need help with NES zelda cart!

bryannintendonerdbryannintendonerd
in Help Wanted!
so i got zelda for the NES, and i put it into my NES. i don't get a blinking screen, but i do, however, get a blank screen. i just cannot get it to start up! i don't know what's going on! the NES works, the pins on the game are clean, so what could be the problem? thanks

Comments

  • dangevindangevin
    Hey Bryan, I've had a similar problem with my copy of Zelda II. I think it might have something to do with a bad battery, but I'm lazy -- I bought replacement batteries and haven't gotten around to putting one in yet. I'll try tonight and let you know image
  • bryannintendonerdbryannintendonerd
    thanks. but how do i open the game?
  • dangevindangevin
    I have a special bit to fit the star-shaped screws on the back. You can buy them on eBay. Also some people do offer a battery replacement service, but after you pay for shipping both ways and the service, you may as well have just bought the bit and followed the instructions in our e-Zine on how to replace your own battery.
  • HerbalistHerbalist
    I dont think its a battery issue. I also had a copy of Zelda 2 where the battery stopped working (what is it with this game?) The game played fine, and it would let you "save" it, bu when you turned it off and back on the save file was gone. So even with a dead battery, it should still function properly.
  • bryannintendonerdbryannintendonerd
    the battery prabably leaked maybe?
  • HerbalistHerbalist
    I suppose thats a possibility but I would think a battery would have to be subject to some intense heat or something to leak. If the cart appears to be in good condition I cant imagine the battery would have been exposed to something intense enough to damage it.

    Your NES is probably just being finnicky like they like to do.

    Try putting the game in and not pushing it down ?

    If it doesnt work, wigle it to the left a tad, try it, to the right, try it, pull it out a centimeter.

    Play around with it, work your magic!

    Without opening the game its hard to say that the pins are clean. You can shine a light in there and look, but its hard to tell sometimes.
  • bryannintendonerdbryannintendonerd
    i've tried all of that, cleaned the pins w/ qtip and windex, and still nothing.
  • Armageddon PotatoArmageddon Potato
    It may just be a dead game... it happens. I have some dead zelda 2s lying around somewhere...
  • AquanisticAquanistic
    I had a dead game for a long while, and when I asked about it on the forums a few weeks ago, someone suggested scraping off the rust-like stuff off of the connections with a flathead. I ended up using a pocketknife, and now it works image



    Either way, I had to open the cart to see what the real damage was. If you want the game to work you might just have to buy the bit.
  • dangevindangevin
    Originally posted by: Aquanistic

    I had a dead game for a long while, and when I asked about it on the forums a few weeks ago, someone suggested scraping off the rust-like stuff off of the connections with a flathead. I ended up using a pocketknife, and now it works image



    Either way, I had to open the cart to see what the real damage was. If you want the game to work you might just have to buy the bit.


    Be careful with this technique. Although sometimes I agree it's necessary, I had some severe problems messing with scratchy-dentist-type-surgery on carts as I outlined here.

    http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=24929&highlight_key=y&keyword1=toughest
  • bryannintendonerdbryannintendonerd
    i'll have to try that. i heard a "brian parker" could help me cuz he's very technical when it comes to NES.
  • HIGHTOWER26HIGHTOWER26
    Ive had batteries leak before and the acid from them eats the wires away on the resistors.
  • HerbalistHerbalist
    Originally posted by: bryannintendonerd

    i'll have to try that. i heard a "brian parker" could help me cuz he's very technical when it comes to NES.

    No need to contact Brian for a simple matter like this.
    Your best course of action is to buy a bit:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/3-8-mm-SECURITY-BIT-GAME-OPENING-TOOL-FOR-NES-SNES-64_W0QQitemZ290380227661QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVideo_Games_Accessories?hash=item439c02a44d

    If your serious about collecting/playing NES then a bit is an invaluable tool. Not only will it make your games play easier, but it will prolong the life of your system in the long run by not sticking dirty games up in it.

  • bryannintendonerdbryannintendonerd
    Originally posted by: Herbalist

    Originally posted by: bryannintendonerd

    i'll have to try that. i heard a "brian parker" could help me cuz he's very technical when it comes to NES.

    No need to contact Brian for a simple matter like this.
    Your best course of action is to buy a bit:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/3-8-mm-SECURITY-BIT-GAME-OPENING-TO...

    If your serious about collecting/playing NES then a bit is an invaluable tool. Not only will it make your games play easier, but it will prolong the life of your system in the long run by not sticking dirty games up in it.






    i'll have to look into that
  • dangevindangevin
    I tried replacing my battery and no-go, same problem as before. My cart loads up to the sword-in-the-stone and freezes, no music or animation. One time when I was trying to fry it (off/on quickly in different positions) I actually did get a garbled screen with music, but I'm not sure what that means.
  • HerbalistHerbalist
    Interesting. It sounds like there must be a major defect in Zelda 2 carts for some reason.
  • VGS_captmorgandrinkerVGS_captmorgandrinker
    I second the idea of opening it to make sure the battery didn't leak everywhere. I have a couple games that did that, and you couldn't tell from the outside.



    And that doesn't always mean death for the game, but if it ate away any wires in its path, then your game is toast.
  • nesdudenesdude
    Never had a dead Zelda 2, but had a dead Zelda 1. Also my Zelda 1 battery died way early in its life, early enough that I ended up getting a gray cart as a replacement (new off the shelf). When the battery died it still worked, just wouldnt save anymore.
  • RetroHackerRetroHacker
    Lots of things can cause a "dead game" - most of which are simply dirty or damaged contacts. It's sometimes hard to tell the true health of the contacts without opening the game. I've had one or two that looked OK from the end, but when you opened them, it was obvious that the plating on the contacts had been damaged, and the underlying copper was corroded.

    It is possible for the battery in a game to leak - even though they are lithium. The lithium batteries don't corrode the board nearly as badly as other types (like nickel cadmium), but still can cause damage.

    Another thing that can cause damage is the decade old Coke that got spilled into the cartridge. The sticky goo can sometimes be conductive, and cause wierd stuff to happen. I''ve fixed a couple by disassembling the cartridge and thoroughly washing the circuit board with water (remove the battery first, if present). Rinse with alcohol, and allow to dry thoroughly.

    Nintendo did a great job making cartridges - I've never seen a cold solder joint in a Nintendo cartridge. I've only ever seen one bad ROM chip in an NES cart. These carts are very well made, and thus almost all failures are from damage/misuse or improper cleaning.

    -Ian
  • Armageddon PotatoArmageddon Potato
    This is a bit off topic, but every once in a while I get a cart in that is busted in weird, weird way. Not a non-working cart, but just a massively glitched one. I like to keep those, as some of them are hilarious. My favorite is probably my busted Zelda 2 cart. One of the save files is just a mess, but you can play it and the universe of Zelda 2 just goes apeshit when you do. It's great!
  • buttheadrulesagainbuttheadrulesagain
    Get some dielectric fluid (electronics cleaning spray,I think WD40 works), and clean with strength with a cloth, making sure not to leave any lint, remove any excess and let dry. I got many seemingly dead carts to work... all but one Joe and Mack bootleg.
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