Topic: Original Nintendo console broken

I found my old Nintendo console with a bunch of games. It turns on but the red light flashes. When I put the games in (even before I put the games in) the tv flashes different colors. Any way to fix?

I forgot to mention it is the original nintendo console!

@ReaderRagfish thanks for your quick reply. So, its the cartridges that are the problem, not the console?

You guys know that blowing in the cartridges does nothing. The problems with the original NES come from it's design not dust. It's the repeated action of pushing down on the cartridge once it's in the Nintendo that bends the connectors.

There are several ways to fix that problem which can be YouTubed or you can just get a top loader NES.

Do what Ragfish said, then also try barely inserting the cartridge, just enough that you can press the dock to the down spot, and turn it on. the combination of the two usually starts clearing those contacts up and while start getting it rolling normally again. Imagine a shower head junked up because of hard water and age, that's kind of like what you're starting with.

And contrary to popular belief, you are not some sort of acid-spitting creature that is going to destroy the very games you love by blowing on them. Blow in short bursts, not like a balloon, and you'll be fine.

@ReaderRagfish

NO BLOWING PLEASE ! It's the worse thing you can do !

If you can track down a security bit for a screw driver, opening the game and rubbing the dirt off the contacts with a polymer eraser is a guaranteed way to bring those games back to life. If you use the standard pink erasers you will scratch it. But it works 99% of the time with a polymer.

Also use 99% rubbing alcohol if you feel the need to apply it to the cartridge. The less water the better when cleaning electronics.

Well, in 91 I blew on a copy of King of Kings. Next thing I know, old men appeared and started throwing frankincense and myrrh around, hitting a small child in the head. It was the, truthfully, the worse thing I could do.

@ReaderRagfish It is bad simply because it creates moisture. I have hundreds of NES games, and I can say without a doubt, blowing on them has zero positive benefit haha.

it's usually the connector to the cart on the inside of the console that's probably the issue.

blowing in the cart/machine is meant to be bad for it, but 50% of the time it helps it work...so each to their own I guess..

the best way to ail the problem usually is by opening it up and replacing the connector, or just opening it and cleaning it with some ear buddies!

So I plugged it back in and connected it. this time I can't even get passed connecting it to the tv. As soon as I plug the unit in, it begins to flash red on the unit. Then I connect it to the tv (using the component cables) and the tv flashes color and goes on and off saying weak signal. Are we sure it isn't something else wrong with the unit itself?

UPDATE. I followed this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvvXVx3zanM and did the procedure which involved taking out the 72 pin, sanding it, lifting the pins, boiling it, drying it, rubbing alcohol and putting it all together. (also cleaning the connectors it slides onto). also snipping the part on the board that causes the blinking light. put it back together. I don't have the blinking light anymore but all I get on my tv is a red screen!!!!! now what????

I got the games to work!~ I have to put them in and reset a couple times first. that is normal? anyway, I am not sure what they are supposed to look like. it seems like something is wrong with them - although they do operate correctly. I have some pictures I took of the tv with them up so you can look at them and tell me if they look right. How do I get pictures in my post again?

ok, here is a link to the pictures https://postimg.cc/gallery/dd1ue6pk/

Don't recognize pic 8 but rest seems fine And yes - depending on the connectors it is common to put the cartridges in and out couple of times till they work.

@ReaderRagfish blowing killed my first NES according to the guy at funcoland circa 1997. Idk if its true. They gave me a refurbished one.

Were you able to get this NES working properly?

Your issue definitely sounds like the 72 pin connector is just worn out. It's incredibly common. It's literally the only thing that ever seems to regularly wear out on these systems. If you've cleaned all your games really REALLY well with q-tips and isopropyl alcohol and are still having issues, then your best bet is to buy and install a new pin connector (you can easily find them online by searching for "NES 72 pin connector") or buy and install a custom pin connector like the "Blinking Red Light Win" that dharmajones93 mentioned.

You can try various methods of refurbishing the current 72 pin connector you have by bending the pins back, boiling it, etc, but just replacing the connector is the least hassle imho. Another option if you just want to play the games and aren't sentimental about this particular NES unit, although a bit expensive, is to get a Top Loader/Model 2 NES. They never have this issue.

As per your other questions:

• Since you said you disabled the lockout chip that causes the Power LED light to flash when there's a bad connection, any solid color screen you now see when trying to boot a game just means that the system can't read the game. If could be any number of different solid colors fyi (red, white, black, blue, etc). Again, you'll just have to trying cleaning your games REALLY well, or install a different pin connector.
• Having to reset the system to get a game to work is not normal. You should never have to do that.
• If you feel the games look weird on your TV, check your TV settings and/or make sure you're not using a widescreen setting as that will stretch the image and blur it considerably. If possible, try using different audio/video cables (RF/coax and composite video) or hooking it up to another TV to see if that makes any difference too. Also note that connecting 80s and 90s video game hardware to modern TVs in general often has sub-par results. Whenever possible use an old CRT for the best picture when playing older systems, OR try a modern HD alternate to any system to use with an modern HD TV.

Hope that helps! I've worked on these things for ages, so if you have any questions just let me know.

Good luck!