I Bought 5 Broken GAMEBOY Games on eBay | How Many Can I FIX?!

I paid £12 for 3 Gameboy Colour games and 2 OG Gameboy Games off of eBay. All sold in a joblot as broken/not working.
I've never opened one of these up before, so let's see how many I can repair!
Hope you enjoy!
Steve
PS. I'm not an expert in repairs at all. I do this for fun, and it may not be the best or safest way to go about repairing broken stuff. I'm pretty good at melting plastic though. Please don't copy me - I'm an idiot.
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[@jaysjbe1443]

Had a couple faulty gameboy games that I hadn't bothered to look at, watched your video and it was the same issue. Both now working, much appreciated!

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Jaysj! Awesome news. Glad it helped and glad you could get your games working! 👍

[@JamesEley123]

A cracked board to? How strange :)

[@charlieretro]

I've got one game myself I have kept 20 years and its never worked so I wonder if it has the same issue

[@AmstradExin]

I'll try that too!

[@llJRLL1979ll]

Seems like an intentional design flaw

[@popcultureexchange7047]

I own a video game store. As soon as I saw this, I checked my defective games and found several, very nice game boy color titles with the same issue. I was able to easily re-flow the chips and got them running! Thank you for this video for a great perspective on what to look for on defective games.

[@AgentHEKTAH]

No need to thank him, he uploads videos for money.

[@popcultureexchange7047]

@@AgentHEKTAH Good for him, but the information is still appreciated.

[@GHETTOCOWB0Y]

@@AgentHEKTAH why you hating??

[@jasonruiz9730]

@@GHETTOCOWB0Y he a broke boi

[@malcolmdrake6137]

@@GHETTOCOWB0Y I guess his games had a different problem. lol

[@Tronicsfix]

Wow, great video. This is fascinating. I'm searching eBay right now!

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Steve. I guess it has to be a common fault with these things! 😳

[@eriks8382]

I was about to say “what are you talking trying to steal tronicsfix schtick?”

[@MuppleUK]

This is amazing, thank you so much. I've had some parts of my Gameboy collection stop working out of nowhere and I had no idea how to fix it. After seeing your video I grabbed one down and sure enough it had a wobbly connection on that same chip. Two seconds later and the game is up and running for the first time in years. This is definitely important information for gameboy game preservation reasons.

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Mupple! It has to be the most common problem with these things! I wonder how many have been trashed! So glad you got yours working again! 👍

[@aaBb-ji5tu]

TronicsFix sent me here

[@robertoborges1347]

Same

[@--Zook--]

8:55 holy crap those sounds. My dad bought a original gameboy back in 1991 to keep all of us 6 kids and step kids entertained on the flight from Oregon USA to London. I was the only one who cared so I played that game for like 10 hours. Such memories flooding back in.

[@Actionheld]

I love people with the ability to fix broken things. Good work!

[@preachitdigga4085]

I am a couplecoach. Thanks for your appreciation! 🥲

[@___Zack___]

It's not an abiity, it's a skill. Just clarifying :)

[@ikkezegtie]

looking for that special doctor for all my life, havent found it yet

[@benironside1264]

I can’t believe the first thing you didn’t try was blowing it, looking at it confused, blowing it again ..and then moving on to the other fixes 😹

[@StezStixFix]

🤣 I was tempted!

[@SparksNZeros]

the design of gameboy carts means that repeateded removal from the system flexs the pcb making the chip legs cracking free from their pads an extremely common occurance. it's sad to think the amount of GB carts that have been binned because of what was likely an easy fix.

[@SparksNZeros]

@UnjustifiedRecs it's not a case of being necesserily rough handed it's just repeated use, it only needs the little pinch of the thumb against the cart to slide it out each time repeated say 100 times or less if the solder is already subpar for it to crack away. the same applies to sega megadrive carts having their traces worn away where the plastic shell edge pinches the board when it's removed or the controller port of the sega megadrive cracking loose from the plug being inserted and removed so often.

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Sparks, yeah that makes sense. I just thought it strange that it was always in the same position, but you're probably right it must be something to do with insertion/removal... because they obviously all worked when they left the factory 🤷

[@thesillyhatday]

Definitly the way the cartridges have been handled through the life. Lets not forget that being a portable console the cartridges don't just live at home, they are being bashed around in back packs and pockets too. Very little solder on the chip legs, lots of impact and vibration and you have the failure. Note that the broken solder is also towards the center of the PCB too, where the most flexing will happen if you sat on it for example.

