The new 72 pin thingie is either a plus or minus depending on how you look at it. On one hand it means that the system has had an "operation" to replace a faulty part that caused blinking. On the other, your system is probably less likely to blink. If you're a collector, look for the harder-to-find (but so common on ebay that I won't say "rare") "top-loader" system. This was a redesign of the NES (much like the SNES redesign or the N64 colors that come late in the systems lifespan). If you do get a top loader, try to get the dogbone controllers with it (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see them). Hope that helps, but I'm by no means an expert.