Collecting Consoles

[147]

Do you know what the matter is with your two non-working NES systems?

Pretty much every non-working NES I've seen has the blinking screen problem, meaning carts aren't getting read, meaning the pins inside the NES are busted. A few bucks for a cartridge pinning, a quick open-up of the NES, and it's good to go. My old roommate and I did this to the NES he picked up. His cousin had it, didn't need it, didn't work, so just gave it to him. We just e-bayed the pinnings, put them in, worked like brand new. The carts also fit more snug in the NES than I even remember them fitting when I was 4.

 

[seeingstars]

Consoles:
NES
SNES
N64
Gamecube
Wii
PS1
XBox 360
Dreamcast

Handhelds:
Gameboy Pocket
Gameboy Color
Gameboy Advance
Gameboy Advance SP
Nintendo DS

 

[seeingstars]

(delete, please)

 

[Breetai]

Pretty much every non-working NES I've seen has the blinking screen problem, meaning carts aren't getting read, meaning the pins inside the NES are busted.

Not busted. NES pins are almost always bent.

A few bucks for a cartridge pinning, a quick open-up of the NES, and it's good to go. My old roommate and I did this to the NES he picked up. His cousin had it, didn't need it, didn't work, so just gave it to him. We just e-bayed the pinnings, put them in, worked like brand new. The carts also fit more snug in the NES than I even remember them fitting when I was 4.

Getting a new 72-pin connector does work perfectly, but you can't actually need to get a new one. It's totally possible to use a screwdriver and bend the pins back to their original postions. That also works.

 

[Breetai]

I'm actually torn between buying one domestic or getting a Japanese one. I'm mainly wanting it for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, and Smash Brothers, but someone told me a nightmare story of how they put Homebrew with GeckoOS on their domestic Wii to run Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and it would no longer read discs afterward. I've scoured the internet and really saw no other cases for it, so maybe it's an isolated issue, and one that's nothing to do with Gecko, but I just know my luck, I would be in that 1%.

Or maybe I should just put a Modchip in a domestic Wii? I don't know if that locks you out of playing online like it does with Xbox 360s though.

Blarg, curse you gaming system developers! US and Japan have the same video formats, enough with the region lockout on discs! Let the gutsy people who are willing to pay $20-30 extra for games they can't read the writing in the menus be able to play them outright without having all this modification hassle!

I have the Homebrew Channel and GeckoOS installed on my Wii. My Wii works perfectly. Just be carefully and follow the instructions carefully, or you definitely could screw up your Wii as I suspect your friend did.

If you are worried about messing up your Wii, DO NOT put a modchip in! There is always a risk when you modify a system. The safest way is to by a Japanese Wii. If you can handle the risk of possibly having to replace your Wii, the mod it. Your choice, really. I went the homebrew route and it works fine.

Since the modchips on the Wii only affect the DVD drive and not the firmware, they won't affect online play like the chips on the X-Box do. My X-Box has a switch installed that turns the mod-chip off. So I can play online on my X-Box by actually turning off the mod-chip. The Wii won't even need that.

 

[Breetai]

I've collected quite a few consoles in my lifetime

NES
SNES
N64
Gamecube
Wii
Dreamcast
PS1
XBox 360

Gameboy Pocket
Gameboy Color
Gameboy Advance
Gameboy Advance SP
Nintendo DS

Lots of Nintendo! Which system is your overall favourite? Which system would you like to get next? I recommend the Virtual Boy, to continue your Nintendo tradition.

 

[seeingstars]

Lots of Nintendo! Which system is your overall favourite? Which system would you like to get next? I recommend the Virtual Boy, to continue your Nintendo tradition.

Hard to say. I think SNES had the best games, but I like Dreamcast a lot for sentimental reasons. My favorite of the current 3 (Wii, 360, PS3) is the XBox 360.

These are systems I would like to get eventually:
Sega Saturn
Sega Genesis (w/ CD and 32X)
PS2
PS3
Virtual Boy
Sega Master System

 

[Eagle_Girl]

Hey, cool!!!

Do you know what the matter is with your two non-working NES systems? Maybe I can give you some ideas how to get them going.

Which system is your favourite?

I know the 72-pin is out in both of them. I took one of them apart and found dead bugs, cat hair and dust...it was pretty gross. I did manage to get it sorta working, but the graphics aren't so good.

My favorite system would definatly be the SNES. I grew up with it and it has some of my favorite games like Mario Kart, Super Mario World, SMB All-Stars, Chrono Trigger...the list goes on.

 

[147]

I have the Homebrew Channel and GeckoOS installed on my Wii. My Wii works perfectly. Just be carefully and follow the instructions carefully, or you definitely could screw up your Wii as I suspect your friend did.

If you are worried about messing up your Wii, DO NOT put a modchip in! There is always a risk when you modify a system. The safest way is to by a Japanese Wii. If you can handle the risk of possibly having to replace your Wii, the mod it. Your choice, really. I went the homebrew route and it works fine.

Since the modchips on the Wii only affect the DVD drive and not the firmware, they won't affect online play like the chips on the X-Box do. My X-Box has a switch installed that turns the mod-chip off. So I can play online on my X-Box by actually turning off the mod-chip. The Wii won't even need that.

