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IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Super Nintendo is 19 years old (and still works).

I have a Super Nintendo that mom bought me in 1993 and it still works today (although I have downloaded some of the games on Wii). I am wondering how much life it has left in it and signs of a failing system are. Some of the games don't retain their memory. I also have a Super Scope that still works as well.

I am wondering what is the longest that some people have had gaming systems last.

I was 9 years old when I got it and I am going to be 29 on Saturday.
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

19579823 (banned)

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I got an SNES years ago but i lost interest in it within months..... To me it just isnt as fun as Atari 2600
jack322
join:2012-09-19

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Re: Super Nintendo is 19 years old (and still works).

Wish I had a Super Nintedo too. Epic console!
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

19579823 (banned)

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I remember playing summer Olympics or something on it....

Kulldar
Premium Member
join:2008-11-11
Warren, MI

1 recommendation

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Re: Super Nintendo is 19 years old (and still works).

I've collected old consoles and games for years until I discovered emulators a few years back. Even though I have virtually every game ever made for the old systems on my computer, there is nothing like playing it on a console.

For the saved games not working... you can buy a tool on ebay that opens up the game. It's not a special tool or anything just a certain size allen wrench if memory serves me correctly. You can also buy the batteries inside the games fairly cheap. It only takes a few minutes to replace those batteries and the saved games will work like new. You can find the step by step instructions with a google search and it's really easy. About 5 years ago I replaced the batteries in all my old games.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
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join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

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Re:  

One of my all-time favorite games is Super Mario World. I can't believe that game is over 20 years old (released in the US in 1991). I know all the tricks in that game and have beaten the game at least several dozen times. I downloaded it on Wii as I have misplaced my original copy.

Some of the tricks I know are ditching a Yoshi to keep Mario from falling in a hole and pushing Start/Select to back out of a level to avoid losing a life (provided that you have already cleared the level). You can also replay a castle or fortress if you push the L and R buttons simultaneously while on the map screen.

Some of my other favorites are Super Mario All Stars an Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3.

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

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Re: Super Nintendo is 19 years old (and still works).

Games that didn't use a battery to retain their save data should work pretty much forever, as well as any games that didn't really retain any save data.

The simple fact that there really aren't moving parts in a Super Nintendo helps a lot in regard to durability, since the cartridge itself is effectively a 'companion' PCB inside the plastic shell that links up to the SNES system's logic board to have the necessary boot loader for the given game you plug in.

If I remember right, many of the Nintendo cartridges and even some of the flash carts that enmulate the function of the backup save use a watch-style button cell battery, which can be had pretty cheap. Also, I would think if you were enterprising enough (and skilled enough with a soldering gun), you could theoretically replace the button cell battery with a rechargeable, if you knew there was a way to give it enough current to keep its battery charged. I can't speak for the SNES cartridges, but I know this was mentioned as a solution for the Dreamcast's internal battery (that acted as a CMOS).

Dustyn
Premium Member
join:2003-02-26
Ontario, CAN

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Cool.
I was wondering why when I inserted the game cartridge Super Metroid, NONE of my progress was being saved!?? I'll have to Google around to find the battery type/size and how to replace it.

OmenQ
Spazz
Premium Member
join:2003-03-21
Continuum

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I have my wife's original NES in a closet, still in the original packaging, with the duck hunt guns and the track meet mat. It was used quite a bit, but they kept everything and put it back in the box when it was retired. It's been a couple years, but we did break it out to play some original Mario Brothers some time ago, and it worked flawlessly.

Yeah, the fact that there's no moving parts helps quite a bit.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

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silbaco to C0deZer0

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I never got into the SNES. My NES is around somewhere. Doesn't work very well anymore though and I had to replace the rubber pads for the controller buttons.
said by C0deZer0:

If I remember right, many of the Nintendo cartridges and even some of the flash carts that enmulate the function of the backup save use a watch-style button cell battery, which can be had pretty cheap. Also, I would think if you were enterprising enough (and skilled enough with a soldering gun), you could theoretically replace the button cell battery with a rechargeable, if you knew there was a way to give it enough current to keep its battery charged. I can't speak for the SNES cartridges, but I know this was mentioned as a solution for the Dreamcast's internal battery (that acted as a CMOS).

