Hello guys,
Last week I’ve told you that I was looking for a region free NES so, loyal to my wish, I started to look online if I could find something interesting. Usually in Italy you can find an NES around 50€ + shipping but if you look carefully, and if you have a combination of perfect timing and right seller you can even spend a bit less. BUT the region free consoles are more difficult to find and the people who sell them demands higher prices, up to 70-80€. If I wouldn’t have my own NES I think this could even be a price I would pay, but in the end pay a lot for a sort of “repliuca” of something I have is a bit stupid.
I was almost there to close a deal for a wonderful region free NES that looked like brand new: shiny bright plastic, all the calbles, the Zapper and a game included (a Tennis game, so nothing to be excited about) but eventually includiung the shipping I would have paid 75€. Too much.
I kept looking every often when I found another NES, unfortunately not region free but sold with all its original cables plus a random aerial lead, a Zapper and nine games. The seller was asking 55€ for the whole lot because he said the console was damaged for the common blinking red light issue. I’ve seen a lot of people lamenting this problem, but in 99% of cases the issue can be solved with a bit of patience and at most spending 10€ for a new 72-pin s connector.
I was a bit hesitant but considering that among the 9 games there were two I was looking for, even if they’re rather common (The Simpsons: Bart vs. Space Mutants and World Cup) and I could have used some of the other games (and controllers, and leads and the Zapper) for trade or sell I decided to try and make an offer since the auction was about to close.
Well, I finally won it. But the problem now was one: Was the console really damaged or it only needed to be cleaned? I’m not so good in restoring electronics (actually I’ve never done it) but I decided it was the right moment to try it. In two day the console was delivered and first of all I tried to test the games (maybe it was not a problem of the console, but the games could have been dirty or broken). Well, all the games except two were running, even if I have to sweat (and swear) to make The Simpson run. The I tried the console with one of MY old games I know was working. At first the NES started to blink, but I was prepared to it and I was alrady thinking of taking my srewdriver and open it to at least give it a good clean, but as I touched the cartrdige inside, PUFF! The games was working! And all of other games worked. For astrange twist of fate The Simpson game wasn’t working on my old NES but fired up on the first try with the other one!
You know what, now that I know the console is working I’m a bit hesitant to open it and hack it. I mean, a perfectly working NES! But I bought it just for one reason: mod it and play as many games as I can so this is what I will do. I scheduled the surgery for monday afternoon, I hope everything will be ok!
GAMES
- Europa Universalis IV
Begun: November 16th, 2016
Status: 60% completed, on hold - Duke Nukem – Episode three: Trapped in the Future
Begun: January 4th, 2017
Status: 60% completed, on hold - Super Mario Bros. 2 – The Lost Levels
Begun: January 16th, 2017
Status: 12% completed, on hold - Castlevania
Begun: January 24th, 2017
Status: 66% completed, on hold - Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker
Begun: April 25th, 2017
Status: 33% completed
BOOKS
- The ZX Spectrum Book
Begun: June 17th, 2017
Status: 35% completed - The Ultimate History of Video Games
Begun: November 16th, 2016
Status: 4% completed
I ❤ Old Games! 