The original NES console has a fatal flaw in the form of an unreliable pin connector that can make getting cartridges to work a massive pain on aging systems. Various aftermarket solutions have existed for some time, but they've all come with compromises and caveats. Now, at last, it looks like a group of modders have finally gotten to what might just be the perfect solution.
The original, VCR-style front loading NES accepts games through a pin connector where you have to insert a cartridge and push down on a spring-loaded mechanism to lock that cart in place. Over time, the pins in that connector wear out, keeping cartridges from making a good connection and causing the system's power light to blink red as it fails to recognize the game.
It's possible to fix the connector by hand, but that involves bending each of the dozens of pins back into place manually, a process that takes some time and a decent amount of trial and error. An aftermarket replacement called Blinking Light Win completely fixes the issues with the original connector, but it's long since stopped being manufactured and locks cartridges into the console with what users not-so-affectionately refer to as a "death grip." Seriously, I have a Blinking Light Win installed in my NES and I have to keep a pair of pliers next to the console just to get the cartridges out.
6 months ago @reventlow and I discussed kitting our NES consoles with a RGR clear shell; however, we both hated the idea of using the unreliable OG 72-pin connector. So we embarked on a journey to fix the sin @nintendo committed 35 years ago, say hello to the Ninten-drawer: a 🧵 pic.twitter.com/PFkUG2fBnkFebruary 7, 2024
Thankfully, a pair of console modders who go by RockerGaming and reventlow have developed a new device called the Ninten-drawer. Like the Blinking Light Win, it replaces the original push-down connector with a design that gets the cartridge to the system in a straight shot. The difference here is the extending drawer that lets you remove the cartridge without fingers of steel.
"The drawer can do what the [Blinking Light Win] can’t… which is extend," RockerGaming explains on Twitter. "This gives the drawer a massive leg up when it comes to actually removing the cart. You see this design along with a few other clever tricks makes death grip, which plagued other 72 pin connectors, a thing of the past. Reliable connection to play games and you can remove the cartridge no problem, check and check."
The Ninten-drawer is currently being trialed by a handful of beta testers, but hopefully it won't be too long before it gets a wide release. I've needed something like this for about as long as I've been playing NES games, so I've got my fingers crossed that it can deliver.
Time to dig back into the best NES games of all time.
