206, Replacing the 72 Pin Connector in your NES

[ahub2010]

Great vid. Thanks Muzz!

[gr8fzy1]

One of my friends has an old top loader that has apparently died on him. It turns on but just stays on a black screen. Would replacing the connecter on the top loader be too different than this?

[PrincessTigerlili]

I replaced the 72 pins on my old Nintendo and it didn't work. :( :(

[surgechecker18]

Thanks so much. Followed the video and my old NES now works great.

[frizzykid100]

question ( i dont know if you know or not, its cool if you dont)

but what does the 72 pin connector do and what causes it to malfunction?

thanks,

[L1Games]

@frizzykid100

it's the actual plug that the chip/connectors in the NES cartridge slide into. they just wear out and the connection loosens. the metal can also corrode over years.

[SDNDxShotgunZ]

that game right there..... is 4 years of my childhood.... old games are so much better then they are today....

[danyoma]

you should do a tutorial on how to take the lock out chip off. my nes wont let me play half my games because of it. :(

[MobileHelghast12]

A vaccum is the worst thing to use on your electronics. They generate static on the tip and the brush brusing against the motherboard is all the worst. try compressed air.

[L1Games]

@MobileHelghast12

in the 10+ years I've been cleaning consoles, it's never been a problem.

[Buckeyefan86]

It's cool that you decided to keep retro games alive! I lived about 5 minutes away from where you are located...13 years ago. But I still come back from time to time! I'll be sure to check your store out!

[2jmilligan]

where are you located?

[gytdoo]

Do you have an online store?

[Canahedo]

Now I'm really pissed I thew mine out as a kid. I thought it was broken. If I knew it was just about the easiest fix in the world, I would still have it. Crap.

[sayastra]

design flaw....should have been a top loader like japan`s famicom (NES) or Sega Master system..... I ended up selling mine with the pin, couldn`t use the Honey Bee with it anyway :(

[thadreazie]

I saw several of your videos and subscribed today! Love the videos, love the channel, you got a groovy shop too.  Please keep the channel alive; this is the most educational thing on the internet next to wikipedia. Thanks for being so cool.

[L1Games]

@thadreazie

Thanks! I see you also checked out some of my rants on video game politics. Thanks for your input there too!! :) I'm glad they seem to inspire thought:)

[luigiblox]

@L1Games thx dude no wonder my nes didnt work

[usedx115x]

Hey Muzz, have you played any of the modern 8-bit games like "I Wanna Be The Guy" and "Battle Kid"?

[anaIogue]

Will this void my warranty?

[TechBoywii]

@anaIogue Dude... do you expect an NES to have a valid warranty after more than 10 years?!?

[DURAMATRIX112]

i just ordered a new 72 pin..mine is literally hanging on by a thread. im going to use this video!

[luigiblox]

@DURAMATRIX112 im about to order mine :D

[DURAMATRIX112]

@luigiblox well i got mine installed but it still has the same problem..but the weird thing is the games only work in the up position. 0.0

[luigiblox]

@DURAMATRIX112 hmmmmm weird

[RedneckYachtClubber]

And this is why I carry at least 3 different sized multi-tools with me, for console fixing on the go! :D

[jonaslove1988]

it'd be nice if you showed exactly how to pop the new connector in. mine won't go in right and it would've been nice to see how you did it

[jblagg18]

@jonaslove1988 theres only 1 way to put it on... it may require some force, its meant to be a tight connection.

[jonaslove1988]

@jblagg18 yea I finally got it in. I would've figured it out sooner but my friend and I were too scared to pull the motherboard all the way out

[jblagg18]

@jonaslove1988 understandable. motherboards are pretty durable though. Unless you start smacking it around or dragging a soldering iron around it, they aren't really easy to break.

[jonaslove1988]

@jblagg18 we found that out eventually. we figured there was no other way to do it so we pulled the whole thing out and started freaking out when it wouldn't go back in place lol. it's all put together and working again though

[jblagg18]

@jonaslove1988 well good. I'm glad everything worked out. Lol

[jblagg18]

Good tutorial for people who don't know how to fix the good old NES. However, you should know that the connector sits at an angle and pushing down the cartridge in that tray damages the 72 pin connector. We were taught as children to press it down. and our parents kept buying our "Nintendo cleaning kits" for $19.95 and we still have to replace the connector. Famicoms still work, SNES' still work and N64s still work. Thats because we aren't bending the connectors in those systems.

[4hand561]

The sign should say 'Please do not touch unless you don't like your fingers connected to you hands' :D

[JacobLego]

@L1games You should get a hold of a old n64 game sample unit for your store

[AnimalMother316]

I like the little do not touch sign lol, do people really try to touch all your consoles

[L1Games]

@AnimalMother316 all the frickin time. and they're rough when they do it.

[ADLGamesllc]

Looks like I've been getting all the 30% of the ones that need more than the 72 pin. Every time I replace it, nothing changes. LOL. Good to see some one getting the easier fixed ones.

Tootles!

[VideoGameExplorers]

Ma, I remember taking apart this system and spraypainting the cases for a friend(Your videos helped me with that), he really likes it.

[bspeaks68]

Have you ever tryed to clean the old 72pin and see if it works? seems like thats all it would need not much there to go bad physically. Just a thought. Great Video as always keep them coming.

[inouveaution]

Thanks for making these videos they're well done and quite educational on the subject, I'd love to check out your store someday and pick up some old titles.

