Thinking of getting a NES. Which is the best option

[mbd30]

Top loading model?

 

Original model with new 72 pin?

 

Are there any clones that are very good?

 

 

I'd prefer to get a real NES but they aren't cheap.

 

 

 

 

[0078265317]

30 not bad. Just get a new 72 pin or use a game genie. Works great with genie. About 11 on ebay. Not bad. But found this so no need. Tested and working. Not bad.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-NES-Deluxe-Gray-Replacement-Console-Only-Tested-Working-/151795018583?hash=item2357b02b57

 

or wait gamestop may have some soon. I know they don't sell classics or take trades anymore since forever. But an article about 5 months ago I also posted here said they might start again soon.

Edited August 31, 2015 by 0078265317

[Algus]

The originals are cheaper than the top loaders and have better audio. Game Genie can damage the 72-pin (not a big deal really, they are easy to replace and not very expensive). By the by keep the old 72-pin if you replace. It can be boiled in water to clean and then the contacts can rather easily be realigned. Swapping a 72-pin is about 5 minutes of work and they last years.

 

The clones are all about the same. If you get something like the RetroN it has something like 99% compatibility but various games including some well-known (and worth owning) titles like Castlevania III are incompatible. Current clones usually include ports for multiple game systems so they can be good space savers since you only need one machine plugged in.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Algus

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

If you want cheaper and better output get the toaster model. It has av out. Yes it has the blinking screen issue. But is a quick fix which should take you a few minutes. Boil the 72 pin connector in water or just swap it out. Ebay has them for like $6-$10. And some online retailers like lukie games, estarland, and nintendos for sale. The top load model goes for over $100 for a bare bone system on ebay. But you only get rf out and the barely visible jailbar lines on the screen. And game genies won't work on these models. Or if you want to invest in a bit more, you can get the AV Famicom which resembles a top load model NES and get a 60 to 72 pin adapter to play NES games on it. I personally don't like the clones like the Retron and Yobos. When I take a game out it feels like you will rip out the cartridge slot with the game attached. And they feel cheaply made. Plus a few games are not compatible like Castlevania 3. I would just get the original toaster model for better price and better picture quality.

[mbd30]

If I get the toaster, should I get one where the 72 pin has already been swapped out?

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

If I get the toaster, should I get one where the 72 pin has already been swapped out?

That's what I would go for. Too much of a hassle to get one with a bad pin connector then order one a brand new one. Get everything alltaken care of in the unit so it's ready to play as it arrives.

[0078265317]

Game genie does work on the top loader. There was an adapter. Or It works anyhow. Purple geneis have thinner pcb. Still hard I just jammed mine in there and it works. I have removed it several times with a pliar and she still works. I just jammed it iin there and now I leave it in there. When I don't want genie I don't remove it. I simply press enter as if no codes are being entered. Nothing happens tot the game if no codes are entered and walla.

[CGQuarterly]

If I get the toaster, should I get one where the 72 pin has already been swapped out?

 

 

In my opinion, no. The replacement connectors are trash. Buy one with the original connector, and refurbish it yourself, either by boiling it or using another method like this one. Alternatively you could get a Blinking Light Win, but there is a bit of a lead time on those right now since they are still working on fulfilling all of the KickStarter orders.

[mbd30]

In my opinion, no. The replacement connectors are trash. Buy one with the original connector, and refurbish it yourself, either by boiling it or using another method like this one. Alternatively you could get a Blinking Light Win, but there is a bit of a lead time on those right now since they are still working on fulfilling all of the KickStarter orders.

Ugh. The top loader seems like the least hassle even though the video quality may be worse.

[CGQuarterly]

Ugh. The top loader seems like the least hassle even though the video quality may be worse.

 

Refurbishing the connector is literally like 15 minutes of work.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

 

 

In my opinion, no. The replacement connectors are trash. Buy one with the original connector, and refurbish it yourself, either by boiling it or using another method like this one. Alternatively you could get a Blinking Light Win, but there is a bit of a lead time on those right now since they are still working on fulfilling all of the KickStarter orders.

 

I've had a pretty similar experience with my NES. In the two years that I've owned it I've gone through 4 brand new 72-pin connectors from various manufacturers and none of them ever kept the system working properly for more than a week or two. And by "working properly" I mean not having the games freeze up mid-game at some random point, and I have had the 10NES lockout chip disabled all along. At this point I'm pinning my hopes on the BLW replacement connector, otherwise I'm going to have to invest in an A/V modded top loader to get a decent NES gaming experience.

