NES/Famicom Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Teknoman
- Start date
riskVSreward
Member
People online typically complain about the slowdown, but I think the game is just too slow at all times. The run speed, the way jumps work.... From the very first stage there are enemies that can't be hit by your shitty gun's range but have no problem hitting you, making it frustrating to advance. I'll have to admit I didn't really give it a good honest chance because I was turned off so quickly, but I'm cool with that because I have much better NES games to spend my time on... like the other Contras.
drhankmccoyphd
Member
My father-in-law sent me a video game care package filled with my wife's old NES, SNES, N64 and Genesis stuff. Just hooked up the NES and not only does it work, but it displays on my LCD with composite lag free. Super stoked.
A few questions though: what's best way to clean the contacts on the inputs of the cartridge/console?
The controllers are a little sticky and require a bit of pressure. Any way to improve that fairly easily?
A few questions though: what's best way to clean the contacts on the inputs of the cartridge/console?
The controllers are a little sticky and require a bit of pressure. Any way to improve that fairly easily?
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Both, I've read simple rubbing alcohol is fine for the carts, but the contacts inside the NES sometimes need replacing? Haven't done a whole lot of research yet.
Yeah I just use cotton swabs + alchohol for cleaning carts. If you have any cart problems, i'd clean em with that first. If you still have issues, probably best to just replace the 72 pin connector inside the system (its an easy switch).
EDIT:Was asking about Contra Force since my friend spotted a crappy one for cheap that day. Just got around to messing with it myself tonight, and it doesnt seem that bad. Worth the price that pristine copies demand? Doubtful, unless you just want one because its really hard to find, but its a decent run and gun with some cool features. Different characters to choose ala Hard Corps with different weapons (some really are useless though, while others seem crazy overpowered like the bazooka), a Gradius/Salamander style power up system, lots of destructible environments, and the option to change characters mid game (each character has their own set of lives). You can also set a character to function as an AI controlled second player.
The music is pretty cool, but the enemies dont seem that interesting. The slowdown is definitely noticeable in areas where it shouldnt exist...but its not killer. Annoying at times though. The shot range is different depending on what gun you are using, so thats something to get used to. Honestly, if it had been released under its original title, and not tied to the Contra franchise...it might not be looked down upon, or at least not as harshly.
Apparently Konami still remembers the game since they used the same character select theme in Contra Rebirth.
baphomet
Member
Cross posting this from the rgb thread. I finally got my NESRGB board in and got them installed. They look amazing. Something i really didnt expect was being able to fit the heat shield back on, but with an extremely minimal cut on it you can fit it back exactly how it was. This thing is great.
Here's just a few shots of some different games. My awful camera doesn't pick up the quality nearly as good as it looks in person, but it still looks amazing imo.
Here's just a few shots of some different games. My awful camera doesn't pick up the quality nearly as good as it looks in person, but it still looks amazing imo.
quick shot of everything wired up.
sixteen-bit
Member
That RGB mod looks glorious.
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Anyone know where I can get a replacement top shell for my top-loader NES? Seems like the only avenue are broken NESs on ebay/craigslist.
sixteen-bit
Member
sixteen-bit
Member
what a neat little NES case
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiwinCgegM4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiwinCgegM4
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Can anyone tell me a bit about about NES - Famicom adapters? I came across an article about spotting early black label cartridges that may or may not have the adapters in them. I actually had three potential carts in my collection, unfortunately, none had the adapter, not even the five screw Wrecking Crew. At this point i it worth picking up five screw carts listed in the article on the off chance they'll have the adapters? Or have they all been claimed at this point? It might be worth looking for one if I get a famicom at some point since the NES front loader would require a fair bit of hackery to become famicom compatible.
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
Well, since my PS4 came broken leaving me with no way to play Assassin's Creed 4, it seemed obvious what I had to do:
Journey to Silius done.
Hard fucking game. I could absolutely not make a jump in the final level, luckily the game glitched and decided I made it once, so when I fell to my death, it checked point me to right after it.
Laughably easy final boss. I assume it would have been a T-800 endoskeleton had they gone through with it being a Terminator game. LOL at the ending also. That picture above is literally it, no text or anything. I don't know what it's supposed to mean. I guess I finished my Dad's final work.
Journey to Silius done.
Hard fucking game. I could absolutely not make a jump in the final level, luckily the game glitched and decided I made it once, so when I fell to my death, it checked point me to right after it.
Laughably easy final boss. I assume it would have been a T-800 endoskeleton had they gone through with it being a Terminator game. LOL at the ending also. That picture above is literally it, no text or anything. I don't know what it's supposed to mean. I guess I finished my Dad's final work.
IrishNinja
Member
^damn hero, you are on a roll here...i have trouble with the first few levels of that one, for real
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
Yeah, I'm a pretty big bad ass.
I've been playing it in spurts for a few months. Finally got through it all tonight.
