that's not how this work mate :P Blowing in a cartridge will moisture it and damage the cartridge over time, instead of fixing it. Moisture conducts electricity as we all know, so when blowing in a cartridge, it is possible, that by the moisture all the pins get conducted, and your game works again (Depending on the issue it self ofcourse) for a period of time, that is. after a while, the game will most likely short circuit itself. Then after a while, we are presented with videos like these :P and i like it :P They inspire me :)
The DS says that an "option card" is inserted whenever you have something plugged in that isnt an actual game like a rumble pack or the guitar hero attachment. The solder bridge probably made it so the DS could tell that something was inserted but it couldnt tell what and assumed it was some kind of special accessory
When I was like 5 I dropped my gameboy micro into a sink and after it dried out it was fine. Every time I see a video about wet electronics I think of my gb micro
That was my favorite game boy, and the only one I didn't break when I was 6. By the way, I broke 7 game boys. I cherished my GB Micro, I paid for about 100 dollars in repairs. (Yes I loved it that much). I even got a traveling case with all my pokemon games. I also even bought about 10 skins for it. But then my idiot brother sold it 2 years ago for 15 bucks. That was the worst day of my life.
Hi there. I am an electronics technician with experience in microsoldering. A few tips to help with future repairs. Re-flowing is almost never going to be the answer with these cartridges and could potentially damage the IC's. When using de-soldering braid you will save braid and time if you cut off a small piece and hold it with tweezers. This means the braid has a lower thermal mass and will reach the desired heat more quickly with less chance of burning your fingers. A quick look under a cheap microscope (or a macro lens on a cell phone camera) would have made this a much simpler job. Hope some part of this helps and good luck in future repairs.
Just a few weeks ago i fixed a copy of pokemon red by re-flowing the rom, i don't have much experience with this kind of thing like you do, so maybe look for other things first but re-flowing is sometimes the fix needed.
@@RetroRepairs It's also worth noting that thinner boards require a lot less heat, so there's less risk of damaging components. Unlike something like a PS4 motherboard, which is a HUGE heat sink and requires a ton of hot air to remove the HDMI port, for instance.
@@RetroRepairs I own one of these microscopes, and it is amazing. It also works as a pc camera, or can output to a tv www.amazon.com/Opti-Tekscope-OT-M-Microscope-1920x1080p-resolution/dp/B01JKHJRPM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=hdmi+microscope&qid=1556571860&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
You can't disrespect a trainer like that man. You're obligated once it's working to check out his progress and team that the washing machine took from him. Kept waiting to see it, but you just reset it every time.
Same here, I once fixed a broken VCR with superglue and scotch tape, worked (still works to this day) and have been fascinated by electronics ever since. Been too afraid to ever try anything this delicate. But like he said, it’s already broken, the worst thing can happen is it stays that way. I think I’m going to google a beginners kit lol
The save would have been wiped just cause he had to fix that bridge. I've wiped a few pokemon saves changing the batteries *i know its not the batteries that save the game*
@@NatetheNintendofan with the rising prices of games, I don't think piracy is bad tbh. And to be fair, it does have perks. Ofc, I do have my preference towards original hardware, but emulation is fine with me. Probably can't say the same about others
Id be shocked if you find those games at a flea market for cheap. People seem to know they're worth money now. Best case is maybe a yard sale of an older couple selling their adult kid's stuff to get room in their garage. I've found some really good nes deals that way
Hubert Francis yes your half correct it’s anything that a ds game needs to have an gba add on like garter hero with the button add on. This is why the rumble pack is ds option pack because it’s an add on using gba slot.
I've had my ruby version since I was 5 and after years of blowing on it I started seeing the effects of it. Decided to open it up and cleaned it. Looks like new now.
Good stuff, but again I had this weird feeling, that I would screw this up myself. Such small spots for soldering. I have recently rescued a built-in games board from a dead Famicom clone. Unfortunately I still have to get myself soldering braid, so I can get rid of the solder blobs from the contacts. I find this really helpful, since I have never been using this myself, always being careful not to use too much solder..
For reference the DS option pak is the add-on cartridges for the DS which some games used - such as the DS memory expansion (used by the web browser DS card), DS Rumble Pak (Used by several games) or the Guitar Hero 4-button controller add-on for the DS and DS-Lite
Everyone else in the comments section seems to know what they're talking about... meanwhile I have no idea about any of this stuff but it's still super cool and amazing. It makes me wonder what's going on with my PKMN Gold cartridge. It turns on just fine... but the glitches...
Well,glitches are more often than not, by-products of faulty circuits. If the glitches are multiple and persistent, then something is definitely wrong with either the board, or a basic component on it. I don't know much about GBA cartridge boards, but from my limited knowledge I will assume that those glitches originate from faults within the graphics chip of the board. If the chip is faulty, find a new one (good luck with that) or fix it yourself (which is impossible, since the transistors inside it are smaller than the eye can see)
Those traces are so damn small I would never have the guts to put a wire on it. Props to you for getting it done. Love these videos been binging for about a week now.
