This week I began to work on restoring the Nintendo.

In my google searches, I found many detailed guides on how to replace this part, such as this wonderfully detailed guide from iFixit. However, there were parts of this guide I didn’t like. I did not like how I had to disconnect the controller ports and power buttons. These features are hooked into the motherboard with the type of clip that is very hard to disconnect and reconnect.

Instead of using the iFixit guide, I found an alternative guide from Hitgaming. I like this guide for a couple reasons. First, it shows an alternate way to replace the 72 pin connector without disconnecting the controller ports. Second, it offers page by page instructions instead of displaying it all on one page. It helps to cut down confusion and keep me on track.

The first step towards completing this project was to locate my NES. After an hour of searching, I found it exactly like I remembered.

The second step was to order the necessary part. I found the 72 pin connector on eBay. It cost me a total of $8.48. By comparison, a working Nintendo would cost upwards of $50.00. The part will arrive on Thursday, September 29th.

I decided to take off the back to look inside. This is where I ran into a brief amount of trouble. It turns out that my selection of Phillips head screwdrivers is not quite what Nintendo had in mind. You can see in this Vine how well that went.

After borrowing a better screwdriver from a friend I got to work.

I got my first look inside. I realized it is incredibly dusty.

It is also beautifully simple. It was suggested that I look into widening this project to fix other systems. I would love to, but the truth is I can’t. The NES was the first and last system you could really do the work on yourself. Nintendo realized almost immediately that it could make more money by creating special screws for their systems. The only way you could it up was with a special tool that was only provided to Nintendo and repair shops who paid a licensing fee. You can see a picture of it here on my Super Nintendo.

The NES was so simple yet so complex that it completely changed the game. I am leaving you here for this week. For the final blog post, I will remove the old parts and replace them with new parts. My Nintendo will live again.