProductions]

It’s a really awesome mod! Great work you two!

[@markwayne86]

It takes less than an hour to service the original connector. I’ll stick with it over this ugly orange thing.

[@davidlevy706]

@@markwayne86 I'd go with an RGB-modded top loader.

[@jakeiswayblack3377]

This is a big part of the reason why I get multi-carts or flash carts. Piracy isn't just about getting games for free, it also helps keep the hardware alive

[@anonamatron]

That doesn't mean you need to pirate ROMS. You can load backups of your own collection. I have pirated ROMsets myself, but my point is just that flashcart does not equal piracy.

[@im1fadedRob]

@@anonamatron You definitely shouldn't call it piracy if you're dumping your own ROMs or just using a flashcart to play homebrew as far as I'm concerned, but that's such a small minority of people that actually do that compared to how many people are totally just downloading whatever games they want lol.

[@anonamatron]

@@im1fadedRob I think downloading a copy of something you physically own is fair game. Not that practical to dump your own game when it will be identical to what's online. Now that I say that though I remember that there's is/was no complete copy of Beyond the Beyond for Playstation 1 online. The copies online are all missing the videos.

[@buxtech]

SOLD OUT, BUMMER! These modders/sponsors need to up their stock if they know this guy is reviewing it.

[@lexacutable]

The difference in energy between those two guys made me think immediately of Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, ahah

[@RockerGaming]

Bro I'm dead... 😂

[@BlueShell3D]

I'll accept this comparison. I have no KZbin chops. I just stay in my cave and drag my knuckles on the floor while I try to build stuff. Frankly the light scares me

[@lexacutable]

@@BlueShell3D oh I certainly didn't mean it as negative in any way!! tbh building stuff while dragging your knuckles on the floor is pretty impressive

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

Honestly I won't be surprised if someone's made a fully automated cartridge feed mechanism, not unlike an actual VCR or laserdisc machine.

[@kaio0777]

i was thinking about that too but i think you would need to remake the whole nes around it but it would a great custom project.

[@Ybalrid]

There is an old episode of the "Ben Heck Show" where he does that more or less successfully ...

[@marcellachine5718]

Multi slot devices existed, exist.

[@jvogler_art4708]

Amazing. I’m more of a snes and up Nintendo fan but if I was super into nes I would for sure buy this.

[@metroid-mj9pw]

@@jvogler_art4708 Although I do agree that the SNES has a great library of games. The NES also has a bunch of games that are vast and would be a great game for someone who plays SNES games.

[@KSHickeyJr]

Woah...now, not only do I want a Clear Shell NES, but I want a Ninten-Dawer printed in that exact same "Macho Nacho" Yellow! THAT looks awesome!

[@RockerGaming]

It pops so hard... I need to upgrade my unit too 😂

[@SonyUSA]

Clear plastic like that will yellow crazy fast, also it looks a little wobbly to me... I would keep my original shell!

[@itchyisvegeta]

I had a Blinking Light Win in my HDMI modded NES. But ended up selling it cause i missed the nostalgia of pushing the game down before playing it.

[@JamieStuff]

The engineer's mantra: "If it's worth doing, it's worth OVERdoing." Good job, guys!

[@briangilmartin662]

As someone who grew up with the NES in the late 80s, I dig this solution! It's also great to know that someone picking up the slack with a new solution since Blinking Light Wins haven't been made in a long time

[@torshec8634]

"I can fix him!" And so he did.

[@rabidwallaby84]

I just modified my OG nintendo with a cartridge connector that worked in the up position, avoiding the bending that occurred when you pushed down. It also didn't have deathgrip

[@skRapKlan]

Really awesome design! This is definitely something I will consider for my future NES ultimate build.. Thanks for the great video and detailed breakdown of the drawer!

[@ShinXyres]

This looks so dang good! I'm really glad that flash carts work, I was thinking of taking my brother in laws broken SNES and getting it working for him and giving him a flash cart so its good to know this mod will work.

[@TaliaIGhul]

Could this finally stop the "blowing in the cartage" thing people do?

[@BlueShell3D]

Probably not. People will always blow and try to push down

[@kruks]

The reason it's needed is to bridge the connection to the pins, which this replaces. So hypothetically, sure. Will it stop them from doing it anyway? Probably not.

[@metroid-mj9pw]

PLEASE DON’T BLOW INTO YOUR CART.

