Tips to Keep Your NES Happy

Stop blowing into your game carts!
Stop, the game is probably not that dirty! By blowing on your games, you are causing a slight moisture buildup, allowing the contacts to make a better connection. This also means that minutes after you start a game, it may become unstable and do all sorts of freaky things, or just crash. On top of that, the moisture accelerates the corrosion process, so blowing into your games is actually damaging them over time.

Do you have just that one game that doesnt work, even after you service your NES?
This could be bad. In a few extreme cases, I have come across game carts where the connector on the game itself is actually worn out. This may be from incredibly excessive use, or caused by use in a machine with a connector that has been improperly adjusted (see the FAQ). Either way, I have not found a good way to fix this yet. However, I am researching ways to correct this problem.

Clean and care for your games.
One of the debates Ive seen is what to clean your games with. Glass cleaner really cleans them, but leaves a residue behind that interferes with the connection to the system. Alcohol cleans very well, but it may accelerate the corrosion process, leading to the issue of contacts wearing out. Finally, theres good old water. Truth is, cleaning in general does put wear on your games. The method I recommend is to use water and scrub the contacts very well (but not too hard, obviously). If there is very heavy corrosion, you can use a pink eraser to remove it. Again, be careful not to wear away the contacts. Once your games are clean, storage is very important. The less you have to clean them, the less wear and tear. The original dust covers are good so long as they are clean themselves. Personally, I keep my entire collection of NES game cartridges in individual Ziploc bags.

Other Suggestions to Keep Your NES Happy