[@NationOfMasturbation]

Then that is horrible design

[@SparksNZeros]

@@NationOfMasturbation well it was more unavoidable design, most items are made with an understanding of cycles of use, these items still work after decades of use and abuse and are only just starting to show their age because of these design issues.

[@Mymatevince]

Wow, so many with the identical fault. Excellent video BUT not quite as excellent as that fine tee 🤣 You have never looked so good...Cheers for purchasing one Steve 👍👍👍👍

[@StezStixFix]

😁 no probs, love the tee it looks awesome! Yeah, I really enjoyed working on these games and I'm tempted to buy a few more but I don't want the faults to all be the same! 😬

[@marcianzero_yt]

Well I guess the credit for these fixes goes to MMV... Wouldn’t have been possible without MMV being in the room...

[@Slade0120]

There is something so refreshing about fixing electronics like that. Love it.

[@foulsac3263]

11:15 Tootuff (Titeuf in French) is a French comic strip about a naive kid with a single lock of blonde hair doing nonsense with his friends. The comic strip had been then adapted into a TV show. Very popular in France back in the early 2000's.

[@sniper007uk]

Fantastic video. It’s great to see those old games get the love they deserve, and can’t believe you managed to fix the Super Mario Land cart!

[@matthewjones517]

If Bob Ross did electronics repair, he'd remind me of you. I love it! Awesome work repairing those games and keeping them out of landfills. :)

[@Donutearthpodcast]

This was so relaxing to watch. Keep up the great work. KZbin needs some drama free relaxing videos like this!!

[@kennethlum2639]

Here's my guess for the repeated pin solder failure. The pad at the corner has 2 heavy traces leading from it, leading to a flooded area (possibly Vcc). Because of this additional thermal bridging, you are more likely to get poor soldering at this pad. If that mounting hole diagonally above C2 attaches to the cart case, you also have a nearby source of mechanical stress. Over time and use, I can see these two things leading to a potential failure at that one point.

[@plgDavid]

At last someone answered what I was thinking.

[@Suraht]

That does look like the design basically has a large(relatively speaking) heat sink next to those pins. The fix is pretty easy(longer soak time in the oven before reflow to get the board more evenly heated), but it's hard to see how they would have known there was a problem in the first place to do anything, especially if they're using class 2 standards.

[@domothepilot]

since all transparent ones are affected and its the top/top3 pins that are affected, could it be that the solder degraded faster with uv light (sun exposure for example)?

[@Suraht]

UV light has almost no effect on metal, or at least I don't recall any metals that degrade from it, so I can't see the radiation being a factor. However, if that particular section of the board was exposed to more light, it could have been exposed to more heat, which could have caused some expansion and retraction of the metal in those joints that sped up the breaking of them.

[@domothepilot]

@@Suraht you are probably right

[@markrung8051]

I can't get enough of your videos - After watching maybe 50 of your videos and having zero knowledge in electronics I feel like I'm learning a new skill haha having never worked on a circuit board in my life! Ah the joys of the internet.

[@DiggerPrints0814]

I remember as a kid when the Gameboy games didn't work, we use to pull them out and blow into the cartridge. It's amazing how often that worked haha

[@brianschermerhorn7294]

Well done mate. Was satisfying to watch. The process of fixing these was a mystery to me - so it was really cool seeing your process.

[@maxolafmain9631]

This is one of the most informational videos for repairing these cardridges!!! Thank you so much

[@oznewton867]

Brilliant my friend. It is always a pleasure to watch your videos. You have been doing great work and every post is better and better. Great Job Steven...amazing.

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Oz! 👍 Really appreciate that. I keep trying to improve 😬

[@endlesswanderer1753]

It's amazing that after almost three decades, you may be the first person to find this fault in GB cartridges. Or, at the very least, the first to document it. In 4K, no less.

[@ddjazz]

More likely that more people know about it , but kept it to themselves to make money off of this obtaining defect games and fixing them , quality control with that manufacturer was open to a lot of improvement.

[@ChunkySteveo]

Got a faulty GBC game working by immediately going straight for that IC leg and fixing it. A great and simple fix for 'dead' GB cartridges! Thanks

[@debtfreejoe]

You're awesome! This was interesting to watch. It's a satisfying feeling to fix something that didn't work and get it going!

[@vickington]

I am loving the videos. This channel is great content to just watch back to back. Keep it up!

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Victor! Really appreciate that! 👍

[@MARCSLASH]

The Toy Story game is Monochrome and Color, a dual mode cart (or type 2 according to Nintendo). I've seen N64 carts with similar fault.

