So, as a lot of people know, the NES zapper doesn't work on modern TVs (i.e. anything newer than a CRT TV) due to how it detects hits. Basically, when you pull the trigger the screen goes completely black for a single frame, and then shows all the "hit" areas as white boxes. If the zapper detects that it's pointed at a white box, it registers a hit. I watched a YouTube video a while back (it was from The Slo-Mo Guys; if you search their channel you can easily find it) where they showed this process in slow motion. They also showed a zapper on a modern TV, and how it doesn't work on there because it doesn't get that single frame of a black screen due to the way newer TVs work. So, here's my question. Some modern TVs have a picture setting called "true black", or something along those lines. Basically, on modern TVs pixels that are black are not actually turned all the way off, and instead are still backlit even though they're supposed to be black. This "true black" setting makes it so that those pixels actually are turned all the way off, which causes black elements in the picture to stand out a bit more. In theory, that should mean that with this setting on, such a TV would render an all-black frame with every pixel completely turned off. Does that mean that, with this setting turned on, the NES zapper would work on such a TV?

I'm not sure how strict rule 1 is here, but I figure I'll ask anyway and if this crosses the line I apologize. This post is NES adjacent, but not strictly NES.

Anyone here have any modern games made to look and feel like NES games they want to mention?

I'm playing through Fallen Leaf at the moment and it blows me away how much this game plays like my dream NES game. They removed some of the old limitation while keeping the core intact and I love it! I'm so glad people are still making new NES-style games out there.

Obviously we have the very famous Shovel Knight. Castle in the Darkness and Astalon kick all kinds of ass! And Micro Mages actually released on a playable NES cartridge, so that was cool!

Anyone got any others they think would be of interest to all us NES lovers?

I dunno if everyone felt like me with some games, like Fester's Quest or The Three Stooges, or Goonies II; they just played so weird and we're nothing like you expected. Some of these games I feel like they could either do a remake that flows and plays more logically, or maybe go the opposite route and lean into the unusual gameplay but make it more accessible.

It seems like the NES library was such an awkward transition period for video games, lots of IPs tried to be pushed into games and it didn't always work well. Friday the 13th was another good example but we finally got a modern version that does the source justice.

What are other examples?

TLDR; Play this game. Experiment with different paths and characters. But don't feel compelled to beat it if you're not having fun

The game resumes the style of the first Castlevania. The movement and appearance of the main character sprite is almost identical. The graphics utilize a similar color palette that incorporates many more rich hues. Outdoor segments depict the stormy skies with a parallax scrolling effect that's pretty breathtaking. The game looks and plays great.

The soundtrack is rightly praised. It expands on the baroque elements that earlier installments hinted at. The music as a whole is more ornate and classically influenced, and there's a lot of it. Several tracks approach the highs of "Wicked Child" and "Bloody Tears" from the first two games.

The multiple playable characters were not integrated as well as I would've liked. Each has a unique gimmick that becomes useful or even indispensable in sections before most players will opt to return to Trevor and his superior melee attack.

I completed Alucard's path and got about halfway through Sypha's on a separate playthrough. After my brief time with Grant I was happy to part ways with him. Without Alucard and his ability to morph into a bat I would've been shit out of luck in the later, heavily vertical stages. I know this because I had Alucard, and was still shit out of luck much of the time.

Dracula's Curse is punishingly hard. It's said that the Famicom original is easier, and was altered either to satisfy the tastes of Western gamers or to prevent them from beating it in a rental period.

All I can say is that the difficulty indeed often feels "tacked on" or "artificial." Common enemies can be incredibly spongy, and others move quite erratically. The levels are long and the checkpoints are spread out. Mini bosses are plentiful. Bosses die then reincarnate into second and third forms. Wall meats are a rarity.

The game is extremely vertical and stairs are omnipresent. During the large chunk of the game spent on stairs, the player's attack ability is handicapped while their movement is one-dimensional. It feels like pong if pong had zigzapping enemies and rows of projectiles, and took place in molasses.

