Why are aftermarket 72 pin connectors for the NES rubbish?

[treismac]

What is the reason the aftermarket 72 pin connectors for the NES perform so poorly?? Is there a cheaper/less conductive metal used? What else could the reason be?

[wiggyx]

Yeah, you hit the nail on the head. Cheap materials coupled with a poor (original) design. Sucks :/

[Immutable]

Get a top loader. Mod it to work with A/V cables. Problem solved. ;)

[ProjectCamaro]

Get a top loader. Mod it to work with A/V cables. Problem solved. ;)

Best money I spent. \\^_^/

[Tanooki]

That's what I've got for the last few years, RCA mod, stereo separation wheel mod, and a little led under the power switch so it glows red.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Or better yet, Retron5. So many advantages its crazy.

[Gameguy]

Or just clean the original connectors. I avoid consoles with replaced connectors.

[genesisguy]

Or just clean the original connectors. I avoid consoles with replaced connectors.

+1. I've gotten pretty good at cleaning the original ones with a toothbrush and rubbing alcohol. If they are really bad I'll boil them. Then they work great. Cheaper than buying and modding a Top Loader.

Pat and Ian nail it out of the park with there comments on the Top Loader. If you're a "big boy" you should be able to keep your toaster working as good as a Top Loader.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NQZeSQwU9s

[Tanooki]

I won't buy one without an original connector either. I find the old ones can always be rehabbed if they have not been damaged horribly by abuse or other means. Usually all it takes is a good cleaning with an original NES cleaning kit (or a thin glasses rag pulled tight over a credit card) to get the crap off with 91% isopropyl alcohol, and then using a safety pin to pull the lower pins upwards to make them more tight.

[wiggyx]

Or better yet, Retron5. So many advantages its crazy.

Ugh. Retron 5: The emulator that won't let you load ROMs onto it.

[Tanooki]

Actually you can, just not sure how to do it. I think the idea is that you make your own bogus IPS file, but instead, it tells the system to fire up a ROM that's put on the SD card and then it works. It's clunky and not worth it, but it can be done. Ofcourse you could just totally hack the damn thing and load retroarch on it and fire up whatever ROM you want in place of the R5 OS being there.

[mailman187666]

I remember hearing about the boiling of the 72 pin connector, and something about getting rid of the lockout pin (I think thats what its called.) can anyone point me to some kind of instructions on how to do all that?

[genesisguy]

I remember hearing about the boiling of the 72 pin connector, and something about getting rid of the lockout pin (I think thats what its called.) can anyone point me to some kind of instructions on how to do all that?

Youtube it. I watched a bunch of videos and then came up with a process I feel is best for various states of not working pin connectors.

[Tanooki]

The videos on the pin thing are kind of annoying to watch, just find a static good clear picture. There's this one small chip on the board, the pin #4 you just need to snip or pop off the board and bend away from it, and then buy buy flickering pain in the ass issues with loading games -- BONUS PERK, PAL games work just like on a top loader since it doesn't have that chip. The other, boiling works, but for the time involved I'd rather sit with the pin like I said before and realign them myself and use the cleaning kit(or thin glasses cloth over a card) to get the funk off as it's faster.

[genesisguy]

The other, boiling works, but for the time involved I'd rather sit with the pin like I said before and realign them myself and use the cleaning kit(or thin glasses cloth over a card) to get the funk off as it's faster.

Boiling takes 10 mins. I've tried the bending with a pin. Now that's time consuming. My first couple I tried were all uneven looking, even once I got better at it they were never perfect. You can also over bend if not careful. If you got big hands like me it's a PITA. For some reason the boiling pops the pins back up at a nice even level and I've never had any issues over it.

[mailman187666]

I looked up the boiling of the 72 pin connector, and seems fairly simple. Now do you guys think that having some rubbing alcohol boiling in with the water would help clean it better, or would it just boil the alcohol out of the pot and not make a difference? or cause more harm than good?