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Anyone have any tips for getting screws off of old top loader NES? Trying to replace the 72 pin connector and the last 2 screws on the cartridge cradle just won't come out.
When will that be? Is there a preorder list?
baphomet
Member
Hes said hopefully in december. First come first serve though. They sold out in a little more than a day last time.
Top loader or front loader? All the outside screws are the game bit they should just come right out. You cant change a 72pin connector on a top loader.
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Front loader. They're philips head but stuck like a son of a bitch. Can't get them out for anything and I don't want to strip them.
Keep forcing down and screwing I guess? Sometimes it seems like they arent moving, but if you turn the NES upside down, they'll fall out.
Cross-posting from the pickup thread:
So good. Not a huge fan of the dogbones though. Carts are outwardly pristine, but Rockman 3 did give me a grey screen until i swabbed the contacts with a bit of isopropyl (even though it worked perfectly before i brought it home, go figure). Did the other carts and cleaned the slot for good measure.
Time to start spending all my money on more carts. The rest of the Rockman games are a given, and I'm also looking for Downtown nekketsu monogatari, god slayer, ninja ryukenden and metal storm. Then maybe someday, a disk system!
So good. Not a huge fan of the dogbones though. Carts are outwardly pristine, but Rockman 3 did give me a grey screen until i swabbed the contacts with a bit of isopropyl (even though it worked perfectly before i brought it home, go figure). Did the other carts and cleaned the slot for good measure.
Time to start spending all my money on more carts. The rest of the Rockman games are a given, and I'm also looking for Downtown nekketsu monogatari, god slayer, ninja ryukenden and metal storm. Then maybe someday, a disk system!
IrishNinja
Member
ill buy one off you for five dollars!
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Hm, I replaced the 72-pin in my front loader, which seems to have corrected the blinking light issue, but now it seems like all my games boot to a gray screen. I managed to get double dragon 2 to boot to a garbled title screen but that's about it.
Give em all a good cleaning and then try. Q-tips and alcohol.
I'll give you ten!
drhankmccoyphd
Member
Yeah, just spent about 30 minutes scrubbing the connectors with alcohol as well as the cartridges and still the same thing, solid gray screen.
IrishNinja
Member
nooooo that's cheatiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing
sixteen-bit
Member
Nice AV fami!Cross-posting from the pickup thread:
So good. Not a huge fan of the dogbones though. Carts are outwardly pristine, but Rockman 3 did give me a grey screen until i swabbed the contacts with a bit of isopropyl (even though it worked perfectly before i brought it home, go figure). Did the other carts and cleaned the slot for good measure.
Time to start spending all my money on more carts. The rest of the Rockman games are a given, and I'm also looking for Downtown nekketsu monogatari, god slayer, ninja ryukenden and metal storm. Then maybe someday, a disk system!
Finding one is a pain in the ass. It's not just spotting ones with 5 screws; also looking for no tabs on the top and the cartridge contacts look different. The weight difference is noticeable, too.
I looked through a lot of local inventory and found no likely candidates, and ultimately just elected to buy a confirmed cart off eBay for $25. Life's too short to spend hours to save $20. Caveat: a lot of eBay listings don't show the adapter, just the cart with "5 screws!". Assume those are a scam and move on: no pic no buy.
sixteen-bit
Member
I guess I lucked out with my Gyromite w/Famicom converter. Scored it in a haul of cheap NES games @ a garage sale.
Rygar 8 Bit
Jaguar 64-bit
ugh wish holy diver had a na release although with a retron 5 i might pick it up
Rygar 8 Bit
Jaguar 64-bit
got a pretty mint looking trojan 
metsallica
Member
Totally forgot this thread existed, I just posted this in the RetroGAF catch-all thread but figured I'd try here too for better coverage!
Yo RetroGAF! My launch NES is on its last legs, anyone have experience with resuscitation? I should probably clean / replace the ZIF connector, disable the 10NES chip, and consider an RGB mod... Are there any places I could send my console to have all of that done? I'm not the most dexterous when it comes to this type of stuff.
Anyone ever use either of these services?
http://www.nesrepairshop.com/online_shopping/
http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/
Yo RetroGAF! My launch NES is on its last legs, anyone have experience with resuscitation? I should probably clean / replace the ZIF connector, disable the 10NES chip, and consider an RGB mod... Are there any places I could send my console to have all of that done? I'm not the most dexterous when it comes to this type of stuff.
Anyone ever use either of these services?
http://www.nesrepairshop.com/online_shopping/
http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/
SeventhSon
Member
Before you consider anything else, clean your cart contacts with cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. They are probably tarnished, this is the primary cause of blinkies, even more than the 72 pin connector.
metsallica
Member
Will do, thanks! My latest issue isn't even the blinkies, though that certainly happens, it's just games are garbled, technicolor messes. Which has also happened, but in the past would work itself out with some "cassette fufu" and a few resets.
metsallica
Member
I am indeed in the states and will certainly hit you up! My mind can't process that boiling actually works but I've heard nothing but positivity. Seems nuts!
