So, I have been battling my NES for a few months now, and sadly, I think she is about to hit the dust. My question for you all is this: is the toploading NES that much more reliable? I know people often say it is, but why?
So, I have been battling my NES for a few months now, and sadly, I think she is about to hit the dust. My question for you all is this: is the toploading NES that much more reliable? I know people often say it is, but why?
I think the front-loading NES has gotten the reputation for being unreliable, but really its just the pin connector that either gets dirty or worn out. The pins in the original nintendo can easily be replaced, but I dont think thats the case with the toploader. The pins in toploading Nintendos will eventually wear down with use. I have found multiple non-working toploading nintendos so they will not last forever. It seems like the pins in original nintendos go bad from abuse or excessive use without cleaning. Original Nintendo pins in good condition will last a long time as long as you clean all the games.
Also you gotta keep in mind that Toploaders do not have AV video, just RF. If you switch over to a toploader nintendo you might be disappointed with the video quality. You can have them modded for AV out but thats extra work.
With what is currently out there now, it depends.
If you're ok straightening the pins on a 72pin connector using a pin, or popping it out and boiling it for a few minutes to 'reset' the quality of the pins to like new, you're better off just doing that and cutting PIN4 on the 10NES chip. Doing those 2 things will make it superior to the top loader because it has an RCA jack and doesn't suffer from RF interference (aka: jailbars.)
If you're not, then you get the top loader and save the hassle but lose some picture quality being stuck on RF, or you pay up for one and more for a modder to make it RCA capable.
Personally I went with a good deal at the time(far better now) top loader with 3 mods (rca jacks, stereo sound separation wheel, and a little led under the power switch so it glows red.) That system outperforms a stock classic system across the board, but if I were in front of two bare systems right now, I'd take the original and do the fixes myself as I've done it before and it lasts.
I'll simply give my opinion and what I did.
I currently have 27 different consoles hooked up to TV's in my game room. I do not have the time to be constantly working on the different consoles to keep them running. So for me it was absolutely worth it. I did do the composite out modification as well and don't regret it for a second.
My experience has been that the biggest problem with the regular NES is dirty games. Clean the games and most of the time that will fix your problem. And I don't mean any of the 'alcohol on a q-tip' bs. Open the games and use some metal polish or one of the other methods that gets mentioned. There is, however, a point at which the pins need some attention. I've used a bent then clipped off paper clip to pull them back/up into place, but it takes a light touch and patience. Usually good results, but not always. The boiling thing is relatively new to me so I haven't worked on one since I heard about that. I'd try it, though. The toaster is cheap and has composite, it is worth a little time to me to keep it going. Seriously, though, clean the games first.
I have watched AV famicoms for many years, always on the verge of buying one, but never quite been able to pull the trigger. Definitely the best solution, as said above. I should probably check into getting my top-loader modded, but the lines on mine don't seem too bad.
edit: meant to add this if you haven't seen it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...cting-your-nes
more economical than a top loader even without composite mods.
Last edited by Cornelius; 12-02-2014 at 07:45 PM.
What the hell do people DO to their NESes to have these problems? My NES has been in my house since 1987, has been through some real ass and has even been taken apart a few times, but any time a game doesn't work it just needs q-tips and alcohol.
What, does my NES in particular happen to have magical protection on it?
Minr works great, too. I bought a top loader years ago as well, but it's usually unhooked in favor of the classic console I got for Christmas in '87. A little alcohol at most and it works pretty great, and without all of the vertical lines in thebackground on a top loader.
You know you can filter the lines out of a toploader very easily. Just have it pass through another system with a coax on it like an old VCR. That's what I did a decade ago with the first one I had. I didn't like the bars, so I got desperate thinking it was interference(and I was right) and ran it rhough the RCA ProScan I had and it was crisp and clear.
Perhaps just plugging in a crappy goodwill bought $5 VCR might be a savior for many, far cheaper than a mod job, and if you have any old tapes, that's a bonus.
Same here, the top loader I got is modded but its stored in the closet while Im playing the original my parents got for me 25 years ago. The alcohol q tip works well most of the time, for the most part the original still works fairly well I think its how kids treated their consoles back in the day. If you weren't reckless it should work fine the majority of the time. Unlike some poor NES consoles that are just beaten, battered and dead.
Last edited by ZeroCool; 12-02-2014 at 10:21 PM.
I crapped out and got a Retron 2, it works fine but I might work more on rejuvenating my original NES cuz I've had the same issues. The toploader sounds more reliable, cuz all my other toploading systems have never given me problems, even my Colecovision works fine, but they're expensive, harder to find, and they only support RF. When I was a kid I used to play my NES games in RF, and then I didn't care, but since switching to AV cables, never again
Just use a front-loader, replace the connector if necessary, and disable the CIC chip. I have no major problems with mine. If a game doesn't make good contact because of the lack of self-cleaning abrasion from the ZIF socket, all you need to do is make sure the cartridge is in the down position, and wiggle it side to side quickly using your fingertips for a couple of seconds. For a really dirty cartridge, use the proper bit to open it up and clean it.
I used to swear by the front loader untill I actually got a top loader, now I would never go back. I spent so much time ripping apart and bending pins and cleaning them. Worked great as long as I religiously cleaned every game every single time.
So with my top loader I can start up any game I want after having not used it for 6 months and know it's going to work perfectly. (I also a/v modded for jail bars)
The top loader is pretty slick indeed.
For those of you with front loaders that have been fitted with a new cart connector, how reliable are they?
I'd go with an A/V Famicom + a converter. It's hard to beat native composite out. Plus, you can play Famicom games that need the Famicom expansion port on the front, and it works with Famicom games that use extra sound chips.
Same here. My original front loading NES died on me. So I picked up a NES Retro Entertainment System aka RES for less than $15 bucks. I've yet to come across any carts that it wont play and it uses my original controllers. I loved my front loading NES but the RES is an OK stand-in.
I like your Famicom suggestion. The RES gets the job done but it would be nice to play Famicom games.