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I wish I had known to just boil the original pin connector, I had mine replaced in my original childhood NES, ever since theres been problems. I replaced it more then once now, and I gave up. I bought a Retron 2 and it works great for NES. I had a Retron 1, but it developed this problem where the intro screens would flicker very fast for some reason. And it wasn't the games, cuz it did that with a lot of games.

My retron 2 won't play SNES games very well, I got Super Mario Kart the same day, which I hadn't played before, and when I popped it in the REtron 2 it was all rainbowy. My first thought was maybe the game was defectve, cuz the system was brand new. Then I thought, maybe this is psychedelic Mario Kart. But then I put in Mega Man X which I know works fine on my SNES, and it had the same rainbow effect. So it doesn't play SNES games well.

I shoulda just returned it for a new one, but the store I got it is 40 mns away and it's been such a gamble just to find a machine that will play my NES games without problem, that I'm afraid to give up the system I finally found works. So it doesn't play SNES games, I have an SNES that's never had problems, screw it.

I've never had problems with any of my other consoles like I've had with my NES. It can't just be age cuz my Atari 2600 jr works great and that was released in '86. And my Colecovision works great too, which I heard on here is hard to come by. U gotta blow on the games a few times sometimes, but that monster with the huge AC adaptor is still kickin'

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I'd recommend the Retron 2 just from my own experience, it'll be cheaper then buying and modding a toploader, theres no deathgrip on the games, either. But u may hafta wait till u actually find one that functions right, cuz like I said, my retron 1 sucks, and my retron 2 plays my SNES games in psychedelic mode.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Plus, the Retron 2 is the exact same experience as an original NES system. It has AV cords, and u can use ur original controllers. Which is good if u have a drawer full of NES accessories.

I've had issues with NES controllers, too, actually. Theres one that's my favorite, and I have some more, theres one u can't move left, and I think thats one I played with as a kid sometimes, I remember playing Super Mario Bros and not being able to move left. Ridiculous, obviously, but it did add an extra layer of challenge, oddly enough. If u missed a box cuz u went too far, or the screen scrolled too far, thats it, u were screwed.

[Flam]

OK, I want to vent a little about the NES top loader. Unless you have some nostalgic attachment to it, why would you own one. Is it seriously that much better than a toaster. I grew up with a toaster, I'll stick with the toaster, and never have problems with mine. I just don't understand why people abandon what they grew up on and go to the top loader; or worse by these Retron things. Never understood not playing on original hardware.

Rant done.

[Tanooki]

Well depending on the crap shoot that is the top loader, you got very noticeable 'jail bars' which is a big annoyance on certain colors/black backgrounds. If you got one where it didn't generate it, or it was so minimal you had to have a TV that exposed it or really hunt for it that was a plus. The top loader if you weren't in jail was a never fail system because it lacked the asinine 10NES chip so games worked or there was something up with your game. Also, no 10NES meant PAL games would run (well like 90% of the unique titles or so.) Preference, the controller is a hell of a lot more comfy, many hands will complain of having a jabby corner digging into a joint as you hold it. That's about it really, and if you loathed the lack of RCA plugs without modification (internal, or using like a radio jack coax to rca box) it was the better system to have.

The old one which is nostalgic and great has that lame lockout chip and that shitty zero insertion force lock on it which jacks up the pins over time making it increasingly more bitchy about loading even the cleanest of games. For years I had to (pre-internet here) consistently clean the games, clean the deck (nes cleaning kit), or push the game in and down, the slide it around a 1/16th of an inch to the left, right, forward, back, some diagonal to get a game going.

As far as any hardware system on a chip clone goes, I'm with you, they suck ass. They all use the same recycled flaky crap flawed setup that puts up a different palette, audio isn't right by a little or a lot by the game (or it's ok), some games just won't work at all (famously MMC5 stuff), usually really badly built and the game pads just suck. The only one worth a crap, and that's still preference is a fully upgraded app/firmware Retron 5 because it'll run anything legal thrown at it really and with the HDMI capabilities for a modern TV.

