Category: Cleaning & Repair

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Security Bit & Battery Compatibility Chart

Want to clean your video game collection?

Are you trying to repair an old game cartridge or system?

We’ve created a compatibility chart to help you find the items you’ll need.? Want a pdf version?

SECURITY BIT & BATTERY COMPATIBILITY CHART
NINTENDOGAME BITSYSTEM BITCONTROLLER BITSYSTEM BATTERYGAME BATTERY
Original Nintendo NES3.8mmPhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Super Nintendo3.8mm4.5mmPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Nintendo 643.8mm4.5mmPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Game Cuben.a.4.5mmTri-Wingn.a.n.a.
Wiin.a.Tri-WingTri-Wingn.a.n.a.
Virtual Boy3.8mm4.5mm1Philipsn.a.n.a.
Game Boy3.8mmTri-Wingn.a.AACR2025
Game Boy Color3.8mmTri-Wingn.a.AAAUsually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
Game Boy AdvanceTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.AAUsually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
Game Boy Advance SPTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.LithiumUsually CR2025 (but sometimes CR2016)3
DSTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
DS LiteTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
DSiTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
DSi XLTri-WingTri-Wingn.a.Lithiumn.a.
SEGAGAME BITSYSTEM BITCONTROLLER BITSYSTEM BATTERYGAME BATTERY
Master System4.5mmPhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Genesis4.5mm2PhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
CDn.a.PhilipsPhilipsn.a.n.a.
CDXn.a.PhilipsPhilipsn.a.n.a.
32X4.5mmPhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032
Saturnn.a.PhilipsPhilipsCR2032n.a.
Dreamcastn.a.PhilipsPhilipsn.a.CR2032 for VMU4
Game Gear3.8mm4.5mmn.a.AAn.a.
MISCGAME BITSYSTEM BITCONTROLLER BITSYSTEM BATTERYGAME BATTERY
TurboGrafx 16n.a.4.5mmPhilipsn.a.n.a.
TurboDuon.a.4.5mmn.a.n.a.n.a.
CHART KEY
Philips = Philips head screwdriver
Tri-wing = Tri-wing head screwdriver
1Bit may not be long enough to reach screws without removing plastic
2Works for most games
3Check game’s internal circuit board to identify the battery needed. It should be labeled either “CR2025” or “CR2016“.
4The Sega Dreamcast’s VMU requires the use of two (2) CR2032 batteries.

Additional Info: See our video cleaning and repair guides for our favorite methods for easily cleaning and repairing your retro gaming collection.

Sharing: You are welcome to share this chart in unedited form so long as you offer credit linking to VideoGameMuseum.com

Feedback: We would love your feedback!? Please send feedback and suggestions to mark{at}videogamemuseum.com simply comment below.

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Remeber the N64’s Broken Joystick? Now There’s a Fix!

If a person played the N64 back in the day, chances are they logged about a billion hours between Goldeneye and Mario Kart. I was finishing up high school just as the N64 was taking off, and my buddies and I were no exception to the Nintendo 64 craze. Heck, given the number of hours in which we brutalized each other with banana peels and proximity mines, you could argue that we actually loved the N64 to death: literally.

The Flaw

The N64 was a fantastic system; however, it had one fatal flaw: the controller. Specifically, the first-party controllers that Nintendo supplied had the wimpiest joystick on the market. As a person used the joystick, the axis inside would literally wear away. The more it wore, the harder you had to push the joystick, which, in turn, wore down the joystick even faster. The only joystick that I can think of with such a huge failure rate is the Atari 5200’s. What’s strange is that during the time of the N64, Sega Saturn’s “3D” joystick was a pretty good item. Maybe Nintendo was afraid of seeming too much like Sega. For whatever reason they chose the design they did, we know the end of the story: joystick failure.

Nintendo’s Joystick Fix?

What was Nintendo’s solution to this issue? They issued controllers in every color under the sun. Heck, if kids got their parents to buy more controllers, then it would prolong the life of the joysticks that the kids already had. And of course, the argument could be made that there were great 4-players games for the N64. Thus, the additional purchases made sense. Or at least it made sense if you weren’t the fourth kid to show up for a session of Bond. Yup, being the last to arrive meant you got stuck with that horrid failure of a thumbstick that everyone else rejected.

