Did you have your heart set on a Generation NEX for Xmas only to have it ripped out Mortal Kombat style when you
discovered it's garbage? What to
do?Ben Heckendorn, who literally wrote the book on hacking video game consoles (seriously, it's called Hacking Video Game Consoles), has some instructions on his site for turning that old, broken NES into a fully functioning "Super" NES! Steps include:
- Faux Stereo Sound: "Much like the 2 sound pins on the Atari 2600's TIA (Stella) chip, you can isolate the signals to get a
separation of the sound channels and a kind of stereo."
- Disable your NES's Lockout Chip:
"One of the big reasons a NES cartridge doesn't always load is because the
lockout chip inside the NES and the one in the cartridge must "talk" to each other before the system is
allowed to boot. Corroded (that is, not blown on) cartridge connectors can prohibit this data transmission from taking
place. If the screen flashes on boot that's the problem."
- Replacing the Zero Insertion Force Cartridge Slot: "But this cartridge slot just didn't cut the mustard after about 2-3 years of play, and for those of use still playing NES after a couple decades that's a big deal. What's really crummy about the thing is the cartridge moves but IT DOESN'T. Thus, it gets all bent and smashed up, therefore not making contact after a while."