 

 

Ugh. The top loader seems like the least hassle even though the video quality may be worse.

 

It will almost certainly be less hassle (as long as you don't mind not being able to use a Game Genie), but you're going to have to put up with substantially lower audio and video quality as well as those annoying vertical lines—AKA "jail bars"—in the picture unless you get it A/V modded, which can be a hit or miss procedure. My recommendation would be to get an original toaster model and install a Blinking Light Win connector and loading tray in it. I have yet to use one myself but every report I've read on them has indicated that they fix the toaster's reliability issues, and I will be ordering one for my toaster model NES shortly. If you get a regular toaster NES with a new 72 pin connector in it you're likely to spend more time swearing at the thing when it won't load games or freezes up mid-game then you will actually playing games on it.

 

In short, no matter which model of NES you get you're going to have to take some kind of drastic measure to make playing games on it an experience that is actually enjoyable and worth your time. For a system that had some of the best games of all time on it, the hardware design is some of the worst of all time; and both NES versions have major issues that you will have to deal with.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Jin

[+wongojack]

I've had good luck with toasters actually. My original from childhood still works, and I've never opened it. I got a backup recently that someone had cleaned up and it is fine. I wouldn't trade the convenience of composite for 15 minutes of work cleaning a cart slot. I clean cart slots on all my systems anyway, the only real difference with the NES is that you need to remove the top to get at the pins.

[Algus]

I've seen a lot of people say the Chinese 72-pins you can buy on eBay are no good. I suppose I've had luck or maybe it is just some vendors are no good. For me I would buy the NES and order a 72-pin with it. Replacing the pin is 5 minutes of work like I said in my last post (no sweat, you unscrew and rescrew). Fix your original NES 72-pin when you have time and feel like playing with it but again it is not much more work either.

 

A Game Genie can bend the pins. A lot of people use them because as the pins get dirty it helps make a more solid connection but it is a bit more of a pain in the ass to fix after you've used the Genie (still doable though). For most 72-pins boiling in water to clear the dirt and grime off the contacts is literally all the further you need to go. If you play your NES heavily (as heavily as we did when we were kids) you'll probably want to do this every 18-24 months to keep everything working solid.

 

I've run off the same NES I've had since I was 5 in 1990 and still cycle in its original 72 pin along with a pair I've picked up over the years. It is very easy to maintain a toaster. I'd rather deal with this than retrobriting a yellowed SNES.

[cybercylon]

There was a thread on here about some asking about how to get a modded top loader with AV and without the bars. Can't find it for some reason, but there were some options in that thread of how to get a toaster to work more reliably.

 

From what I have read there, the "new" 72 pin connectors that are out there are total garbage, and I can't argue with that based on experience. I have been down that road on more than one occasion, only to be frustrated 2-3 weeks later.

 

I chose not to bother with it anymore and most of what I want to play 3rd party wise has been ported to other systems or I get just get on the virtual console if it is a Nintendo title. I was in my late teens when the NES was all the rage, so the nostalgia factor doesn't have the hold on me for original controllers, etc etc

 

But that does not answer your original question. I am sure you can find the other thread I am referring to keep a toaster happy. Never thought of Algus' suggestion, but the ship on me owning the hardware anymore has sailed. I'd go with toaster. Top loaders are expensive and you need to get them modded if you want AV and not have bars on the screen. Like someone said, it will take some TLC to keep whatever your choice is reliable and it is really up to the individual to know if that is time well spent.

[cybercylon]

ahh... here is that other topic...

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/242038-best-place-to-get-a-modded-nes-101-top-loader/

[Austin]

The replacement pin connectors aren't ideal because they put a death-grip on your carts. Refurbishing an original connector (literally just take it out and drop it in boiling water) is the way to go. Just make sure to clean your carts, too.

 

You could have someone A\V mod a top-loader, but that costs more money and IMO the top loader just doesn't have the same charm as using the toaster. You also need more vertical space with a top loader, if space is a concern (for some it isn't, for others that have thin bays in an entertainment center it is).

 

If you just want a cheap way to play real carts on your TV, consider buying a cheap clone system. It's not ideal, but it's not expensive either.

[mbd30]

The replacement pin connectors aren't ideal because they put a death-grip on your carts. Refurbishing an original connector (literally just take it out and drop it in boiling water) is the way to go. Just make sure to clean your carts, too.

 

You could have someone A\V mod a top-loader, but that costs more money and IMO the top loader just doesn't have the same charm as using the toaster. You also need more vertical space with a top loader, if space is a concern (for some it isn't, for others that have thin bays in an entertainment center it is).

