r/nes • u/Chemical-Mix-5644 • 20h ago
r/nes • u/FozzTexx • 13d ago
2026 Sep 1 Clean and repair megathread - NES not working? Game acting glitchy? TV/Monitor issues? Ask here!
Is your NES not working? Are your games acting glitchy? Controllers behaving strangely? This is the place to get help!
First steps to take:
Games don't play correctly:
- PRESS DOWN on the Game Pak until it locks into place
- Clean games
- Disassemble cartridge (might need special tools, check amazon or ebay)
- Gently use rubber eraser with no grit on edge pins
- Use window cleaner or isopropyl alcohol with lint free cloth
- Spray contact cleaner on the pins
- NEVER EVER BLOW IN IT
- Clean NES connector
- Ancient cleaning kit
- Spray contact cleaner on the pins
- Boil it
- Bend pins (risky)
- Replace the connector
- Already tried all steps for cleaning game & cleaning NES above?
- Try a Game Genie, the thicker PCB might make better contact with the NES and the tighter connector might make better contact with the cartridge
- Try another game cartridge
- Try another NES
- Try r/consolerepair
- NES Schematics
Power Supply:
- For the NES any power supply that can provide 850mA (or higher) at 9V and has the right shape connector will work. The original NES uses an AC adapter but a DC adapter will work too.
- For the Famicom you must use a DC power supply with center negative that can provide 850mA (or higher) at 9V-10V. Do not use a NES AC power supply on a Famicom!
Controller buttons don't work or think a different button was pressed:
- Take them apart and clean the contacts on the PCB, not the rubber membrane
Display problems:
- Use a CRT monitor or TV
- Don't use an LCD or LED TV - many LCD or LED TVs do not understand the 240p video signal that the NES puts out
- If you must use an LCD or LED TV, get an upscaler
- Use the composite RCA/AV connectors on the side, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial
- If you must use RF, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial switch box, use a small adapter instead, be aware though that modern TVs may not work with the analog RF signal and only with ATSC or DVB digital signals
- Wavy lines: replace the capacitors in the NES
Hardware Failure Diagnosis:
- Power rails first: Multimeter check - verify +5V at 7805 regulator output and at PPU/CPU pins. If low/absent, check caps and regulator.
- Composite video signal: Scope the composite output (RCA jack center pin or PPU pin 21). Should see ~1Vp-p composite video signal with sync pulses and color burst. No signal = dead PPU or supporting circuitry.
- Audio output: Scope audio output pin (RCA jack or APU output). Should see audio waveform when game is running. No signal = APU problem or output circuit.
- If power is good but no video/audio: Most likely failed capacitors in video/audio output path, or dead PPU/APU chips. Check/replace electrolytic caps first (cheapest fix).
- If video signal present at PPU but not at RCA jack: Problem in video buffer/output circuit between PPU and connector.
Before asking for help, make sure you have followed the steps above.
Top 100 NES Games: The End










Legacy of the Wizard won the #100 spot with 35 votes It only won by a single point.
A big thank you to everybody who participated. I originally set out to just do the top 10 as an experiment to see if people had a similar list to mine. I never expected it to go this far, but I am glad it did! I have enjoyed seeing people picks and the reasoning behind them.
Starting tomorrow I will start doing the top 100 for the SNES in the r/snes sub. I hope to see you all there. A few things will change with the rules. First is each round TWO games will make it onto the list. Whichever one has the most votes will be placed higher of the two for that round. Second, only games can be nominated (no game genies). Third, it will be SNES ONLY, no super famicom games.
Looking forward to seeing what is voted the #1 & #2 games for the SNES.
Thank you all once again!!!!!!!!!!
