Clean & Maintain Your Video Games & Systems From Midwest Gaming Classic

In this Episode, we show you Why & How You Should Clean ALL Your Gaming Pickups Before Use using 1Up Cards, Cleaners, and Brite Boy LIVE from the Midwest Gaming Classic 2021 in Milwaukee, WI.

Game pick-ups, eBay listings, and finding hidden gems at garage sales are a great ways to build up your retro game library. One problem is that all of these old cartridges were produced 20, 30, 35 years ago and not all have been stored and cared for properly. Some of these games have had years of neglect, stored in basements, attics, or garages collecting dirt, dust, and grime. All is not lost as there is a relatively easy way to restore your cartridges to their former glory. All you need is a few basic tools and supplies to get you up and running.

At the recent Bloomington/Normal Game Con, I picked up a number of different games for different systems. I actually picked up a few cartridges locally before and after the event. These included Tiny Toon Adventures and Super Genjin 2 for the Super Famicom, Disney's Aladdin for the Sega Master System, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Each of these were a different level of cleanliness, from downright beautiful to downright disgusting. Regardless, I cleaned each and every game I picked up. Here's how.

Anytime I get a new game I open up the case to check for damage to the board and anything that would impede the game from playing. This includes inspecting the pins on the board to ensure the proper transfer of data. The best way to do this is by using a 3.8mm Security Bit, also called a Game Bit, to open the game cartridges up. Whether you have NES, SNES, N64, Genesis or Game Boy games the 3.8mm bit will unlock them all.

With the cartridge shells separated checking out the boards is easy. Dirt and corrosion can be seen more easily when the parts have been removed. From here I will use Brite Boy to clean up the pins. Generally speaking there will be a TON of crud that the Brite Boy removes. You don't need to use a lot, a light coating will generally do. Much like resurfacing a DVD or CD, you will remove a slight amount of the pin when using it however you won't remove enough to cause damage.

Please note, there is a lot of Ammonia or an Ammonia-agent in Brite Boy. Do not inhale the fumes or use them in a poorly-ventilated area. Doing so may cause nausea, headaches, and the momentary ability to see WiFi (Click here for example: https://youtu.be/ZXuSDHVh0eQ?t=3m37s)

Once I have completed cleaning the cartridge connectors with Brite Boy I use the 1Up Cards and cleaning solution to finish things off. Apply a light coating of the cleaning solution to the Fluid side of the card and clean off any additional Brite Boy which may be left behind. Once complete you can use the dry side to finish things before re-assembling the cartridge. This has the additional benefit of removing any fuzz that may be leftover from the cotton swabs you used to apply and remove the Brite Boy.

Now that everything is cleaned you can re-assemble the cartridges and test them out. From this point moving forward you should be able to clean your carts by simply using the 1Up Cards and solution. Don't forget about cleaning your system too, 1Up has cleaners for NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64!

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The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)