Dusting Off A Classic (The Clean Machine)

NES We Forget...

The good 'ol Nintendo Entertainment System was definitely in need of a good cleaning - Something I'd never actually done.

(Aside from the standard "blow into the cartridge" that Nintendo always warned us not to do)














Getting the NES to load a game was like playing roulette….


A persisting “blinking red light” with the screen flashing bright and dark…. More often than not, the games refused to load.

“I've got such a bad case of dust contamination, I can barely move!"

For this NES-cessary detailing job (that apparently also includes bad puns), opted to use a vacuum nozzle to suck out as much of the dust & debris (aka. carbon scoring) as possible (from both the system and the games).


Used a third party (non-Nintendo approved) system cleaning solution (basically rubbing alcohol).
(Forget exactly what percentage is recommended, but apparently stronger is better – and will evaporate quicker).
Actually found an old third party (SNES) cleaning kit within my collection.

A hobby buddy had given me an old SMB cart that he uses for cleaning. Said to soak a Q-Tip in alcohol (I started off by using it sparingly) and slosh it around both sides of the chip. Dust has settled on the contact points due to lack of use.

Insert the game a a bunch of times (unplugging the power first!) and let it dry completely.

Took a few repetitions of this treatment to really loosen and remove most of the debris, but at least I can reliably get it to boot up and load a game.



As for the games themselves, they can also be cleaned.
After a good wipedown with a solution-soaked Q-Tip, left the game cart out with the chip towards a fan for the afternoon. Probably being over cautious, but I don't want to risk electrical shock (nor ruin any of these classics!)



Allowing the machine to run more and more, even managed to keep it alive for an entire afternoon.
Slightest bump or knock to the shelf and it’s game over – The system will usually flicker and reset itself.


These games truly are collector’s items.
However, to enjoy a proper playthru of a game I normally opt to play an Emulator just for increased reliability.

“With all we've been through, sometimes I'm amazing we're in as good condition as we are”

All Systems Go!

Fired Up About a Classic…

Thought I'd had four Nintendo systems over the years - It's actually been FIVE:
NES, SNES, N64, GCN and Wii.

So which one was more fun?
Really feel the N64 hit the sweet spot.

But for me, the old Nintendo Entertainment System is where it all began.

Although I can play any of my classic favorites on an Emluator, there's something rewarding in owning and maintaining the old NES.

Despite much frustration, actually enjoyed "restoring" my old NES to working condition.
(Somehow I feel that if I don't get it working every five years or so, it may never run again)



It’s fun to tinker with the old console and get it operational.
Normally takes a bit of fiddling (and cursing) to get her running halfway decent.

A few hints of life, couple musical notes of a game, and then a crash / freeze.
Finally, the glitchy pixels came through...



Fuzzy at first, with the game graphics all glitched up.


The longer you keep the game on, it almost seems to "burn off" some of the fuzz or dust. The graphics get less buggy and eventually the screen returns to the way it should.



Messing with the old system is literally something I found myself doing on a rainy day.
The trill of getting it working (yet again!) seemed to give a spark of excitement when it finally booted up.



Got it to run exactly FOUR times that afternoon.

First game I got to load was Super Mario Bros 2. The console wasn't doing much at first, so I was basically swapping things out and SMB2 was just the game that I grabbed.


After it froze a few times, decided to try Mario 3. Also loaded with fuzzy graphics and a few freeze-ups / crashes, but had it humming along for the better part of an hour.

When a game has been working and suddenly freezes, I find it best to gently hit the reset button instead of power.


Just taking the old NES for a spin around the block for nostalgia’s sake.
Like an old car, it’s not reliable enough for a road trip… But it's still fun to take it for a joyride.

Flyin' High Again...

Super Mario Bros. 3
(NES)

Sticky Mario

Blazing into the summer with Super Mario Bros. 3 still occupying the top spot for 600 months in a row (give or take).

There's been a resurgence in Bond's salty escapades, and GoldenEye 007 has shot up the ranks.

Some renewed interest in Super Mario Bros 2, possibly with buzz about the Phanto Fan Club...

STAR CHARTS Navigating the Retro NintendoSphere  Game System Released 1 Super Mario Bros. 3 NES 1990 2 GoldenEye 007 N64 1997 3 Donkey Kong Country 3 SNES 1996 4 Super Mario Bros. NES 1985 5 Super Mario Bros. 2 NES 1988

Super Mario Bros. 2

Super Mario Bros. in a Flash...

Super Mario Bros.
(1985)

Compilation of screenshots captured while finishing the original Super Mario Bros.

Forty some screenshots compiled into a GIF image saved years ago...

There's just something about the original version... The controls are brutal and unforgiving, but that's part of the challenge.

A highlight reel of Mario's quest to save the Princess.

SMB: Booklet Baddies...

