r/nes 21d ago

2026 Jul 1 Clean and repair megathread - NES not working? Game acting glitchy? TV/Monitor issues? Ask here!

6 Upvotes

Is your NES not working? Are your games acting glitchy? Controllers behaving strangely? This is the place to get help!

Link to previous thread

First steps to take:

Games don't play correctly:

  1. PRESS DOWN on the Game Pak until it locks into place
  2. Clean games
    1. Disassemble cartridge (might need special tools, check amazon or ebay)
    2. Gently use rubber eraser with no grit on edge pins
    3. Use window cleaner or isopropyl alcohol with lint free cloth
    4. Spray contact cleaner on the pins
    5. NEVER EVER BLOW IN IT
  3. Clean NES connector
    1. Ancient cleaning kit
    2. Spray contact cleaner on the pins
    3. Boil it
    4. Bend pins (risky)
    5. Replace the connector
  4. Already tried all steps for cleaning game & cleaning NES above?
    1. Try a Game Genie, the thicker PCB might make better contact with the NES and the tighter connector might make better contact with the cartridge
    2. Try another game cartridge
    3. Try another NES
    4. Try r/consolerepair
    5. NES Schematics

Power Supply:

  1. For the NES any power supply that can provide 850mA (or higher) at 9V and has the right shape connector will work. The original NES uses an AC adapter but a DC adapter will work too.
  2. For the Famicom you must use a DC power supply with center negative that can provide 850mA (or higher) at 9V-10V. Do not use a NES AC power supply on a Famicom!

Controller buttons don't work or think a different button was pressed:

  1. Take them apart and clean the contacts on the PCB, not the rubber membrane

Display problems:

  1. Use a CRT monitor or TV
  2. Don't use an LCD or LED TV - many LCD or LED TVs do not understand the 240p video signal that the NES puts out
  3. If you must use an LCD or LED TV, get an upscaler
  4. Use the composite RCA/AV connectors on the side, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial
  5. If you must use RF, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial switch box, use a small adapter instead, be aware though that modern TVs may not work with the analog RF signal and only with ATSC or DVB digital signals
  6. Wavy lines: replace the capacitors in the NES

Hardware Failure Diagnosis:

  1. Power rails first: Multimeter check - verify +5V at 7805 regulator output and at PPU/CPU pins. If low/absent, check caps and regulator.
  2. Composite video signal: Scope the composite output (RCA jack center pin or PPU pin 21). Should see ~1Vp-p composite video signal with sync pulses and color burst. No signal = dead PPU or supporting circuitry.
  3. Audio output: Scope audio output pin (RCA jack or APU output). Should see audio waveform when game is running. No signal = APU problem or output circuit.
  4. If power is good but no video/audio: Most likely failed capacitors in video/audio output path, or dead PPU/APU chips. Check/replace electrolytic caps first (cheapest fix).
  5. If video signal present at PPU but not at RCA jack: Problem in video buffer/output circuit between PPU and connector.

Before asking for help, make sure you have followed the steps above.


r/nes May 15 '25

Top 100 NES Games: The End

129 Upvotes

Legacy of the Wizard won the #100 spot with 35 votes It only won by a single point.

A big thank you to everybody who participated. I originally set out to just do the top 10 as an experiment to see if people had a similar list to mine. I never expected it to go this far, but I am glad it did! I have enjoyed seeing people picks and the reasoning behind them.

Starting tomorrow I will start doing the top 100 for the SNES in the r/snes sub. I hope to see you all there. A few things will change with the rules. First is each round TWO games will make it onto the list. Whichever one has the most votes will be placed higher of the two for that round. Second, only games can be nominated (no game genies). Third, it will be SNES ONLY, no super famicom games.

Looking forward to seeing what is voted the #1 & #2 games for the SNES.

Thank you all once again!!!!!!!!!!