[@jayzah]

I love these videos, keep the good stuff coming Tito 😊

[@jeremyf1901]

I really like the addition of creator interviews!

[@kingpolt98]

This is awesome! Ive wanted a top loader for awhile because no matter what i do to my childhood NES its always unreliable. New connector is scary tight. Cleaning and bending the original has had inconsistent results. Im very excited about this.

[@Null_Experis]

if you hadn't bent them already, I found that placing them in an overfilled steamer pot (fully submerged, lifted off the bottom by a strainer) and simmering it for 30 minutes fixed it pretty consistently for about 6-8 months.

[@kingpolt98]

I do have another NES I haven't messed with yet. Might give that a shot. Thanks 😁

[@scikoolaid]

@@kingpolt98 It sounds crazy, but literally boiling the connector in water works and fixes it.

[@jakd.rabbit]

Congrats on the shout-out over on Austin Evans' channel. Was watching his Mystery Tech video yesterday when I was surprised he gave you a shout-out on his GameBoy he built in the video.

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Thanks! I just saw it the other day. Absolutely surreal 🤯

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

The RF shielding used to be absolutely mandatory, my friend's Tandy computer was capable of sending a signal from clear across the house that would cause Mario to unalive himself in the nearest hole. There's also the potential to interfere with other electronics, although that's probably less of a risk these days.

[@scikoolaid]

Indeed. I think it's foolish that all these modders dismiss the shielding as completely useless. These old electronics can interfere with their own trace lines being too close, any outside interference will effect them. It's always best to have shielding when possible.

[@jnharton]

@@scikoolaid It's because they aren't electrical engineers and don't really understand what's going on. To be fair, I don't have an EE background either. But I do know enough that I am well aware that my understanding is incomplete.

[@jnharton]

@@scikoolaid New electronics are still subject to interference, but not necessarily the types that are most common. The older stuff generated electrical noise and RF that could easily cause problems with radio and television.

[@dwightdixon8508]

Looks like a good fix. I just preordered it! Thx for your review, install and thoughts

[@solidussnake1906]

Had been following BlueShell for a while, all of his stuff looks nuts.

[@CyberGamingStudiosOfficial]

there is a reason a rf shielding exists, it's to help with ground and protect from rf signals even though its not necassary it does serve a good purpose

[@alexallison7824]

Yet another high quality video by Tito. Always look forward to these.

[@mileskosik472]

I'm not even very much of a purist, but I love the satisfying push down action of the original. I would take this solution over that for it's reliability, but imagine a hybrid of the two.

[@BlueShell3D]

Sadly, its the ZIF connector that makes the original so unreliable. If we did add a push down, we would still keep the non-ZIF slot and the push would just be for fun. It would also make the Ninten-Drawer more expensive.

[@Magical_Flame]

the shell and mod look beautiful together, makes a great show piece.

[@kristopheralonge2813]

Excellent work, I ordered immediately!

[@butwhytho752]

Thanks Tito, I ordered mine immediately!

[@brianwalker7771]

Great video. I love the Blinking light Win so seeing something similar that fixes the short comings a bit is great to see. That shell though the manufacturer should include metal clips with it. Seriously the shell you used Costs $110 it should come with those stupid little spring clips as well as some new screws at that price.

[@astout94]

It makes me so happy that people keep repairing and improving on these consoles and portables from our past. I thank all you guys from the bottom of my heart god bless you all.

[@alankebab2187]

Excellent video. Thanks for making it. What video game crash? Says anyone outside of the USA 😂

[@2.Plus.2.Equals.5]

That would look slick printed in clear resin with that case. Interesting product idea, cool to see people still have love for these consoles.

[@twistedtechnology]

Looks like a great mod. I just received an NES-Slotmaster that I plan on installing this weekend. Much simpler design but hopefully it works just as well.

[@thegametinkerer]

This is a very cool product. I personally don't have a use for it, but I know a ton of people that do. Thanks for showing this to us all. Keep up the great work Tito

[@urbanknish]

Your NES looks amazing but I won't get past running it 16:9. ;) ha ha ha

[@MachoNachoProductions]

Haha, sorry about the 😅

[@urbanknish]

@@MachoNachoProductions Just having a little fun! You can't really do it wrong.

[@LPcrazy_88]

The screws you mentioned @ 7:39 are called self tapping screws. There is no threading for those type of screws because they are held in by biting into the material they are screwed into. It's good to mention that a higher amount of friction is to be expected though ofc, it can definitely feel wrong or at least be surprising with fresh posts.