Super Mario Bros / Duck Hunt
User Manual
(Scanned Cover)

The best part of any oldschool Nintendo user manual has to be the "Enemies" section.

In the original Super Mario Bros, the Turtle Tribe is depicted in pixel form - Just as they appear in the game.

(artistic renderings would be included in subsequent Mario adventures)

Scanned the key pages of this age-old document. It's no longer just a book - It's an artifact!

Of note, defeating a Hammer Brother nets 1,000 points.

Another standard enemy worth surprising points are the Koopa Paratroopas (400 points - And that's just for taking away his wings).

SMB: Unmask Phantom Bowser

On The Hunt...

Super Mario Bros.

The dreaded Spiny makes his debut in Super Mario Bros, first appearing in World 4-1.

If Fire Mario can make it to Bowser Koopa in World 4-4 and eliminate him with fireballs, the apparent Koopa King will briefly transform into a Spiny before he falls into the lava.

There's a hidden transformation like this in every castle, right up until World 7.

It's a secret that even many oldschool Mario fan's aren't aware of.

Mario finally confronts the "real" Bowser Koopa in World 8.

YOSHI EGG   (SMB: Unmask Phantom Bowser) Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System In the original Super Mario Bros game, defeat Bowser Koopa with fireballs, and a secret hidden foe is revealed. Found the old photo gallery of "Unmasking Phantom Bowser". Compilation of shots between the original Super Mario Bros and the All-Stars version, but it gets the job done. World 1: Goomba World 2: Koopa Troopa World 3: Buzzy Beetle World 4: Spiny World 5: Lakitu World 6: Blooper World 7: Hammer Brother

Mission Statement...

Professional Courtesy

Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario reigns supreme on the leaderboard, with Secret Agents James Bond and Joanna Dark covertly infiltrating the ranks.

The Kongs also manage to keep up, with the enduring popularity of Kremling Pirates and Dixie Kong (because blondes really are more fun).

STAR CHARTS Navigating the Retro NintendoSphere  Game System Released 1 Super Mario Bros. 3 NES 1990 2 Super Mario Bros. NES 1985 3 Donkey Kong Country 2 SNES 1995 4 GoldenEye 007 N64 1997 5 Perfect Dark N64 2000

GoldenEye 007

Constellation Prize...

The Nice List

Super Mario Bros. 3

The popularity of Super Mario is hard to match, with his games occupying the top three spots on the chart.

Diddy Kong and James Bond round out the top five.

A lump of Kremling Pirate Gold will be found in your Holiday Christmas stocking if you play as Oddjob in Multiplayer.

STAR CHARTS Navigating the Retro NintendoSphere  Game System Released 1 Super Mario Bros. 3 NES 1990 2 Super Mario Bros. NES 1985 3 Super Mario All-Stars SNES 1993 4 Donkey Kong Country 2 SNES 1995 5 GoldenEye 007 N64 1997

Donkey Kong Country 2:
Diddy's Kong Quest

SMB: Wrong Warp (4-2)

The traditional way to find Warp Zone in World 4-2 of the original Super Mario Bros is to climb a vine hidden in an overhead block. Located barely one screen to the right of the vine, happens to be a pipe that leads to an underground coin cache.

By virtue of the Warp Zone and the Coin Cache being so close together, it's possible to trick the game into sending you to the Warp Zone area instead of the Coin Cache.

Normally, Mario's on-screen position is beneath your coin count. By shifting him far enough to the right, closer to the "W" in "World", (with the screen still scrolled to the left), the game will still have the value for the Warp Zone area as your destination instead of the coin room. When Mario re-appears on-screen after going down the pipe, he's loaded into the Warp Zone without the vine.

 

There are a few different ways to shift Mario the required 20-30 pixels to the right for this trick to work.

The most popular method is with a "Backwards Bump".  Mario's on-screen position changes by several pixels anytime he brushes a wall while jumping backwards - He moves ahead slightly further than the screen scrolls.

Another technique involves jumping or sliding under the first set of blocks by crouching as Super Mario. Stand up while underneath the blocks, and the game will shift Mario through the wall and to the right of the screen.

As long as Mario is still shifted to the right when he enters the pipe, he'll go directly to the above-ground Warp Zone area.

 (The glitch even works in the Super Mario All-Stars version)

The ability to skip past the vine and onto Warp Zone saves precious seconds for speed runs. It's also really neat to learn what's happening behind the scenes... The first video features the evolution of all fastest known routes leading up to and including the discovery of "Wrong Warp". The other clips specifically discuss the World 4-2 Wrong Warp glitch:

4-2: The History of Super Mario Bros.' Most Infamous Level (20 min, 30 sec) by Summoning Salt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1AHCaokqhg

Darbian explains Wrong-Warp (3:23)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mIrKJ_s9qQ

SMB1 4-2 wrong warp tutorial/explanation (3:44) by andrewg1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5B9rcL98ao