[Flam]

So here is what I play on. Toaster w/ the 10 pin disabled and a dog bone controller. Love the dog bone so much more than the original controller. I have and NES Advantage which I play with from time to time, and I'm about to do that joystick mod to my NES Max

[Flam]

Also have 3 CRT TV's. Never plan on playing on a flat screen.

[genesisguy]

Also have 3 CRT TV's. Never plan on playing on a flat screen.

I agree with this. Unless I'm forced to in the future because all CRTs are dead I'll never play NES on a HDTV.

[Flam]

That's why I stocked up on CTRs. Play one, have two extras. Thinking about picking up a fourth just in case. Some people don't believe me, but I think CTR's will be a scarcity at least 15 years from now.

[Tanooki]

I'm done with CRTs, they have zero value other than light gun games and I can do without. I'm currently trying to sell of that sharp nes tv of mine as I don't use it and don't care for the visual quality of a CRT anymore either. CRTs probably will be a scarcity. I know that I'm seeing them fewer and farther between at flea markets and thrift shops, they're just drying up. Maybe some component is failing, or maybe those screens have a usage limit a lot are finally hitting, or they're just going to the dump when people upgrade instead of selling/donating them.

[Flam]

or they're just going to the dump when people upgrade instead of selling/donating them.

This. My question is how do you get a Toaster to look good on a flat screen?

[Gameguy]

or they're just going to the dump when people upgrade instead of selling/donating them.
A lot of thrift stores don't bother selling them anymore, they just send them to be recycled rather than take up floor space. At least this is what I was previously told by some thrift stores. Now I do see the odd CRT actually being sold in some stores but it's not all the time, it depends on the size and the brand. They won't bother selling big sets unless it's high quality like a Sony or Toshiba(unless they're lacking donations and have a bunch of free space to fill).

What's really great is if you can find a multisystem TV as those can accept both NTSC and PAL inputs. I like Duck Hunt and Lethal Enforcers too much to give them up, same with using the Super Scope and the Menacer occasionally. Plus I still look for OOP VHS tapes that aren't available in other formats and these just don't look good on a high def TV.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

OK, I want to vent a little about the NES top loader. Unless you have some nostalgic attachment to it, why would you own one. Is it seriously that much better than a toaster. I grew up with a toaster, I'll stick with the toaster, and never have problems with mine. I just don't understand why people abandon what they grew up on and go to the top loader; or worse by these Retron things. Never understood not playing on original hardware.

Rant done.

The reason I use a Retron system is because almost all the 72 pin connectors I've used to replace inside my childhood NES have been crap, and every other toaster NES I ever see for sale has the pin connector replaced, and it got to the point where I almost wanted to buy a sealed NES just so the madness would end. Trust me, I'd much prefer to use a toaster, I grew up on it and I love that thing, and if I could find one that actually functions well I would. I use the Retron 2 cuz it works. Thats all.

I'm with u 100% on the CRT tvs, tho. The only reason I even got a flatscreen was cuz Sony designed the PS4 to only work in HDMI. And I got a 20" off my buddy cuz I don't wanna spend a fortune on a TV I only need to play one game system.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Sometimes I wonder wat it would be like if Nintendo actually re-released the NES, manufactured a ton and rereleased them just as they were in '85. The retron systems sell, why wouldn't new NES's made by Nintendo? I would absolutely buy one.

[ApolloBoy]

This. My question is how do you get a Toaster to look good on a flat screen?
Two words: Framemeister and NESRGB.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Two words: Framemeister and NESRGB.