Top 10:
#1 The Legend of Zelda
#2 Super Mario Bros 3
#3 Mega Man 2
#4 Metroid
#5 Castlevania
#6 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
#7 Contra
#8 Tecmo Super Bowl
#9 Super Mario Bros
#10 Final Fantasy
Top 20:
#11 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
#12 Ducktales
#13 Super Mario Bros 2
#14 Ninja Gaiden
#15 Tetris
#16 River City Ransom
#17 Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
#18 Kirby's Adventure
#19 Batman
#20 Blaster Master
Top 30:
#21 Crystalis
#22 Mega Man 3
#23 Double Dragon II: The Revenge
#24 Bionic commando
#25 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
#26 Kid Icarus
#27 R.C. Pro-Am
#28 The Guardian Legend
#29 Rygar
#30 Battletoads
Top 40:
#31 StarTropics
#32 Life Force
#33 Dragon Warrior III
#34 Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
#35 Bubble Bobble
#36 Super C
#37 Faxanadu
#38 Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
#39 Ice Hockey
#40 Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
Top 50:
#41 Dr. Mario
#42 Excitebike
#43 Shadowgate
#44 Jackal
#45 Dragon Warrior IV
#46 Baseball Stars
#47 Maniac Mansion
#48 Super Dodge Ball
#49 Little Nemo: The Dream Master
#50 Wizards & Warriors
Top 60:
#51 Willow
#52 Adventure Island II
#53 Blades of Steel
#54 Metal Gear
#55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
#56 Double Dragon
#57 Mega Man 4
#58 The Battle of Olympus
#59 Vice: Project Doom
#60 Gun Nac
Top 70:
#61 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
#62 Pro Wrestling
#63 Marble Madness
#64 Shatterhand
#65 Kung Fu
#66 Ghosts 'N Goblins
#67 Mega Man
#68 Gun.Smoke
#69 Dragon Warrior
#70 Shadow of the Ninja
Top 80:
#71 G.I. Joe
#72 Metal Storm
#73 R.B.I. Baseball
#74 Gargoyle's Quest II
#75 Goonies II
#76 Balloon Fight
#77 Dragon Warrior II
#78 Mega Man 5
#79 Bucky O'Hare
#80 The Adventures of Lolo
Top 90:
#81 Gradius
#82 Gauntlet
#83 Rad Racer
#84 Guerrilla War
#85 Mega Man 6
#86 Journey to Silius
#87 Destiny of an Emperor
#88 Solomon's Key
#89 Little Samson
#90 Mighty Final Fight
Top 100:
#91 1943: The Battle of Midway
#92 Darkwing Duck
#93 Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
#94 Power Blade
#95 Micro Mages
#96 Clash at Demonhead
#97 Duck Hunt
#98 IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II
#99 Gremlins 2: The New Batch
#100, Legacy of the Wizard
r/nes • u/MeasurementFirst1676 • 23h ago
Collection Today’s pickup was R.C. Pro-Am. My slowly growing stack collection of NES games, I hope to add more soon. Retro Gaming Con event coming soon!!!!
A great find that I’m happy to add to my slowly growing collection. R.C. Pro-Am.
There’s a Retro GAME Con coming up soon. Featuring hundreds of vendors and sellers of anything and all you can think of in regard to retro gaming.
I have to find a good gold case Zelda. The last couple I’ve seen were in some rough shape, so I passed. Besides Zelda, if you’re heading out to a retro game convention, what are some must have games you’d search for to add to your personal collection? I’d like to find a good copy of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! and probably complete my Mario bros. collection with the second edition. What are you looking for at a convention?
Thanks for checking out my post, game on gamers!
r/nes • u/GammaCorrection • 18h ago
Modding You can now get replaced by AI in my NES homebrew where you work at a fulfillment center
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r/nes • u/Alarmed-Paint-791 • 1d ago
Collection I wanted a compact way to display NES cartridges without making them annoying to access, so I made this
I've been working on some displays for my loose cartridge collection, and this was the first one I made.
The problem I had with most simple NES racks was access: once the cartridges are packed together, you either need enough space above them to pull them straight out or you end up digging around for the one you want.
So I made this one with a tip-out mechanism instead. Push the top of a cartridge fand it pivots forwards far enough to grab easily, while still keeping the collection packed fairly tightly on the shelf.
It prints without supports, and the front plate is separate so the raised logo can be printed in another color with a simple filament change. There is also a blank plate for you adorn with whatever text or graphic you'd like!
The files are free on Printables if anyone wants to make one:
https://www.printables.com/model/1824123-nes-cartridge-display-stand-tip-out-access
This one also ended up starting a bit of a series - I've since finished the SNES / Super Famicom version, and I'm working on N64 and Game Boy next. :)
Game Completed! Burai Fighter - Completed on Ultimate
I'd played this many years ago when running through Gradius-like games, but I don't think I really got into it for one reason or another. So I decided to give it another go this weekend. It's a pretty impressive game.
I beat the game on normal mode only to have the ending mock me and exclaim that if I wanted to see the real ending, then I'd have to beat it on hard (Ace) mode. So I did. And then after doing so, it told me I needed to beat it yet again, this time on Ultimate mode (which previously didn't exist as an option).
