Disabling the NES Lockout Chip...Good Idea? Goodbye Blinking Light!

Disabling the NES Lockout Chip...Good Idea? Goodbye Blinking Light! | The 8-bit Basement

Рет қаралды 9,818

3 жыл бұрын

In this video we disable the NES Lockout Chip!
Nintendo implemented a lock out chip in its console in order to prevent third-party game makers from being able to produce games. It was Nintendo’s intention to only allow officially licensed games to be able to be played on their console. When the console is powered on the chip in the game communicates with the chip in the console and the game is allowed to be played. When the lockout chip fails to communicate correctly the NES CPU will generate system resets at 1 second intervals AKA the blinking red light of death!
Often times dirt or corrosion can interrupt the proper chip communication resulting in the lock out chip disallowing the game to be played - or - blinking incessantly. Disabling the lock out chip allows the user to play imported games without special adapters, play unofficial and homebrew games and forever stop the Red Blinking Light. Disabling the lock out chip, though, will not allow you to play certain unlicensed games.
Disabling the chip may not allow you to play games from Tengen, Wisdom Tree, and other 3rd-Party game makers.
How to open your NES Console: www.wikihow.com/Repair-a-Nint...
*Please note: Attempt this modification at your own risk. We are not responsible for any damage attempting this modification causes your console or any games*
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Пікірлер: 63

@JimMurray2 3 жыл бұрын

This channel continues to expand my knowledge of what is possible

@rensmolenaar9298 Жыл бұрын

Finally after cleaning, replacing a back connector, this finally solved my blinking light issue and got it to play again.

@The8bitBasement Жыл бұрын

Hey that's awesome!!! So glad to hear this video helped you out and you can get back to playing those amazing games!! Thanks so much for watching and dropping a comment.

@salduchi1785 2 жыл бұрын

This video reminds me of KZfaq videos from 2010. Awesome!

@The8bitBasement 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

@silverchaired 2 ай бұрын

Cheers guys! I got an NES for my 16th birthday and would always have to wiggle the games to stop the blinking. This fixed it! Respect and many thanks from Australia 🙏🙏

@The8bitBasement 2 ай бұрын

Hey man! Glad to hear you were successful in disabling the lockout chip down under! That's awesome! Don't you just love that feeling? Thanks for watching and commenting, and good job! 💪

@trentgaming4211 3 жыл бұрын

With the condition my nes is in this would probably be a good idea thanks guys for the info

@The8bitBasement 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah give it a shot! Glad the video helped!!

@ViceCityNights Ай бұрын

I have to give credit where it is due this is the only thing that helped I cleaned inside and out polished the the connections replaced the 72 pin and all thank you so much!!!!

@The8bitBasement Ай бұрын

We are beyond thrilled to hear this news, excellent job!! Glad our video was able to provide some help and thanks for watching!

@frankbizzoco1954 2 жыл бұрын

I have a question about the "push down" feature on the NES. I have a Everdrive N8 Pro for Famicom, and a 60 to 72 pin adapter. Using the Everdrive on my Famicom naturally works perfectly, but I can not use it on my NES because the Everdrive is too big to push down. I already have the lockout chip done on my NES, but just putting the Everdrive in with adapter does not work. I also can not use the adapter\everdrive with Game Genie. Is there any way to deactivate the push down feature on the NES? Supposedly the "Blinking Light Win" can fix this, but they have not been available for some time. Thanks!

@The8bitBasement 2 жыл бұрын

Typically the "push down feature" is an issue with how the lower pins on the connector are bent. I believe, if memory serves, that if they are bent up too much then contact isn't made correctly when the tray is pushed down. Which is why it works in the up position. You can adjust your pins with a simple dental pick found on Amazon.

@mr.nuna916 Жыл бұрын

@The8bitBasement oh ok so THATS my issue. I bent my pins up to the Max.. And it only works in the up position. So I'm guessing I need to try and push them back down??

@ojbeez5260 11 ай бұрын

How do you disable the lockout chip on the cartridge itself. e.g. to play a US cartridge in a UK console without modifying the console???

@The8bitBasement 11 ай бұрын

To our knowledge that is not possible. The modification needs to be made on the console as the console uses the cart for the lockout trigger. Thanks for watching!

@TheDraugrDeathlord Ай бұрын

Is it possible to install a fan in this situation. In the Sega LED video you guys ran 2 wires from the power and the power switch.. can that be done to install a fan as well?

@The8bitBasement Ай бұрын

It would all depend on the fan. It would have to be low voltage so that its not drawing too much.

@mr.nuna916 Жыл бұрын

I just refurbished my NES and bent the pins on my 72 connector. Everything works PERFECTLY.......except if I push the game down. It ONLY works if I leave it up. 🤷 Would disabling the lock out fix it?

@The8bitBasement Жыл бұрын

No the lockout chip has little to do with this. Disabling it only bypasses a built in security function

@OriasX Жыл бұрын

Is there any reason why I should cut the pin after i pull it out of chip? Because I didn’t cut it and it works fine

@The8bitBasement Жыл бұрын

Removing or cutting the pin just prevents any chance of it touching any other contact and creating a short.

@superpixelmaster846 3 жыл бұрын

Ahhhhh... makes sense. I thought the red light of death started with the Xbox 360. Nice video guys.