Nice collection. Heres my crap.

http://www.rfgeneration.com/cgi-bin/collection.pl#stats

[Niku-Sama]

The crt argument...
3d games, as in old school active shutter 3d glasses for the famicom or master system. They won't work on an lcd (possibly plasma though)

As for fixing the connector in the nes I've never had bad replacements but I have had to replace many originals. Slays disable the 10 chip, and bend those pins so far top and bottom that you don't have to push the game down to get it to work. That's how I dos it

[Jorpho]

Why are there aftermarket 72 pin connectors in the first place? The market of people hoping to restore old NES consoles must be so infinitesimally small that it can't possibly be worth making them for that purpose alone. Do they still have some other particular use? (And do those other people that use them have some less well-known, better solution?)

[Flam]

Why are there aftermarket 72 pin connectors in the first place? The market of people hoping to restore old NES consoles must be so infinitesimally small that it can't possibly be worth making them for that purpose alone.

This is what I've always wondered.

[genesisguy]

The reason I use a Retron system is because almost all the 72 pin connectors I've used to replace inside my childhood NES have been crap, and every other toaster NES I ever see for sale has the pin connector replaced, and it got to the point where I almost wanted to buy a sealed NES just so the madness would end. Trust me, I'd much prefer to use a toaster, I grew up on it and I love that thing, and if I could find one that actually functions well I would. I use the Retron 2 cuz it works. Thats all.

I'm with u 100% on the CRT tvs, tho. The only reason I even got a flatscreen was cuz Sony designed the PS4 to only work in HDMI. And I got a 20" off my buddy cuz I don't wanna spend a fortune on a TV I only need to play one game system.

Every clone system I've used was always slightly off visually and sonically from the old Toaster.
You're doing something wrong if you can't get a Toaster to work. I've got 4 of them here that when they came to me needed to be cleaned up and have the pin connectors boiled. They now work as well as my Top Loader. Don't give up on trying to fix your Toaster. I bet even at its age, if fixed its higher quality and will last longer than any clone on the market today.

[genesisguy]

Two words: Framemeister and NESRGB.


$$$. I have a full time job, no kids, or wife and even with my disposable income I have trouble spending that sort of money when I have 2 working CRTs and still see them for a quarter of the cost of the Framemeister alone.

[genesisguy]

I'm done with CRTs, they have zero value other than light gun games and I can do without. I'm currently trying to sell of that sharp nes tv of mine as I don't use it and don't care for the visual quality of a CRT anymore either. CRTs probably will be a scarcity. I know that I'm seeing them fewer and farther between at flea markets and thrift shops, they're just drying up. Maybe some component is failing, or maybe those screens have a usage limit a lot are finally hitting, or they're just going to the dump when people upgrade instead of selling/donating them.

There are still pages upon pages of them available on Craigslist. My girlfriend and I have been looking at houses and ever old dead persons house we've been shown has at least 2 CRTs. To say stock is drying up is a bit extreme. Maybe in 10 years? But right now? Nah.

[Eternal Champion]

Or just clean the original connectors. I avoid consoles with replaced connectors.
I really wish I had known that the originals could be refurbed before I sank 60-ish dollars into a beat-up NES with a new 72-pin. This was back in 2002, so maybe they were a little better then? It's works fine, but grabs the carts. And, as a result, its cheap-ass plastic housing cracks where it is screwed into the motherboard.

[Stringfellow]

Bought two connectors from this guy and they work great. No death grip either.

[Gameguy]

I really wish I had known that the originals could be refurbed before I sank 60-ish dollars into a beat-up NES with a new 72-pin. This was back in 2002, so maybe they were a little better then? It's works fine, but grabs the carts. And, as a result, its cheap-ass plastic housing cracks where it is screwed into the motherboard.
I just use a Gemini cleaning kit to clean the connectors on every system I get, so far I haven't disassembled any consoles just to clean or refurbish the connectors. With the connectors cleaned and the games cleaned, most games I have start up on the first time(not all of them but some games are worn). This goes for multiple NES consoles, they usually work fine. I'm a bit surprised so few people seem to use cleaning kits, people clean the games but don't bother cleaning the console. Besides jumping to boiling connectors or bending pins. I also clean SNES, Genesis, SMS, and Gameboy systems whenever I get them.