[@alienJIZ1990]

I got a BLW years ago, snagged one since they're always sold out, and it's been collecting dust because I immediately noticed the death grip before installing it and was like "nuh uh" Glad to FINALLY see an alternative! Edit: Just pre-ordered it. Hell yeah, been waiting years for this

[@ugzz]

Very cool stuff! I've never touched the pins on my Famicom AV top loader and it's been fantastic.. but I definitely have on the ol grey NES.. but it has a blinking light win in it already, so i doubt i'll swap. But If I ever get another one that needs pin work.. this looks like a fantastic way to go!

[@TheCoolDave]

Neat, I have a re-furbished 72 pin connector in mine, once it dies/gives me problems, I will look into this.

[@LinuxRocks101]

Even in a clear case and not putting the RF shielding back on I'd have screwed those extra screws into the empty holes. Just so that way I'd never lose them. lol

[@fuurinkazan164]

Tito how do you always find these amazing mods? I am always impressed!

[@thegooddoctor7898]

I'm fairly new to the Nintendo Console world in general, I had a DS Lite and DSi growing up, oh and a Wii of course, but I love how everything in the NES, except some items on the motherboard, looks repairable compared to today I love how nothing is welded, glued, or otherwise bolted into the shell!

[@Larv6464]

I love that it is plug and play with no soldering involved!

[@MondoMike87]

Ordered one today can’t wait to get it in!

[@FoolOfATuque]

Very cool product. Looks very nice!

[@PHARAOH-ZODIAC]

To ALL who spent many long hours slaving away putting tears, blood, and sweat into ALL nes hardware, software and emulators to either fix, preserve, enhance my childhood console that had a huge impact on my life. You rock 🤟

[@boredstudent]

I don't have an NES anymore but I love the new cartridge bay for it. As a kid, I had the Nintendo Entertainment System and I remember the blinking lights.

[@SonicBoone56]

I've been following this for awhile. Glad it's something you can actually buy now.

[@christianbryce]

saw the testing on twitter, this is definately one to get!

[@RandomGreenFishPhone]

Maybe there is some variation with the molding and I got lucky with my Blinking Light Win, but I never had a problem with a "death grip", especially now that it has been broken in. The Ninten-Drawer is pretty cool though. I like the concept and it will certainly make it easier to remove the carts. If I didn't already have a BLW, I would definitely get one.

[@itsjustagamechannel]

Definitely going to give this product a closer look.

[@arbayer2]

Hey, Tito! Another excellent episode on a fascinating new option for the retrogaming community, I really dig your content's exposure of applied design and science to improving the user experience after official options are no longer possible. One of the things you do with production values is consistent and classy music selection, but I'd like to request if it's possible to cite the track used in the outro of your Retro Renew episodes in your description template since it's a really catchy track and I often find myself having to reverse-research the name of the track every once in a while to find it again. Since Matthew McCheskey's contribution to the intro theme's cited, would it be possible to put the citation below that? Outro Music - Dusty Decks - Stone Cookies via Epidemic Chill Beats Thanks for your attention, and keep up the awesome content!

[@MachoNachoProductions]

All my music except for the intro comes from the website epidemic sound.

[@adonian]

Wow you’re early today bro. I barely sat down to eat breakfast. I usually see you once I’m at work 👍

[@JMsolidsnake]

Definitely gonna look into this.

[@travismarshall3089]

Kudos to the team for the battery of tests they put the connector through (12:18). I really feel like other companies in the market neglect this and that is why, in large part, the "Death Grip" is so rampant. However, I'd suggest they simulate many thousands of hours more to really break down that death grip and get closer to that true Zero Insertion Force. Or you can do this yourself and manually bend the pins with a sewing needle or component tweezers. This is what I did to a secondary NES of mine with the affirmentioned Blinking Light Win. After I bent the pins to a more "broken in state", it truly became a ZERO Insertion force connector. That was nearly 10years ago and games still slide in and out like butter using just my thumb and forefinger. That's how a true ZIF connector is intended to operate! I'd do the same for this if I had my hands on it!

[@3DJapan]

Very chill and interesting video.