Are you referring to the Dreamcast't VMU battery or battery in the console? The Dreamcast's internal battery recharges every time the console runs and I have not noticed any serious degradation for the battery on any of my Dreamcasts. The VMU batteries on the other hand I gave up replacing many years ago. I had a couple batteries I put in only when I needed to use the VMU for something, such as the playing minigame Skies of Arcadia. But they still did not last long. I would be very interested in finding a way to make the VMU run off a rechargeable battery.

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0

Premium Member

The mod in question was to replace the button-cell battery in the Dreamcast with a Ni-MH rechargeable AA, since I don't know of anyone who still kept their Dreamcast and that intact. I also think it was stupid how the thing only charges when the system is on (instead of as long as it's plugged in like the PS2 and every other system since).

And yea, I really wish the VMU's had room for a standard battery, or that there was such a thing as a rechargeable CR2032 battery.
JBear
join:2005-02-24
canada

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I have my original NES setup and it works as well as it did when we got it soooo many years ago (probably mid 80's). I practice Dr. Mario (we have competitions at our friend's house) and also have Shingin the Ruler (rare but awesome game). Have to go through my parents house to find Super Mario Brothers 3 and Dragon Warrior. A couple of our controllers are not working properly because of Track & Field where you had to mash the A & B button for most events.

WK2
Premium Member
join:2006-12-28
united state

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Still have mine! Im getting old lol

got_it
@comcast.net

got_it

Anon

Yup, still have the SNES we got for Christmas in '93, so it's about as old as your SNES. The SNES has some cosmetic damage, and there is something that rattles around inside, but it still turns on. We still play it now and then, although we have to play on a 20" CRT, because there is too much input lag on our main tv (Stupid fixed-pixel display can't convert 256x224 to 1920x1080 fast enough, oh well.). I guess things were made much better back then (no moving parts, overengineered?, Made in Japan). About the only thing wrong with the SNES is that the plastic turns yellow over time.

We also had a N64 that we got for Christmas in '96, but a few years ago it "died". It would turn on, but the system would randomly reset. Of course, the N64 puts out quite a bit more heat than the SNES, so maybe it was heat related, or maybe it wasn't. Before we purchased the N64, we rented one from Blockbuster. I still remember coming home from school and seeing Mario 64 in action for the first time.

Slightly OT: I have a Mario 64 mystery that remains unanswered to this day, and I wonder if any of y'all have had this occurrence happen while playing. After beating Bowser the second time (Bowser in the Fire Sea), we went outside the castle and it was raining, and the castle moat was almost flooding over the ground, it was that high. This only happened once, and it happened while we were using the rental N64. I suspect that this occurrence may have been removed from future revisions of the game, as I have tried unsuccessfully to replicate it.


Metatron2008
You're it
Premium Member
join:2008-09-02
united state

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Metatron2008

Premium Member

You realize that the snes has a 3.58 mhz cpu and no dedicated gpu right? The n64 has a 93.75 mhz cpu, and a 62.5 mhz gpu.

And you can't really say the past stuff is made better, esp. since most of it was plastic. Theoretically, given that the xbox 360 has 3 cores running at 3.2 ghz, the xbox 360 is 2682 times more powerful then the snes.

Given the low mhz used by most of the older stuff, combined with the big size of the consoles, you could've made the consoles out of literally anything and they'd run.
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

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Here is an awesome clip for you SNES fans

»web.archive.org/web/200512121135···ella.wmv
quote:
I guess things were made much better back then
Yes your quite right there!!!!!!!!!!

got_it
@comcast.net

got_it

Anon

Maybe I'm just thinking Nintendo products were built better because they had the best reliability among all the consoles we've owned. And I suppose it is amazing how much power Nintendo packed into the N64 without having to resort to active cooling. Had we kept our GameCube, I'm sure it would still be running right now. I can't say the same thing about the Xbox, numerous PS2s and 360s we've had that broke down.