Well, one of my friends at work offered me his Wii, so I might buy it. I saw the solderless modchips that just attach via the ribbon cable on the DVD drive, that's pretty simple. But I might not even go that route, since Capcom just announced that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is coming stateside. Just depends on how much patience I have before it releases here.

 

[Breetai]

Hard to say. I think SNES had the best games, but I like Dreamcast a lot for sentimental reasons. My favorite of the current 3 (Wii, 360, PS3) is the XBox 360.

These are systems I would like to get eventually:
Sega Saturn
Sega Genesis (w/ CD and 32X)
PS2
PS3
Virtual Boy
Sega Master System

If you like classic 2D action games/arcade style games, definitely get a Saturn. I highly recommend a Japanese Saturn, or a Saturn from your region with a Pro Action Replay cartridge (lets you run Japanese games on it). There are SO MANY great games that were never released in English countries for that system available to import. It's shocking, really.

 

[Breetai]

I know the 72-pin is out in both of them. I took one of them apart and found dead bugs, cat hair and dust...it was pretty gross. I did manage to get it sorta working, but the graphics aren't so good.

If you can't get the cartridges to work perfectly on your own, ordering a new connector might be a good idea.

Also, are you using the RF switch (the cable that plugs into the cable connection on your TV), or the yellow and red AV connectors? If you're still using the old RF switch... STOP! Use the AV connection. It's so much better.

My favorite system would definatly be the SNES. I grew up with it and it has some of my favorite games like Mario Kart, Super Mario World, SMB All-Stars, Chrono Trigger...the list goes on.

It's definitely one of the best! I like the Genesis/Mega Drive more, maybe for nostalgic reasons, but the SNES is definitely one of the best.

 

[Breetai]

...Capcom just announced that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is coming stateside.

Great news for you!

Just depends on how much patience I have before it releases here.

Have patience.

 

[Eagle_Girl]

If you can't get the cartridges to work perfectly on your own, ordering a new connector might be a good idea.

Also, are you using the RF switch (the cable that plugs into the cable connection on your TV), or the yellow and red AV connectors? If you're still using the old RF switch... STOP! Use the AV connection. It's so much better.

It's definitely one of the best! I like the Genesis/Mega Drive more, maybe for nostalgic reasons, but the SNES is definitely one of the best.

I did both when I first got them and I found the AV connection to work a lot better. I thought about ordering a new connector, but then I found one that works and someone who offered to fix them for free (I just need to get them to him).

I love the genesis, I grew up with it and the SNES. I just haven't had a lot of luck finding a good condition and working Genesis.

 

[seeingstars]

Also, are you using the RF switch (the cable that plugs into the cable connection on your TV), or the yellow and red AV connectors? If you're still using the old RF switch... STOP! Use the AV connection. It's so much better.

On my HDTV, the RF connection actually looks better. Anything connected via composite cable is rubbish.

 

[Caedmon]

Can I play Japanese original Xbox games on an American original Xbox? I'd really like to play some quirky Japanese releases like Metal Wolf Chaos. B)

 

[morningstar2651]

Anybody play Alien v. Predator for Atari Jaguar?

I picked up a Dreamcast for $20 after the system was discontinued. There are still a few must-have Dreamcast games I need to pick up, but I got Shenmue and Power Stone.

 

[morningstar2651]

On my HDTV, the RF connection actually looks better. Anything connected via composite cable is rubbish.

One of the nice things about blurry pictures is that the graphics on the 2600 don't look AS blocky.

 

[Breetai]

Can I play Japanese original Xbox games on an American original Xbox? I'd really like to play some quirky Japanese releases like Metal Wolf Chaos. B)

Unfortunately, you can't. The X-Box is region-locked. You'd either need to get a Japanese X-Box, or get a mod chip in your North American X-Box.

My X-Box is Korean, and it has a mod-chip so I can play games from anywhere.

 

[Breetai]

Anybody play Alien v. Predator for Atari Jaguar?

I haven't had a chance to play a Jaguar. I'd like to get one someday, since I like collecting game machines. I know that A vs. P was one of the top games for the system. Did you like it? Any other Jaguar games you recommend? I tried Tempest 2000 on my PC way back and I liked it.

I picked up a Dreamcast for $20 after the system was discontinued. There are still a few must-have Dreamcast games I need to pick up, but I got Shenmue and Power Stone.

You need Shenmue II!!! There are some great fighting games and a few good shoot 'em ups for that system as well. Unfortunately, the shoot 'em ups don't go cheaply. I like Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, SNK vs. Capcom 2 and Guilty Gear X on it.

Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 were also fun, but you can really see how Sega started to screw up Sonic in these games. These are the last good Sonic games, IMO (I haven't played the second one on the PS3/360...).

 

[PaladinValer]

Only have a Wii and a GameCube.

My SNES and my original GameBoy are dead.

Will eventually get a DS, but that'll probably be it until Nintendo releases its newest system.

I hope their next system has internal HDD (but continues to use SDHC cards), keeps GameCube/Wii backwards capability, allows you to transfer your Virtuals over for free, an extra USB port (all mine are used up for rechargers), and, for nostalgic reasons:

1. Zapper (a la "Captain N")
2. Mouse (remember Gnat Attack on the original Mario Paint?)
3. Another remake of Final Fantasy IV (please! )