Any chance the collection of broken games will be sent over to Steve to see if he can fix them? It's great to see you two collaborating with each other to bring vintage games back to life!
Certainly not an expert, but if a magic eraser is the difference between someone restoring a game and the game ending up in a landfill, I'm 100% team magic eraser. The possibility of some very minor cosmetic scuffs is far better than it living under tons of waste in a landfill.
The one faded label super Mario game was a classic sun faded flea market glass display case cart. Also I would recommend going over the sharpie writing a few times with a dry erase marker first instead of sanding away the matte surface with the magic eraser.
I used to just dump more IPA on ink/sharpie but I tried dry erase marker on the last couple games I bought and it's magic! It still takes a couple passes but it's way better.
People are so sensitive about magic eraser. It's fine, it's like a high grit sandpaper. Don't use it on shiny surfaces or you scratch them or rub it on matte surfaces enough to polish them and you'll be fine. I saw people use actual sandpaper on contact pins that had corrosion and limescale from water damage. ETA: you can brighten splotches on the front, but it's a huge pain - you can just sunfade them. Put masking tape on the rest of the cardridge (the label should have regular paper taped over, so the glue doesn't damage it) and chuck that thing on a windowsill for couple weeks, sometimes months and it will fade from the sun. Not really viable in reselling business as it takes lots of time. If you had ozone generator you could retrobrite without any humidity, that would shorten the process significantly. ETA2: if you can't reach a stain with magic eraser, try Pink Stuff paste or cleaning cream on a toothbrush or cotton swab. Similar products work too, as long as it's at least cream and not liquid. ETA3: You can remove stickers from the label relatively safely using a heat gun. Warm up the sticker until its glue starts to liquify and just gently pull it off. Heat up an wipe off the residue.
I work at a used game store, and have had a LOT of luck getting stickers off labels with a heat gun! Not the kind you solder with but the ones that are like super strong hair dryers. Hit the sticker with a heat gun just long enough to soften the adhesive and start GENTLY peeling it! Hopefully you can give it a shot some time!
This. This is the pro’s way of removing old stickers and decals from things you don’t want those two things on anymore. It’s much safer to the underlying substrate because you’re effectively just reactivating the PSA, making it simpler to gently pull it away from whatever it’s affixed to with little to no damages made. The key is to pull it off starting from above the most secured section of the original label, working your way out towards the end.
6:26 when my grandmother worked at a college library in the 80s/90s, they put metal strips in the spines of the books that let them check the books out (so that you wouldn’t set the alarm off). Those labels look similar, if a bit smaller, so perhaps it was a rental game at one point?
There was a site I found quite a while ago that had every cartridge label, especially SNES, to scale and you can take the PDF on a thumb drive to staples and they will print the label on 12pt gloss and cut it for you. It’s fairly cheap.
That is awesome to hear I would love to know the site as I have a working Super Mario Bros 2 NES but the shell is really damaged and was held together by tape.
I have done something similar. Bought a box of “not working” cart games and cleaned them. In my case, most of them did actually work after. Magic eraser: I’m with you that as long as you’re careful with it, it’s fine. My goal for restoring anything is making it look a close to original as possible. Speaking of: nice SNES Jr
I’ve always used brasso applied/removed with cotton swab then finished removing any brasso residual with cotton ball & 90+ % isopropyl alcohol. Removing residuals is a must or cause buildup on the console’s contacts. Also note: a hair dryer works well with removing stickers from cartridge labels.
Love the Magic Eraser. It removes the layer of oxidation on the pins with the Deoxit. For the matte surfaces, I go over it again with Meguiars Plastx polisher. It repairs the microscratches from the magic eraser. Like any of the tools, just use it responsibly.
Why fully submerge the shells? Any damage to the labels will allow water into the label like you see @10:00. It might be slower, but spot cleaning carts with IPA is a safer option to not damage anything further.
For sticking labels with less chance of permanent superglue mess: Glue sticks! I use a glue stick in combination with toothpicks to deposit the adhesive under the label.
