Which is the Best Way to Experience NES Games?

[+DamonicFury]

My issue has been getting a front loader that is reliable for any length of time, even after I replace the pin connector. Then the power brick dies, etc. Maybe I just have the worst luck. I have not tried the blinking light win connector.

 

 

You are certainly not alone in this. Sadly, with the NES, the "real" experience involves a lot of frustration: constantly cleaning carts with cotton swabs and alcohol, still seeing blinking screens despite your best efforts, and trying to refurb the thing any number of ways: boiling the connector, buying new ones, disabling the lockout chip, etc. For that reason, I can't recommend real hardware for the NES for most people (as much as I do for more reliable consoles like the 2600)

 

For the original poster: If the Wii Virtual Console has the games you want, I say go for it! It's 100% legitimate and convenient.

[mbd30]

 

 

You are certainly not alone in this. Sadly, with the NES, the "real" experience involves a lot of frustration: constantly cleaning carts with cotton swabs and alcohol, still seeing blinking screens despite your best efforts, and trying to refurb the thing any number of ways: boiling the connector, buying new ones, disabling the lockout chip, etc. For that reason, I can't recommend real hardware for the NES for most people (as much as I do for more reliable consoles like the 2600)

 

For the original poster: If the Wii Virtual Console has the games you want, I say go for it! It's 100% legitimate and convenient.

 

I have a top loader with almost no issues at all. A modded top loader (if you can't stand RF and the jail bars) is one of the best ways to play NES.

[+DamonicFury]

 

I have a top loader with almost no issues at all. A modded top loader (if you can't stand RF and the jail bars) is one of the best ways to play NES.

 

I believe you... sounds awesome! But acquiring and modding a top loader is a lot to ask most people to do... that's a solution for the real enthusiasts. The fairly-easy-to-install Blinking Light Win mod for the toaster might be a somewhat easier option... I've considered that myself. But I'd still stick with recommending the Wii Virtual Console to the original poster (who seemed to be leaning that way already.)

[derFunkenstein]

A front-loader with Blinking Light Win installed took care of all of my NES cart loading issues. $30 for the mod, installs with nothing but a screwdriver. Heck, you can get a front-loader, a BLW, and an Everdrive N8 (and maybe skip the BLW in that case) and still be cheaper than an NES Mini.

 

Soft-modded Wii is a good budget alternative. They're like $40 + a 2GB SD card.

[mbd30]

 

I believe you... sounds awesome! But acquiring and modding a top loader is a lot to ask most people to do... that's a solution for the real enthusiasts. The fairly-easy-to-install Blinking Light Win mod for the toaster might be a somewhat easier option... I've considered that myself. But I'd still stick with recommending the Wii Virtual Console to the original poster (who seemed to be leaning that way already.)

 

My own top loader isn't modded because the jail bars don't bother me, although the picture could be sharper.

 

There's a site called RetroFixes that does top loader mods.

[Tanooki]

 

I have a top loader with almost no issues at all. A modded top loader (if you can't stand RF and the jail bars) is one of the best ways to play NES.

I've got one of those I would love to get rid of.

 

See I'm going to argue against the original on being a PITA, if and only if, you do three simple things to it as it makes it right up there in reliability with other systems of the era.

1) Pry PIN4 out of the security chip free -- never will it blink again

2) BOIL the aluminum pins for 5min in water, then use NES cleaning kit (or eyeglasses silk like wipe around a card) and in-out that sucker 10x. Repeat until no more gray hideous goo down to fine marks come off on your cleaning kit.

3) Use a pry/pin of some sort and give each of the lower row of the pins just a friendly little northward tug without force down the row.

 

I've done this repeatedly successfully without fail and it makes the system run like a rock as long as the games are clean. The boiling toughens up the old aluminum pins too like was 1985-86 again, and then some because you may not even have to lock the game in for it to work. I just did this yet again 2 weeks back on a $10 console I found and I'm super pleased and put the toploader to bed.

 

That toploader has RCA, Stereo wheel in back (turn to get right spread effect by game or whatever you like personally), and a LED under the power switch too.

 

 

To me, with that set of 3 mods/maintenance fixes to the original makes it still the best way to experience the original NES without fail.

[Andromeda Stardust]

A front-loader with Blinking Light Win installed took care of all of my NES cart loading issues. $30 for the mod, installs with nothing but a screwdriver. Heck, you can get a front-loader, a BLW, and an Everdrive N8 (and maybe skip the BLW in that case) and still be cheaper than an NES Mini.

 

Soft-modded Wii is a good budget alternative. They're like $40 + a 2GB SD card.

Yes, this. BLW is the way to go...