[IntelXtreme1337]

Wow you know what i think :P

I was thinking i hope you did this video, and you did :O thats weird

But anyways i did this a week ago, and it is really easy :O and it worked for 90% of my games, the others have a defect i think :)

Good video and thumbs up.

[Bigmcd3]

See this is what I call top notch refurbished unlike what stupid gamestop does

[falco659]

At the very least it was cool to see finally the insides of something I grew up with. Thanks and great video as always :D

[GarthMcCreery]

can you fix the disk drive to a sega CD model 2? the laser in mine gets stuck sometimes

[RetroGamerr1991]

@Spasmodicstudios sounds like loose solder joints. Just resolder every pin where the controller port attaches to the board.

[RetroGamerr1991]

Thank you for mentioning the lip. I've heard a lot of people with that problem where it wont let the cart tray latch when you press it down. I was going to post a response video if you didn't say anything.

[WillyM79]

that is cool, I wish I still had my NES

[WaddleDee105]

0:28 - That's one hell of a date rape smile you got there.

[jillpoo3]

Luckily this is one thing I can do without messing everything up LOL!!!

[fordbroncodave]

you need a snap on tools ratcheting screwdriver. they are the cadillacs of screwdrivers. you think $55 for a screwdriver is alot, look on ebay what they pay for them from china

[mrjimmyos]

It's good to try and fix things (as long as you are being safe with electricity). I read about this one dude recently who saved 200 dollars which would have been spent repairing his coffee maker when he replaced a 19 cent capacitor

[immasuperninja]

wow i remember when i got my ghetto ass nes manually bending all the pins one by one

[OcarinaN64]

Nice video, Everyone with an NES, should know how to take one apart and a video makes it very helpful. The 1st time I took my NES apart I had a horrible time getting that piece of the tray that you mentioned back on.

[TGsasuke5655]

lol love the screaming childern in the backround. Must be like that ALOT at the mall.

[L1Games]

@TGsasuke5655

Indeed! LOL

[opeth027]

The big question I've always had (and never looked into) was why the hell Nintendo made the original NES like this where you have to insert the cartridge then push the cartridge down, and not just a top loader like the Famicom...

[L1Games]

@opeth027

they specifically stayed away from the top loading design because they didn't want it to resemble the consoles that caused the market crash in 83. The front loading design with the door as well as the name of the console "entertainment system" were created to make those wary of the older systems think of it as something new and different:)

[opeth027]

@L1Games That's pretty much what I thought, though it still gives me the question of why they couldn't just make it so you slide the cartridge in the the front door and not have to push it down to make all the necessary connections, like when you have the Game Genie attached and can't push the cartridge down nor close the door... :D

[L1Games]

@opeth027

I've wondered that myself. 

[THEsquirrel3d]

@opeth027 Probably because at that time they wanted to give the impression that it was anything but just a videogame system, and more like a VCR or some sort.

[TGsasuke5655]

@opeth027 the pushing down part is just because of the 72 pin connecting all the way they made it like this because they did'nt want it to look like a "toy" like the famicom did

[TheNews1990]

ive done this once good to see a tutorial on youtube

[Xtheemowolf]

since you had it opened, you could have easily shown how to disable the cic chip

[L1Games]

@Xtheemowolf I don't sell consoles with any sort of hardware mod. Only original collectibles in their original factory condition.

For this video, I'm only showing how to do that. (by Replacing the 72 pin connector:)

[CENTRINOaki]

Great tutorial :)

Just want to say that you should be a bit careful about touching the green chip part of the insides, it could hurt the console itself.

I love your videos :D

[ipodxdude]

FUN FACT : NES's in the UK are abit iffy since there are two versions the official Nintendo one and on behalf of Nintendo: mattels version both played different format of games but both share the same cartridge so its hard to tell what works on what when you bought a cartridge

[theimerdude]

Keep the How to videos Up I love them!!! Great segment!! =]

[crazyfooInc]

Excellent video as always Muzz! I wish I would've had this guide when taking apart my NES for the first time! XD

[scottishboy1987]

Will it void my warranty he joked

[TMRVideoGames247]

I saw you had a Atari 2600 there, And you also said "bugs and coins"

Well when i got a 2600 from a friend that didn't want it (they had the original wood grain design game storage center thingy) it had bugs and dirt inside so i cleaned it up, and even took the guts out and put the shell in the dishwasher (wow! it was clean!) and then after it dried and i put it pack together, sadly it didn't work. :(

Is there a "72" pin connecter thing for a 2600, or a common problem you find with the console?

[crusherbad64]

If only new consoles today was this easy to fix lol.

[ThePlainGamer]

sweet thanx

[retrogamerSam]

I'm gonna bookmark this tutorial for when I fix my NES. Thanks!

[Willettes1]

or get a emulator

[AceComics]

Very informative video. Thanks!

[awesomeairsofter]

hui



[dmdollinar08]

Do you ever actually perform repairs as a service? Or, do you just refer customers to your videos?

[GamerDog51]

what stores would sell one of those connectors

also whats the worst thng youve found in a console

[DoctorDib]

I usually take the cheaper method of straightening the pins instead of purchasing a new connector. Of course it is riskier, but it saves you a could of bucks. This is probably cheaper for you in the long run though as it takes less time to do and is more likely to work.

[mariojuggernaut22]

@TheConsata shut up no one cares if you're first