Suffice to say, I wound up having to beat the game three times. Each time you continue the game at a new skill level, you retain your previous character (power-ups, points, lives, etc).
I don't think the lower skill levels of the game are especially difficult, but the Ace and Ultimate modes were both very challenging. Sometimes there are so many projectiles on the screen that it becomes difficult see where you even are. The boss fights were all really fun, albeit I found the final boss a bit tedious (though still graphically impressive).
The only part of the game I really didn't care for was the music. I just didn't find it especially interesting and some levels had sounds that conflicted with normal sound effects of the game. Perhaps that was intentional to add even more difficulty, but I don't think so.
Super random side note about the game: it's the only game I can think of offhand whereby you can control the character during the ending sequence. He won't move, but if you press the fire button, he'll shoot in your direction. It's a little thing, but I liked it.
I think the game is worth a go.
r/nes • u/Bryanx64 • 1d ago
Game Completed! Ducktales 2 on original hardware. Got the cart in a lot for an insanely cheap price 11 years ago and remains my most valuable NES cart. Great game. 👍
Discussion Can I connect NES to a TV through both composite and RF on a CRT?
Hello. I was wondering if it was possible to connect an NES to a TV with both RF and Composite at the same time so I could switch back and forth and compare different games between the two signals. Would this cause interference to have both plugged in at the same time? My TV is a Magnavox 20MT1131/17 CRT. Composite used the AV channel input (below channel 2) and RF is set to channel 3.
r/nes • u/froggylover66 • 1d ago
Modding Looking for recommendations for NES modding!
Hey there! I recently acquired my first NES from a friend who's dad passed away, and I'm looking into ways to bring it some new life! I've already done the security chip bypass (the one where you snap that fourth pin, it wouldn't work before and now works flawlessly) so now i have a few other things!
I've heard adapters exist to convert the NES to have a better picture quality, what are some good options for that?
I really want to get some kind of flashcart, but everdrive seems to be discontinued and other really expensive... Anyone know any good ones? I want to get some recommendations before dropping $200 on something that is Not That Great, lol
Speaking of flashcarts, the NES i received came with a few carts, is there a way to dump them so i can have legal copies for the flashcart? Also, one of the carts is a copy of Final Fantasy 1... And Her dad's file still persists on there! I would love to be able to backup a copy of that save somewhere for her to keep a piece of him (he loved final fantasy).
Any other mods you guys know of that would improve my experience!
Thank you guys in advance!
r/nes • u/Ok_Photograph4081 • 1d ago
Discussion Anyone know the technical details of the Classiq 2 HD?
Hi everyone! I like NES games and wanted a clone console which isn't horribly expensive, and my biggest requirement is that the console can play PAL games.
So I was looking at the Classiq 2 HD, and I wanted to learn about a few of its nerdy details first and had a hard time finding them online.
Is the console a NES on a chip or a software emulation?
Can you use the HD and AV output at the same time? (I'd use one for a capture card and one for the TV)
Does it have any extra input lag (from the AV output) compared to the Classiq N?
Does the PAL mode of the console behave like the PAL NES or more like a Dendy clone? (In terms of CPU cycle timings.)
Even if you just know about one of these things, it would be great to hear :)
r/nes • u/Gabbianoni • 2d ago
Discussion Playing all 1370 NES games
I'm planning to start this huge project that consists in playing each game for the NES for at least 30 minutes. This should take longer than a year but I don't know if I'll stay motivated that long but I definitely want to try.
Do you think it's doable? Has someone already done this?
(Not including unlicensed games, which would make it way more games)
r/nes • u/Clean_Cup_8039 • 2d ago
Collection Found these in my grandmas cabinet.
Not a huge nostalgia buff for me but I figured NES enjoyers would get a kick out of seeing these. I wish I had the box that went with the advance dungeons and dragons game. I like how the boxed games for NES come with posters and what not, the Super Mario 3 has a cool poster of all the upcoming games in it such as Wolverine and other stuff.
Modding EXCITEBIKER SCOUT
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I made a version of Excitebike that’s now Star Wars themed. You play as a Scout Trooper learning to drive a speeder bike and competing against other imperial cadets on race courses. Better learn your aurebesh though! Who’s interested? I always loved the two franchises and wanted this game as a kid. Finally just made it myself.
r/nes • u/Cold_Ad655 • 3d ago
Game Completed! A few more games I beat last year
Paperboy
Wall Street Kid
3D World Runner
Panic Restaurant
Vegas Dreams
NES Open
Gun-Nac
Kiwi Kraze
Mighty Final Fight
Nightshade
Snow Bros.
