199211 Posted yesterday at 10:00 AM Share Posted yesterday at 10:00 AM I need some advice on an issue I’m having with one of my carts. I’m playing my NES games on my front-loader, and I periodically clean the contacts both inside the console and on the cartridges with 91% alcohol and compressed air from a can. Most of my games start up without too much hassle, but one in particular, Super Mario Bros. 2, has developed a peculiar problem. Upon startup, the music will play, but I keep getting a screen of black blocks atop a maroon background (I made a replica picture in Microsoft Word to show what it looks like below). Despite numerous cleanings and reinsertions, the problem persists until I lightly hit the side of the console. During gameplay the graphics will still wonk out a bit. What could be the issue here? Is it the cartridge or something internal with the console? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted yesterday at 02:30 PM Share Posted yesterday at 02:30 PM Well there is nothing unique about SMB2. If you're paranoid and have it, either bootgod check the chip/board type and see if you have other carts that match and see if they foul up, or if you have a flash kit, run the ROM. If it blows up on those you have a console issue, but really to me, it seems like a game problem. Early sign of a dying chip to maybe some solder joint that's going cold or something similar (trace?) between point A and B that's losing connection just enough a nice whack cleans it up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
199211 Posted 10 hours ago Author Share Posted 10 hours ago 16 hours ago, Tanooki said: Well there is nothing unique about SMB2. If you're paranoid and have it, either bootgod check the chip/board type and see if you have other carts that match and see if they foul up, or if you have a flash kit, run the ROM. If it blows up on those you have a console issue, but really to me, it seems like a game problem. Early sign of a dying chip to maybe some solder joint that's going cold or something similar (trace?) between point A and B that's losing connection just enough a nice whack cleans it up. This of course would be a fault in the cartridge, not the console, correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted 2 hours ago Share Posted 2 hours ago 8 hours ago, 199211 said: This of course would be a fault in the cartridge, not the console, correct? Yes, something a soldering iron and the most basic of skills could correct if it went that way just reheating the various contacts. If that failed, then a bit more skill as you may have a busted or loose trace, something to scrape back, expsose, then secure. or if the chip is shot or one of the chips, it would require popping that off and putting a new one there, though if it's one of the primary chips of the game itself it's easier just replaced entirely and the board kept as a donor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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