Repair Ideas

We kids were quick to learn to pull apart our controllers to swap the better joysticks into the cooler controllers. That’s why you’ll see so many mismatched controller casings. But this process of cannibalizing controllers certainly wasn’t a solution.

I fix up a ton of games and systems, but for the longest time I was stumped by the issue of Nintendo 64 joysticks. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and scanned forums for repair tips. Some people suggested repairs using layers of Scotch tape. Others had complicated tricks for transplanting joysticks from other non-N64 controllers and then essentially hiring an electrical engineer buddy to make the two compatible. I’d even experimented with a process of resurfacing the worn parts with surfboard resin or clear fingernail polish, but neither of these seemed to work well.

Repair Solution

Finally, I found a good supplier for a quality joystick. We’ve started to carry that joystick, and I have to say that the case is now closed on the issue. The replacement joystick feels much more like the Game Cube or Dreamcast’s joysticks, and I honestly wish Nintendo had started with these in the first place.

The “how to” tutorial video below demonstrates the installation of these joysticks, and it’s pretty straight forward. All you need is a Philips-head screwdriver, about 5-10 minutes of time, and a little patience. No soldering is involved in this installation process, and once everything is unscrewed, you’ll literally unplug the old joystick and plug in the new one.

Feel free to contact us with any questions by commenting below or buy using our contact page.

Interested in purchasing a replacement N64 joystick? Check Amazon

 

Credits: Above photo “N64-Controller-Colors.jpg” used with permission of www.squidoo.com/controller-for-n64

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Cleaning Games Retro Video Game Cartridges (External)

Game Cleaning Tips: Restoring the Outside of your Retro Gaming Cartridge


We all know the joy of finding a retro video games. Perhaps it’s one you’ve wanted to play for a long time, or maybe you’ve finally hunted down a super rare one for the collection. Unfortunately, 20+ year old games are rarely in top condition. I’d like to go over some tips for cleaning the outside of your retro gaming carts. (If you want to clean the game’s contacts inside, check out our internal cleaning guide.)

I’ve cleaned hundreds if not thousands of NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, and other retro game cartridges. While that often means just a quick touch up, many times it’s involved super extensive marker, dirt, and sticker removal. Murphy’s Law suggests that the rarer the game, the more likely it is that someone will have put a name, sticker, or some other horror on the label. Anyway, through trial & error, talking with fellow gamers, collectors, game store owners, and people at pawn shops, I feel like I’ve learned quite a bit. I’m always open to your tips and suggestions. This guide covers some of the wisdom I’ve learned along the way. As always, proceed at your own risk and do your research and safe testing before trying to clean your rarer games.

OPENING GAMES

First off, it’s handy to be able to open the games. This generally isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s insanely helpful if you have grime in the cracks between the game’s casing, etc. Additionally, it’s quite useful if you ever want to change your video game’s battery in order to regain saved game functionality. There are two main bits that you’ll want to pick up if you’re a collector. Both of these bits fit into your standard screwdriver handle. Additionally, both game opening security bits can be purchased at our eBay store.

3.8mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Original 8-bit NES, SNES, N64, and Game Boy game cartridges. If you’re an old school Nintendo game collector like me, this is a must have.

4.5mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Game Cube consoles. Additionally, it?ll allow you to open your Sega console and Sega Genesis & Mega Drive game cartridges.

CLEANING THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR GAME

First things first, grab a couple rags and your favorite cleaning supplies.? As you’re looking around, here’s what I suggest:

Cleaning Supplies: Windex, Magic Eraser, Rubbing Alcohol, Goo Gone

Tools: Rags, Old Tooth Brush, Blow Dryer, Security Bit

Removing Dirt: Spray a rag with Windex or some similar sort of cleaner, and start scrubbing that plastic.? Just be careful not the wet the game’s label.? If the label itself is dirty, you can still attempt to clean (with caution).? If the label still has its gloss finish, you’ll probably be ok.? If it’s more of a worn and faded matte finish, be especially careful. Oh yeah, you can use a dry or slightly moistened old tooth brush to clean dust and grit out of those harder to reach places on the cartridge.

