Jump to content

Bath Time SNES Style!


Atari 5200 Guy

Recommended Posts

The SuperNES I received with an N64 a while back finally got a good bath tonight. But, WOW, it has a lot of parts. And, yes, the electronics got the same bath as the rest of the unit to remove all foreign material. No dust or bug droppings if there were any.

 

Believe it or not the power switch was the worst for dust...the rest of the unit was not so bad.

 

post-870-0-73018200-1530942495_thumb.jpg

 

Sorry for the poor quality. The only computer capable of using my Sony camera's memory card is not working at the moment (PSU died) so I'm stuck using my tablet's camera which is only 2 MP.

 

I still need to replace the power jack but while I have it disassembled I'm going to rig up some sort of power in connection to power it up because I still don't know if this thing works. I also need to pick up an AC adapter and at least one controller. I hope it works and if it does it will become part of my collection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I had it all apart I figured I might as well find a way to test the motherboard. If there were any faults I would be able to look at the board without having to take the thing apart again. But I needed a power source. 10 Volts at 850 mA according to the label on the bottom but everything I had available would not fit the jack even with it being in its current condition.

 

The solution? I have a spare 2600 motherboard and AC Adapter I use for testing games before I use those on the restored 4-switch in my collection. The only thing I didn't want to do was remove the power jack from the 2600 motherboard. So I grabbed the board and found some wire of which I ended up using a cable designed for connecting the audio outs of a computer CD-ROM drive to a PC motherboard. I then soldered the wires between the 2600 and the SUPER NES motherboards paying careful attention to polarity.

 

post-870-0-45117700-1530945077_thumb.jpg

 

After making the connection I plugged in the AC Adapter in the 2600 power jack. I also made sure the 2600 was off. Without inserting a cartridge I powered on the Super NES and got a power light. That was promising in itself.

 

post-870-0-27294700-1530945372_thumb.jpg

 

I grabbed the only game I have thanks to RickR. I inserted the game and turned the Super NES back on. Black screen. I turned the power off and on again. This time I got a bunch of weird graphic garbage on the screen with my immediate thought being the fact it doesn't work and that's why it was left behind. As a last resort I remembered I didn't clean the contacts on the cartridge when I got it (which I always do with any games I add to my collection for my own piece of mind). So I cleaned them and tried again.

 

post-870-0-66752800-1530945428_thumb.jpg

 

BINGO! IT's ALIVE!! But it's now tormenting me. I got a working Super NES with no way of actually playing it since it didn't come with a controller. Oh the agonies of being a game collector when someone hands you just the console with no extras.

 

I'm going to leave it on for a while as I reassemble the top shell so that if anything starts to go wrong I will be able to address it. It's good to know it at least works. Then again I've not ran across any Super NES units that didn't work regardless of physical appearance and/or condition.

 

I thought I would share since I know some find this sort of stuff interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fantastic!  Nice non-yellowed case too. 

 

The good news is that SNES controllers are plentiful.  I see them at the Goodwill's here all the time.  I'll see about getting an extra for future trade considerations :)

I use a Retron 3 to play SNES cartridges (as a space saver -- three consoles in one).  For whatever reason, I have a lot of trouble with SNES games -- they always need to be cleaned before they work, no matter how well I clean them.  Not the case with Genesis or NES games....just SNES. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree. The case is in really nice condition. A bit dusty but no yellowing anywhere on the shell. Super NES controllers in the wild here simply don't happen. I've been here for 9 years now and I've never seen anything related to the Super NES. I've seen lots of Atari, NES, Genesis, GameCube, LOTS of Wii, PS3, 360, Original XBOX stuff, but never any SNES stuff. I still need to get that power port replaced before I can use an adapter and I know I can only get that online in this area.

 

That was often the issue I had with SNES games I would rent. My first SNES landed me two games; Super Mario World and F-Zero (the only reason I wanted a SNES in the first place). I kept my games in their boxes and plastic covers to help protect them but rented games I would always have to clean before they would work. Something about the game's contacts get dirt and build-up easily. I never had so much trouble with any other game console and its games. Not even the NES.

 

At least I know it works now and I know that any further investment in the system will not be a waste of money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you want a new option for a decent third party SNES controller I've had good luck with these Cirka ones:

 

https://www.amazon.com/CirKa-Premium-Controller-SNES-super-nintendo/dp/B00PIZMB6S

 

Otherwise if you're looking to get a rock solid controller I recommend an Ascii Pad... I have two of them that I got at local retro shops for about 15 each, and they are great. My buddy had one for his SNES back in the day and never had an issue with it, and I always felt like the D pad was better than the stock SNES controller D pad.

 

https://www.dkoldies.com/ascii-pad-controller-snes/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the suggestions, Starbuck. Have you ever run across these?

 

https://www.lukiegames.com/SNES-Super-Nintendo-Famicom-Controller-New

 

I've tried the lower cost models like those, and the main issue I've found is that the D pad is too squishy. So when you're running in Mario and try to cut back quickly in the other direction, Mario will duck sometimes because down is being pressed as you move your thumb from right to left. It can also make you move up or down at times when you won't want to in other games.

 

The price point on these is tempting, and that's why I sprung for a few different ones over the years, but I've been disappointed every time. They seem to use the same parts and shell but just re-brand them. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...