@The8bitBasement 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks man! Xbox 360 had the honor if having the red ring of death haha glad you liked the video! Thanks again

@sokoloft3 3 жыл бұрын

Just cleaned my connector, however it's still blinking. Waiting for a gamebit to come in the mail. Clean the cart and see what it does then. If that doesn't fix it I'll try this, though I'm sort of against modifying the console. So as you said. This will only burn up unofficial games? I only have the Mario/Duck hunt cart rn. Likely only stick to official games though.

@The8bitBasement 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, you won't have any issue with official games overheating. I would bet after a good cleaning, your game will work just fine. You may not even need to disable the lockout chip.

@The8bitBasement 3 жыл бұрын

It's also super important to rebend the pins of the 72-pin connector so they create solid contact with games when you insert them into the system. That and cleaning the contacts on the mother board well! That gets super dirty. We'll be doing a top 10 tricks to clean an NES in the future.

@sokoloft3 3 жыл бұрын

@@The8bitBasement This one is in pretty great shape. Bought it from a girl at a yardsale a decade or so ago and she said it was hers growing up. But it was left in the basement with the cartridge in. Cleaned the cart and it's working fine now. Isopropyl wasn't enough though. Took some magic eraser and some elbow grease and shined them up good. Works every time now. Now to do this to all my SNES stuff and replace the save batteries. Likely wait until I get my new soldering iron. Got a pinecil but it's coming from China. Good 2 months or so out. Seems like a good iron, an upgraded TS100 at that.

@The8bitBasement 3 жыл бұрын

Good job! Brasso and alcohol on the contacts will right the ship for most carts, unless they are damaged. Save battery replacements aren't too bad to perform and excellent choice on the iron, that's how to get started on your upcoming modding career!

@gamingfanmark9275 Жыл бұрын

I disabled the lockout chip, I even cleaned several games I owned that did not have the game bit screws, and now I’m getting just a blue screen. I’m not getting the blinking light, but now I’m getting just a blue screen. I did clean the motherboard and I did clean the connections but now I’m encountering this issue. Any advice?

@The8bitBasement Жыл бұрын

How about the 72-pin connector? Have you checked to see if the pins are flat and need to be re-bent? They typically do need to all be re-bent so that the connector makes solid contact with game contacts.

@gamingfanmark9275 Жыл бұрын

@@The8bitBasement I tweaked the pin connectors and I tried to see if that would fix it. As of now I only got one game to work. And even then you have to shove it in the system sometimes. I did clean six other games that did not utilize those “game bits” screws but I’m still getting the blue screen.

@The8bitBasement Жыл бұрын

OK, so you at least know it works. What cleaning products are you using to clean your game contacts and the contacts on the motherboard?

@gamingfanmark9275 Жыл бұрын

@@The8bitBasement a combination of 91% straight isopropyl alcohol and a large pencil eraser. According to ReviewTechUSA he said that using a large pencil eraser was better than using windex or running alcohol because they don’t leave film on the games or cause damage to them.

@The8bitBasement Жыл бұрын

OK, so we have been cleaning games for years, and can recommend a few things. First, it's very important to make sure the pins are bent correctly. See 6 mins into this video for how to bend them: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oryenZaK1tCYpYk.html Second, it's incredibly important to make sure all game contacts and mother board contacts (both sides) are as clean as can possibly be. The motherboard contacts are typically the dirtiest part of the system. Alcohol typically is not enough. We have had a ton of success using a fiberglass pen, as well as brasso, both are items that can be found cheap on Amazon. We also have videos on both. From your description, it sounds like not everything is clean enough yet, and sometimes it takes a few rounds of cleaning. The fiberglass pen (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Zqp9dpyI1sileYk.html) and brasso (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gZyZp5V_3LPPgI0.html) really help do the dirty work. If you are careful with them, you won't damage a thing. Feel free to skip through our intros in these videos to avoid any unnecessary comedy.

@roguesessence 6 ай бұрын

So, I have a cartridge that is 150 games in 1, will that stop this game?

@The8bitBasement 6 ай бұрын

Hello! Thanks for watching and for the question! Can you give us a little more info on the game, including who made it and the exact game title?

@herobrine0781 19 күн бұрын

Will it work if i just disconnect the metal piece from the chip? Do i need to clip it away

@The8bitBasement 19 күн бұрын

@@herobrine0781 Yes, it will work. We cut it away/Flush with the board to try to be as clean as possible with it. Don't think it could create a short, but it may be possible. We don't do a great job in this video cutting it down (we have gotten better at it). Adding a piece of kapton tape over it would probably also help.

@herobrine0781 19 күн бұрын

@@The8bitBasement so I have a uk NES it works perfectly but I accidentally ordered Zelda for it but it is the us version and I just fully removed the metal piece but it still won't work on the nes

@herobrine0781 19 күн бұрын

Hello?

@The8bitBasement 19 күн бұрын

Hmmm. Are you sure the game works? Do you have a US NES you can test it on or a friend or game store that has a US one?

@herobrine0781 19 күн бұрын

@@The8bitBasement no but I bought the game as working

@BIayne 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@The8bitBasement 2 жыл бұрын

Anytime! Hope we were able to help guide you to the promised land!

@BIayne 2 жыл бұрын

@@The8bitBasement ordered a Mario, Tetris & World Cup cart from EU. Now I have Hard Mode Tetris and Mario, since they run faster lol. But I just like having the Mario Variant carts

@The8bitBasement 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice!!! Glad we could help out in being able to play em!!