Removing Magic Marker: It’s pretty common to find a person’s name written in magic marker on old games.? People did this to prevent games from getting mixed up during sleepovers, etc., but it’s a big eye-sore now.? Your main two tools for removing magic marker are magic erasers and rubbing alcohol.

Magic Eraser: If you’re using a magic eraser, just lightly moisten it, and start scrubbing.? Since this is basically a specialized sponge, be careful not to let the water run from the sponge onto anything that might be damaged.

Rubbing Alcohol: If you’re going to use rubbing alcohol, just moisten an area of your rag, and start rubbing the ink/marker covered area. Given time, these two methods should remove most marker and probably any nearby dirt.

Removing Stickers & Tape: Lots of game stores & rental places put stickers on games. Dealing with these is probably the worst part of cleaning games. Use extra caution (and a ton of patience) when removing with stickers. Here are a few methods for removing stickers:

Peel & Scream: Well, this is the obvious method and definitely the worst one. Sort of like taking off a band-aid, you can grab a hold of that sticker, peel it fast, and pray for the best. Extra prayer is recommended if the sticker is on a label, since prayer is about the only thing preventing this method from destroying the game’s label underneath. In reality, you shouldn’t use this method unless the sticker is on a safe area of the game’s plastic.

Windex: Using Windex you can lightly moisten the surface of the sticker. Let it sit for a minute or two. The Windex should soften up the sticker over time and will let you scrape it away with a fingernail. As a note, this method is extra risky if the sticker is on the game’s label. Additionally, it obviously doesn’t work on waterproof stickers, vinyl stickers, etc.

Blow Dryer: It turns out that blow dryers (aka in man-speak as “heat guns”) are pretty awesome for removing stickers.? The idea is to use hot air to heat up the sticker.? The sticker’s glue generally starts to soften and loosen up when heated.? When done just right, that means you’ll hopefully be able to simply heat and peel off the sticker.? The trick here is tons of patience.? A stubborn sticker may need to be heated, partially peel, reheated, peeled a little more, reheated, etc.? Since thrift stores seem to love using packing tape to bundle items, this method is pretty good for removing that sort of material as well.

Goo Gone: Once the sticker is off, it’s time to get rid of any sticker residue.? Goo Gone is great for this.? Just apply a little to your cleaning cloth and start working on that goo.

If you haven’t already, check out our YouTube videos for cleaning & repair tips.? If you want to clean your game’s internal contacts, check out our internal cleaning guide.? Best of luck as you’re restoring your retro gaming collection, and happy retro gaming!

YOUR METHODS?

I hope this guide will give you some ideas for cleaning your cartridge based video game collection. If you have any cleaning tips or suggestions for this guide, just send me a message or post a comment below, and I’ll be happy to add them.

As with any guide, experiment and find out what works for you. Feel free to check out the Video Game Museum Amazon and eBay stores for rare vintage games and cartridge opening bits. Most of all, happy collecting and have fun!

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Cleaning Games (Internal)

Game Cleaning Secrets Compared: Get Those Old Video Game Cartridges Working!

Perhaps you’re a retro video game hunter and collector. You find super rare game and get home only to find that game contains 20 years of dirt and corrosion on the contacts. Or maybe you’ve just realized that blowing in your NES carts doesn’t help but only makes you feel better…

While treasure hunting at one of my favorite pawn shops, I was talking with the owner who explained to me that for the past twenty years he’s been trading kids their dirty games for his cleaned ones. This guide covers some of the wisdom he shared with me and some other game cleaning tricks I’ve learned along the way. As always, proceed at your own risk and do your research and safe testing before trying to clean your rarer games.

OPENING GAMES

First off, it’s handy to be able to open the games. This generally isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s insanely helpful for those stubborn games. Additionally, it’s quite useful if you ever want to change your video game’s battery in order to regain saved game functionality. There are two main bits that you’ll want to pick up if you’re a collector. Both of these bits fit into your standard screwdriver handle. Additionally, both game opening security bits can be purchased at our eBay store.

3.8mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Original 8-bit NES, SNES, and N64 video game cartridges. If’ you’re an old school Nintendo game collector like me, this is a must have.