Top 10:

#1 The Legend of Zelda

#2 Super Mario Bros 3

#3 Mega Man 2

#4 Metroid

#5 Castlevania

#6 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

#7 Contra

#8 Tecmo Super Bowl

#9 Super Mario Bros

#10 Final Fantasy

Top 20:

#11 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

#12 Ducktales

#13 Super Mario Bros 2

#14 Ninja Gaiden

#15 Tetris

#16 River City Ransom

#17 Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

#18 Kirby's Adventure

#19 Batman

#20 Blaster Master

Top 30:

#21 Crystalis

#22 Mega Man 3

#23 Double Dragon II: The Revenge

#24 Bionic commando

#25 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game

#26 Kid Icarus

#27 R.C. Pro-Am

#28 The Guardian Legend

#29 Rygar

#30 Battletoads

Top 40:

#31 StarTropics

#32 Life Force

#33 Dragon Warrior III

#34 Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers

#35 Bubble Bobble

#36 Super C

#37 Faxanadu

#38 Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos

#39 Ice Hockey

#40 Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Top 50:

#41 Dr. Mario

#42 Excitebike

#43 Shadowgate

#44 Jackal

#45 Dragon Warrior IV

#46 Baseball Stars

#47 Maniac Mansion

#48 Super Dodge Ball

#49 Little Nemo: The Dream Master

#50 Wizards & Warriors

Top 60:

#51 Willow

#52 Adventure Island II

#53 Blades of Steel

#54 Metal Gear

#55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

#56 Double Dragon

#57 Mega Man 4

#58 The Battle of Olympus

#59 Vice: Project Doom

#60 Gun Nac

Top 70:

#61 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project

#62 Pro Wrestling

#63 Marble Madness

#64 Shatterhand

#65 Kung Fu

#66 Ghosts 'N Goblins

#67 Mega Man

#68 Gun.Smoke

#69 Dragon Warrior

#70 Shadow of the Ninja

Top 80:

#71 G.I. Joe

#72 Metal Storm

#73 R.B.I. Baseball

#74 Gargoyle's Quest II

#75 Goonies II

#76 Balloon Fight

#77 Dragon Warrior II

#78 Mega Man 5

#79 Bucky O'Hare

#80 The Adventures of Lolo

Top 90:

#81 Gradius

#82 Gauntlet

#83 Rad Racer

#84 Guerrilla War

#85 Mega Man 6

#86 Journey to Silius

#87 Destiny of an Emperor

#88 Solomon's Key

#89 Little Samson

#90 Mighty Final Fight

Top 100:

#91 1943: The Battle of Midway

#92 Darkwing Duck

#93 Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom

#94 Power Blade

#95 Micro Mages

#96 Clash at Demonhead

#97 Duck Hunt

#98 IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II

#99 Gremlins 2: The New Batch

#100, Legacy of the Wizard


r/nes 4h ago

Game Completed! (i beat) jaws nintendo

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134 Upvotes

r/nes 11h ago

Collection Found all this after going through my grandma‘s house. It still works!

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418 Upvotes

Been going through all my grandma‘s things after she passed and found this hidden away buried in the corner of a room. I vaguely remember playing on this when I was like 5, had no clue she kept it all that time.

I’m amazed it still works! Half of the games are still in their wrappers as well, but they have seen better days.

Unfortunately there is quite a few empty boxes with the cartridges nowhere to be found also (The 2 stacks at the top left with the Marios). Hoping they are somewhere else in the house.


r/nes 5h ago

Collection Perfect example of a timeless classic

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98 Upvotes

This was always a fav of mine back in the 8bit days as im sure was with many others. Pillar of the genre and still pushes against the hands of time, this game not only still holds up pretty dang well but is still as fun as it was all those years back. Pillar of not just the genre but also of the 8bit era imo. Perfect example of a timeless classic!


r/nes 1h ago

Game Completed! Saw the post about Milon's being a potential masterpiece so I thought I'd play through it again. Got every cash, honeycomb, flutebox, and item. Thoughts within:

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Upvotes

The post I'm referring to asked whether it's a masterpiece or garbage. I don't think it's either. Here's my personal take.

Downsides:

They limit you from running. I realize it's intentional per the level design, but knowing Milon can move much faster while frequently not being able makes the game feel a lot slower.

Compare that to a game like Mario where you CAN run basically the entire time and it just requires you reacting much more quickly. In Milon, it's reserved only for reaching certain heights.

There's also some frustrating development nuances. For example, every time you finish a bonus round they start you at the beginning of the level instead of back where the flutebox appeared. Shops don't seem to do that. You also have to jump over doors to avoid prematurely exiting a level so that can be frustrating (and I don't THINK that was meant to be an added difficulty). So those things are annoying, but I can look past them.