When I clean the shells of carts I use baby wipes, Qtip's and IPA and a tooth picks. If the games used to be old Rentals I try to save the stickers and put them on the inside of the cart to save that it used to be a rental game
you can transfer good labels to other carts using low heat and low steam from an iron, you have to be careful not to over saturate them though. some people use a heat gun but I find it's too easy to accidentally cause damage and steam temp is just right. you can also breath on them and slowly peel but it's very very slow and takes practice to do right without damaging the label. good to find already ruined labels to practice on for both. the idea is to get as much of the adhesive to come with the label as possible so it'll restick well. these techniques also work for removing stickers with less risk of damaging lables and a slow and even peel is the key
It's a long shot, but I've successfully transplanted cart labels using a hair dryer and rubbing alcohol to loosen the adhesive. The tricky part is going slow enough to keep from ruining the label. Even then, it's not always a guarantee.
On the magic eraser debate, given I've also happily used it for cleaning: the people who **really** care that much are selling games and want the idea of purity to stick around because it drives up the prices. Just below them is the layer of people who don't realize their opinions are those of selling them. And below them you get into enthusiasts and preservationists, but you show me a jacked up cartridge that doesn't work and you slap a new label on it and clean the pins: it's still in better shape than when you found it.
I find this very enjoyable. I also cleaned my second-hand GBC collection, they were listed as junk/not tested. A lot of them just needed a little bit of contact cleaner to work. All turned out working fine. I didn't bother checking the battery though since they are Japanese copies, I won't understand a thing from the game.
Bestine (heptane) is so awesome at cleaning sticker residue without damaging plastic texture or glossy labels. Works good at removing ink and stains, and works really well at removing Sharpie when combined with a dry erase marker.
Those extra pins on the Starfox cart are for the enhancement chip in the cart, the one in that one being the Super FX chip, which gives the game a 3d look.
For the several carts that did not work, use WD40 contact cleaner (not regular WD40) and spray through the contacts and entire PCB board, let dry, and repeat the same process again to the pins. These games will work.
I have a copy of Super Mario World with a blue Yoshi. It's thought that the Cyan in the printer ran out, so that is a cool find if you can find a working board to put in there.
I've found when things get sunfaded, the blue ink tends to linger longer while the red and green fade away first. I think the "blue yoshi" cart spent a lot of time on a flea market table at some point and faded a good bit (the label itself even looks lighter than the OG one).
As far as the magic eraser goes, I tend to use it on a “worst-case scenario” basis, which doesn’t tend to happen to me all too much. Also, the John Madden games date all the way back to 1988 on the Apple II surprisingly! I learned that just today actually. 😅
little tip for removing stickers from labels. Tip a can of compressed air on its head & spray the sticker you want to remove till it ices over. It will freeze the glue & make it brittle & break away. Then carefully pull up on the edge of the sticker. Don't spray the label itself if you can help it. Any residual goop left. You can remove with a bit of goo gone.
No problem with magic eraser but don’t submerge any shells in water. There are easier solutions with better results. I wouldnt call the other 5 not working, I can almost guarantee it’s a simple fix.
I’ve dropped goo gone for bestine; just as effective and not oily, so it doesn’t seep into labels. I’ve used 0000 grit steel wool for the last decade and never had a problem damaging carts. You’d really have to go wild on the contacts to cause damage. I’ve tried even less abrasive (like magic eraser) but they don’t seem to be strong enough for the dirtier cart connectors. I have no problem using magic eraser for the shell, though I try to keep it at a light touch. Dunking in water is a big no no for me; a damp rag and tooth brush is usually good enough 90% of the time. You can really see the unnecessary water damage on the back of the chess master cart. The color difference is SMW is sun damage. Probably from sitting out at a flea market for years during the early 2000s. Finally, super glue is way overkill and it’s going to leave nasty residue. Use a nice water based archival glue (like what scrapbookers use), wipe away the squeeze out, and hold down with your fingers until it sets up.
Good to know that if I ever get an old console, when I buy games for it, I should try to clean some VERY discounted “not working” used games because they very well might work after
I found a copy of Mario Paint for 100 Yen (basically nothing) labeled as broken in a thrift store in Japan once, as well as the SFC mouse. I took it home, cleaned it and it ran perfectly!
The metal strips inside the cartridge shell are a sensormatic strip. If they weren’t magnetized at the checkout they’d activate those gates you’d see beside the doors. Loud noises. Alarms. My uncle used to install them in the carts as they came in, he hated the cartridge based systems because of this. Much easier to install in a movie case than having to unscrew every single cartridge.
