NES toaster question

[Atarileaf]

I'll start by saying that I'm new to NES collecting as I've been strictly atari most of my collecting life. I purchased a top loader for a decent price a month or so ago and have a small collection of games. Now, in a thrift store a couple days ago I bought a toaster NES with 5 games.

Now, from what I've read on these and other forums, many diehard NES fans prefer the toaster over the top loader for a few reasons which I'm sure you all know so I won't bother going there. Suffice it to say, the reason I bought a top loader was because over the years, on and off, of trying to get a decent working NES toaster, I've NEVER been successful. Even when I went on ebay years ago to get a replacement for the pin connector (a gold one IIRC), it didn't seem to work. Just that damn blinking light.

So my question is - can a toaster be successfully restored to be a reliable machine? If you or I walked into a thrift and bought an NES toaster and it had the blinking light problem, what are the chances it could be fixed and made reliable?

I'll admit I haven't tested the one I just bought but I'm sure it will be a frustrating time when I do.

Assuming the pin connector needs replacing - is it worth it the hassle - the time and money on something that may or may not work?

How much success have you guys had in getting old toasters working? Is it a crap shoot or is there some trick to making them reliable machines? Any hints or advice on how (or if) I should proceed in getting or fixing an old NES toaster would be appreciated.

[Joe West]

replacing the pin, it will work for awhile, but to play the games, stay with the top loader.....

[theChad]

I have fixed nearly a dozen toasters simply by replacing or bending the pins, and I haven't had to open any of them since. If I get a blinking light, a quick cleaning of the cartridge always solves the problem.

[ButtonMasher123]

Honestly, I think properly cleaning the games with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol can go a long way towards making any NES reliable again. When I brought out my NES from being in storage for a while I couldn't get any of my games to work, but as I cleaned each one of them thoroughly I began to see better results.

Also if you nudge the game around a little bit after its already been pushed down, you can often get it to work as well. It can be tedious, but I'm at the point now where I can get just about every game to work on the first try from putting in all that hard work before.

The good thing is when the NES doesn't work right you can always give it a little love and bring it back to life. Now if my 360 breaks, well I'm just screwed lol

[vintagegamecrazy]

I actually like both of them each in their own way. The toaster has AV support for better picture quality and is much easier to use a game genie on but always has to be cleaned and cared for meticulously.

The top loader has hazier video and is hard to find a game genie for but it is much easier to play famicom games on due to not having get the adapter into the toaster slot just right and it plays unlicenced games such as Action 52 and 6 in 1 as well as pirates much easier than a toaster ever will.

In the end you'll have to decide which one you want to use the most.

[Astrosmash]

Honestly, I think properly cleaning the games with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol can go a long way towards making any NES reliable again. When I brought out my NES from being in storage for a while I couldn't get any of my games to work, but as I cleaned each one of them thoroughly I began to see better results.

Agreed. My main NES is the same one I've had since I was a kid. While I have disabled the lockout chip, the machine still has the original pin connector, and as long as the game carts are clean I rarely have a problem getting them to load up. Definitely recommend cleaning up the games first.

If that doesn't work, of course, then by all means replace the pin connector. Relatively quick and easy repair and not terribly expensive.

As for which is better between the toaster and the top-loader, for me it depends on the situation. The toaster absolutely has better picture quality (if you're using the AV cables at least), but I do keep my top-loader hooked up also for ease-of-use. For instance, if I have some new games to test out, I find it quicker to pop them into the top-loader, play a little, take them out and move onto the next game. But for serious playing, the old front-loader's the way to go. The toaster's AV cables also make it good for travel since it's more convenient to hook up.

That said, I do often use the top-loader's "dogbone" controller with either system. Not as classic-looking, but I find it more comfortable than the original NES controllers.

Edit: Didn't think of it when I wrote my post, but wanted to second vintagegamecrazy's point about the top-loader being much easier to use a Famicom cart adapter with. If playing Japanese games is something you're planning to do that's worth taking into consideration - it can be done with either model, but much easier with the top-loader.

[Chainclaw]

Have you thought about getting a AV Famicom? It's the top loader, but you can use composite video cables with it. I believe there are adapters to play US games on it. The AV Famicom is still a pretty well kept secret amongst collectors, and if you have an import gaming store in your area, they probably won't charge more than they do for a top loader.

[Blitzwing256]

clipping the lockout chip (very simple procedure) will help with 90% of the blinking problem as long as you have clean games to begin with.

[Atarileaf]

clipping the lockout chip (very simple procedure) will help with 90% of the blinking problem as long as you have clean games to begin with.

Why does the lockout chip affect playing normal domestic games? Can you point me in the direction of a walkthrough of this procedure (with pictures if possible). I hope there is no soldering involved. I've never done it.

[Astrosmash]

Why does the lockout chip affect playing normal domestic games? Can you point me in the direction of a walkthrough of this procedure (with pictures if possible). I hope there is no soldering involved. I've never done it.

