Topic: SNES and N64 missing cables

Hello you lovely people. Could anybody point me towards what original cables I need to complete my SNES and N64? I've had these consoles since I was a kid but it looks like some of the cables got left behind probably connected to old TVs and when they got binned a long time ago.

My memory is that N64 had those red, white and yellow RGB cables but my console just has one arial looking cable coming out of it, so I don't know how it's supposed to connect to the TV?

If anybody could name the cables that are missing and where I could get my hands on replacements?

Photos are here;
https://imgbox.com/ygzyMDez
https://imgbox.com/AtOsja7z
https://imgbox.com/EsSsIza9

Thanks

@dodonintendo put the links to the pictures with (img) picture link (/img) change the circle brackets to square ones
Most people will not click on links to see pictures just in case...

The answer is in your description. The aerial-looking cable plugs into a TV's aerial socket.

I can't remember if there's an RGB alternative you could use, but all TVs still come with an aerial socket, don't they?

I use an HDMI converter on my N64s, which might be worth considering.

@dodonintendo That's the RF cable - connects via the TV aerial socket as @gcunit mentioned. The SNES might be able to connect with the same cable - I can't quite see what type of plug is connected to the N64 side. SNES needs the same aerial plug on the TV end and an RCA type on the console side.

RF is the easiest to connect to a modern TV without any adaptors etc, but the picture quality is poor and you'll likely need to retune the (analogue) tuner on the TV.

The red/white/yellow cable you mentioned are RCA or Composite cables. Better picture quality and I'm pretty sure both the SNES and N64 have the same Multi A/V port so you might be able to use the same cable for both - they can be picked up for around £5-£10 online. Most modern TVs don't have composite connections anymore though, so you may have to run them through a converter to connect to a TV.

See here for a handy guide: https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/nintendo-audio-video-guide

I have both consoles so here’s my input:

SNES - in the UK the best cable is RGB SCART. Looks fantastic on a crt tv. Otherwise you will have to use composite (red/white/yellow) or RF. RGB SCART > composite > RF. If you are in the USA then S-video is the best you can get, though it isn’t as good as SCART.

BTW don’t confuse a true RGB SCART cable with a composite cable with a scart adapter (which is just there so you can plug into the corresponding port, it’s still the inferior signal). Finally, check it is actually a true RGB SCART cable which is fully wired, not a lesser cable only wired for composite.

https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/index.php?route=common/home - I have bought several cables from this online store (SNES, Mega Drive, Mega Drive II) and while not cheap they are well worth the investment. My MD II and SNES are both set up with full RGB SCART into a CRT tv and look superb.

N64 - we got stuffed here in the UK; N64 can only display through composite or RF. In the US s-video is usable on NTSC N64s, which is the best you will get out of it.

Interesting to note is that a composite cable with the right connector will work for SNES, N64 and GameCube, as they all have exactly the same shape AV port. However, the RGB SCART cable for the GameCube won’t work on a SNES or visa versa, die to different wiring.

Hope that helps!

@Gamecuber uk n64s did have s video support. That’s what I was using before I got it modded for advanced rgb board.

@dodonintendo https://kaicolabs.com/product-category/nintendo/

Thanks for the replies. I'm tearing my hair out with this.

The N64 won't power on at all, so that's for the bin.

The SNES does power on but I'm getting mixed results.

I've connected the RF cable into the slot in my TV where the aerial goes. I've re-tuned my Samsung to scan for analogue channels and it's found the console as it's only found one signal and seems to assigned the signal to channel 1.

It's seems completely a black screen with a white line down the centre. When I press reset on the SNES the screen reacts doing a very 1990s fuzzy screen for a second and then goes back to the black screen with the white line. As I was about to give up, I pressed reset again and suddenly Mortal Kombat appeared on my screen. After getting tw*tted by Scorpion I decided to turn it off and put a better game in. Now I can't get any game on. It's just a completely black screen.

I don't get why it's not picking up a signal now. It should either work or it shoudlnt!

I'm so close to just throwing it out the window. It shouldn't be this fkin difficult to get a TV to process a signal.

@Gamecuber thanks but I'm not paying £50 for something that probably won't work.

I only need to get the consoles on in order to test some games. I have no intention of playing either console so I don't need the picture to look amazing. Just as long as I can see the games work is all I need.

Surely there's cheaper options???