Really enjoy your channel. I would not recommend dunking the carts in the water. Avoid getting front and back labels damp as it can seep into the sticker edges or any damaged parts. Just spot clean the plastic and avoid wetting the labels where possible.
This Star Fox game chip is very different from the one I have. Mine is much bigger and has 5 chips (not covered with black stuff) and the tiny capacitor is in the front, not the back.
With a lot of patience you can remove the good Mario label, clean the bad label completely of and stick the good one on that cartridge. The security label at the end would come of when you use IPA and a cotton stick, but on that point you also need patience and work slowly to prevent damaging the label.
I still remember in the 90s renting SNES games at a video store or Blockbuster. I was so happy because after doing my homework and chores got all excited that I ran to the video store to rent one only for the game to not work. So I returned the game explaining my problem to the video representative. He gave me a new copy and ran fast very happy home and it worked. But if I knew about the game bit screwdriver and cleaned it with a solution it would’ve saved me lots of time. But when I did bought a game and didn’t work I cracked it open and cleaned the chip with 50% isopropyl alcohol. It worked but had to tape it up😂😂😂😂
I found heating the sticker with a blow dryer softens the glue and leaves little to no residue with removing. Also, denatured alcohol is a bit better at removing the residue and contains no water.
I think a cool quick followup video would be if you guys do sell these games what you actually were able to sell them for to show the audience if it’s worth it to fix stuff like this up and what you might be able to get for your time spent. The other consideration would be how you came to own these and what it cost.
I bought a box of non working snes cartridges. I ordered a 3000 grit finger nail file from amazon for 4$ i lightly sanded the pins on the games and all 23 games worked fine.
A tip you may know for removing marker pen is to use a white board marker. Draw over it with whiteboard marker and it should take the old marker pen off. Might be someone has already told you that. Cheers Toy Polloi
I'm a Snes cart collector and I think if you try a few more times, games that didn't work will work. Sometimes they need to be reinserted again and again until you find the right position.
So the webbing looks like the cacoon for a moth of some type I've seen those before. But this is a very cool video for sure and will be going through them.
If Star Fox on the SNES is anything like Super Mario Bros Duck Hunt NES it wouldn't surprise that they printed off so many that there are multi authentic motherboards. Because I've seen that type before thought it was a repo only to discover it's real just not a first printing if you will.
I bet the strips you found inside Super Turrican were from Blockbuster or perhaps a different rental shop. I remember the lock boxes on the rental shells were sometimes cut at the spines and the contents stolen. It would be more work to prep cartridges but those would be a good way to give the cart security if it were removed from the rental case.
Submerging those shells in water will still soak in moisture around the very edge of the label, compromising it. Just spray with Windex, use a toothbrush, and wipe with a micro fiber towel. Otherwise fantastic methods on everything else! Keep up the excellent work!
After seen the Star Fox board, and been an SNES game collector, i am pretty sure that the one you have is a reproduction, since it doesn't have the same type of chips as all the other games shown. You should investigate further about it if you can. Good work on keeping all this games alive. SNES is a fantastic platform and should be preserve.
As a kid no idea how I worked it out but I used to use an eraser or vinegar, I think the vinegar was because my dad said to use aftershave but I couldn't afford to so used vinegar instead.
Yes, that barcode inside that cartridge is for theft prevention. Most likely at a mom and pop rental place. These are commonly found in DVD's at Walmart.
Lol it's wild to me that some people didn't know to clean the pins. When I was a kid our nes/snes games would stop working all the time, nes were always the biggest offender. I would just take a q-tip and rubbing alcohol and give them a good cleaning, worked every time.
The metal strips inside that one cartridge are probably a passiv rfid chip. Could be theft prevention of a store but since it's on the inside I would guess that it was part of a library.
Step #1 is going to be .0000 steel wool on the pins. It will make it look brand new. Step #2 is to Wipe off residue with 99% alcohol and step #3 you Use the deoxit to fully clean the pins and get rid of any remaining alcohol / steel residue. As far as the outside, 99% alcohol should do it.
you see this is just another example of don't assume it's not working for people spoiler below only 5 of the 30 needs a lot more work to get working (assuming they are not too broken) basically some times all it takes is cleaning the pins to get it working. and as for the other 5 just needs more work with replacing parts on the circuit boards.