4.5mm Game Security Bit allows you to open your Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Game Cube consoles. Additionally, it’ll allow you to open your Sega console and Sega Genesis & Mega Drive game cartridges.

 

 

WET CLEANING METHODS

Whether or not you decide to open your games, you’re going to have two best friends. The first is a good brand of Q-tips. I personally will only use name brand Q-tips, because every cheap brand I’ve tried have too weak of necks. With any of these cleaners, I lightly moisten a Q-tip and, being careful to make sure the cleaner doesn’t run onto the circuit board, I give the game’s contacts a good scrubbing. Using the dry end of the Q-tip, I dry the contacts and repeat this process a couple times until I’m happy with the cleanliness of the contacts.

I’ve ranked mine cleaning solutions based on personal preference. (Remember to read the safety precautions on any cleaner before using it.)

My 1st Favorite: WD-40 Let’s face it, what can’t WD-40 do?! I love this stuff. I spray a little into the cap of the WD-40 can, lightly moisten a Q-tip, rub the contacts, and magic happens. Using this method, I’ve been able to clean all but a few of the most stubborn video game cartridges.

My 2nd Favorite: Electrical Contact Cleaner You’ve probably walked past it a hundred times without noticing it at your local Radio Shack or other electronic store. It turns out this is some pretty good stuff. Like WD-40 it’s quite effective at cleaning contacts. Unfortunately, I found the brand I bought to have stronger fumes, so my preference is for the WD-40.

My 3rd Favorite: Rubbing Alcohol If you didn’t know already, Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol is magic for taking marker off the plastic of video game cartridges. Be careful though, because it’ll take the ink off your label just as effectively. Just like the previous two cleaners, I’ve commonly used rubbing alcohol to clean the contacts of video games. I haven’t found it to be quite as effective as WD-40, but it does a pretty good job. Plus it’s cheap and probably already in your medicine cabinet.

My 4th Favorite: Copper/Brass Cleaner Now and then you’ll see people on eBay advertise their games as “polished.” Often, they say they have a “secret” method. Chances are it’s simply their favorite brand of brass or copper polish. The stuff does a fantastic job cleaning game contacts, but generally you’ll have to open the game to use this method. Thus, it’s quite a bit more labor intensive than other methods.

My 5th Favorite: Windex Some would argue that the Ammonia in Windex or other Window cleaners can damage your video games, so I’d stick with the other cleaners first. However, I believe Windex is magic for cleaning the outside of video games. Again, be careful around the label as it can remove ink. It seems to do an ok job of cleaning contacts.

DRY CLEANING METHODS

Naturally, using a dry cleaning method is a bit safer. Overall, I find it less effective though, unless I’m opening a game to manually scrape corrosion off of the game’s contacts.

Eraser: Another fellow retro gamer suggested using a Staedtler Mars Plastic Erasers. He’s had great success cleaning games with these, and they post a fairly low risk of harming your games. Great suggestion Rudy!

Metal on Metal Scraping: After opening the game, (This is where that 3.8 mm or 4.5 mm bit comes in.) I gently scrape stubborn corrosion off of the game’s contacts. My favorite way to do this is with the edge of my 3.8mm bit itself as it’s already in my hand. Otherwise, I’ve used the edge of a key, a paperclip, etc. Just be careful not to damage the contact itself.

Dry Q-tip: Simply rubbing a dry Q-tip over the game’s contacts is a quick and easy want to get off a lot of the grit and grime. Often this can be done without even opening the game.

Emery Board: Yes guys, men and women can benefit from a manicurist’s emery board. As it’s essentially sandpaper on a stick, when used gently, it can be used to remove stubborn corrosion.

Fiberglass Pen: A fellow collector friend of mine swears by fiberglass pens. He opens the game and cleans it without ever needing to use a solvent. He swears by it since many people use them to clean circuit boards, but it’s a bit too time intensive for my taste.

YOUR METHODS?

I hope this guide will give you some ideas for cleaning your cartridge based video game collection. If you have any cleaning tips or suggestions for this guide, just send me a message or post a comment below, and I’ll be happy to add them.

As with any guide, experiment and find out what works for you. Feel free to check out the Video Game Museum eBay store for rare vintage games and cartridge opening bits. Most of all, happy collecting and have fun!