@1UP_MARIO not all models support s-video. I think it depends on the motherboard version. I have tried using s-video on mine into an s-video port on my crt tv and while I get a signal it is limited to black and white.

@dodonintendo then your cheapest option is RF, as all modern TVs still have an aerial port. I got my Master System 2 to play through RF (it’s only output) through my Toshiba 4K tv. It works but looks terrible.

As for your other issues:

With your N64 not powering up it could be either the fuse in the PSU plug or the PSU itself. Mine died after about 10 years, so I bought a replacement online. Console still works to this day.

SNES: if you are getting a signal from some games but not others I would suggest cleaning the cartridge slot. Rubbing alcohol, a thin bit of cloth (I use an old, thin t shirt) wrapped around a plastic card like a credit card. In and out the slot a few times, has worked on all my consoles. Q-tip and rubbing alcohol along the contact points on the cartridges. An amazing amount of dirt comes off some of them.

Hope that helps.

@dodonintendo Just a few tips: make sure the power brick is fully connected to the N64 at the back of the console. I've had one or two over the years that really needed a firm push before they fully clicked into place.

If that doesn't work, consider replacing it with another genuine power supply via ebay or other online marketplace if you don't have a spare. (The last one I picked up a few years ago was around £20.00) Just avoid the non-Nintendo ones as they'll inevitably fail within a few months.

Secondly, I hate to see old hardware get thrown out if they're at all salvageable. Maybe consider investing in a cheap gamebit 4.5mm screwdriver before replacing the more expensive power supply and removing any dust and debris that's built up inside over the last 25 years, as this can so often be the root of power failures in old hardware.

Hopefully at least some of this information can be of help. Good luck.

@Gamecuber

Thanks. SNES won't play any games now, it played Mortal Kombat once, turned it off, now won't play that or any of the dozen games I have.

N64 - if Amazon or any online seller with free returns sells these parts then I might order a few things as it's free for me to return them. If they don't , then I'm not going to waste any more money on it

@Jalex_64
thanks.

The power brick in the N64 is properly connected but as I remember it even back when I was a kid when I bought it new at the time, the power brick is doesn't sit firmly in, it's got a bit of wobble in it. But I remember everyone's was like that.

If they're cheap enough I might buy a third party power brick as I only need the N64 to power on in order to test some games. As I've said, I have no intention on playing either of these consoles I just need them to switch on, connect to my TV, and test some games for a few minutes. My friend wants some of my old N64 and SNES games so I just need to test them before posting them. It's pointless going to the expense of posting them if they no longer work, hence why I need these consoles to work for five minutes.

With regards to the screwdriver - I'll almost certainly won't bother with that as my experience in opening Nintendo consoles it nothing but frustration. The Switch has those 4 Y shaped screws that were a pain to remove and those daft electrical ribbon things inside it that just refuse to reconnect once you've eventually loosened them.... and don't get me started on opening a DS! So from experience I fully anticipate that the N64 also has some uneccesary tamper-proof screws clamping the bloody thing shut too.

@dodonintendo You'd probably spend a similar amount on kit to get the consoles working to test them than you would just posting them (assuming its just the power adaptor that's faulty), so don't waste your cash buying cables etc and just send them to your friend. If the games are in reasonably good condition there's not a lot that can go wrong with them, so they likely work fine - they seem to hold up better than the consoles usually.

I hate seeing old consoles binned (or any tech to be honest) - I'd take them off your hands even if they don't work. I like the challenge of trying to getting them to work again.

I'd ordered a handful of tv leads and power packs etc from amazon and tested them out. Some good results.

N64 power pack worked, so I was able to turn the console on.

TV cables were largely all rubbish. The 'to HDMI' cable didn't work when I tried it on the N64 nor the SNES.

The best result I got was component cables that managed to get my N64 playing, albeit in fuzzy black and white. I tried the component cables with the SNES too but I only get audio and not picture.

Some of the games aren't working, most annoyingly my copy of Mario 64. I've read that isopropryl is the best thing to clean it. I don't have any of this. Does anybody know if Supadec Methylated Spirits (the purple liquid) aka "meths" as it's know in UK, will work?

Does anybody know if Supadec Methylated Spirits (the purple liquid) aka "meths" as it's know in UK, will work?????

I wouldn’t risk it. I’ve been using rubbing alcohol for years (isopropryl) and it has gotten many a cartridge that was grey/black with dirt on the contacts working again. In the UK a bottle costs next to nothing on Amazon. Hope that helps.