The trick is to filter the cartridge opening with your shirt THEN blow into it.
That's exactly what I did as a kid. It almost always worked, except on the very stingiest cartridges. Edit: Downvote? Come on...
Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
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Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#12Or 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.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#13I was an kid pre-NES, and got an old system at a yard sale for my kids. I quickly learned that I could reseat it 20 times, clean it with alcohol, pencil eraser, whatever sane tactic, none of them worked as often as blowing into the cartridge.
I had never heard of blowing into the cartridge before. I didn't get the technique from other kids, and I had never had to do it with Atari, Intellivision, C64, or any other system. I learned it out of desperation, and it worked. I don't care what scientific evidence or common sense points to the contrary, it worked.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#14This is the second report I've read that says that it doesn't help. But there's something these reports are missing, because the simple fact is that it DID work. I've personally proven the hypothesis a hundred times in my childhood: (re)insert cartridge X times -- doesn't work -- blow -- works. It was extremely rare that blowing did nothing in my experience, and the solution in those cases? blow harder.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#15Or 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.
I have done this and it works wonderfully. It is very easy to do as well.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#16I obviously havent matured very much because the 10 year old in me wants to say "nah-ah blowing works every time"
Perhaps I was kidding myself all those years but I swear the games would work after blowing on them. Oh well not the first time Ive found a fundamental of life was all a lie (and yes the trick to getting Nintendo games to work was a fundamental life skill back then)
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#17The trick is to filter the cartridge opening with your shirt THEN blow into it.
I did that as well, but I don't think that actually makes anything better. Your breath is very moist and when you blow through your shirt, you're still getting essentially all of it.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#18I remember using rubbing alcohol on a q-tip against both sides of the connector. That seemed to work well when blowing on it and rubbing it with your shirt didn't.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#19I was an kid pre-NES, and got an old system at a yard sale for my kids. I quickly learned that I could reseat it 20 times, clean it with alcohol, pencil eraser, whatever sane tactic, none of them worked as often as blowing into the cartridge. I had never heard of blowing into the cartridge before. I didn't get the technique from other kids, and I had never had to do it with Atari, Intellivision, C64, or any other sys…
Completely agree. I was the kinda kid that built his own crystal radio and endless science kits like that.
I used alcohol QTip and blowing, both self-discovered methods. And both equally effective, but solved different problems.
Re: Did Blowing Into The NES Cartridge Really Work?
#20I obviously havent matured very much because the 10 year old in me wants to say "nah-ah blowing works every time" Perhaps I was kidding myself all those years but I swear the games would work after blowing on them. Oh well not the first time Ive found a fundamental of life was all a lie (and yes the trick to getting Nintendo games to work was a fundamental life skill back then)
I actually think it wasn't blowing on them that did it, but the act of blowing on them and then inserting the cartridge more deliberately the next time. And each time after that, being more deliberate. It was the act of putting it in 'just right' that did it, not blowing at all.