In my experience, DS cartridges are far worse than NES cartridges for this issue. I don't know how they corrode the way they do, but I've sent my carts to Nintendo numerous times for replacement.
Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
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Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#32The "Placebo Effect" isn't "something tricking you into thinking it works" - it's the fact that having a belief that something works produces better outcomes. I doubt that the mental state of the child has any detectable or consistent effect on the function of the console.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#33Or if you're really brave you could just replace the 72-pin reader: http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-NES-Cartridge-Slot-Replacemen... https://nuxx.net/wiki/NES_72-Pin_Edge_Connector_Replacement I did it on mine in college -- and then I did it for my suite-mate after he noticed that I never had any problems with my NES -- and then I did it for everyone on my floor who had an NES... :) Works like brand new.
Killing the lock-out chip is a bit more risky, but also works wonders:
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#34I used to blow in them, but I found that the double cartridge technique (putting two in at a time causing the pins to press harder) worked a lot better. Sometimes if things were really bad a 'snap-in' technique would work. To perform this technique you insert the cartridge partially and then apply downward pressure causing the cartridge to forcefully jump into the slot. This was likely very bad for the system :)
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#35As a wee lad in the last millennium I was an authorized Nintendo repairman. Blowing on the cart sometimes worked, if there was errant dust or fluff in the way. But in the long run the salty moist air would cause a corrosive layer of gunk on the contacts. Normal procedure was to open each cart and clean them with a good eraser then an alcohol wash. The bigger problem was bad design in the original NES. The cart plugge…
Let me pedantic while being clueless at the same time, the western NES design introduced the problem, since the original famicom had vertical insertion cartridge already right ?
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#36Or if you're really brave you could just replace the 72-pin reader: http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-NES-Cartridge-Slot-Replacemen... https://nuxx.net/wiki/NES_72-Pin_Edge_Connector_Replacement I did it on mine in college -- and then I did it for my suite-mate after he noticed that I never had any problems with my NES -- and then I did it for everyone on my floor who had an NES... :) Works like brand new.
Alternatively, if you're really, really brave, you could do what I did: disassemble the NES down to the header, and use a small screwdriver to bend the pins slightly back into position.
However, it is easy to bend them too far, and increase the insertion force required to actually load the game. Or worse, snap off one of the contacts.
I did this with an NES that I purchased for $5 off eBay (over 10 years ago), and have had no problems since. I believe this was a year or two before the 72-pin replacement was widely available.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#37I used to blow in them, but I found that the double cartridge technique (putting two in at a time causing the pins to press harder) worked a lot better. Sometimes if things were really bad a 'snap-in' technique would work. To perform this technique you insert the cartridge partially and then apply downward pressure causing the cartridge to forcefully jump into the slot. This was likely very bad for the system :)
Didn't the front-loading NES have a metal bar across the top of the loading mechanism? How were you able to fit a second game past that?
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#38The Game Genie is a mini cartridge that attaches to a game cart (to apply cheats/mods through a code-entry screen). This combo is then inserted into the NES, Game Genie-first. The combo is too long to be pushed down, and the NES door remains open while playing.
I never understood why you don't need to push "down" the Game Genie; a bare cart would never function unless pushed down...
Nevertheless, every game I had that would not work in the NES would work just fine with the Game Genie attached (and you can always choose to enter zero cheat codes). The Game Genie seemed to make everything a bit tighter. When inserted into the NES, there isn't much wiggle room, if I recall.
edit: Wikipedia says, "Therefore, the Game Genie was designed in such a way that it did not need to be depressed in order to start the game. This design put even more stress on the ZIF socket than standard game insertion, bending pins and eventually causing units to be unplayable without the Game Genie present." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Genie
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#39What always worked for me was inserting a 3x2 Lego piece, oriented vertically, between the cartridge and the top of the NES container. This pushed down the game by about 3-4mm. This trick was common knowledge in the neighborhood where I lived during the mid 80s.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#40The trick that always worked for me was to insert the cartridge and then pull it out just enough to where the near edge of the cartridge would just barely scrape against the console as it was pushed down. This was far more effective than blowing on the cartridge.
I did that too! Man, this article is taking me back...