The pain outweighs the fun badly in stage 7, a grueling ordeal of falling blocks that plays more like an ADHD test than a game The music is called "Anxiety" but produces a state in the player closer to ennui. If you can endure this nonsense, you're going to beat this game.

After a killer final two levels we arrive at the same staircase from Castlevania 1 leading to Dracula's quarters. In that game, this was a checkpoint. But no one who has gotten so far in this game can expect such mercy, and the game doesn't deliver it. The final battle is a great one but hard as nails and the path to get there is very hazardous. The game lingers just a bit too long, as it has a habit of doing.

Every victory in this game is hard won, and the exhilaration of finally clearing difficult stages tends to put a rose tint on whatever agonies just transpired. Players who beat it join elite ranks, like climbers who have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They have great credibility and never bitch about the experience once it's over. Players who can't beat it bitch for all to hear, but nothing they say is given credibility.

Without question, Dracula's Curse is a great game. This is peak Konami firing on all cylinders. Such a long and complex from such a legendary studio at the height of its powers almost can't help but be a great game. But a video game is not a statue: It's value is interactive. And when I factor in the time I spent playing it, and the dismal frustration that characterized so much of that time, I can't quite rank it among the best games on this system.

Hey y’all, I implemented the wire bypass method to my NES today to solve the blinking red light of death (works great in that regard now!) However, even after boiling my pin connector is still not super great, so I ordered a Ninten-drawer. However, I noticed that the Ninten-drawer has its own method of bypassing the lockout chip. As I’ve already added the wires to bypass it on the console’s actual PCB, will the Ninten-drawer have any issues working with my console, or will it be fine?

In the "You can't beat us" commercial, the tagline is "you can't beat us", a double meaning. One of the meanings is you can't beat the game that the bad guys in the ad made. They are bad guys because Lakitu throws spinies at the player, Bowser is the antagonist of the Mario series, and Smick bites the player. But the Duck Hunt dog is shown in the video next to the bad guys. Meaning, the Duck Hunt dog might be the villian of Duck Hunt instead of the ducks. His mean behavior of laughing at the player when missing a duck is a small but still a piece of evidence backing up my theory the Duck Hunt dog is a bad guy.

Is your NES not working? Are your games acting glitchy? Controllers behaving strangely? This is the place to get help!

Link to previous thread

First steps to take:

NES Repair:

1. Clean games
   1. Disassemble cartridge (might need special tools, check amazon or ebay)
   2. Gently use rubber eraser with no grit on edge pins
   3. Use window cleaner or isopropyl alcohol with lint free cloth
   4. Spray contact cleaner on the pins
   5. NEVER EVER BLOW IN IT
2. Clean NES connector
   1. Ancient cleaning kit
   2. Spray contact cleaner on the pins
   3. Boil it
   4. Bend pins (risky)
   5. Replace the connector
3. Already tried all steps for cleaning game & cleaning NES above?
   1. 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
   2. Try another game cartridge
   3. Try another NES
   4. Try r/consolerepair
   5. NES Schematics

Power Supply:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. Take them apart and clean the contacts on the PCB, not the rubber membrane

Display problems:

1. Use a CRT monitor or TV
2. 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
3. If you must use an LCD or LED TV, get an upscaler
4. Use the composite RCA/AV connectors on the side, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial
5. If you must use RF, don't use the RF/antenna/aerial switch box, use a small adapter instead

Before asking for help, make sure you have followed the steps above.

Years ago I posted my in progress nintoaster build but kinda put it to the wayside after that as I couldn’t figure out the control panel. I was racking my brain on how to mount the controllers and reset then it hit me black Friday while at a retro game store - why not just use an NES four score? So I did just that. The reset switch is inside the crumb trap if you’re wondering. Very neat and tidy! This also has the benefit of being a multi tap so you can play the like 4 good games that support it. I was going to HDMI mod it but I think I’ll leave it as is. I’m happy with it. Poor thing has been through enough as is.

I bought an NES yesterday at a flea market (it was cheap because it has no controllers and is missing a cable) and looked for a way to connect it to my TV. In all the videos, the NES had very different ports from mine. Also, it has a flashing light when I turn it on. I was just wondering why it’s like this and what can I do ? What cable should I buy ?