I boiled two: both machines works superb. One like new, the other requires maybe one or two repositions instead of "oh to hell with it" previously.
I should try that. For the past decade or so, the only way I have been able to get games to work in my NES is to pull the cartridge out as far as possible but still be able to push it down. That would reduce wear on the carts and system by not having to have the cartridge rub against the edge of the system whenever I put a game in.
I boiled my 72 pin connector today and it worked great. The pins seem to grip a bit more, which is probably how it worked when I got my NES back in 1990. The first game I tried started up on the first try. Other games took some work, but they were probably dirty. I'm gonna pick up some rubbing alcohol and finally clean all my carts.
The Bankslammer
Member
I actually just recently realized that with my import 3DS, I now have access to the Famicom Virtual Console library, so I've been looking for good stuff to try out. Any suggestions for good Famicom exclusives that are on the JP 3DS Virtual Console? Assume language isn't a huge issue.
Seven Force
Banned
Picked up Super C, Little Mermaid and Strider this week. I definitely overpaid for Super C ($30) but I had the cash to swing it, and it was in good condition.
Super C
Man, I forgot just how solid an entry this is in the series. The most solid, maybe. Though I do like the series for the most part (Well, the 2D entries), the series started shifting from run and gun platformers to run and gun boss rushes with occasional platforming between (Which came to a head in Hard Corps, and again in Shattered Soldier) and I prefer the better balance that the first two games, Operation C and Contra 4 strike in regards to that. It helps that this and Operation C have the best secondary stages in the series, too. Not too big a fan of the faux 3D stages in Contra 1 and 4, or the overhead stages in III. The ones in Super C don't drag on and overstay their welcome.
Strider
I guess playing Strider NES is appropriate seeing as how Strider 2014 takes an open ended approach to it's design, something that Strider NES also did. It's a fun game (On what I believe is the last area at the moment), but man are the jump physics glitchy. Not game breaking, but really finicky. One touch I really like is that going to the password screen brings up a TV Show esque recap of what you did last, and even ends with a "See everything, next time on Strider!" like tease. Really like that frames the game's plot.
Little Mermaid
It's hella short and pretty damn easy, but damn is it fun to play. I love the mechanics of the game, and looking for every item/treasure to maximize my score makes it a pretty fun game to play in short bursts. Gotta love that classic Capcom touch.
The store I got Super C from also had Gradius for $20, and Castlevania III for $14. I plan on getting Akumajou Densetsu at some point, but I wouldn't mind having CVIII for the sake of completion, though I believe I wouldn't be able to play it on my AV Fami because MMC5 titles don't play nice with converters.
Super C
Man, I forgot just how solid an entry this is in the series. The most solid, maybe. Though I do like the series for the most part (Well, the 2D entries), the series started shifting from run and gun platformers to run and gun boss rushes with occasional platforming between (Which came to a head in Hard Corps, and again in Shattered Soldier) and I prefer the better balance that the first two games, Operation C and Contra 4 strike in regards to that. It helps that this and Operation C have the best secondary stages in the series, too. Not too big a fan of the faux 3D stages in Contra 1 and 4, or the overhead stages in III. The ones in Super C don't drag on and overstay their welcome.
Strider
I guess playing Strider NES is appropriate seeing as how Strider 2014 takes an open ended approach to it's design, something that Strider NES also did. It's a fun game (On what I believe is the last area at the moment), but man are the jump physics glitchy. Not game breaking, but really finicky. One touch I really like is that going to the password screen brings up a TV Show esque recap of what you did last, and even ends with a "See everything, next time on Strider!" like tease. Really like that frames the game's plot.
Little Mermaid
It's hella short and pretty damn easy, but damn is it fun to play. I love the mechanics of the game, and looking for every item/treasure to maximize my score makes it a pretty fun game to play in short bursts. Gotta love that classic Capcom touch.
The store I got Super C from also had Gradius for $20, and Castlevania III for $14. I plan on getting Akumajou Densetsu at some point, but I wouldn't mind having CVIII for the sake of completion, though I believe I wouldn't be able to play it on my AV Fami because MMC5 titles don't play nice with converters.
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
Top of my NES spent the day in some Retr0bright. Wish I would have gotten a better before picture, but I think you can tell the difference still:
I used generic oxiclean which in my experience (of one other time) doesn't work as well. Going to grab some of the real deal and let it spend another day in it and then I'll post up a better quality "after" picture. It was pretty badly yellowed to begin with, though, so I'm pretty happy with the progress already.
Supposed to get rain the next few days so who knows when I'll be able to give it another day of sunlight.
I used generic oxiclean which in my experience (of one other time) doesn't work as well. Going to grab some of the real deal and let it spend another day in it and then I'll post up a better quality "after" picture. It was pretty badly yellowed to begin with, though, so I'm pretty happy with the progress already.
Supposed to get rain the next few days so who knows when I'll be able to give it another day of sunlight.