[@EinSwitzer]

Thank you for your efforts

[@renaokawa6199]

But I always loved the satisfying feeling of pushing the cart down and the springyness. Bring that back and I'm sold

[@HokusaiXL]

I was also going to say that green band games are considerably more common than people think. At work 1/3rd of all NES game buy ins we get are green band. It's just a simple matter of the ZIF connector on the NES clamping down further onto the card edge than your traditional card edge connector that you can buy today.

[@Lola__Cola]

Well the NES never needed you to press down the cartridge, it was just for aesthetics, you could leave it up with the door open

[@GGigabiteM]

It's indeed a very well thought out and tested replacement for the original cart connector. I still don't like the ribbon cable though, as someone who does board level repair. The sharp flexing of the FFC and the sudden magnet snapping are likely over time to cause solder failure and breaks in the cable. Though, there's unfortunately no real better way to do it without just having a fixed cart connector and the cartridge sticking out the front of the console, which doesn't look very nice.

[@TN_AU]

Another great video, the personalised logo name place was icing on the cake. Titto, can you write me a get out of jail free card for my wife? Im about to search for a NES to do this.

[@fallguy316]

Cool mod, I wish the clear shell had "Nintendo Entertainment System" on it for that original feel. Also if they put some kind eject feature but addressed the 72 pin connector issue nicely.

[@SoundToxin]

I did the boiling trick to get an original connector working better recently and it seemed to work quite well. Not sure how often you have to do this. Good to have a more durable replacement, I guess. I've seen some fixes that end up with not being able to push the game down anymore (whether it's bending the pins on the original or using a third party one), they just sit in there at the top position, which bothered me. Looks like this one doesn't push down either, but at least it seems high quality.

[@lulkLogan]

In defense of the Blinking Light Win: NES cartridges don't need to be pulled by that recessed area you were using pliers on. NES carts also have ridges on the right and left sides for grip. So you can easily your two index fingers on both sides of the cart to pull them out of the BLW. It requires more force than the standard connector, sure, but it's still plenty easy

[@WhatsOnMyShelf]

Regardless, Arcade Works stopped producing BLW. This is a newly available solution. I've seen the BLW sell on ebay for $100+

[@williamnighswonger8438]

Love this video! Will the lockout chip bug out if my NES is already lockout modded?

[@86coupedeville]

Nope, if your NES already has the lockout chip disabled it won't have any problem with this additional CIC bypass chip. (Source: my NES has the blinking light win and also has the pin 4 pad on the lockout chip lifted up and works with no issues.)

[@juneinblack]

That clear NES shell is SO choice. Wish they made one for the SNES 2... I would love to have one for that console.

[@josephhoalt6824]

This is neat I’ve been using my Blinking light win for years trouble free because I use a game genie so no death grip issue but this is worth a look.

[@PoutingTrevor]

It single handedly revived the video game industry IN NORTH AMERICA. It didn't need saving in Japan or Europe.

[@WhatsOnMyShelf]

I question this logic since without the large North American market, could the games industry grown as big and as fast as it did from then till now?

[@kuunami]

Without the American market gaming technology would not have grown to what it is today.

[@PoutingTrevor]

@@WhatsOnMyShelf The video games market in Japan and Europe were not impacted by the crash, but I would agree that without the revitalisation in North America, it would not be what it is today.

[@PoutingTrevor]

@@kuunami See above.

[@WhatsOnMyShelf]

@@PoutingTrevor I could probably come up with a thesis that since the American market was revived, the Japan / European markets survived. What big corporations would invest the time / money to develop tech that only a small portion of the world would use? As inflation happens, so too does the value of money fall. The profits and low man-power investment and possible divestment would eventually collapse the market altogether. You could apply this to fads like Cabbage Patch kids and their knockoffs. Without a continued and growing interest, it becomes less likely that companies would divert their efforts to such products.

[@inceptional]

Dang, that transparent NES is gorgeous.

[@kingjaekob]

Don't meant to HATE! But the Nintendo Brand Pin Connector, is BY FAR, the Best! Most People, dont know, but the Reason, you put the game in, and push down, inside the 72 pin, are a row of top connectors! ( you cant really see them, but they are there! ( I have learned a secret way to clean the pin connector, that makes them play like brand new ( Not Alcohol, not boiling, another way!)

