Replacing N64 Controller’s Joystick with Original Styled Replacement

 Cleaning & Repair, Video Games  No Responses »
Mar 302013
 

If you’ve owned and loved an N64, you probably have a few worn out joysticks.  In addition to our GameCube-styled replacement N64 joystick, we’ve found an option that feels and looks a lot more like the original.

If you’ve seen our other N64 joystick repair video, this process is pretty similar.  Here’s another great option!  It’s made by RepairBox and seems to have a solid design. The installation is still super easy.  Just make sure you have a Philips Head screwdriver handy and about 10 minutes of time.

Just let us know if you have questions, comments or any thoughts on this model of joystick.  Best of luck, and happy retro gaming!

Find one of these RepairBox joysticks on Amazon.

Warning: Proceed at your own risk and be careful when doing any repairs.

Nintendo 64-Joystick-RepairBox-Replacement-Part

N64-Joystick-RepairBox-Comparison

The Glory of the Neo Geo MVS Arcade!

 Cleaning & Repair, Rare Game Finds, Video Games  No Responses »
May 062012
 

Growing up in small-town America, the local roller rink was a kid’s dream. Not only could we roller skate to Ghost Busters and fall dead to a weird “Dead Bug” song, but it was the only place in town with an arcade.

The Neo Geo Romance Begins

In an era dominated by the beloved NES, arcade machines stood tall and maintained command of our curiosity and our quarters. Within the dazzling array of arcade machines, the Neo Geo created a lasting impression on me as a 10 year-old. Not only could this machine produce deeply rich visuals, but it provided fantastic, engaging game play!  Just as incredible as the Neo Geo was, we kids were equally intrigued by the idea that some rich kid could own a home version. Yet with a price tag of around $650.00, we kids simply placed the Neo Geo into the ethereal category of unattainable gaming systems.  Naturally, that made us all the more attracted to it. It was the holy grail, and the closest we’d ever come to owning a Neo Geo would be to plunk in our quarters and to buy a few minutes of time in front of our local Neo Geo MVS arcade machine.

Some twenty years later, with that same childhood dream still smoldering in the subconscious, I decided to start looking for a Neo Geo. After doing a bit of research, I realized that the Neo Geo MVS was a bit more reasonable to purchase than the home AES version.  Sure it’s a full sized arcade machine, but price and game selection won out! Armed with my trusty Craigslist app, I checked for Neo Geo items every day for about a six months before pulling the trigger…and I couldn’t be happier!

Apparently this particular MVS had a tough life in east county San Diego.  However, the previous owner Lou took incredible pride in restoring this machine:  painted, new decals, new joystick, buttons, plexiglass, locks, etc.  Heck, he’d even added high-end cup holders to the sides (‘atta boy!). The price was right, and Lou was even cool enough to help set it up once a buddy and I trucked it over.

Moving the Service Panel

One mod that Lou hadn’t finished was the service panel mod.  He had cut a 6″x6″ hole, moved the service panel to the side, and horizontally mounted it. The hole was cut quite well actually, so the door he recommended I order worked quite nicely.

Due to the depth of the door, I had to flip the panel’s mounting bracket inside out and mount it vertically so that it wouldn’t hit the door.  Aside from my questionable paint job, it came out quite nicely…so pretty.

Lessons Learned

1) I seriously need to work on my painting skills.

2) Having purchased and collected countless retro gaming items and having experienced the onset of buyer’s remorse more than a few times, I have to say that my MVS has become a favorite purchase and a solid continued sense of entertainment!

3)  If you buy an MVS, introduce your wife or significant other to Puzzle Bobble.  It turns out my wife both loves this game and is able to consistently destroy me in it.  As they say, happy wife…happy life…and happy collecting! :)

Easily Repair Your Pokemon Game Boy Color Cartridge

 Cleaning & Repair, Video Games  13 Responses »
Mar 202012
 

Want to repair your Pokémon Game Boy Color cartridge?  Here’s our super easy guide for fixing your game and getting it to save again.