[@RWL2012]

Yep, the black cartridges like Toy Story 2, Bugs Bunny Operation Carrots and Tetris DX (and the not physically black Pokémon Gold and Silver) display the Game Boy Color's 56 on-screen colours on a GBC or GBA, but are programmed within the original Game Boy platform's CPU/RAM/VRAM limitations (or disable features to run on it, like Tetris DX disabling animated backgrounds). There are a couple of originally original Game Boy games that got GBC re-releases on black cartridges - Zelda Link's Awakening DX and Wario Land 2. There's also a GBC game I know of that's a clear cartridge "GBC-only" one, but is actually a colourised re-release of an original Game Boy game that helpfully makes no mention of that on its packaging or error screen - Tom & Jerry.

[@3DSage]

This is great information to have! That pin will be the first place I look next time!

[@Marina-bd4le]

Glad to see you actually fixing these up, and not just using a 1up card and calling it a day like that Riggs hack I've seen do. Keep it up!

[@crazyspace6792]

This has made me want to start soldering, looks fun.

[@Mickwild562]

So easy for you now, after the first 2 I didn't think the rest would be the same but wow couldn't believe that. I wish I knew about that easy fix back in the day when my cartridges packed in, would've saved me a small fortune. As meatloaf said you fixed them like a bat out of hell. 👍

[@StezStixFix]

😁 thanks Michael! It was surprising that the faults were all so similar!

[@Manticore_007]

Fixing faulty electronics is soooooo satisfying! Great job! 👌🏻

[@Soladat]

Great video! Never really had an interest in this kind of thing but now I wanna see more!

[@VeydinZain]

This has to be one of the best video's I've seen in a while! Your excitement with each repair made my day! I couldn't click the Subscription button fast enough! Thanks Stez!

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Inxayne! Much appreciated 👍

[@ShoelessJP]

New to this channel, really like watching tech get repaired. Gained a new sub with this.

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Jonathan, really appreciate that! 👍

[@lancelyde]

You are so talented and skilled! I'm so happy you were able to fix these games and save them from being wasted!

[@cwtang02]

It's so statisfine watch this man fixed old klassic good times, he deserve this good rare old Gameboy games, keep going rescue this good old times ^^

[@sethmmendez]

That's crazy! I have my childhood copy of Toy Story 2 (GBC) that one day just stopped playing. Same thing happened with my copy of Yoda Stories. If I had soldering skills I would check those pins.

[@GoodwinsPlace]

I can't believe that one cart didn't work with the sellotape, that looked like a good fix to me. Lovely fix on that too. The others to all have the same issue was so strange, but great and nice easy fix across them all.

[@StezStixFix]

😁 yep, sellotape normally works! Thanks Craig 👍

[@rocketsmall4547]

need electrical tape obviously

[@Bennie58able]

The video I didn't know I needed to watch and it was incredible! Love your personality. You got a new sub!

[@pascalh.1986]

I had the same problem with 6 gameboy games. It's awesome now can play my old games. Childhood memories activated 😂 Thank you so much ❤️

[@themonkeyhand]

I bet that one spot is where the board flexes a tiny bit in the case as you pull out the cartridge. Eventually it pops that one pin and maybe a few more down the row.

[@tf5920]

I think you might be right. It certainly makes sense.

[@dr.decker3623]

minute warping in the PCB is making the chip pop,.. I think all broken GB games online have this problem. They get put in a basement and cool and warm and cool and warm, + humidity and drying,.. it's sad that people prolly threw away their favorite games for no reason

[@Jaemay53]

I had five gameboy games I got on eBay untested and a couple of them had the same problem with the legs of the chip and It works great. I like learning stuff from Steve!! Keep up the great work!!! 👍👍👍

[@tuffteddy1446]

Love this channel, thanks for all the effort in making these videos!

[@wanjockey]

What a great catch. Cheers

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks WanJockey! 👍

[@dyingbreed7740]

I'm wondering if the way the cartridge flexes over its lifetime cause the lifting of that connector?

[@StezStixFix]

Yeah, I think you're right. I guess it's one of the most common failures on these things...

[@captaintanker7]

This was super satisfying. I'm so glad you found the common culprit. Now I need to learn to solder and buy some broken retro games.

[@simonlunt353]

I have been watching your videos for sometime now Steve and I do enjoy watching you and to see you have some luck with your repair’s l still think about that 70s radio and you put Alexa in it great 👍 thanks Steve keep them coming 👍😊

[@Orpheusftw]

That's cool you can still fix the Mario Land cart. 🤔 I would have taken one look at the crack and assumed it was trash.

