How to make the best of your refurbished Nintendo (NES)

    This Nintendo has been fully cleaned and refurbished with a brand-new cartridge connector, and has Nintendo's onboard security system disabled. These two items account for nearly 80% of the Nintendo Entertainment System's problems playing cartridges on a consistent basis. The other 20% of the problem is due to the following issues:

• Corroded cartridge contacts. The contacts, made out of copper, become corroded due to moisture in the air, people blowing air onto the cartridge connectors, etc. The corrosion causes a poor connection with the console, resulting in the “blinking screen of death.”
• Poor engineering by Nintendo of America. Inherent design flaws in the way the console is designed, specifically in the way the cartridge contacts meet the mainboard contacts, using the spring-loaded tray which force the contacts into a strange angle, causes the “blinking screen of death.”

    It is impossible to modify a Nintendo Entertainment System to play every cartridge, every time. But, with the modifications made to this particular unit, it is possible to avoid the “blinking screen of death,” and increase booting on the first try to between 75%-90% of all cartridges. Before you use any of your old cartridges, please be sure to properly clean them first:

1. Buy a box of Q-Tips and Isopropyl Alcohol (90% purity or better). Both of these items are readily available at local drugstores.
2. Dip the Q-Tip in the Isopropyl Alcohol, and rub it against both sides and the top of the cartridge contacts. Using a new Q-Tip, repeat this process until the Q-Tip emerges free of grime.
3. Never ever blow air into your cartridges! This causes corrosion to develop, and will simply increase compatibility issues.

    Sometimes, the cartridge contacts have become so corroded that the game will simply not boot on a regular basis, or at all. This, unfortunately, is common and cannot be avoided. It is possible to remove the corrosion using abrasive metal cleaners or fine sandpaper, but I do not recommend this, as it is possible to damage the cartridge.

    Lastly, the new connector will hold games in very tightly for the first few months; this is completely normal. The connector grips extremely tight in order to ensure a good connection. Although it is difficult, please do not “jiggle” the cartridge side-to-side in an attempt to remove it – this will only bend the connectors, and result in compatibility issues. Please remove the cartridge by pulling it straight out of the cartridge slot. You can also grip the sides of the cartridge using your index fingers, and pull it out that way.

     By carefully cleaning your cartridges before use, removing the cartridges from the console properly, and caring for your equipment in general, this Nintendo Entertainment System will provide you with hours of fun, and will free you of all those hassles you experienced when you were young.