FAQ

Q:  Why can’t I save my game on my old Pokémon Game Boy Color cartridge?
A:  Before game systems saved games on flash memory and hard drives, games relied on lithium batteries to maintain saved games.  Unfortunately, when that battery dies, so does the saved game.  It’s sort of like taking the battery out of your watch.  Once the battery is gone, the watch loses the time.

Q:  My cartridge lets me save the game, but when I turn it on later the saved game is gone.  Is my battery dead?
A:  Yes, without a working battery, the game will attempt to save and then lose the saved game data after you power off your Game Boy.  Bummer, huh?!

Q:  Which Pokémon games does this repair method address?
A:  We’ve used it to repair Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, Red Version, Blue Version, and Yellow Version (Special Pikachu Edition).  It’ll also work for GBA versions too!

Q: My battery is dead.  Will replacing it restore my saved game?
A:  Unfortunately, when the battery dies, your saved game files are lost.

Q:  My battery is old but still working, is there any way to switch the battery without losing the game save?
A:  When you remove the battery, your saved game will be lost.  If you’re thinking about putting in a fresh battery, you should back up your saved game to a device like a Mega Memory Card.

Q:  What size battery do I need?
A:  Most likely, if you’re replacing a battery for a Pokemon Game Boy Color cartridge, you’ll need a CR2025 Lithium battery.  However, some cartridges originally used a CR2016.  When you remove the existing battery, you can check its labeling or for battery size information stamped on the board next to the battery.

Q:  Does this repair work for Game Boy Advance Pokémon games on the GBA?
A:  Yup, you can use the same method to repair Pokémon games for the GBA and GBA SP.  These include Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald versions.

Q:  Does this repair work for games of other systems?
A:  Yes, you can use the exact same method to repair games for the Original NES, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega Gensis, Game Boy Advance and other older cartridge based games.  This is especially helpful if have an original Nintendo Entertainment System and want to fix your Legend of Zelda, Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy, or Tecmo Super Bowl carts.  There are way too many games that use batteries than we can list for these systems.  If you have one with a battery, chances are this method will work just fine.

Q:  Why do you use a solderless method instead of soldering the batteries back into place?
A:  Most people don’t know how to solder and don’t have any friends who do either.  While we admire those people who can restore their games through the process of soldering, we want to teach this simple and effective method that most anyone can do.  In our opinion, our no solder method involves less risk of having a person who is new to video game repair hurt themselves or the game cartridge.  Plus, we’ve been pretty happy with the success of the no soldering method and simply prefer using it ourselves.

Q:  How do I open my game cartridge?
A:  Many games require security bits to open them.  In our Pokemon Gold video, we used a 3.8mm bit. Just check out our security tool and battery chart to figure out which one you need.

Q:  Do I really need a security bit to open my cartridge?
A:  Using the correct tool is definitely the easiest and safest way to open your cartridge.  However, others have gotten creative in using thin needle nosed pliers, tweezers, and even modified Bic Pens.  I’ve even heard of a guy (@roxas8137) using a Dremel tool to carve a flat slot in the screw for a normal screwdriver. We suggest getting a security bits since they’re cheap, easy to use, and have lowest risk of scratching or damaging your game.

Q:  How long can I expect my battery to last?
A:  The easiest way to figure this out would be to take the year the game was released and to subtract that from the year the battery died.  Speaking in broad terms though, the original batteries in games like Pokemon Gold (generally using CR2025) seemed to last 10-12 years or more.  Amazingly, original batteries in The Legend of Zelda NES cartridges (generally using CR2032) have been know to last 25+ years!  Everything seems to depend on the size of the battery (larger CR2032>CR2025>CR2016>CR1616 smaller), the quality, and the amount of drain placed on the battery.  Regarding drain, games with a continuous clock or items like a Dreamcast’s VMU are always drawing power from the battery. However, a Legend of Zelda Cart simply uses its battery to maintain the saved game.  If you replace your battery, it won’t last forever, but you can probably get a good number of years out of it.

