Let's talk about NES mods....

[Flam]

so I have your average "unmoded' NES system. By reading message boards I have, by default, seen posts pop up about NES mods. My question is are there any "must have mods" that should be done to an NES. Now I realize that any modification is not really 'must have', but in your opinion are there some mods out there that should be done to any NES system. I've run across the "block out" pin mod, then the other day in my quest for a Mr. Gimmick! repro I came across a sound mod that was described as a "resistor mod', I'm still not sure what this mod does exactly but it somehow allows more sound variation with Mr. Gimmick!

I'm sure there are a number of mods you can do to an NES but again, are there some in your opinion that need to be done in order to provide a better overall gaming experience.

Thanks for the input.

[sloan]

NES mods I have done:

Replaced red LED with green LED. Necessary for game enjoyment? No.

Rigging of pseudo-stereo sound outputs via red and white RCA jacks. Necessary for game enjoyment? Maybe if you are an audiophile and insist on all your game systems hooked to left and right stereo speakers.

Disabling of pin #4 on 10NES chip. Necessary for game enjoyment? I recommend it to end the frustration of blinking screens alone. Be forewarned though that disabling 10NES in no way eliminates dirty games from not booting. The only difference is that you now get a solid gray or pjnk screen in place of the previous blinking gray or pink screen.

[Flam]

Disabling of pin #4 on 10NES chip.

Isn't this some what dangerous if you don't know what you are doing, meaning if you diable the wrong pin you could 'f' up your whole system?

[sloan]

Isn't this some what dangerous if you don't know what you are doing, meaning if you diable the wrong pin you could 'f' up your whole system?

Yes, but follow my marked up picture and you cannot go wrong.

5945

[Flam]

do you have a video link handy showing how to get to it? If not I can look for one, it seems like I ran across one several months ago.

[The Dord]

do you have a video link handy showing how to get to it? If not I can look for one, it seems like I ran across one several months ago.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3vL5TE0UQo

[Flam]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3vL5TE0UQo

Thanks!

[treismac]

Of my four NES Toasters, only one doesn't have the NES 10 Chip disabled, which I have left intact so that I can still experience that iconic blinking, functional indeterminacy from time to time if I so chose to so that I can more accurately recreate my NES days of yore.

[Flam]

http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=6&threadid=81020

anyone know what this is for?

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

I'm of the opinion that no mods should be done to this system. There are no components in it that shorten the unit's lifespan, such as poor ventilation, or weak power supplies. So no need for maintenance mods.

If you can properly bend the pins of the 72-pin edge connector back into place or simply replace it with a new one there should be little need to clip the pin to the lockout chip. You should only rarely get any blinking screens.

Performing an RGB mod changes the nature of the original graphics. You will have a different color pallette, and those games which took advantage of the peculiar nature of NTSC and composite video encoding will not be displayed in the proper manner.

The stereo mod is interesting, but from everything I've read it is a bit gimmicky in practical application. It's more of a novelty, proof-of-concept thing than a real upgrade. Like the composite video, the games were meant to be heard in mono.

[101011]

Isn't this some what dangerous if you don't know what you are doing, meaning if you diable the wrong pin you could 'f' up your whole system?

Interestingly enough, there's a chip near the 10nes marked 8838H-TOSHIBA and if you disable pin 4 on that one it does absolutely nothing!

I found that out while "drunk and disabling" pin 4 of the 10nes chip to play ROBODEMONS one day. I put it back together and still had a blinking screen. After opening it up and realising what I had done, I ripped off the proper pin and It's still my best functioning unit to this day.

Apparently it's a HEX Inverter?

[Edmond Dantes]

As neat as this stuff sounds, my NES still plays games reliably and whenever I have blinking screen syndrome, I just give the games an alcohol swabdown and usually they boot right up. Seems extreme to start tinkering with it when it works 98% of the time.

Now if I could mod my NES to make coffee for me and do my bills, that would be awesome.

(Random change of subject: Anyone else find Taboo: the Sixth Sense woefully underrated?)

[Flam]

I think I'll do the 10 chip disable, it'll give me an excuse to crap open my nintendo and take a look, I'll first operate on my spare NES just to make sure I'm doing it right.

[sloan]

There's really not much you can mess up when disabling 10NES. If you accidentally cut the wrong pin, then just use a small glob of solder to reconnect it.

[treismac]

(Random change of subject: Anyone else find Taboo: the Sixth Sense woefully underrated?)

I'm starting to wonder if there is some kind of Ringu/The Ring thing going on with that game and you, Edmond Dantes.

[ccovell]

Now if I could mod my NES to make coffee for me and do my bills, that would be awesome.
For the latter, you're well-serviced, as there are at least 4 "serious" economics programs that I can think of on the Famicom. 5947
For the former: mod ROB 5946

[TimTendo]

The only mod I would do would probably be disabling the 10NES chip so I could play a few PAL exclusive games, even if they run with a few glitches and speed differences, heh!

[BlastProcessing402]

I must be weird in that I've never had enough problems to justify disabling that 10NES pin. Sure, a blinking screen now and then, but never anything that wouldn't resolve with a simple removal and reinsertion of the cart, maybe with the blow trick applied (I know the arguments against the blow trick, but I've been doing it since 87, and my stuff still works, so I'm still gonna do it as needed).

[Parodius Duh!]

Isn't this some what dangerous if you don't know what you are doing, meaning if you diable the wrong pin you could 'f' up your whole system?

Its incredibly easy and youll be able to play European games too (although a few might be a little glitchy, whatever its totally worth it).