I tried retrobriting the back of the same Bugs Bunny game cartridge, but instead of losing the yellowing, it turned white. Apparently, you can’t retrobrite SNES cartridges. I saw a similar case online where a Wild Guns attempt also failed.
If the battery is dead, I've seen that prevent games from working. So, one of those Mario World's could work with a batter replacement... if the battery is bad. Otherwise it looked super clean, unlike the other one.
Consider using these tips for future cartridge cleaning: 1. If you're already opening the cartridge, use a white/vinyl eraser. It works equally as well, with way less steps and time taken. 2. Never submerge the label portion of a cartridge in water. The label will get moisture underneath it, causing irreversible wrinkling/bubbling. Instead, use a toothbrush to apply and scrub soapy water or surface cleaner onto your cartridges to remove dirt. 3. Something as simple as paper towel can remove the texture of a cartridge, so no matter how soft you press with a Magic Eraser, you will definitely be wearing the plastic away. A smooth section on a cartridge can look just as bad as having marker there, so just don't use them. 4. While it can be useful for older sticker glue, try not to use Goo Gone, especially near labels. It's runny, stains, and leaves a greasy residue that needs to be cleaned off. Lighter fluid, isopropyl alcohol, a hair dryer, or a combination often works just as well. Also, get some plastic razorblades for optimal sticker scraping. 5. Rather than applying solutions/chemicals with a cotton swab, invest in some eyedroppers to help ensure the liquid goes exactly where you want it to. This also allows you to let it soak into stickers or marker before removing it.
As someone new to this, I just want to confirm the process of deoxit pass with a qtip, light buffing with a magic eraser soaked on ipa, and then another pass of deoxit and leave it on?
I choose to believe the "SAJ" letters on the back of the Wheel of Fortune cart were short for "SAJAK" and it was once Pat's personal copy
Lol
I thought the same thing!
Told you not to clean off the patina!
Any chance the collection of broken games will be sent over to Steve to see if he can fix them? It's great to see you two collaborating with each other to bring vintage games back to life!
Certainly not an expert, but if a magic eraser is the difference between someone restoring a game and the game ending up in a landfill, I'm 100% team magic eraser. The possibility of some very minor cosmetic scuffs is far better than it living under tons of waste in a landfill.
This
The one faded label super Mario game was a classic sun faded flea market glass display case cart. Also I would recommend going over the sharpie writing a few times with a dry erase marker first instead of sanding away the matte surface with the magic eraser.
I use dry-erase marker over a permanent marker. Makes for an easier clean-up. Keep up the good work.
This works great.
same I mean it's really the only way to get permeant marker off of a cart.
Doesn't that work because there's some percentage of isopropyl alcohol in markers?
I used to just dump more IPA on ink/sharpie but I tried dry erase marker on the last couple games I bought and it's magic! It still takes a couple passes but it's way better.
Came here to mention this. Definitely agree. I've been using this message for a few years now and a great option.
People are so sensitive about magic eraser. It's fine, it's like a high grit sandpaper. Don't use it on shiny surfaces or you scratch them or rub it on matte surfaces enough to polish them and you'll be fine. I saw people use actual sandpaper on contact pins that had corrosion and limescale from water damage.
ETA: you can brighten splotches on the front, but it's a huge pain - you can just sunfade them. Put masking tape on the rest of the cardridge (the label should have regular paper taped over, so the glue doesn't damage it) and chuck that thing on a windowsill for couple weeks, sometimes months and it will fade from the sun. Not really viable in reselling business as it takes lots of time. If you had ozone generator you could retrobrite without any humidity, that would shorten the process significantly.
ETA2: if you can't reach a stain with magic eraser, try Pink Stuff paste or cleaning cream on a toothbrush or cotton swab. Similar products work too, as long as it's at least cream and not liquid.
ETA3: You can remove stickers from the label relatively safely using a heat gun. Warm up the sticker until its glue starts to liquify and just gently pull it off. Heat up an wipe off the residue.
I work at a used game store, and have had a LOT of luck getting stickers off labels with a heat gun! Not the kind you solder with but the ones that are like super strong hair dryers. Hit the sticker with a heat gun just long enough to soften the adhesive and start GENTLY peeling it! Hopefully you can give it a shot some time!