Q:  Can I put a CR2032 battery into a game that previously had a CR2025?
A:  I always like to replace with the exact same battery type that it originally used.  Both the CR2032 and CR2025 are 3V batteries. In my understanding, the only difference is that the CR2032 is 3.2mm in thickness and the CR2025′s is 2.5mm in thickness.  Additionally, the CR2032 should give longer battery life.  Proceed at your own risk if you’re going to mismatch batteries.

Q:  I tried to replace my battery, and it isn’t working.  What did I do wrong?
A1:  Make sure that the battery is in correctly (Positive matching + and Negative matching -).
A2:  Sometimes it helps to wrap a thin strip of electrical tape around the edge of the battery.  This can help to prevent a metal contact from touching both the battery’s positive and negative sizes simultaneously.
A3:  Try cleaning the game and board.  The metal contacts most commonly need cleaning.  We suggest using a Qtip or cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or WD-40 to clean the contacts.

Q:  Do I have to use electrical tape?
A:  Electrical tape is nonconductive (does not conduct electricity) and is quite inexpensive to purchase.  If you don’t already own some, we strongly suggest purchasing some from your local hardware store.

Q:  I broke one of the brackets off.  What do I do now?
A:  Bummer, but you’re not out of luck.  You’ll need to solder it back on.  If you do some searching on YouTube, you’ll find videos showing you the soldering method.

Your Feedback:

We would love your feedback!  Please comment below with your questions and comments.  Thanks!

Security Bit & Battery Compatibility Chart

 Cleaning & Repair, Tips, Video Games  No Responses »
Mar 172012
 

Want to clean your video game collection?

Are you trying to repair an old game cartridge or system?

We’ve created a compatibility chart to help you find the items you’ll need.  Want a pdf version?

SECURITY BIT & BATTERY COMPATIBILITY CHART
NINTENDO   GAME BIT SYSTEM BIT CONTROLLER BIT SYSTEM BATTERY GAME BATTERY
Original Nintendo NES  nintendo nes 3.8mm Philips Philips n.a. CR2032
Super Nintendo super nintendo system
3.8mm 4.5mm Philips n.a. CR2032
Nintendo 64  nintendo-64-system 3.8mm 4.5mm Philips n.a. CR2032
Game Cube  nintendo game cube n.a. 4.5mm Tri-Wing n.a. n.a.
Wii  nintendo wii n.a. Tri-Wing Tri-Wing n.a. n.a.
Virtual Boy  nintendo virtual boy 3.8mm 4.5mm1 Philips n.a. n.a.
Game Boy  nintendo game boy 3.8mm Tri-Wing n.a. AA CR2025
Game Boy Color  nintendo game boy color 3.8mm Tri-Wing n.a. AAA Usually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
Game Boy Advance  nintendo game boy advance Tri-Wing Tri-Wing n.a. AA Usually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
Game Boy Advance SP  game boy advance sp Tri-Wing Tri-Wing n.a. Lithium Usually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
DS  nintendo ds system Tri-Wing Tri-Wing n.a. Lithium n.a.
DS Lite  nintendo ds lite system Tri-Wing Tri-Wing n.a. Lithium n.a.
DSi  nintendo dsi Tri-Wing Tri-Wing n.a. Lithium n.a.
DSi XL  nintendo dsi xl system Tri-Wing Tri-Wing n.a. Lithium n.a.
SEGA GAME BIT SYSTEM BIT CONTROLLER BIT SYSTEM BATTERY GAME BATTERY
Master System  sega master system 4.5mm Philips Philips n.a. CR2032
Genesis  sega genesis 4.5mm2 Philips Philips n.a. CR2032
CD sega cd n.a. Philips Philips n.a. n.a.
CDX  sega cdx n.a. Philips Philips n.a. n.a.
32X  sega 32x 4.5mm Philips Philips n.a. CR2032
Saturn  sega saturn n.a. Philips Philips CR2032 n.a.
Dreamcast sega dreamcast n.a. Philips Philips n.a. CR2032 for VMU4
Game Gear sega game gear 3.8mm 4.5mm n.a. AA n.a.
MISC GAME BIT SYSTEM BIT CONTROLLER BIT SYSTEM BATTERY GAME BATTERY
TurboGrafx 16  turbografx 16 system n.a. 4.5mm Philips n.a. n.a.
TurboDuo  nec turboduo system n.a. 4.5mm n.a. n.a. n.a.
CHART KEY
Philips = Philips head screwdriver
Tri-wing = Tri-wing head screwdriver
1Bit may not be long enough to reach screws without removing plastic
2Works for most games
3Check game’s internal circuit board to identify the battery needed. It should be labeled either “CR2025” or “CR2016“.
4The Sega Dreamcast’s VMU requires the use of two (2) CR2032 batteries.