[@themonkeyhand]

It's crazy but everything can be fixed, our culture has just made it easier to throw it away.

[@Ogilla]

@@themonkeyhand Not everything, but most things can be fixed. And I wouldn’t blame society but rather capitalism ;)

[@mm0077]

Steve that was very interesting and probably caused over time by being stretched and bending at this particular point on the board by the numerous actions of inserting and removing the cartridge. In respect to Meat Loaf RIP, I think the singing was great. Dave looks quite puzzled though and did not know what to make out of it. 🤣

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks M m! 😂 yeah Dave would probably have left by now if he wasn't in his resin prison!

[@___Zack___]

*over time. Two words, not one. But anyway, the causation of the issue is likely due to pressure on that part due to it's location. Handling the game may cause an incentive to squeeze it a bit there and the usage of it and pressure when inserted into the gameboy and removal etc would also increase pressure loads there

[@mm0077]

@@___Zack___ Thank you for pointing out and that was just a typo and being careless. I sincerely apologise for not being so pedantic. It is so annoying and I have corrected it to stop the world from complaining. Yes your explanation on the bending and flexing issue is excellent. Find another fault LOL.

[@___Zack___]

@@mm0077 You're welcome for the free eduction.

[@mm0077]

@@___Zack___ I like the free "EDUCTION"

[@mihrdat]

Thanks for the video. Extremely satisfying bringing those gameboy games back to life. Subbed

[@groundcontrol6876]

This is amazing! I have a ton of GBA cartridges that don't work... I'll open em up to see if I find something similar. Thanks for this!

[@coondogtheman]

I wonder how many of these cartridges are out there with this same fault. Steve, buy more of these and fix them. I remember playing super mario land when I had my GameBoy. I had Tetris, tennis, super mario land 2. Wish I still had them. I do have a Game boy actually three of them but different games. Also the Gameboy camera and printer.

[@elmariachi5133]

You should solder the whole width of the ground plane at 7:39, because it's the only mechanical reinforcement keeping the crack together when pulling the module out of the slot. And I think the module having been stuck too hard in an GBA is the reason for the PCB to crack at first. That UV epoxy doesn't have strong cohesion.

[@MJFallout]

You're probably correct, but it's also almost certain that - at this time in their lives - these carts will not have to fear e.g. rambunctious 8-year-olds.

[@elmariachi5133]

@@MJFallout You probably also are correct with this. Additionally you should not forget, that half the fun for many of us retro nerds is about preserving the old treasures for the future :)

[@stevenbenson9976]

I'd go one further and solder multiple wire strips across to give it more integrity

[@johnnoreau3570]

@@elmariachi5133 yes! This. I have a Pokémon silver cart that can’t hold a save but you can still play the game. I’m disappointed I can’t save progress but def good for hanging onto for my kids to enjoy

[@Papi_Chulito]

This was my first time watching your content. Shit was mad interesting and funny. I subscribed big dawg, now I’m about to binge on your videos. Stay up homie.

[@xpiderxhan]

A very enjoyable watch; great skills to boot! Nicely done.

[@interghost]

Wow, that goes to show that a lot of these 'broken' carts are probs this same reason!

[@kyleolson8977]

As entertaining as it is, it's hard to think of a less valuable use of time than fixing a cracked Super Mario Land cart. Maybe fixing a cracked Tetris cart.

[@Ocelot35]

He can send it to WATA now.

[@jespernobbe9244]

Loving the almost childish enthusiasm at 8:48, great vid!

[@admpandora91]

I like your editing. You work efficiently while speaking, and when you're done speaking, you cut to the next relevant point. Thanks for the vid

[@Melechtna]

So, the reason for the whole "ebay lying" thing, is that, many people will try anything in their power to get out of paying a seller, stealing parts off something and then returning it for full refunds and the seller just can't do shit about it. So, if you say it's defective, when you have no idea, the buyer really can't pull any bullshit at that point.

[@TheAlphaWolf2013]

Unfortunately if you get a dodgy buyer they can still open a not as described case even when you listed the items as for parts/untested.

[@ianfindlay3450]

Sellotape!😂 Honestly can’t believe it… 🙄 …especially when EVERYONE knows gaffer tape’s the only way forward 😑☝️

[@StezStixFix]

This is very true. Imagine Sellotaping fireworks together. It'd never work.