This. This is the pro’s way of removing old stickers and decals from things you don’t want those two things on anymore. It’s much safer to the underlying substrate because you’re effectively just reactivating the PSA, making it simpler to gently pull it away from whatever it’s affixed to with little to no damages made. The key is to pull it off starting from above the most secured section of the original label, working your way out towards the end.
Nice work particularly on the Ren and Stimpy game. Satisfying to see someone approach all aspects of the restoration so seriously and thoroughly.
6:26 when my grandmother worked at a college library in the 80s/90s, they put metal strips in the spines of the books that let them check the books out (so that you wouldn’t set the alarm off). Those labels look similar, if a bit smaller, so perhaps it was a rental game at one point?
There was a site I found quite a while ago that had every cartridge label, especially SNES, to scale and you can take the PDF on a thumb drive to staples and they will print the label on 12pt gloss and cut it for you. It’s fairly cheap.
That is awesome to hear I would love to know the site as I have a working Super Mario Bros 2 NES but the shell is really damaged and was held together by tape.
Retro Game Cases has reproduction labels and cases.
I have done something similar. Bought a box of “not working” cart games and cleaned them. In my case, most of them did actually work after.
Magic eraser: I’m with you that as long as you’re careful with it, it’s fine. My goal for restoring anything is making it look a close to original as possible.
Speaking of: nice SNES Jr
I’ve always used brasso applied/removed with cotton swab then finished removing any brasso residual with cotton ball & 90+ % isopropyl alcohol. Removing residuals is a must or cause buildup on the console’s contacts. Also note: a hair dryer works well with removing stickers from cartridge labels.
Love the Magic Eraser. It removes the layer of oxidation on the pins with the Deoxit. For the matte surfaces, I go over it again with Meguiars Plastx polisher. It repairs the microscratches from the magic eraser. Like any of the tools, just use it responsibly.
I'll have to try that. Thanks!
Great job on getting the SNES games working again! One thing to use to get stickers stuck on top of game labels is some Ronsonol lighter fluid.
My type of cleaning and/or repair video. Thank you.
Why fully submerge the shells? Any damage to the labels will allow water into the label like you see @10:00. It might be slower, but spot cleaning carts with IPA is a safer option to not damage anything further.
I tried to keep any of the exposed, worn labels out of the water. But fair point.
Unscented baby wipes work awesome for cleaning carts
For sticking labels with less chance of permanent superglue mess: Glue sticks! I use a glue stick in combination with toothpicks to deposit the adhesive under the label.
When I clean the shells of carts I use baby wipes, Qtip's and IPA and a tooth picks. If the games used to be old Rentals I try to save the stickers and put them on the inside of the cart to save that it used to be a rental game
you can transfer good labels to other carts using low heat and low steam from an iron, you have to be careful not to over saturate them though. some people use a heat gun but I find it's too easy to accidentally cause damage and steam temp is just right. you can also breath on them and slowly peel but it's very very slow and takes practice to do right without damaging the label. good to find already ruined labels to practice on for both. the idea is to get as much of the adhesive to come with the label as possible so it'll restick well. these techniques also work for removing stickers with less risk of damaging lables and a slow and even peel is the key
Magic eraser lightly used on matte surfaces and pins is the perfect tool
Good job on the Ren and Stimpy game. Patience = clean label !
It's a long shot, but I've successfully transplanted cart labels using a hair dryer and rubbing alcohol to loosen the adhesive. The tricky part is going slow enough to keep from ruining the label. Even then, it's not always a guarantee.
On the magic eraser debate, given I've also happily used it for cleaning: the people who **really** care that much are selling games and want the idea of purity to stick around because it drives up the prices. Just below them is the layer of people who don't realize their opinions are those of selling them. And below them you get into enthusiasts and preservationists, but you show me a jacked up cartridge that doesn't work and you slap a new label on it and clean the pins: it's still in better shape than when you found it.
I find this very enjoyable. I also cleaned my second-hand GBC collection, they were listed as junk/not tested. A lot of them just needed a little bit of contact cleaner to work. All turned out working fine. I didn't bother checking the battery though since they are Japanese copies, I won't understand a thing from the game.