Additional Info: See our video cleaning and repair guides for our favorite methods for easily cleaning and repairing your retro gaming collection.

Sharing: You are welcome to share this chart in unedited form so long as you offer credit linking to VideoGameMuseum.com

Feedback: We would love your feedback!  Please send feedback and suggestions to mark{at}videogamemuseum.com simply comment below.

N64 Joystick Repair

 Cleaning & Repair, Video Games  2 Responses »
May 152011
 

Replacement Nintendo 64 JoystickIf a person played the N64 back in the day, chances are they logged about a billion hours between Goldeneye and Mario Kart.  I was finishing up high school just as the N64 was taking off, and my buddies and I were no exception to the Nintendo 64 craze.  Heck, given the number of hours in which we brutalized each other with banana peels and proximity mines, you could argue that we actually loved the N64 to death: literally.

The Flaw

The N64 was a fantastic system; however, it had one fatal flaw:  the controller.  Specifically, the first-party controllers that Nintendo supplied had the wimpiest joystick on the market.  As a person used the joystick, the axis inside would literally wear away.  The more it wore, the harder you had to push the joystick, which, in turn, wore down the joystick even faster.  The only joystick that I can think of with such a huge failure rate is the Atari 5200′s.  What’s strange is that during the time of the N64, Sega Saturn’s “3D” joystick was a pretty good item.  Maybe Nintendo was afraid of seeming too much like Sega.  For whatever reason they chose the design they did, we know the end of the story: joystick failure.

Nintendo’s Joystick Fix?

What was Nintendo’s solution to this issue?  They issued controllers in every color under the sun.  Heck, if kids got their parents to buy more controllers, then it would prolong the life of the joysticks that the kids already had.  And of course, the argument could be made that there were great 4-players games for the N64.  Thus, the additional purchases made sense.  Or at least it made sense if you weren’t the fourth kid to show up for a session of Bond.  Yup, being the last to arrive meant you got stuck with that horrid failure of a thumbstick that everyone else rejected.

Repair Ideas

We kids were quick to learn to pull apart our controllers to swap the better joysticks into the cooler controllers.  That’s why you’ll see so many mismatched controller casings.  But this process of cannibalizing controllers certainly wasn’t a solution.

I fix up a ton of games and systems, but for the longest time I was stumped by the issue of Nintendo 64 joysticks.  I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and scanned forums for repair tips.  Some people suggested repairs using layers of Scotch tape.  Others had complicated tricks for transplanting joysticks from other non-N64 controllers and then essentially hiring an electrical engineer buddy to make the two compatible.  I’d even experimented with a process of resurfacing the worn parts with surfboard resin or clear fingernail polish, but neither of these seemed to work well.

Repair Solution

Finally, I found a good supplier for a quality joystick.  We’ve started to carry that joystick, and I have to say that the case is now closed on the issue.  The replacement joystick feels much more like the Game Cube or Dreamcast’s joysticks, and I honestly wish Nintendo had started with these in the first place.

