 Nintendo NES is the Classic System 607 of 688 people found this review helpful.
This is the classic - the system that started everything. And as Sony, Microsoft (Xbox) and Nintendo work on getting out their 2005-2006 models, the original Nintendo (NES) system is still the classic. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was launched in 1984 and sparked an entire industry and a generation of Nintendo lines: SNES, N64, Gamecube, and the forthcoming Nintendo...
The NES originally came with two basic controllers (a up-down-left-right pad, start, select, and the A & B buttons). In fact, Nintendo was the first system to introduce the directional pad... and another interesting note - Nintendo actually invented it! By today's standards, the controller seems ordinary - but in 1984 it was sensationally different and still more-than-adequate for their games. If you were lucky enough to buy one of the first bundles, you also got the Duck Hunt gun. The gun was used to shoot flying ducks in the original Duck Hunt game.
The lasting appeal of the NES is evident in many ways. First, the NES is still ubiquitous - plenty available and being bought on eBay, all over college campuses, etc. In fact, 15 years after selling my original system in a Washington Post classified ad, I re-purchased on from eBay! Second, the games continue to be brought back to life - in arcades, on PC, on Gameboy and other consoles. While new games are graphically more interesting, the original NES games are lastingly challenging, fun, and interesting.
In my opinion, Nothing will ever beat the gold cartridge that is Zelda. That game was - and continues to be - my favorite video game of all time.
If you are shopping for a Nintendo system on eBay, I recommend pricing both the console and a bundle. Many bundles are available that include the console, controllers, adapters and games. Whether you are looking to add a specific game or pricing a bundle - try to include these games:
# Super Mario Bros
# The legend of Zelda
# Spy vs. Spy
# Duck Hunt
# Ducktales
# Final Fantasy
# Super Mario Bros. 3
# Little Ninja Bros
# Contra
# Tecmo Superbowl
# Double Dragon II
# Ice Hockey
# Mega Man
Review ID: 10000000000000574  Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our guidelines, it will be posted within 24 hours. You cannot vote on the helpfulness of a review you wrote. Your request cannot be processed at this time. Please try again later.  Blank screen! DO NOT BLOW ONTO THE GAME CARTRIDGE! Review created: 04/16/06(updated 04/16/06) 257 of 272 people found this review helpful.
"Game doesn't work. I have to pull out tha cartridge and blow on it again."
The most common reason for NES games not to work is the dirt on the game cartridges themselves or the connectors within the NES system. Rarely games fail due to the manufacturing reasons.
Dear old Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES for short, since the beginning of it's existence was and is still suffering from the infamous blank screen of error. And as kids thought, well cartridge is dirty, they wanted to clean it the simplest and easies way possible - by blowing on it. What a terrible mistake it is! Nintendo NES cartridge connectors circuitry is made of copper. The socket inside NES that accepts the cartridge is metal. By blowing on a cartridge, and sometimes spitting on it, this created a thin layer of moisture that helped conduct electric charge on contact between console and the game. Ta ta! Game works! Off you went on your next adventure.
But your system and cartridge started to deteriorate and worsen with months passing. The moisture on metal started to corrode the connectors on the NES cartridges and inside consoles. No matter how many times "blowing" worked this was and is the worst thing that could be done. Never ever blow onto the cartridge.
Cleaning the cartridge. Two easy ways:
1. Use rubbing alcohol and cotton swab to clean throughly the surface of the connectors on both sides.
2. More effective way is to clean with eraser pressing on the connector surface firmly. Do not worry, they will not get damaged.
If you can obtain on eBay so called "security bits" you would be able to open the cartridge and inspect the circuit board and clean it much better, gaining full unrestricted access to both sides of the cartridge.
Cleaning the system, the tricky easy part.
Wow, I have to open the system? Can I do it?
Yes! You can! A "72 Pin connector, or adapter" can easily be found on eBay for mere 10 to 15 dollars. All that needs to be done is to open the system, remove all protective shielding and some screws with actual cartridge docking mechanism, which is very simple. People with manual skills should not have a big problem at all. It is not as difficult as many may think. Replace it with new 72 pin connector that was just bought earlier on eBay and VOILA! System is back and in fully operational condition.
While opening the system inspect it for any moisture damage, physical damage or liquid spills like soda, which could fry the system main circuit board, therefore render the system useless.
I do not guarantee a 100% success rate, but it should take care of majority of the problems people can have with the NES systems. I was able to fix seven out of nine Nintendo NES consoles that I came accross. Good luck everyone!
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