Bestine (heptane) is so awesome at cleaning sticker residue without damaging plastic texture or glossy labels. Works good at removing ink and stains, and works really well at removing Sharpie when combined with a dry erase marker.
Electronics heat gun, 340 degrees works to take off the stickers pretty well. 3M caulk remover annihilates old glue.
Battleclash was a super fun game for the Super Scope 6. Loved it.
Those extra pins on the Starfox cart are for the enhancement chip in the cart, the one in that one being the Super FX chip, which gives the game a 3d look.
For the several carts that did not work, use WD40 contact cleaner (not regular WD40) and spray through the contacts and entire PCB board, let dry, and repeat the same process again to the pins. These games will work.
I have a copy of Super Mario World with a blue Yoshi. It's thought that the Cyan in the printer ran out, so that is a cool find if you can find a working board to put in there.
I've found when things get sunfaded, the blue ink tends to linger longer while the red and green fade away first. I think the "blue yoshi" cart spent a lot of time on a flea market table at some point and faded a good bit (the label itself even looks lighter than the OG one).
As far as the magic eraser goes, I tend to use it on a “worst-case scenario” basis, which doesn’t tend to happen to me all too much.
Also, the John Madden games date all the way back to 1988 on the Apple II surprisingly! I learned that just today actually. 😅
little tip for removing stickers from labels. Tip a can of compressed air on its head & spray the sticker you want to remove till it ices over. It will freeze the glue & make it brittle & break away. Then carefully pull up on the edge of the sticker. Don't spray the label itself if you can help it. Any residual goop left. You can remove with a bit of goo gone.
I collect and sell video games and I usually use a magic eraser without any problem , u just have to be careful as u said.
A 12 hour compilation without voiceover would make for a super relaxing background video
I did a three and a half hour video reassembling joy-cons once
No problem with magic eraser but don’t submerge any shells in water. There are easier solutions with better results. I wouldnt call the other 5 not working, I can almost guarantee it’s a simple fix.
Robbert, that mushtache looks good on you. Also nice to see so many games getting fixed mate.
I’ve dropped goo gone for bestine; just as effective and not oily, so it doesn’t seep into labels.
I’ve used 0000 grit steel wool for the last decade and never had a problem damaging carts. You’d really have to go wild on the contacts to cause damage. I’ve tried even less abrasive (like magic eraser) but they don’t seem to be strong enough for the dirtier cart connectors.
I have no problem using magic eraser for the shell, though I try to keep it at a light touch. Dunking in water is a big no no for me; a damp rag and tooth brush is usually good enough 90% of the time. You can really see the unnecessary water damage on the back of the chess master cart.
The color difference is SMW is sun damage. Probably from sitting out at a flea market for years during the early 2000s.
Finally, super glue is way overkill and it’s going to leave nasty residue. Use a nice water based archival glue (like what scrapbookers use), wipe away the squeeze out, and hold down with your fingers until it sets up.
Excellent video! I was a sega girl myself. So, i wasn't too aware of these games but that it is a lot of working games. Great job! 👍
Good to know that if I ever get an old console, when I buy games for it, I should try to clean some VERY discounted “not working” used games because they very well might work after
I found a copy of Mario Paint for 100 Yen (basically nothing) labeled as broken in a thrift store in Japan once, as well as the SFC mouse. I took it home, cleaned it and it ran perfectly!
Would save the Super Mario World ones, maybe try to send them to someone that can repair traces and remove the rust.
That SMW with a faded label could've been part of a demo unit on display in a shop window.
Thanks for the video. The labels in the soapy water makes me really nervous lol
The metal strips inside the cartridge shell are a sensormatic strip. If they weren’t magnetized at the checkout they’d activate those gates you’d see beside the doors. Loud noises. Alarms. My uncle used to install them in the carts as they came in, he hated the cartridge based systems because of this. Much easier to install in a movie case than having to unscrew every single cartridge.
The security stickers inside the cart(s) were put there by a reseller like you said, or possibly a movie/game rental store.
Loved this vid. Super fun
Really enjoy your channel. I would not recommend dunking the carts in the water. Avoid getting front and back labels damp as it can seep into the sticker edges or any damaged parts. Just spot clean the plastic and avoid wetting the labels where possible.