[@Dark_Jaguar]

I love my Blinking Light Win, but yes that death grip is an issue. I've used it long enough I noticed a few things. NES games are tough but manageable, but those unlicensed games often have smaller grips or grips only acccessible on one side, and those were for a long time practically impossible to manage. I realized that the BLW didn't have the same "angle of attack" so to speak for inserting cartridges. It's totally horizontal, instead of the downward slope of the original slot. THAT was what kept me from getting a good finger grip on the edge to pull the cartridge back out! For a long time, I'd hoped that someone would make something like this but with the "sloped" insert path of the original. This one doesn't do that, but just allowing the cart to slide out a bit manages the same solution. It even more closely resembles a VCR this way too. Neat! I should add one thing. I'm pretty sure my BLW also has a CIC chip in there too which works the same way. By the way, this is the first I've heard of "green band" NES games and searching for it on Google gave me no sensible results. AI spat something out at me but it was utterly unintelligible nonsense about how to mod a cart with Pokemon Green or something. Thank you Google.

[@kbkimoseley]

Quite innovative and a needed product. My personal opinion is unless you are playing on a CRT or trying an upgraded AV cable for modern TV it is a reduced market for this device. I personally play on my Retro AVS and would recommend an Analogue Noir Nt. It's one of those things that it's a preference for how you want to play.

[@seishino]

Huh. I was kind of expecting that slide backward / forward to close around and release the cartridge pins, kind of like taking a bite. Pragmatically though I can see how it would be be really fidgety to build it that way, not to mention requiring building an all new version of the pin connector probably in molded plastic. Being able to slide it out far enough to get a grip and really pull it out still seems like a large step forward. Also, that yellow version looks really great.

[@shadowarez1337]

Wondering what monitor's you use for retro gaming finally have a den i can fill with retro goodness i need a monitor thstll accomodate nes,snes,n64,Sega,sega cd,3DO, i see lcd monitors being used do you use HDMI adapters?

[@MrMegaManFan]

No notes Tito. Just leaving a comment as a show of engagement for the algorithm. Keep up the good work!

[@ericcook5745]

Just got to say I absolutely love the clear Nintendo it looks cool as hell I've always liked to clear products so you can see the insides I always thought they looked badass. I was always kind of jealous of those fools in jail with all their clear products I always tried to buy them whenever I had the chance to but the funny thing is here in the regular world they're actually kind of rare

[@frankurmom8741]

CON: $50 vs. a dental pick and some deoxit to fix the original connector.

[@laharl2k]

Not to mention that flex cable is gonna break in less than 1000 uses. Awful design.

[@WhatsOnMyShelf]

@@laharl2k The video showed where the designers stress-tested @12:15

[@laharl2k]

@@WhatsOnMyShelf yeah just like samsung and their flex phones..... dude, theres no a single device that uses flex cables this way that hasnt had issues with the cable fatiguing. If multi million dollar companies couldnt figure a way to avoid it failing i doubt some regular dudes testing it with a 3D printer would be good enough, much less when the flex is bending in such a sharp radius. And they had space to place it in a diferent direction so that it worked like a drag chain which are used because they distribute the stress along the whole length of the cable and not all in the same spot like this one, this is just bad engineering.

[@WhatsOnMyShelf]

@@laharl2k I have PS2 and PS1 disc drives with flex cables that are older than that Samsung folding phone and still work. The segment of the video (did you watch?) showed the apparatus being tested with over 10,000 insertions / ejects.

[@laharl2k]

@@WhatsOnMyShelf both the ps1 and ps2 have the flex cable arranged like a drag chain, exactly what im saying that they should do. and yeah they showed an modified 3d printer testing the cable but they didnt show it doing it 10k times, im super sure it would not survive 10k times by far. Excuse me for not trusting them after seeing such bad engineering but like i said cabled break when flexed repeatedly, copper work hardens and breaks, and the sharper the angle the faster.

[@bland9876]

So if I'm seeing this correctly and hearing this correctly it basically turns the Nintendo entertainment system into a Nintendo DS with the click and click out cartridge slot.

[@Iceykitsune]

Good idea to use a clear shell to show us the mod in situ, more reviews should do it.

[@djnick9425]

I've never heard of 'Green Band' games, and upon further review, my copy of Duck Tales has that band. Is that a thing on all copies of Duck Tales or just a few? Thank you for all the great vids!!

[@BlueShell3D]

I think all ducktales versions have it. Thin greenband games arent generally a problem, its the thick greenband that you have to watch out for

[@djnick9425]

@@BlueShell3D Thank you for the clarification!

[@kaio0777]

i dream of this very thing years ago good work and magnet are great solution to the problem.