Why I would never call it a masterpiece is because there's absolutely no variety to it. You basically fight the same boss 10 different times with slightly different skins and difficulty. They move and shoot identically. Like actually identically. So there's really nothing to figure out. Most of the puzzle mechanics remain the same too. Some slight variation like the electric fields, but not really. Most mechanics are just re-skinned (ie: the flip doors eventually become ice, but function identically).

Consequently, most of the difficulty of the game just comes from them making frustrating jump ledges while enemies continuously hurl objects at you through walls (while endlessly respawning). This would be fine by itself, but that pretty much defines the only challenge to the game. There's not much of a strategy to anything. There's never really a skill that you get better at as you go on. So the whole game is really just a series of jumping over projectiles while shooting every block you see.

Upsides:

It's a little different. The bubble shooter and the items you acquire do add some spice. The fact that the game can be played semi-non-linearly is cool. Even a lot of the bosses don't have to be played in order. And the fact that you skip some of the items for added difficulty is also neat.

Some of the puzzles are fun and I do like that you're forced to find everything hidden in blocks. That mechanic really forces you to explore the entire world.

Conclusion:

Overall I think it's a good game. I remember playing it as kid when it first came out and really struggling with it. I don't think I ever beat it until emulators were finally a thing (late 90s?). I do think it's a game most people would enjoy playing, but I definitely wouldn't put it in my top 10 much less call it a masterpiece.


r/nes 12h ago

Collection Newest addition for my collection!

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83 Upvotes

I finally beat Double Dragon on NES so I bought these as a reward!

Renegade is like Double Dragon II when it comes to punching and kicking, can't wait to play and beat it.

AVGN is the reason I bought Silver Surfer and I have no complaints... yet lol 😆

Watching a friend play Contra and Super C made me get the last too. I genuinely love beat 'em ups, shoot 'em ups and retro game music so I'm too excited to play these this weekend.


r/nes 20h ago

Collection Pickups today

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245 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Collection Picked up a Hyperkin Retron 2 last week and got started on my childhood favorites collection.

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126 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Collection Final 10 NES Titles

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245 Upvotes

Hey guys, hasn't been much on TV that interests me lately and thought it would be fun to try to beat an NES game (it's been a while). I narrowed it down to 10 NES titles so it's easier to come to a consensus. Let me know what you guys think is the most fun/not insanely hard.

I left off Mike Tyson Punchout because from previous comments on here it sounds like it's a big deal to beat Tyson. Looking forward to hearing your guys thoughts!


r/nes 1d ago

Collection I still have the "Pocket Power" Nintendo Power magazine from when I saw "The Wizard" in theaters

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365 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Collection Picked Up a NES clone. Looks kinda cool!!

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48 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Collection Just picked this up from a coworker

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455 Upvotes

He said he was getting rid of his NES as well as an N64 and all the accessories and games. I’ve always wanted both and finally had the right opportunity to buy! The N64 came with a Mad Catz wheel and a handful of racing games. Pumped to start collecting more games!


r/nes 1d ago

Discussion Settle an argument- Milon's secret castle. Masterpiece or garbage?

14 Upvotes

Please help settle an argument that has been going on for several years at at times has come close to blows. I believe that milons secret castle is one of the best games on nes. Maybe not the best but at least top 10 after Mario, Zelda and metroid. My bother, on the other hand, thinks it is terrible. So as you can imagine, this has caused a lot of problems in our relationship. Finally we have decided to ask the people of reddit who know a lot about nes games to settle this once and for all.

What I love about it:

The graphics are excellent. The stones of the castle , the melting ice block level, and many other things are nicely done.

The music: I have actually had the music from the well level stuck in my head for the past 30 years, to the point where I was considering seeking help. Thats how good it is.

The level design: unlike a lot of nes games at the time, there is a lot if variety in the levels. Each room was very different from the next.

I could go on and on about how great this game was.

Please tell me your thoughts and give a ranking of 1 to 10 (10 being best). We will tally it up and if above 8 I will Finally be able to settle this long feud. Should I lose, I will never be able to mention this game again in the presence of any family member, so please vote with your heart and soul. Thank you for your time.


r/nes 1d ago

Game Completed! Finally played through Total Recall. Ooof. I'd say on my list of top 10 worst NES games. Boring. Repetitive. Inconsistent.

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126 Upvotes

r/nes 1d ago

Discussion [NES] [1990] Help to find, Nes Game where you go to hell when die

20 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm trying to identify an NES game, but my memories are pretty vague.

I remember it had a medieval fantasy setting, and the characters were small sprites. I think it was an RPG, or at least had RPG elements.