This Star Fox game chip is very different from the one I have. Mine is much bigger and has 5 chips (not covered with black stuff) and the tiny capacitor is in the front, not the back.
lighter fluid works better than IPA for removing sticker and marker residue
Light heat goes a long way for some stickers!...you gonna send the non working games to tronix to fix...keep up the good work!
With a lot of patience you can remove the good Mario label, clean the bad label completely of and stick the good one on that cartridge. The security label at the end would come of when you use IPA and a cotton stick, but on that point you also need patience and work slowly to prevent damaging the label.
I still remember in the 90s renting SNES games at a video store or Blockbuster.
I was so happy because after doing my homework and chores got all excited that I ran to the video store to rent one only for the game to not work.
So I returned the game explaining my problem to the video representative.
He gave me a new copy and ran fast very happy home and it worked.
But if I knew about the game bit screwdriver and cleaned it with a solution it would’ve saved me lots of time.
But when I did bought a game and didn’t work I cracked it open and cleaned the chip with 50% isopropyl alcohol.
It worked but had to tape it up😂😂😂😂
I found heating the sticker with a blow dryer softens the glue and leaves little to no residue with removing. Also, denatured alcohol is a bit better at removing the residue and contains no water.
the alcohol on the magic eraser is also a safety lubricant, so you end up wet sanding.
I think a cool quick followup video would be if you guys do sell these games what you actually were able to sell them for to show the audience if it’s worth it to fix stuff like this up and what you might be able to get for your time spent. The other consideration would be how you came to own these and what it cost.
@Restorish
I am not one of those purists. Light use of a magic eraser is perfectly acceptable as you were showing. I say well done!
I bought a box of non working snes cartridges. I ordered a 3000 grit finger nail file from amazon for 4$ i lightly sanded the pins on the games and all 23 games worked fine.
A tip you may know for removing marker pen is to use a white board marker. Draw over it with whiteboard marker and it should take the old marker pen off. Might be someone has already told you that. Cheers Toy Polloi
I'm a Snes cart collector and I think if you try a few more times, games that didn't work will work. Sometimes they need to be reinserted again and again until you find the right position.
So the webbing looks like the cacoon for a moth of some type I've seen those before. But this is a very cool video for sure and will be going through them.
I'm pretty sure that Star Fox is a reproduction copy. OG game usually don't have blob chips.
If Star Fox on the SNES is anything like Super Mario Bros Duck Hunt NES it wouldn't surprise that they printed off so many that there are multi authentic motherboards. Because I've seen that type before thought it was a repo only to discover it's real just not a first printing if you will.
I bet the strips you found inside Super Turrican were from Blockbuster or perhaps a different rental shop. I remember the lock boxes on the rental shells were sometimes cut at the spines and the contents stolen. It would be more work to prep cartridges but those would be a good way to give the cart security if it were removed from the rental case.
retrogamecases you can get the replacement labels for the ones that were messed up.
Submerging those shells in water will still soak in moisture around the very edge of the label, compromising it. Just spray with Windex, use a toothbrush, and wipe with a micro fiber towel.
Otherwise fantastic methods on everything else! Keep up the excellent work!
The stickers can be removed with lighter fluid. It does not damage surfaces or plastics and does not leave any trace of the sticker.😘
After seen the Star Fox board, and been an SNES game collector, i am pretty sure that the one you have is a reproduction, since it doesn't have the same type of chips as all the other games shown. You should investigate further about it if you can.
Good work on keeping all this games alive. SNES is a fantastic platform and should be preserve.
As a kid no idea how I worked it out but I used to use an eraser or vinegar, I think the vinegar was because my dad said to use aftershave but I couldn't afford to so used vinegar instead.
Haven't played Batman returns on SNES...oh my you are missing, please play it! Really fun and solid beat'em up!
Yes, that barcode inside that cartridge is for theft prevention. Most likely at a mom and pop rental place. These are commonly found in DVD's at Walmart.
Seems like you could selectively treat the carts with salon peroxide and give them sun treatment. That way you avoid the label and super heavy UV.
The metal strip was used at movie/ game rental stores to prevent theft.
Those barcodes with the metal strip are rental security stickers and quite cunningly placed inside the cartridge too.