The “how to” video below demonstrates the installation of these joysticks, and it’s pretty straight forward. All you need is a Philips-head screwdriver, about 5-10 minutes of time, and a little patience. No soldering is involved in this installation process, and once everything is unscrewed, you’ll literally unplug the old joystick and plug in the new one.

Feel free to contact us with any questions by commenting below or buy using our contact page.

Interested in purchasing a replacement N64 joystick? Check out our eBay Store

Joystick Replacement Tutorial
 

 

Credits: Above photo “N64-Controller-Colors.jpg” used with permission of www.squidoo.com/controller-for-n64

Cleaning Games (External)

 Cleaning & Repair, Video Games  9 Responses »
Apr 242011
 

Game Cleaning Tips:  Restoring the Outside of your Retro Gaming Cartridge


We all know the joy of finding a retro video games.  Perhaps it’s one you’ve wanted to play for a long time, or maybe you’ve finally hunted down a super rare one for the collection.  Unfortunately, 20+ year old games are rarely in top condition.  I’d like to go over some tips for cleaning the outside of your retro gaming carts.  (If you want to clean the game’s contacts inside, check out our internal cleaning guide.)

I’ve cleaned hundreds if not thousands of NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, and other retro game cartridges.  While that often means just a quick touch up, many times it’s involved super extensive marker, dirt, and sticker removal.  Murphy’s Law suggests that the rarer the game, the more likely it is that someone will have put a name, sticker, or some other horror on the label.  Anyway, through trial & error, talking with fellow gamers, collectors, game store owners, and people at pawn shops, I feel like I’ve learned quite a bit.  I’m always open to your tips and suggestions. This guide covers some of the wisdom I’ve learned along the way. As always, proceed at your own risk and do your research and safe testing before trying to clean your rarer games.

OPENING GAMES

First off, it’s handy to be able to open the games. This generally isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s insanely helpful if you have grime in the cracks between the game’s casing, etc. Additionally, it’s quite useful if you ever want to change your video game’s battery in order to regain saved game functionality. There are two main bits that you’ll want to pick up if you’re a collector. Both of these bits fit into your standard screwdriver handle. Additionally, both game opening security bits can be purchased at our eBay store.

3.8mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Original 8-bit NES, SNES, N64, and Game Boy game cartridges. If you’re an old school Nintendo game collector like me, this is a must have.

4.5mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Game Cube consoles. Additionally, it’ll allow you to open your Sega console and Sega Genesis & Mega Drive game cartridges.

CLEANING THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR GAME

First things first, grab a couple rags and your favorite cleaning supplies.  As you’re looking around, here’s what I suggest:

Tools: 

  • Rags
  • Old Tooth Brush
  • Blow Dryer
  • Security Bit
 Cleaning Supplies: 

  • Windex
  • Magic Eraser
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Goo Gone

Removing Dirt:  Spray a rag with Windex or some similar sort of cleaner, and start scrubbing that plastic.  Just be careful not the wet the game’s label.  If the label itself is dirty, you can still attempt to clean (with caution).  If the label still has its gloss finish, you’ll probably be ok.  If it’s more of a worn and faded matte finish, be especially careful. Oh yeah, you can use a dry or slightly moistened old tooth brush to clean dust and grit out of those harder to reach places on the cartridge.

Removing Magic Marker:  It’s pretty common to find a person’s name written in magic marker on old games.  People did this to prevent games from getting mixed up during sleepovers, etc., but it’s a big eye-sore now.  Your main two tools for removing magic marker are magic erasers and rubbing alcohol.

Magic Eraser: If you’re using a magic eraser, just lightly moisten it, and start scrubbing.  Since this is basically a specialized sponge, be careful not to let the water run from the sponge onto anything that might be damaged.

Rubbing Alcohol:  If you’re going to use rubbing alcohol, just moisten an area of your rag, and start rubbing the ink/marker covered area.  Given time, these two methods should remove most marker and probably any nearby dirt.