[sfchakan]

I've seen a remarkable number of really dirty N64s come my way. They literally can't read anything until I thoroughly clean the cartridge slot. It's insane.

Damn kids.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I've seen a remarkable number of really dirty N64s come my way. They literally can't read anything until I thoroughly clean the cartridge slot. It's insane.

Damn kids.

That I have not seen. Altho my brother's N64 broke somehow back in the 90s, and he had to get a new one. But all of mine that I've had over the years have worked well. I think if u just take care of it and not let it get too dusty, and dont drop it off a 5 story buildng, theyre pretty reliable systems.

[Eternal Champion]

I just use a Gemini cleaning kit to clean the connectors on every system I get, so far I haven't disassembled any consoles just to clean or refurbish the connectors. With the connectors cleaned and the games cleaned, most games I have start up on the first time(not all of them but some games are worn). This goes for multiple NES consoles, they usually work fine. I'm a bit surprised so few people seem to use cleaning kits, people clean the games but don't bother cleaning the console. Besides jumping to boiling connectors or bending pins. I also clean SNES, Genesis, SMS, and Gameboy systems whenever I get them.Yeah, I wish more people were into doing this back in those days - I remember a lot of talk of getting a new 72-pin, that I got sucked into. I have since bought a 3rd party multi-system cleaning kit that has been good. The kind with the paddles with a soft plastic cover on the end that you stick into the cart slot.


Bought two connectors from this guy and they work great. No death grip either. Who?

[Flam]

I just use a Gemini cleaning kit to clean the connectors on every system I get.

Can you post a link to one. When I did a google search all that popped up was Gemini deck cleaning solution. Has anyone here tried a Naki Eliminator?

[Tanooki]

Flam -- Getting the toaster to look good depends on the TV unfortunately, it's not universal. I've had 3 flat screens since I started getting them I've put one on. My original Panasonic Viera LCD had insanely low input lag, but also allowed disabling of all processing and because of that the image was full screen and crisp like a computer emulator. My LED I got last March I did research on using the displaylag website then checking other info, it can be handled just like the Viera and most games/systems don't even need game mode, but that one will help with overly sensitive stuff (Punchout, music games) and it too is super crisp. Yet when I put it on the large screen Samsung, it's RF cord super soft almost blurry, and the response on it is bad enough you can suicide just trying to jump on a goomba or over a 2" pit in SMB3 so it's useless.

Gameguy -- Makes sense, most people do not want them so the recycling makes sense as all those thrifts can get cash for recycling the materials instead of having a wall of useless TVs almost no one wants they'd end up sitting on for months, likely years.

Arkanoid -- I think it would probably be profitable, but it takes a lot of dough to setup a line and do all that out to retail, and they'd also like the R5 have to re-tool the sucker for HDMI. The worst of it would be remanufacturing those cartridges with three decade old tech in them as they wouldn't just make the system and not want to make the money on the games too and it's far easier for them to just do the VC.

Jorpho -- You'd be surprised, they're made in mass. But that's the deal, it's not such a tiny amount of people who want them. There's thousands who want them or more, but the thing is they build them out of really brittle shitty metals and break down, bend, snap off, or rot so easily they created a resale market where you just end up buying more every year or two because they know people who game (stores and private people) will go through them like light bulbs which is awful. They could very easily make a solid connector like Nintendo did, but they'd put themselves under as you'd just need to buy it only once.

GenesisGuy -- The older pre-Retron5's do have the wrong palette, ever so barely, the retrobit stuff, and the yobos(the worst) do, and the audio will be off key, sometimes not play notes at all, and sometimes it's fine. The R5 being an emulator though does perform correctly as you can get out of a set top emulator using a real controller. And as far as craigslist goes you're right, you can, but it also depends on your area if you can find them regularly or not. I had looked before here and there have been times with a few for free or cheap, sometimes none, so it probably depends on your area for CRTs.