As I understand it, the blinking is caused when the system's lockout chip is unsuccessful in connecting with the game's lockout chip. In theory this was designed to block out pirated or unlicensed games, but the chip is so finicky that even things like carts being slightly dirty can cause it to error out even on standard licensed games. (If somebody has corrections or a better way to put this, then by all means.)

Anyway, here's how to do it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Galee-GCTqo

[Cornelius]

disabling the lockout never really seemed to help me that much. Most of the time if my game is blinking, it is blinking a solid screen or garbled anyway, and in those cases it would just be a non-blinking solid screen or garbage. That said, it is very simple to do and can't hurt (unless you cut the wrong pin or something).

The best way to go, as has been said, are clean games in a cleaned system. I have the bad habit of testing dirty games in my system when I'm in a hurry, so it is about time to clean it again (fine sandpaper then alcohol).

[Gameguy]

I personally clean every NES system I come across with a Gemini cleaning kit. With the system clean and my games clean, most games start up on the first try. I don't replace the connector or bend the pins.

If the game doesn't start up right away, pull the cart slightly back and then push down and power it on. The games usually start up by then for me, except for the really dirty ones that don't come clean entirely(the problem for those is the game, not the system).

[Icarus Moonsight]

I've replaced pins before, but now I just use a Game Genie. Even on a bad pin set I get reliable play through a GG. Yes, you have to press start to leave the GG screen and start the game. But, that is hardly anything near effort. Mostly, I started doing this because after I replaced a pin connector the tray spring mechanism broke so that carts wouldn't click down into play position. The Game Genie gets around this issue as well. I've found a few thrift NES's with busted trays over the years.

[Atarileaf]

Well I finally got around to testing the toaster and so far so good. I tried a couple carts - rc pro am and tetris. Both came on immediately with no fuss. Hopefully thats true with the rest. You guys are right about one thing - The toaster has superior video quality.

[Xander]

If you want to invest some very little time on knowing how to take care of your toaster NES, no game loading will ever be a problem.

There are two importants points:

- Taking care of your 72 pins connector. It's very easy, you get a screwdriver and open up your NES. Then you take your connector and bend the pin upwards to give them some of their stiffness back. It's a 5-minute procedure and gives great result. You don't need to do it too often, it depends on how much you are using the NES.

- Cleaning your games. Screw the rubbing alcohol/Q-Tips method. Yes it works, but there is so much better. Find yourself a gamebit able to open up NES cases and open your game, then clean the contact with an eraser. After I'm done cleaning a game with an eraser, the game will load first time, like it was new. It's very impressive to witness. I used the Q-Tips/Rubbing Alcohol method for years with very random results. The eraser? Works everytime.

As for disabling the lockout chip, as far as I am concerned, it doesn't do squat. I have 4 NES at home, I disabled the lockout chip of 2 of them and do regular maintenance on the 4 (I use the 4 of them, it's my favorite piece of hardware). The only difference I get with the NES that has disabled lockout chip is that instead of a having a blinking screen when the connection between the cartridge and the 72-pins connector hasn't been made correctly, I get a solid grey screen.

[Atarileaf]

These "gamebits", are they expensive and hard to find? I have a tiger-heli where the screws or bits or whatever they're called are broken off. Since I've got a few SMB/DH carts I thought I could replace the tiger-heli screws and back of the cart.

[Xander]

The gamebits aren't very expensive.

If you have a dremel tool you can even make one yourself. (http://www.unwantedcreations.com/wast3d/forum/index.php?topic=109.0)

Otherwise there is ebay left. It will cost you roughly 10$ shipped for a gamebit. Simply search for "gamebit" and pick any of the 3.8mm one. 3.8mm opens up a bunch of stuff most notably NES and SNES carts. There is also the 4.5 used to open the SNES console, Genesis cartridges and a few other things.

[Cornelius]

You might also look at a kit. I was given one from ThinkGeek.com that has the two nintendo bits and then a bunch of screw driver sizes and some torx bits. Also has a tool to open 360s with. Their might be a more current one with tri-wing bits for the DS. Also, I wouldn't expect ThinkGeek to be the cheapest place for these, that's just where my wife found one.

[Icarus Moonsight]

You can try (DP member) Sylentwulf's electricquarter site. http://electricquarter.com/videogame-tools-parts-repair-c-23.html

He use to sell a package of the Nintendo and Sega bits and he gave a discount to DP members. I've ordered a few sets from him in the past. It's $8.99 for both shipped now w/o discount.

[Atarileaf]

Thanks guys. I'll look into getting the gamebit

[Game Freak]

Honestly, I think properly cleaning the games with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol can go a long way towards making any NES reliable again. When I brought out my NES from being in storage for a while I couldn't get any of my games to work, but as I cleaned each one of them thoroughly I began to see better results.


i agree, my uncle had had an NES from eons ago when he was a kid and he finally gave it to me. The unit worked fine, i guess, but none of the games would work on the first try, and I would have to slam them into the unit and keep them at the very very frontmost part of the system (like have it sticking out a centimeter from the plastic lip, then push down so it snaps violently into place, making a loud springing sound. After finally buying some Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol (Market Basket brand) every game works like a charm, most dont have to be slammed down, and the NES works like new!