Removing Stickers & Tape:  Lots of game stores & rental places put stickers on games.  Dealing with these is probably the worst part of cleaning games.  Use extra caution (and a ton of patience) when removing with stickers. Here are a few methods for removing stickers:

Peel & Scream:  Well, this is the obvious method and definitely the worst one.  Sort of like taking off a band-aid, you can grab a hold of that sticker, peel it fast, and pray for the best.  Extra prayer is recommended if the sticker is on a label, since prayer is about the only thing preventing this method from destroying the game’s label underneath. In reality, you shouldn’t use this method unless the sticker is on a safe area of the game’s plastic.

Windex:  Using Windex you can lightly moisten the surface of the sticker.  Let it sit for a minute or two.  The Windex should soften up the sticker over time and will let you scrape it away with a fingernail.  As a note, this method is extra risky if the sticker is on the game’s label.  Additionally, it obviously doesn’t work on waterproof stickers, vinyl stickers, etc.

Blow Dryer:  It turns out that blow dryers (aka in man-speak as “heat guns”) are pretty awesome for removing stickers.  The idea is to use hot air to heat up the sticker.  The sticker’s glue generally starts to soften and loosen up when heated.  When done just right, that means you’ll hopefully be able to simply heat and peel off the sticker.  The trick here is tons of patience.  A stubborn sticker may need to be heated, partially peel, reheated, peeled a little more, reheated, etc.  Since thrift stores seem to love using packing tape to bundle items, this method is pretty good for removing that sort of material as well.

Goo Gone:  Once the sticker is off, it’s time to get rid of any sticker residue.  Goo Gone is great for this.  Just apply a little to your cleaning cloth and start working on that goo.

If you haven’t already, check out our YouTube videos for cleaning & repair tips.  If you want to clean your game’s internal contacts, check out our internal cleaning guide.  Best of luck as you’re restoring your retro gaming collection, and happy retro gaming!

YOUR METHODS?

I hope this guide will give you some ideas for cleaning your cartridge based video game collection. If you have any cleaning tips or suggestions for this guide, just send me a message or post a comment below, and I’ll be happy to add them.

As with any guide, experiment and find out what works for you. Feel free to check out the Video Game Museum Amazon and eBay stores for rare vintage games and cartridge opening bits. Most of all, happy collecting and have fun!

Cleaning Games (Internal)

 Cleaning & Repair, Video Games  5 Responses »
Mar 232010
 

Game Cleaning Secrets Compared: Get Those Old Video Game Cartridges Working!

Perhaps you’re a retro video game hunter and collector. You find super rare game and get home only to find that game contains 20 years of dirt and corrosion on the contacts. Or maybe you’ve just realized that blowing in your NES carts doesn’t help but only makes you feel better…

While treasure hunting at one of my favorite pawn shops, I was talking with the owner who explained to me that for the past twenty years he’s been trading kids their dirty games for his cleaned ones. This guide covers some of the wisdom he shared with me and some other game cleaning tricks I’ve learned along the way. As always, proceed at your own risk and do your research and safe testing before trying to clean your rarer games.

OPENING GAMES

First off, it’s handy to be able to open the games. This generally isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s insanely helpful for those stubborn games. Additionally, it’s quite useful if you ever want to change your video game’s battery in order to regain saved game functionality. There are two main bits that you’ll want to pick up if you’re a collector. Both of these bits fit into your standard screwdriver handle. Additionally, both game opening security bits can be purchased at our eBay store.

3.8mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Original 8-bit NES, SNES, and N64 video game cartridges. If’ you’re an old school Nintendo game collector like me, this is a must have.

4.5mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Game Cube consoles. Additionally, it’ll allow you to open your Sega console and Sega Genesis & Mega Drive game cartridges.

