To mod or not to mod, the NES Top Loader Dilemma

[Eduardo]

I just got a NES Top Loader and I want to play it all the time instead of the original one because to be honest it's not reliable. But RF is just not a possibility, the TV is one of those rear projection 65 inchers, and it's about 9 feet away. So should I mod it? Would it be a crime against the originality of the console? If there aren`t many left I wouldn't want to desecrate it. Is it like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa? But after all, games are meant to be played, aren't they?

[Oldskool]

Do what you want to do. Who cares what other people think. If you want to mod it, mod it. It's not like it's super rare or something. Some people might like to make you think that but there are millions of them out there. If not then deal with the RF or get an NES toaster. The toasters are much better anyways. To make it reliable all you have to do is install a new $5 72 pin connector and cut the lockout pin which is easy as pie.

[Eduardo]

I changed the pins on my old NES but then I shoved in Mario Bros 2 without cheking it the same day i changed it and now its messed up, the games go in clean and come out with a yellow goo. I just went thru the trouble of changing it.

[Oldskool]

You mean you installed a brand new 72 pin connector and stuck a filthy ass game into it? LOL You are not supposed to do that.

[Eduardo]

Yep pretty much, ruined my handywork about 20 minutes after. Can i take it out and rinse it out. Or should Install yet anohter new one?

[Oldskool]

Yeah you can rinse it out. Wash it up real good with some mild soapy water and a brush then rinse it off real well. Make sure it's completely dry before putting it all back together. Or stick the connector in the dishwasher on the top rack. I've done that with an NES that wouldn't load ANYTHING. Put it back in and now it loads 75% of the time, and that's still with the old connector.

Just make sure you pull it out of the dishwasher before the dry cycle starts, or turn the dry cycle off. You don't want to warp the thing.

While you have the connector off, clean the pins on the PCB that the connector goes onto. And while you are in there disable the lockout pin as well. Of course that's optional, because if the 72 pin connector is working well it's a non issue. I have yet to have a flashing screen after the new 72 pin connector was installed.

[Eduardo]

Thanks for the advice I'll do that tomorrow. It was really funny because I switched the connector out annd tried a clean SMB 1, then took it off and when i came back i shoved SMB2 in there, and I was like, was it 1 or was it 2? when I started pulling out cartridges dirtier than how they went in, I realized my mimstake.

[skaar]

I modded my NES now Mario works like this.

http://media.fukung.net/images/3718/Mario%20Hardcore.jpg

[jdheins]

An alternative to modding is to just hook it up to a VCR with RF input, and use the RCA output, simple easy and cheap. But if you can mod it, might as well, people pay 2x to get an AV toploader.

[megasdkirby]

I personally would not do an AV mod on my top loader, as it took me a very long time to finally get one.

I would get a toaster with a new 72pin adapter, though. At least those are very common and easily repairable.

[Battlehork]

An alternative to modding is to just hook it up to a VCR with RF input, and use the RCA output, simple easy and cheap. But if you can mod it, might as well, people pay 2x to get an AV toploader.

I think the concern here was poor video quality with RF rather than the TV not having the input for it.

[chrisbid]

I think the concern here was poor video quality with RF rather than the TV not having the input for it.

a direct rf input (using a phono adapter rather than a switch) is not really that much worse than composite.

now if there was a way to mod a system for s-video, that would be different. but thats not an option on the NES.

[Spartacus]

I bought a top loader modded for composite video from a reputable seller. It's a convenient and it's reliable, but honestly, the picture quality is not as good as the toaster. It's pretty noticable.
I also installed a new pin connector on one of my toasters. Now it's a bitch pulling out the cartridges.
But these issues are well known.
I think my best course of action now is to tinker with a toaster to get it just right. But even brand new, toasters were designed to have problems and I expect I will always have games go blinky on me. That's never happened playing on the top loader.

[alec006]

A friend of mine is working on a multi out port mod for the top loading NES, I wonder how that is working out for him.

Ask for modding the system in general, well, the are getting abit more rarer everyday so, I wouldn't wanna do it.

Then there's always the option of finding the even more rare Top Loading NES A/V models.

[Oldskool]

I bought a top loader modded for composite video from a reputable seller. It's a convenient and it's reliable, but honestly, the picture quality is not as good as the toaster. It's pretty noticable.
I also installed a new pin connector on one of my toasters. Now it's a bitch pulling out the cartridges.
But these issues are well known.
I think my best course of action now is to tinker with a toaster to get it just right. But even brand new, toasters were designed to have problems and I expect I will always have games go blinky on me. That's never happened playing on the top loader.

Yeah they can be a pain inserting/removing the carts when the cart slot is new. But I've noticed after a while they start to loosen up a bit. It's better to be tight now, and loosen up to an acceptable level later, than being not so tight now, and being sloppy later (like the original NES cart slots).

[skaar]

Yeah they can be a pain inserting/removing the carts when the cart slot is new. But I've noticed after a while they start to loosen up a bit. It's better to be tight now, and loosen up to an acceptable level later, than being not so tight now, and being sloppy later (like the original NES cart slots).

... and your mom.

[jdheins]

a direct rf input (using a phono adapter rather than a switch) is not really that much worse than composite.

now if there was a way to mod a system for s-video, that would be different. but thats not an option on the NES.

Personally I've never had a problem with this, I have two toploaders with RF that put out near perfect output, I grew up using the RF also, our huge tv didn't have AV input.

[jdheins]

A friend of mine is working on a multi out port mod for the top loading NES, I wonder how that is working out for him.

Ask for modding the system in general, well, the are getting abit more rarer everyday so, I wouldn't wanna do it.

Then there's always the option of finding the even more rare Top Loading NES A/V models.

There are AV Famicom Nes 2's, just get a 72 to 60 converter and you are good to go.

[Oldskool]

... and your mom.

har har

[Arkhan]

I think the concern here was poor video quality with RF rather than the TV not having the input for it.

no... the concern was, the RF input on a giant ass projection TV = hard to get to.

[Purkeynator]

There are AV Famicom Nes 2's, just get a 72 to 60 converter and you are good to go.

After $120+ of course....

[MachineGex]

The main reason I see to mod the toploader is the damn ghost-lines you get from RF. Some TVs seem to really make the ghost lines look really bad. It really is bad on some newer TVs. I had my top-loader Mod'ed and the ghost-lines are completely gone. The picture is now crystal clear. If the Mod is good, then it only increases the value of the system in my opinion.

[The Manimal]

The main reason I see to mod the toploader is the damn ghost-lines you get from RF. Some TVs seem to really make the ghost lines look really bad. It really is bad on some newer TVs. I had my top-loader Mod'ed and the ghost-lines are completely gone. The picture is now crystal clear. If the Mod is good, then it only increases the value of the system in my opinion.


Are you referring to the lines all over the screen? I don't think that has much to do with the RF. I have no idea if it was ever fixed. Whatever it is, from what I've always understood, the AV Famicom didn't have that problem. If the lines weren't there, I would be okay with the console. Then again, I think the colors are washed out looking on the top loader.