Is my cart dead?

thewalrusisalthewalrusisal
in Gamer's Gauntlet
Tried popping in my copy of Metal Storm and couldn't get it to work.  I took the thing apart and polished the heck out of the connectors.

In my top loader I can play and get music, but the graphics are garbled.  In my toaster I get a title screen but the NES won't stop flashing/resetting.

Is this a dead cart or is there hope of a simple fix?
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Comments

  • removed04092017removed04092017
    Clean your consoles? Doesn't sound dead to me. Also, you should disable your NES's lockout.
  • thewalrusisalthewalrusisal
    Consoles work OK for all other games I put in them. What does disabling the lockout do?
  • removed04092017removed04092017
    Disables the flashing when the lockout has a bad connection with the one inside the console. It's really easy, just clip one pin and you're home free.



    And yeah, but the board sizes vary, too. The board could be one layer thinner and not make a proper connection. And I'd say just keep trying.
  • alekxalekx
    I have 2 SNES games that when put in just bring up black screens, no sounds. But other carts work first time on this snes. The contacts are clean though and appear to be ingood cosmetic condition... Are they done for?



    Sorry to steal your thread a little, yours sound like their is a connection issue somewhere from the pins.
  • OuendanOuendan
    Did you closely examine the game's connector pins to see if there's any damage?
  • removed04092017removed04092017
    Originally posted by: NES_Bro

    Did you closely examine the game's connector pins to see if there's any damage?


    And around the chips solder points for circle-looking lines for broken solder joints. Those will make carts not work.

    And if there's no sound, then there's a better chance IMO of the cart being dead. So possibly.
  • thewalrusisalthewalrusisal
    Here is the Metal Storm board in question. After I took this I even gave it another wipe with some cleaner.



    image



    image
  • ElijahElijah
    If the pins are that clean and it won't play in a toploader i'd say it's toast.
  • NindoNindo
    Originally posted by: jdheins

    If the pins are that clean and it won't play in a toploader i'd say it's toast.
    Guess it's been in the Toaster too long.



  • ElijahElijah
    Originally posted by: Nindo

    Originally posted by: jdheins

    If the pins are that clean and it won't play in a toploader i'd say it's toast.
    Guess it's been in the Toaster too long.





    I was thinking the same thing as I typed that, we must think alike
  • removed04092017removed04092017
    Yeah, nothing wrong with the pins. Were the graphics you got the ones in the game or resemble anything? But if it's toast don't throw it away first.
  • GuivaderGuivader
    Metal Storm does not play right in the top loader.



    Since you said the toaster works fine maybe it's a Region problem?

    Anyway, killing the infamous 4th Pin on the lockout chip should solve the problem, but sometimes a good cleaning on the pin reader will do the job.
  • thewalrusisalthewalrusisal
    The toaster is a bit sketchy - will play most games after some fidgeting around. All I get on the toaster is the title screen flashing on and off.



    Are there many games that don't like the top loader?
  • GuivaderGuivader
    Yes there are, can't remember right now tough (it's late here, I have to work tomorrow ).



    The Toaster probably needs a cleaning. Either do that or disable the lockout chip that you'll most likely get the game working.
  • ElijahElijah
    ^This would be good info to know, you have me curious also!



    Only one I knew of before today was blue back label Caltron
  • GuivaderGuivader
    Just checked, the other one I know of is Final Fantasy. The info is not actually first hand, it's from another forum, maybe someone could confirm this, or come with more solid info on this.
  • ElijahElijah
    Originally posted by: Guivader

    Just checked, the other one I know of is Final Fantasy. The info is not actually first hand, it's from another forum, maybe someone could confirm this, or come with more solid info on this.



    Final fantasy seems to work fine on both my top loaders.
  • GuivaderGuivader
    Ok, so my info was off. Someone should test Metal Storm if possible tough, just to make sure. 2 people claiming the same thing could probably mean something, where there is smoke there is fire, so they say.
  • removed04092017removed04092017
    Camerica games with the defeater turned ON will result in the blowing of the lockout defeater circuit. [Other games that do this method automatically will most likely die, too.] And I'm sure other bad stuff will happen to the CPU if you do that kind of abuse to it. All games should work 100% in it though as it's no different from a toaster in the way it works with games.
  • RedivivusRedivivus
    Originally posted by: 3GenGames

    Yeah, nothing wrong with the pins. Were the graphics you got the ones in the game or resemble anything? But if it's toast don't throw it away first.


    I disagree. The label side of that looks like it could use some Weimans.
  • removed04092017removed04092017
    Well obviously, anything not cleaned with wiemans needs wiemans. But still, you should be able to get something out of it. I guess not everyone wets the connector before putting it in like me though. :3
  • ElijahElijah
    Originally posted by: Redivivus

    Originally posted by: 3GenGames

    Yeah, nothing wrong with the pins. Were the graphics you got the ones in the game or resemble anything? But if it's toast don't throw it away first.


    I disagree. The label side of that looks like it could use some Weimans.


    uhhhhh  i'v had dirtier play  no  probs
  • ElijahElijah
    and jugding from the horizonatal scratch marks, he's probably already used weimans...
  • RedivivusRedivivus
    And I have had single pins that were dirty that made it not work.
  • RedivivusRedivivus
    Maybe someone used freaking sandpaper on the pins. I have used weimans for years and not scratched pins like that.
  • ElijahElijah
    You need a flashlight at the right angle to see, but yes...... you have.... weimans contains abrasives to polish
  • TanookiTanooki
    I've had 2 copies of Metal Storm in the last few months (kept the nicer looking one though that was close) and in either top loader or toaster they both fired up consistently so I'm going to throw out the hating one model over the other argument.



    I won't touch a cart with weimans, slightly abrasive but more than enough to be a bother, much like taking a magic eraser to the texture of a nes cart -- don't do it.
  • ElijahElijah
    I only do it when I have to, it's really hit and miss. Some games I buy are so dirty every spec of pins are black before I start cleaning, and ISO just doesn't cut the crap
  • whitetrashshaynowhitetrashshayno
    um i just beat metal storm on my toploader idk what people are talk'n about
  • removed04092017removed04092017
    I don't understand the hate for weimans from anyone. I'd never use anything but that.
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