How To Clean A Nintendo Game Part 2

I mentioned in an earlier post about cleaning NES games that the best thing to do is to open the cartridge and use a pencil eraser on the contacts.  I don't advocate any type of actual cleaner, and using brasso on a video game is bad because brasso contains an acid.

So what happens when you get a game where there is oxidation on the contacts?  Well, first of all what exactly is oxidation?  It's basically rust.  It happens when an electron is lost between two elements.  It can actually happen to many different things, and not just metal.

Oxidation in a cartridge can only come from two places... the first is from people blowing into the cartridge.  Your saliva is wet and it's gonna ruin the contacts.  The other is simply from living in an extremely humid environment.  It could be because you simply live somewhere humid, or your home is humid such as from a swamp or evaporation cooler.  It would take a few years of this exposure to actually show the oxidation, but since Nintendo games are around two decades old its a common problem to find.

So how do we fix it?  Well with my cheap Terra Cresta I received I had to resort to desperate measures.  The contacts were oxidized...  BADLY!  One of the worst I had ever seen.  So rather than sand it off with a nail file like I've seen elsewhere, I chose to resort to a modification of a tactic I mentioned earlier about cleaning labels.  Your Thumb!  It is one of the most abrasive things in the world (as is all of your fingerprints)  They are constantly being regenerated, and for the purposes of cleaning a cartridge.. well if it doesn't hurt your finger it probably won't hurt your cartridge.

All you need to do is open the cartridge.  Take the board out and set it somewhere.  Pour some Comet or Ajax cleaner into a cup or on a paper plate.  Next, wet your thumb under the sink.  It needs to be wet, but not dripping.  The moisture is only to make the cleanser stick to your finger.  The moisture is not meant to "clean" the cartridge it simply acts as a "glue" to make the abrasive powder stick.  Infact, once you press your wet thumb into the powder, the powder should remain looking dry.  If it darkens because of the wetness then you're thumb was too wet!

With your powdered thumb start rubbing the contants avoiding any area in the green and above.  Go slowly.  Go in circles.  Repeat if necessary.  This will not scratch the contacts at all, and it should leave them super shiny with all oxidation removed.  Use a dry cloth to remove any excess powder that remains.

Thats it, thats all you need to do!  Go clean your Nintendo games.  Do it.  Now!

How To Clean Your Nintendo Games

Since all of the Nintendo games I buy now whether from eBay or else are used, it's rare to get a cartridge that is in perfect condition. There are alot of websites that will give you some BS techniques in cleaning them. Below is photographic evidence of what I use, analong with the techniques I trust.

First of all, anyone who has ever put a sticker on a Nintendo label is a jackass. Removing the sticker is simply a matter of picking it off. What is hard to remove is the glue that remains. When I was in the Army we were required to polish our medals and buttons, etc. My Drill Instructor taught us that the most abrasive material in the world is your thumb print. And its true! Its gentle enough, yet tough enough to remove sticker glue by itself or with a little moisture.

Anyone who puts permanent marker on an NES game is a worst jackass then the one that puts stickers. Yet this is actually easier to remove then you think.

Take a dry-erase marker (make sure its a dry erase!) And write over the permanent marker. Wait about 10 seconds then wipe it off. You'll have to do it a few times if the permanent marker is where the cartridge is texture (as seen below)

Good as New!

And finally, the most important part of cleaning.. the circuit board. Now alot of sites are going to tell you to use rubbing alcohol, or brasso, or other garbage. DON'T! Brasso is an acid, and alcohol stinks! All you need to do to clean your Nintendo game (or any cartridge) is take it out of the case and...

And use an ordinary pencil eraser on the contacts.

Look at that shine!