I know that post-SNES Nintendo consoles actually had a metal chassis under the plastic. Did any other systems have an almost all-plastic construction? BTW, as I typed this up, I glanced to my right and saw our SNES, with Super Mario RPG loaded in it. Did anyone ever manage to get the Super Suit (100 consecutive Super Jumps)? My best was only 51. I wonder if this can even be done on a modern tv (See my post above about fixed-pixel displays)?

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0

Premium Member

Really, it's hard to argue with the value of Nintendium... though it seems to have been diluted as of late.

First Nintendo console controller I ever had a problem with was the Nintendo64. Not because of its odd default grip... but more specifically to do with how the analog stick in the middle would consistently grind itself to dust, and the flakes of it would then get in the way of being able to make smooth, fluid analog movements. I should also go on to say that none of my friends at the time that had an n64 didn't have this issue either... so those that could, bought extras for that reason. It was a heck of a system, though.

The most fault-prone handheld in my experience though has got to be the DS lite by far. Thank god I sprung for the in-store warranties after the first, because I ended up having to replace quite a few due to the same issues regarding its hinge breaking, and the shoulder buttons not responding. The 3DS has seemed to finally address these issues in manufacturing... my gripe in the matter is why did it take so damn long?

got_it
@comcast.net

got_it

Anon

said by someone said :
First Nintendo console controller I ever had a problem with was the Nintendo64. Not because of its odd default grip... but more specifically to do with how the analog stick in the middle would consistently grind itself to dust, and the flakes of it would then get in the way of being able to make smooth, fluid analog movements.
Ah, how on earth could I have forgotten about the N64 control stick? Just about every N64 controller I've used has had the stick wear out. I actually bought a refurbished controller from a local game store, and a GameCube style analog stick was used on the controller instead of the original stick. Good for Mario Kart, but WAY too sensitive for most games.

danawhitaker
Space...The Final Frontier
Premium Member
join:2002-03-02
Thorndale, ON

danawhitaker

Premium Member

said by got_it :

said by someone said :
First Nintendo console controller I ever had a problem with was the Nintendo64. Not because of its odd default grip... but more specifically to do with how the analog stick in the middle would consistently grind itself to dust, and the flakes of it would then get in the way of being able to make smooth, fluid analog movements.
Ah, how on earth could I have forgotten about the N64 control stick? Just about every N64 controller I've used has had the stick wear out. I actually bought a refurbished controller from a local game store, and a GameCube style analog stick was used on the controller instead of the original stick. Good for Mario Kart, but WAY too sensitive for most games.

One game that was terribly abusive on that control stick was Mario Party 1 or 2. There was some game where you had to spin that sucker in a circle as fast as possible. I remember trying to break some kind of record on it and using little rubber drink coasters so that we didn't destroy the palms of our hands while doing it. Good times.

Metatron2008
You're it
Premium Member
join:2008-09-02
united state

Metatron2008

Premium Member

that was mp 1, they weren't nearly as bad for mp 2 as their were reports that kids were getting blisters from that mini game.

Dejavu
Game Misconduct
Mod
join:2002-09-11
Ishpeming, MI

Dejavu

Mod

I collect all these old systems and games, they are awesome!

I have the tools to open up the carts as well as the batteries for replacing the internal save battery. If anyone has questions feel free to pm me and ill try and help.

Pic of some of my stuff (last year).

tbone2006
join:2006-07-22
Abilene, TX

tbone2006

Member

Man you are as bad as the angry video game nerd! I regret buying a saga and saga cd instead of a snes back in the day. I thought the saga cd was so cool with its controversial game night trap. I still break out my nes and Atari 2600 from time to time
me1212
join:2008-11-20
Lees Summit, MO

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That is so beautiful.

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County

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Re: Super Nintendo is 19 years old (and still works).

Atari 2600's are still around and working just fine...
Expand your moderator at work
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

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Indeed and they still produce excellent content

Dejavu
Game Misconduct
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join:2002-09-11
Ishpeming, MI

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said by me1212:

That is so beautiful.

thank you. That's about 1/6th of my collection currently.
Jack2
join:2012-11-04

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Excellent collection dude!
Expand your moderator at work