[Gentlegamer]

I have replacement connector, and it works great, except for putting a death grip on the games.

I still have the original connector, I've been thinking of trying the boiling trick. I think I need distilled water.

[Tanooki]

Distilled is preferred since you don't get and hard water issues on the metal. Those overly hard zero force pins are trouble, I wouldn't bother, unlike the stories of the R5 pins being damaging for being tight, I know of cases where those really have scraped the gold outer layer up.

[Gameguy]

Can you post a link to one. When I did a google search all that popped up was Gemini deck cleaning solution. Has anyone here tried a Naki Eliminator?
Here's the same one I have.
http://www.amazon.com/Video-Cleaning-Nintendo-consoles-Entertainment-System/dp/B00B3CW57U/

There's two versions, one with just the NES kit and the one above which also includes cards to clean the SNES and Gameboy. I use the SNES card to also clean Genesis and SMS consoles and the Gameboy one to clean all types of Gameboy systems.

Here's a picture of the basic kit.
http://www.geocities.ws/djslacker1/images/nintendo_maintenence_accessories_gemini_cleaning_k it.jpg

I'm a bit surprised with how rare this cleaning kit appears to be now, just searching on ebay there's no kits listed for sale and none are completed. I found a bunch at a flea market around a decade ago(or longer), all new-old-stock. I bought the ones that were complete with accessories in good shape as several were just the deck cleaner in the box. So far I've only used one and the rest are still new. I'm glad I have them. :)

[wizardofwor1975]

Also have 3 CRT TV's. Never plan on playing on a flat screen.

From my own personal experience light guns and flat screen/LCD are a no go. I also plan on keeping my 3 old CRTs just for my old school light gun games. I need my fix of Duck Hunt, Lethal Enforcers, and Time Crisis from time to time. :)

[Jorpho]

But that's the deal, it's not such a tiny amount of people who want them. There's thousands who want them or more, but the thing is they build them out of really brittle shitty metals and break down, bend, snap off, or rot so easily they created a resale market where you just end up buying more every year or two because they know people who game (stores and private people) will go through them like light bulbs which is awful. They could very easily make a solid connector like Nintendo did, but they'd put themselves under as you'd just need to buy it only once.Have you really read that many stories of someone replacing the connector in their NES multiple times?

[Tanooki]

Ive seen plenty of replacement stories between here, NA, racketboy, gamefaqs, and going back various messageboards I admined or moderated going into the later 90s on top of local complaints at retai retro places both in this state and Cali too. Its why Ive been of the opinion that theyre made of brittle cheap metals that just fail which is why I have never bought a replacement connector and have always repaired the real deal as it just turns out better.

[Jorpho]

I don't question that there are lots of people who have tried to replace their connectors; it just seems odd to me that the market would be supported by people who find the experience worth repeating when the replacement connector starts failing.

[Gameguy]

I don't question that there are lots of people who have tried to replace their connectors; it just seems odd to me that the market would be supported by people who find the experience worth repeating when the replacement connector starts failing.
If you've already replaced your connector and threw out the original one, what are you going to do when the new connector breaks? You have to buy a new one to replace it, and you just keep doing it to keep your console running. Then you get bored and fed up and trade it into a store a few months later, and whoever buys it has to buy a new connector to try and fix it, then repeat.

[mailman187666]

I tried the boiling trick as well as disabling the lock-out chip this weekend. I tried boiling 3 different connectors (nintendo brand) and got pretty much the same result on all of them. Although I'm not getting the blinking light, I still have to wiggle the cartridge around a bit inside the machine, while hitting the reset button to get it to start. Its definitely a lot easier to get a game started, but it doesn't start up first try for every game. I'd say it has made my toaster a bit more reliable than before.