[@ianfindlay3450]

@@StezStixFix Only idiots would sellotape fireworks together 😑☝️🤔

[@mrsmw2020]

Made me smile when you managed to fix them. So satisfying!

[@robertl8057]

That look when you dropped the stuff off the table, hehehe I can relate. Nice video, sir!

[@guywilton7471]

I notice a number of scratches on your hand.....have you and Dave had a falling out?

[@StezStixFix]

Yeah, he took offence at me taking him off camera in the Retron 5 video. Proper little spoilt brat he is 😂

[@Mettleh3d]

Found myself rooting for you in the end! Very satisfying

[@seankim2743]

Thanks for this mate. It was a pleasure watching your work.

[@Doortodoorgeek]

first video I watched from you, great job of bringing them back to life!!

[@Ereina]

Last week I bought 3 gameboy color games and they had the exact same issue! Well, one of them was working but sometimes it didn't, so I reflowed it anyway. Because of your video I could spot the problem immediately. Thank you!

[@samwilliamson4715]

Great strike rate Steve! Makes me want to jump on Amazon and grab the setup you have and start repairing stuff too! 👍👍

[@urheber_echt]

Astonishing and excellent work ! Wow, just wow. 🙌🏻😯

[@DeathpunchTactics]

Great job dude! A pleasure watching your progress! :)

[@keeliani8416]

I absolutely love videos like this, great work!

[@mediatour8898]

Unbelievable how simple most of those were, looks intimidating if you've never done it before but I think your video will inspire a lot of people!

[@trywait1979]

Wow! New to the channel and new to restoring games like this. Definitely going to stick around for more

[@peterjarnes25]

Right on brother thank you for displaying your super skill I am ultra impressed!

[@axo137]

Man I have so much love and appreciation for people who can fix electronics.

[@rychbrind8299]

I’m so envious of your skills. Took me ages to mod a Nintendo rumble pak to remove the need for batteries as so tiny and youve got all the gear too. You could make some money off this. Buy up all the ‘broken’ carts. Then fix then and sell them again. Keep them going too. Just subscribed too as I find your videos interesting. Keep it up 👍🏻

[@chris-pike]

Another great vlog of your fixes there on your Gameboy Colour games Steve would be good to see some console repairs too - Nice 1 mate 👍

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Chris! 👍

[@daniellucken6717]

That was a very informative video. Keep up the good work.!

[@ToyDawg24]

First time at your channel and I love this video! Excellent work and thank you for sharing. New subscriber here!

[@bikerjon153]

Just discovered your channel. Brilliant love your sincere of humour. Subscribed.

[@mrc25381]

Love your videos! Keep ‘em coming!

[@TDGalea]

Instant subscription from the way you do things in this video. My kinda content right here.

[@StezStixFix]

Thanks Thomas, much appreciated! 👍

[@firewulfi]

Great video - love this topic about fixing stuff. What did you use to protect your wires on the cracked cartridge? Some kind of UV light hardening plastic?

[@Millzieeeee]

really enjoyed this episode , only half way in but its exactly the content worth watching !

[@OneLovePsych]

My friend, I haven’t caught a video in awhile (SUPER busy at work), I’m glad to see you’re starting to blow up!

[@TheNewRobotMaster]

This was such an interesting video. Fixing old games... you are a real one.

[@stephencech3696]

Your happy guffaw when things work is amazing! We all feel the joy when it happens

[@yunesbb]

I've never thought that you can actually fix old school video game cartridges! I always thought (for some weird reason) that once they're broken, it's over.

[@TheAaron3dg]

Mesmerizing to watch. You've got a new fan!

[@TommyLikeTom]

my first video here, just amazing. love this. Makes me want to crack out my old soldering kit

[@wdunn06]

First video of yours I've watched. Great job!

[@rustybucket6014]

Excited to check my faulty pokemon crystal. Thanks for the content!

[@fishermanmartin4402]

Awesome work on the fixes, will have to dig through eBay to find myself a project or five now too :)

[@fphenix]

12:01 "It"s clearly factory"... so that's one case where you actually made it better than factory! Good job Steve.

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

Enjoyed watching this - so you now have a new subscriber :) The pressure's on.

[@the_dark_defender]

Love your videos. Hopefully, you've got that cat sorted out by now. From the looks of your left hand s/he is a wild one.

[@sagealsosage6305]

I came expecting to be very confused, I left understanding that a lot of gameboy games were produced faulty and can be easily fixed. Thanks man!

[@mrsiborg]

Thoroughly satisfying video to watch. Subscribed for sure.