[@UnprofessionalFlip]

I like this a lot. It’s got me thinking though. I wonder if there is a way to have all that this mod offers and add a method to press the cartridge down. It’d be purely for feel, but maybe something similar to how magnetic cabinet doors do their thing. Likely not enough space, but one can dream.

[@Eric-yt7fp]

Looks like it's sold out for now, definitely going to pick one of these up when they're available again. Looks like a perfect replacement for my blinking light win.

[@CaseyLClose]

All you need to do is proper ultrasonic clean the OEM connector and they work perfect. No resetting the pins or anything. I wish more people knew this.

[@TheJadeFist]

One think I would like to see with this kind of a set up, would be an eject button. It's not needed but it would help with the VCR feel of the NES.

[@knghtbrd]

The one thing I wonder about with this would be an original Game Genie, but I can't imagine that being a good option in 2024 given the availability of flash carts. It's rare to want to just tweak a few values in a game for anything but screwing around. A flash cart is essential because romhacks are totally worthwhile, and you can patch a few bytes just as easily as rewrite major parts of the game once you've got one.

[@dschultz9466]

Wow! A mod that the average user can actually do for a change without having to learn how to micro-solder. Color me impressed!

[@LordJudgernaut]

@RockerGaming @BlueShell3D Any differences between the Ninten-drawer and Slotmaster that might not be immediately apparent just from photos/videos?

[@fan1701]

I like everything about it , pretty much. In my case I'd have to be very careful with those neo magnets around my 80s computer magnetic disks. I tend to keep my game systems and computers packed closely together because of limited space. Overall though, it looks like the perfect solution.

[@zZiL341yRj736]

Nintendrew been real quiet since this dropped!

[@Lando00100]

I wonder with a flash kart if you have to power cycle it to get back to the main menu cuz hitting reset would activate the region chip.

[@MichaelMonn]

Super glad I am not the only one that takes the RF shield and tosses them.

[@Artista_Frustrado]

ok, at first i thought it would be an external NES reader for your game collection drawer 🤣 this is actually way cooler & the best excuse to pull out that Clear Shell

[@aramusbelmont4992]

Finally! My only complaint about this is the price point. It's great for what it offers, not arguing that at all. But I'd love to see a version that is basically just the end connector, without the fancy magnetic sliding parts and customizable tray. At $30, the BLW was almost in the right price range for almost anyone to buy it and replace the original connector. At $50, which is right around the going rate for a used NES, this is going to be a harder sell to the non enthusiast/speedrunning crowd. Don't get me wrong, I'm buying at least two of them for myself, and will likely be installing many more for friends. Awesome job, and I can't wait to get my hands on them.

[@ErichMoraga]

Right, I don't see why the magnetic latch was necessary. There's beauty in simplicity.

[@kumarp3074]

Cool product. Although part of the experience growing up with the NES was fiddling with the cartridge until it worked.

[@BlueShell3D]

Good news! If you use cruddy games you can still expect to fiddle with them sometimes. We cant clean your games for you

[@SlCKB0Y-sb1kg]

Carts not working due to a poor connection was never a fun part of gaming even when viewed through the rose coloured glasses of nostalgia. It was always frustrating.

[@blarghblargh]

@@SlCKB0Y-sb1kg turns out the solution was always to actually deep clean em. I know cause I have 200 carts that now work flawlessly on the first try, and a lot of them didn't arrive that way.

[@SlCKB0Y-sb1kg]

@@blarghblargh You mean to tell me the solution was never blowing so hard on the cart connector that you sprayed saliva all over the pins? 🤣

[@MIKEYRAY-zv4rh]

Awesome ordered one getting tired of the red blinking light even after I replaced the 72pin with a new one

[@albert_vds]

The grip of death on 3rd party solutions is caused by the cartridge connectors being new. You can easily fix it by pushing the pins back so they loosen a bit. $47 for the Ninten-Drawer is not that bad, but there are other solutions which are much cheaper like the NES Slotmaster.

[@blainerohlfs]

Gotta get yourself a set of Japanese Industrial Standard drivers. More common in older Japanese cars, but from this side of the screen it looked like all of the screws were JIS. That's why the one on the controller port stripped. I like Vessel tools personally (the made in japan ones) but any Japanese tool brand sells them.

[@lookitskazzy]

Pretty sure the ifix kit has JIS bits, either he didn't use them or that screw was already chewed up enough that removing it again was the last straw.