 

 

WET CLEANING METHODS

Whether or not you decide to open your games, you’re going to have two best friends. The first is a good brand of Q-tips. I personally will only use name brand Q-tips, because every cheap brand I’ve tried have too weak of necks. With any of these cleaners, I lightly moisten a Q-tip and, being careful to make sure the cleaner doesn’t run onto the circuit board, I give the game’s contacts a good scrubbing. Using the dry end of the Q-tip, I dry the contacts and repeat this process a couple times until I’m happy with the cleanliness of the contacts.

I’ve ranked mine cleaning solutions based on personal preference. (Remember to read the safety precautions on any cleaner before using it.)

My 1st Favorite: WD-40 Let’s face it, what can’t WD-40 do?! I love this stuff. I spray a little into the cap of the WD-40 can, lightly moisten a Q-tip, rub the contacts, and magic happens. Using this method, I’ve been able to clean all but a few of the most stubborn video game cartridges.

My 2nd Favorite: Electrical Contact Cleaner You’ve probably walked past it a hundred times without noticing it at your local Radio Shack or other electronic store. It turns out this is some pretty good stuff. Like WD-40 it’s quite effective at cleaning contacts. Unfortunately, I found the brand I bought to have stronger fumes, so my preference is for the WD-40.

My 3rd Favorite: Rubbing Alcohol If you didn’t know already, Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol is magic for taking marker off the plastic of video game cartridges. Be careful though, because it’ll take the ink off your label just as effectively. Just like the previous two cleaners, I’ve commonly used rubbing alcohol to clean the contacts of video games. I haven’t found it to be quite as effective as WD-40, but it does a pretty good job. Plus it’s cheap and probably already in your medicine cabinet.

My 4th Favorite: Copper/Brass Cleaner Now and then you’ll see people on eBay advertise their games as “polished.” Often, they say they have a “secret” method. Chances are it’s simply their favorite brand of brass or copper polish. The stuff does a fantastic job cleaning game contacts, but generally you’ll have to open the game to use this method. Thus, it’s quite a bit more labor intensive than other methods.

My 5th Favorite: Windex Some would argue that the Ammonia in Windex or other Window cleaners can damage your video games, so I’d stick with the other cleaners first. However, I believe Windex is magic for cleaning the outside of video games. Again, be careful around the label as it can remove ink. It seems to do an ok job of cleaning contacts.

DRY CLEANING METHODS

Naturally, using a dry cleaning method is a bit safer. Overall, I find it less effective though, unless I’m opening a game to manually scrape corrosion off of the game’s contacts.

Eraser: Another fellow retro gamer suggested using a Staedtler Mars Plastic Erasers. He’s had great success cleaning games with these, and they post a fairly low risk of harming your games. Great suggestion Rudy!

Metal on Metal Scraping: After opening the game, (This is where that 3.8 mm or 4.5 mm bit comes in.) I gently scrape stubborn corrosion off of the game’s contacts. My favorite way to do this is with the edge of my 3.8mm bit itself as it’s already in my hand. Otherwise, I’ve used the edge of a key, a paperclip, etc. Just be careful not to damage the contact itself.

Dry Q-tip: Simply rubbing a dry Q-tip over the game’s contacts is a quick and easy want to get off a lot of the grit and grime. Often this can be done without even opening the game.

Emery Board: Yes guys, men and women can benefit from a manicurist’s emery board. As it’s essentially sandpaper on a stick, when used gently, it can be used to remove stubborn corrosion.

Fiberglass Pen: A fellow collector friend of mine swears by fiberglass pens. He opens the game and cleans it without ever needing to use a solvent. He swears by it since many people use them to clean circuit boards, but it’s a bit too time intensive for my taste.

YOUR METHODS?

I hope this guide will give you some ideas for cleaning your cartridge based video game collection. If you have any cleaning tips or suggestions for this guide, just send me a message or post a comment below, and I’ll be happy to add them.

As with any guide, experiment and find out what works for you. Feel free to check out the Video Game Museum eBay store for rare vintage games and cartridge opening bits. Most of all, happy collecting and have fun!