For permanent marker try a dry erase marker
Lol it's wild to me that some people didn't know to clean the pins. When I was a kid our nes/snes games would stop working all the time, nes were always the biggest offender. I would just take a q-tip and rubbing alcohol and give them a good cleaning, worked every time.
16:22 Regarding the Super Mario World label, yellow ink fades when you leave it out in the sun for a long time.
Have you tried shooting some matte clear coat after retrobrighting? It should stop the plastic from re yellowing.
The metal strips inside that one cartridge are probably a passiv rfid chip. Could be theft prevention of a store but since it's on the inside I would guess that it was part of a library.
Goo gone changed my life.
Rain-X takes marker off like magic!
I really enjoyed this video!
Step #1 is going to be .0000 steel wool on the pins. It will make it look brand new. Step #2 is to Wipe off residue with 99% alcohol and step #3 you Use the deoxit to fully clean the pins and get rid of any remaining alcohol / steel residue. As far as the outside, 99% alcohol should do it.
The labels under the cartridges are used by some 2nd game shops to track stolen games
Would have liked to get the Hollywood Video games and Blockbuster with the stickers
Absolutely would not use a magic eraser or goo gone anywhere near a videogame cartridge. I'm glad to see games working.
Pretty good results!
you see this is just another example of don't assume it's not working for people
spoiler below
only 5 of the 30 needs a lot more work to get working (assuming they are not too broken) basically some times all it takes is cleaning the pins to get it working. and as for the other 5 just needs more work with replacing parts on the circuit boards.
I tried retrobriting the back of the same Bugs Bunny game cartridge, but instead of losing the yellowing, it turned white. Apparently, you can’t retrobrite SNES cartridges. I saw a similar case online where a Wild Guns attempt also failed.
The Super Mario World cartridge is just sun-faded.
If IPA doesn't do the trick removing Sharpie, you can also try white toothpaste. It's a very mild abrasive.
If the battery is dead, I've seen that prevent games from working. So, one of those Mario World's could work with a batter replacement... if the battery is bad. Otherwise it looked super clean, unlike the other one.
I'll check that out. Thanks!
Our family has always used finger nail polish remover to remove permanent marker and it seems to work most times. Potentially something you can try?
Thanks Ill give that a shot on that stubborn one
Consider using these tips for future cartridge cleaning:
1. If you're already opening the cartridge, use a white/vinyl eraser. It works equally as well, with way less steps and time taken.
2. Never submerge the label portion of a cartridge in water. The label will get moisture underneath it, causing irreversible wrinkling/bubbling. Instead, use a toothbrush to apply and scrub soapy water or surface cleaner onto your cartridges to remove dirt.
3. Something as simple as paper towel can remove the texture of a cartridge, so no matter how soft you press with a Magic Eraser, you will definitely be wearing the plastic away. A smooth section on a cartridge can look just as bad as having marker there, so just don't use them.
4. While it can be useful for older sticker glue, try not to use Goo Gone, especially near labels. It's runny, stains, and leaves a greasy residue that needs to be cleaned off. Lighter fluid, isopropyl alcohol, a hair dryer, or a combination often works just as well. Also, get some plastic razorblades for optimal sticker scraping.
5. Rather than applying solutions/chemicals with a cotton swab, invest in some eyedroppers to help ensure the liquid goes exactly where you want it to. This also allows you to let it soak into stickers or marker before removing it.
The metal sticker was from a game store for security detectors
The first Madden game was made for the Apple II, in 1988. Just FYI.
Man this is so relaxing ☺️
Yellow Sac Spider is what you cleaned out on the case.
Send the non working mages over to Steve, he'll definitely bring them back from the dead 😉
My recommendation for stubborn dirt on the shell would be baking soda, a little water and a toothbrush, not the magic eraser.
Have you tried blowing on the cartridge that did not work? it worked 7 of 10 times for me :D
Where we all got started in gaming repair :)
That is not a good idea. And I only have ever had that happen on NES games. Iv never had a SNES game that didn't work after a cotton swab on the pins.
As someone new to this, I just want to confirm the process of deoxit pass with a qtip, light buffing with a magic eraser soaked on ipa, and then another pass of deoxit and leave it on?
I use magic eraser for when people write on the cartridges. It's so easy and fast. I don't do it hard