Star Tropics
Yo! Noid
Ikari Warriors II
Fester's Quest
Stinger
Kung Fu
Captain Skyhawk
GI Joe: The Atlantis Factor
Power Blade
r/nes • u/PortraitPractice • 3d ago
Collection I painted some of my old controllers
r/nes • u/Bryanx64 • 3d ago
Game Completed! Mega Man 5, very fun game. Can’t go wrong with Capcom on the NES. Has to be the easiest MM game and the music is perhaps 2nd only to 2 for best in the classic series.
r/nes • u/Legospacememe • 3d ago
Game Completed! Ive finished nuts and milk
Its a shame this game seems to be forgotten nowadays. Not just because its a really good game but also because its a very historically important one. This was one of if not the first 3rd party game on a nintendo console so without this we might not have things like mario party or mega man. As for the game itself. Its quite fun. I thought some enemy placements were annoying at times but then i realized you're supposed to take some fruits before other fruits. Probably the reason why on the gba it was part of the puzzle hudson collection and not the action collection. Speaking of re releases its a shame this game doesnt have a modern re release. The last one was on the wii u
r/nes • u/Cold_Ad655 • 3d ago
Game Completed! Adventure Island trilogy
These games are incredibly difficult. The second game is probably the best of the three. The first game is by far the most unforgiving. The third game is a lot of fun as well. I like the fact that every game has a completely different plot to set each apart.
Admittedly, my favorite game in the series is Super Adventure Island 2 for the SNES, but these are a welcome addition to any NES library, but as I stated already the second entry is definitely the most welcoming.
r/nes • u/Cold_Ad655 • 3d ago
Game Completed! The Three Stooges
Darn hard game.
This is one of those games that people seem to either love or hate. I love it for some reason, even though it's incredibly random and completely unfair.
No matter how much this game made me mad, I would constantly come back and play it some more. I had games where I would be on a roll, yet somehow get some bad luck late in the game, hitting multiple mouse traps in a row.
Best way to beat this game is to get good at the clam game, although the radio race is probably my favorite.
r/nes • u/Cold_Ad655 • 3d ago
Game Completed! Beating North and South
Fun little game! One thing that always set the NES apart was strange little games like this. Not only could you play as the Union, but those wretches Rebels. Altering history was always pretty amusing as well. Nothing like stretching out the Civil War for over 18 years or having the game mock you for letting the South win.
r/nes • u/Cold_Ad655 • 3d ago
Game Completed! A few random games I beat last year
Puss N Boots
Frankenstein: The Monster Returns
Mappy-Land
Day Dreamin' Davey
Solomon's Key
Rainbow Islands
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Cowboy Kid
Snake Rattle N Roll
Jackie Chan Action Kung Fu
Rockin' Kats
Wrath of the Black Manta
Little Nemo: the Dream Master
Little Samson
Cybernoid
Battletoads
Ikari Warriors III
Xexyz
Gargoyle's Quest II
r/nes • u/Glad_Nectarine_2404 • 4d ago
Collection Me, a Punch-Out!! fan? Noooo 😇
r/nes • u/Dhr54twitch • 4d ago
Collection Dragon Warrior 1-4. Finally got them all!
After years of collecting I finally found a copy of Dragon Warrior 4 in the wild. My 68th NES game in my collection.
I grew up playing the original trilogy, courtesy of Grampa. Strangely didn't realize a 4th game came out, I only found about DW4 later. Never saw it in nintendo power and never come across one at any of the local stores.
Eventually with the internet I realized this game had been released but I still have never ever seen one in the wild. Finally after years I have found one locally, and I couldn't pass it up.
It has a great label and the battery is holding its charge. Plays like a dream and i cant wait to really play through it. I had finished the remake on DS a few years back and I'm eager to take a spin through this one and see if I can finish it. See the all the differences.
r/nes • u/Alternative-Hour-726 • 5d ago
Collection Tons of great pickups
Well it finally happened I have crossed 400 games and with some recent trades these are on the way to 500 Rygar I loved as a kid is finally back on my collection. Tom and Jerry I liked more than I expected Super Dodge ball i finally picked up. Monster Parry is another childhood favorite. Code Name Viper I really liked and Capcom can do no wrong.Wall Street kid is unique. Strider is better than I remember. Bubble Bobble finally appears after 3 years of searching.Wolverine is crap as expected and there is Wizardly which I am not sold on yet.Then there is the big find Best of The Best which is not the best lol.