What I remember most is the beginning of the game. I think it started in some kind of royal hall or castle, where there were several different characters walking around. I believe you had to choose some of them (I don't remember how many).

Another thing I vaguely remember is that when a character died—or maybe when they fell into a pit—they went down to hell, and there was some kind of demon or devil that appeared on the screen. I'm not completely sure if this happened after dying or after falling into a hole.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Edit: The game's perspective is similar to the original Final Fantasy on the NES (top-down view), but I don't remember if the gameplay was actually turn-based RPG or something else.

Edit 2: I did some more research and found out that the NES clone I had was a modified version called the Wi Vision. It came with 217 built-in games (111 in the console's internal memory and another 106 on a bundled cartridge).

Google also suggested that some of the games included might have been Waixing titles or hacks, so it's possible the game I'm looking for wasn't an official NES release.

SOLVED It was Spelunker II

Since I had just gotten the console at the time, I was trying out a lot of different games, so I think I mixed up the memory of choosing characters in a throne room with another game (maybe Ultima?).

However, there's no doubt that the scene where the character falls into a pit and is taken to a kind of hell is from Spelunker II.

Thank you all so much


r/nes 2d ago

Collection My collection so far

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306 Upvotes

Started in April with 13 games I had from my childhood. I’m up to this now. Fortunately I have quite a few good retro stores in my area so I always seem to find at least something when I go. Also got a CRT from Facebook marketplace. I spend more time playing these gems than I do my gaming pc/ps5/switch 2.


r/nes 2d ago

Game Completed! Two ending screens I never thought I’d see!

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84 Upvotes

Had so much fun going through the first two Ninja Gaidens - SO many continues spent!
I am off work tomorrow so I plan on going through 3 but I’m worried about how continues are limited and it’s much harder I’ve heard.
I’m somewhat of a purist but I might have to resort to the unlimited continues cheat *sigh*
Is it really a cheat though if the Japanese version had unlimited continues?


r/nes 1d ago

Modding NESRGB 5 mod back in stock for US customers

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2 Upvotes

r/nes 2d ago

Discussion Weekend pick up

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126 Upvotes

Just a single picks up this weekend.I never was a big strategy game fan. I do like to expand my horizons with new things I have never played. According to my apps I use this I supposed to be common but it took 4 years to run across a copy. Had anyone else played it?


r/nes 20h ago

Discussion What if "SMB" were "MW" in the first place? I'm not trolling—just proposing a hypothesis...

0 Upvotes

My reasons are:

- The original NES Mario Bros. is a single-screen action game. Since Super Mario Bros. expanded the game to 8 worlds, it would make sense if it had been called Mario World.

- As for the SNES Super Mario World, it already made sense for it to be called Super Mario World because the "Super" prefix was standard for SNES sequels upgraded from older titles—like Super Donkey Kong (from Donkey Kong) or Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts (from Ghouls 'N Ghosts), and therefore as a result, Super Mario World from Mario World.


r/nes 1d ago

Discussion Wrong TV maybe?

2 Upvotes

I got a new pin connector for my nes and was super stoked to try it out on my new tube tv, but now there’s no color or sound. Idk if it could be the wrong type of tv I’m using or maybe I just effed up something when putting it together. If I am using the wrong tv (I think the brand is RCA or smt like that) what sort of tube tvs are recommended? I need something somewhat small to sit at the corner of my dresser.


r/nes 3d ago

Game Completed! Total recall. Finally got my ass to mars!

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384 Upvotes

r/nes 2d ago

Discussion Doki! Doki! Yuuenchi passwords

2 Upvotes

Hello! I'm replaying this childhood game for the achievements. After about 10 levels, the passwords stop displaying and only show as "?????". Does anyone know why this happens? Is it intentional, a bug, or do I need to unlock something before the passwords become visible again? Any help would be appreciated!


r/nes 3d ago

Collection Contra and Ghosts 'N Goblins

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304 Upvotes

Had these two games delivered this past Saturday! I was hoping to get lucky and find Contra at a local shop, but unfortunately none had this one available. As for Ghosts 'N Goblins, this was a bit of a random pick up. I already have it for the Sega Genesis but this is an interesting take so far. I believe it's a little more challenging than the Sega version. I also made it to the third boss on Contra, the alien before getting one shot by it as soon as it spawned, lmao! Fun times my dudes.