[Tanooki]

Jorpho I didn't think you were snarking in that post, you're fine. Gameguy there spelled it out. My experience has been exactly that around a lot of old game players between a couple of states and then throw years of complaining online about it the stories all line up. They're utterly cheap crap that rots and brittles out pretty easy. They usually all are way too stiff and to the point you rough a game into the slot and it works standing up not locked in as intended and then the scrape the pins far worse than people complaining worried about the retron5 doing it, and they eventually on the replacement pins bend, snap off, or get dirty super fast that cleaning regularly is a chore. People get fed up and ditch the system or try and find an original pin or new(used) or new NEW unit at the added cost to avoid the bs. Earlier this year I sold an OEM pin I came across in a busted NES and the zero force unit too, that PIN sold super fast and the dude was in love with the fact it wasn't cheap shit parts. They're clearly made to last months, not years, because they can reel in a sucker fish and keep dropping the hook every few months so they can keep constant cash coming in peddling garbage that gets by until it fails.

[Gameguy]

I remember seeing one person bringing in their NES console to a game store for repair because a game was stuck in the console and couldn't be removed, they had a new pin connector and it had a death grip on the game. This was several years ago, that game store is now out of business.

[Jorpho]

If you've already replaced your connector and threw out the original one, what are you going to do when the new connector breaks?I'd probably give up and/or trade it in for a new NES right away rather than waste time by trying again. Blinking consoles were a fact of life back in the day, after all. But maybe that's just me.

[Gatucaman]

I remember seeing one person bringing in their NES console to a game store for repair because a game was stuck in the console and couldn't be removed, they had a new pin connector and it had a death grip on the game. This was several years ago, that game store is now out of business.

Question : What is the death grip?

Issue: What about Jayrod2 which for years had been making refurbished paint-jobs on consoles and often he says that he repairs 72-pin connectors, does that mean that he just made pretty painted bricks?

[bb_hood]

Question : What is the death grip?

Issue: What about Jayrod2 which for years had been making refurbished paint-jobs on consoles and often he says that he repairs 72-pin connectors, does that mean that he just made pretty painted bricks?

The death grip refers to how tight the pins are around the game chip. They can be so tight that removing games can pull the pins on the connector out of alignment. Ive had this happen twice. Also you gotta figure about the wear its causing the games, which may not be apparent right away but could ruin games over time.

Regarding the pretty painted bricks, if you can change the pin connector once you can do it multiple times. If opening the NES to change pins ruins the paint job, well not much you can do about that.

[Flam]

Evidently there are plenty of crappy replacement pins out there, however, the person who sold me my NES off of ebay must have had installed a higher quality pin connector because my NES had been going 4 years strong

[Gatucaman]

Evidently there are plenty of crappy replacement pins out there, however, the person who sold me my NES off of ebay must have had installed a higher quality pin connector because my NES had been going 4 years strong

Then from what could be seen, most been a "refurbished" old one, since it seems that ALL replacements sucks then.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

If you've already replaced your connector and threw out the original one, what are you going to do when the new connector breaks? You have to buy a new one to replace it, and you just keep doing it to keep your console running. Then you get bored and fed up and trade it into a store a few months later, and whoever buys it has to buy a new connector to try and fix it, then repeat.

That's why I gave up and just bought a retron system. Idc if the picture isn't perfect, it looks fine to me, and I don't hafta play with the game forever to get it to just work. Also, it doesn't have the stupid deathgrip that those horrible new pin connectors have. Do u know how awful it is to hafta pull that thing out 10 or 20 times to blow on it and retry the game over and over again with that insane grip? It's ridiculous, and it's murder on ur fingerrs.

[Flam]

Then from what could be seen, most been a "refurbished" old one, since it seems that ALL replacements sucks then.

it wasn't a refurbished one, it had a death grip for a while