 

If you just want a cheap way to play real carts on your TV, consider buying a cheap clone system. It's not ideal, but it's not expensive either.

 

The low maintenance aspect of the top loader (not having to disassemble anything) and that it is a legit NES is appealing to me even with the video issues and higher price. I'm not yet sure what I want to do, but right now I'm leaning towards top loader.

[Austin]

 

The low maintenance aspect of the top loader (not having to disassemble anything) and that it is a legit NES is appealing to me even with the video issues and higher price. I'm not yet sure what I want to do, but right now I'm leaning towards top loader.

 

Then go for it!

[mbd30]

 

Then go for it!

 

Yeah. If I'm not satisfied with it for whatever reason, I can always get a toaster to mess around with as well. It doesn't hurt to have more than one NES.

[Austin]

 

Yeah. If I'm not satisfied with it for whatever reason, I can always get a toaster to mess around with as well. It doesn't hurt to have more than one NES.

 

Or if money's an issue, it should be easy to flip the top loader for what you paid and buy a toaster with those funds.

[mbd30]

This is what one Amazon seller is offering for $125 plus $3.99 shipping. I wonder if it is worth the price.

 

"Why buy from Bruin, Inc? Because I take the time to take everything apart with a special bit and fix the 72 pin connector and polish each of the brass contacts and then test it with a game before I ship it out to you. Why buy a console for less when you don't know if it's going to work? You will receive a vintage Nintendo console with a power cord, A/V cord, 2 original controllers, light gun (zapper) and the game that started it all... Super Mario Bros 1. SMB comes with instruction manual. The cart has been cleaned and will be ready to go upon arrival. Thanks!"

 

 

[CapitanClassic]

If you do get a NES top loader, get the dog-bone controllers. They are much more comfortable than the original design.

[Algus]

Fun talking about this. I remember when I was a kid and the top loader came out I was like "LOL what they think they will trick people into thinking that old thing is a SNES?!" but then I just kept playing my NES because I still had favorites. I wish I had thought to save for one of the top loaders when I was a kid. They were in the stores EVERYWHERE when I was about 8 or 9.

 

If you don't mind spending the extra money they ARE pretty reliable. $100 is about right, $120 on a BIN. The extra goodies on that Amazon listing sound worthwhile. There's to many sellers these days pushing the console barebones.

[Austin]

This is what one Amazon seller is offering for $125 plus $3.99 shipping. I wonder if it is worth the price.

 

"Why buy from Bruin, Inc? Because I take the time to take everything apart with a special bit and fix the 72 pin connector and polish each of the brass contacts and then test it with a game before I ship it out to you. Why buy a console for less when you don't know if it's going to work? You will receive a vintage Nintendo console with a power cord, A/V cord, 2 original controllers, light gun (zapper) and the game that started it all... Super Mario Bros 1. SMB comes with instruction manual. The cart has been cleaned and will be ready to go upon arrival. Thanks!"

 

 

 

No. If you are paying $125+ for a toaster, it better damn well be complete with the box, manual, and inner styrofoam. If not, you are spending at least $50 more than you have to, and that's still on the high end of things. Post a WTB thread in the AA marketplace, I'm sure someone here will give you a decent deal on a bare console with hookups and a controller. If you are going to pay over $100, buy a top loader.

[mbd30]

It's depressing looking at the prices of some popular NES carts. They're often going for as much now as when they were new. NES "Contra" is not rare. It shouldn't cost $50. I'll just get the Mega Man collection for PS2 rather than pay top dollar for "Mega Man 2" on the NES.

 

Fortunately the first two Ninja Gaidens are not expensive. They're some of the first carts that I want to get. I haven't played them on an actual NES in years.

 

I definitely want "Battletoads" since it is a major reason for why I'm getting a NES in the first place. I usually die the final part of the Turbo Tunnel when playing in emulation... the part where you have to quickly go up and down. It's probably more forgiving on an actual NES without the lag, and I really want to get further in this game. Even "Battletoads" is going way up in price.

 

I wish I'd collected a bunch of NES carts years ago before the price surge.

 

 

"

No. If you are paying $125+ for a toaster, it better damn well be complete with the box, manual, and inner styrofoam. If not, you are spending at least $50 more than you have to, and that's still on the high end of things. Post a WTB thread in the AA marketplace, I'm sure someone here will give you a decent deal on a bare console with hookups and a controller. If you are going to pay over $100, buy a top loader."

 

 

Okay, thanks man.