Looking to buy a friend an NES and a couple games for Christmas and am trying to decide between a couple options (he's big into Nintendo and collectibles).

1. Buy NES Console with new 72 pin and some games: Looking on Ebay these seem to be pretty common. I am aware a new 72 pin may go bad quicker compared to the original 72 pin, but how long would the pin realistically last? I also heard of the "death grip" which would suck a lot if he had to use pliers to remove the games.

2. Buy NES Console with original 72 pin but cleaned and some games: I've heard people say cleaning the original 72 pin is more ideal, but if you have to keep cleaning it overtime, why not get a new one? Plus, I've found "polished 72 pin" consoles more expensive than ones with a new 72 pin in Ebay, so not sure if the extra price bump is worth it.

3. Buy new NES clone console that can play NES games and some NES games: Reasoning behind this is to remove the headache of him having to clean and maintain an old console/72 pin and the main "gift" would be the games I buy for him to collect. The new clone console would just give him something to play the games on. New clone consoles look to be 25-40 so that's also appealing and it would be new.

I don't know much about NES consoles so any help would be much appreciated! I've mostly been looking on ebay.

I have a bit of a weird relationship with NES collecting lately. I have so many games, hell I have a giant box of duplicates like most of us do just rotting in storage, however I find myself very unlikely to play any. The feeling of looking at the cartridges, for some reason or other, is bringing me more joy than the games. Maybe it is just one of those many phases we all go through in life. Even moreso to the issue, when I do play a NES game it’s on the switch. If I actually turn on the system I use my Everdrive but overall I have a game room that is filled with thousands of games and more game systems than you can count and I don’t think I’ve sat down in there all year. Maybe I am burnt out. Maybe I’ve changed and I am only hanging on to nostalgia. What are you guys going through?

My gaming collection has been missing an NES, and today that finally changed. Just need to get a power cord and it’ll be time to play some old favorites.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT TO THROW SHADE TO MERLIN SHAW THE GUY WHO MADE THE MOD, THIS IS MY FAULT

I'll jump to the point, I short circuited my PPU on my NES with the FR shield.

I installed a custom [power module](https://github.com/ShawMerlin/NES-Power-Module-Redesign) and it was working perfectly, games running and no problems. So my dumb brain decided to half-hazardly put all the guts of the NES in the housing (while it was still on... ಥ_ಥ) cuz, I was going to get back inside anyways. You connect a ground wire to the NES board for the power module and the RF shield was sitting on it, the ground wire shorted to something threw the RF shield. So the next time I went to mess with my NES and it was only showing a gray screen and I was like, da hell, so I start looking around at post for help. I saw one saying to see if the CPU or PPU was getting hot so I go and see and yup... PPU was gettin verrrry hot.

Note to future me: DON'T PUT LARGE BITS OF METAL ON CIRCUITS

Been looking for a copy since I started collecting again. Great shooter, great soundtrack and one of my favorite cover arts of all time.

Started collection new games this month. Been a lot of fun trading and scoring bits here and there. Pain in the butt to take every single new game apart to clean them.

I remember playing this when I was 15 it was my stepdads. He never threw the boxes or instructions away for anything. I mean Metroid and Contra too. I got my name in a Nintendo Power magazine back then for beating Rygar.

Hey everyone! I've been collecting for famicom lately and loving the games, most of them are totally fine to play in Japanese and I love the multicolored carts. Was wondering if anyone has any mentions for games that are particularly text heavy that I should find NTSC copies of? I know most RPG's of course, but any special picks that I really don't wanna miss playing in english?

Until I saw them saying "We need a new home! Christmas is near... please take us with you."

I've had a list of games in my wallet since 2019. The list has been a running tab, a way to know what games i 'had to' own again. Most games on this list were games I had when I was a kid, since sold off. Now I'm turning thirty-four with a son of my own, and am happy to say I 'crossed another game off my list'

My collection was super incomplete without it