My Pokémon Ruby I bought from eBay does some weird color changing when I walk around. The green grass and trees get brighter when I walk, and then back to normal when I stand still. I opened it up, it looks clean however I think it may have been damaged when the seller soldered the new battery on. It’s the only thing I can think of, I cleaned the chip with alcohol like you did.
Great video! Nice one on figuring out that tiny break in the trace. The best repairs are the ones that take a bit of detective work to figure out what's wrong; they're always the most satisfying when you get them figured out! I will be jealous though when you release your battery swap fix video. I'm still sitting at.......... 11 views on mine, lol. I'm sure that yours will do well. Looking forward to seeing it!
This is incredible!!! I had no idea you could do this with circuitry. I gotta get on this. I've been fixing large machines for 5 years, I'd love to fix gaming consoles
I've tried to repair a similar issue before, with a Super GameBoy. Though it was about 4 broken circuit paths. I didn't finish the fix because these issues are caused in part by the cartridge shell were it presses up against the board (I figure something small and hard got in between and got pressed into it, severing the connection(s).) In my case I found that any such wires being added would be clamped down by the shell, if it could even be closed at all the wires would be aggravated the same way with basic wear and tear. Hope that's not the case for your Pokemon Ruby.
Wow! Bridging that trace was super interesting to me, haha. I definitely learned something. Although, I still don’t know how to use a multimeter. It would be super helpful obviously. Well done!
I've always used a flathead screw driver on tri-wing screws. You don't necessarily need a screw driver specifically designed for tri-wing screws. A flathead screwdriver works perfectly fine, every time.
I once dropped one of these in our yard into the snow without realizing it as a kid. I only realised after it had spent the better part of 4 months under a foot plus of snow when I found it in the mud in the spring, dried it off over a fan and cleaned the dirt out of it and it fired right up. These carts are damn near indestructible
I've got a Metroid Fusion that's been through a washing machine and dryer that still functions to this day. The GBA SP that it was inserted in, though? 😥
Due to the removal and unremoval of the cart, you scrape off the oxidation on the pins. This is why it works again, not you blowing it like you want money.
The most amazing thing about this whole blowing vs not blowing debate is the people who say blowing does nothing are claiming to be able to prove a negative.
Unbelievable man. Great diagnostic. Although I think u knew it from the start and everything on the video was just content to make it longer lol. But either way, very impressive bro
i'm shocked at how awful condition that was in, yet you still managed to revive it. kind of inspires me to do this stuff and then resell any duplicates i manage to fix lol great video!!
PinaPerfect Wasn’t all that bad honestly, I’ve seen far worse. I’ve seen old computers with corrosion covering sizeable chunks of the board, it’s especially common if the computer was used in industrial environments to control equipment. Those chips were the worst part of you ask me.
I have a GBA SP that my "friend" dropped in salt water, it worked for another 2 years. Now when I turn it on though it's all scratchy and doesn't get past initial boot up screen. Little warrior served me well though.
It really works, i'm amazed, guys. I've just fixed today a copy of pokemon blue, i re-soldered the area with paste for soldering just like that guy did and it worked, i got so happy! I recommend using flux for soldering instead of the paste tho, the paste can damage the board of the cartridge.
I've learn quite a bit from the video. So meticulous in finding the issue! Also, the solution is something I would have never considered. I've never soldered or have the equipment like checking the current or connections but this video is great!
For those card-edge pins on game cartridges, the best thing I've found to clean them is a pencil eraser. Give them a little rub and they come out super shiny and clean.
I wonder if it worked, if you just have made the bridge instead of the other cleaning parts. Very well done Video, i learned much about how an Advance-Cartridge is built, thanks mate!
Sick video! I just started collecting gameboy stuff, im 14 and i think its very interesting. Eventough i wasnt born yet i get a nostalgic feeling. Your videos are fun to watch!
the chip on the right is the FRAM ship for saving whitout battery backup, the battery is needed for the upper small ship with that quartz is a realtime clock, the rom ship or the OTP is the long ship with the MX label on it
300-350c. Not really a lot you can overheat or damage while desoldering as long as you are quick. Use leaded if you can. As well as flux which will keep the surface tension and stop the solder from peaking when you remove the tip. Best way i find is to use a large tip. I use a 2.4mm chisel type. Remove the battery one side at a time. Hold tab with tweezers, melt solder and lift up on the tab which will stop it from sticking back down. Remove old solder and tin the pads lightly. Fit the battery and melt into place. Then melt and add solder to each side with plenty flux, you can move the iron about a bit in the solder to fill the entire pad + tab nicely. You will also have to bend the tabs on the battery on gba carts as the rom chip is in the way.
One time when i was young i jumped into the pool and right when i jumped i remembered some games in my pocket for the ds do i chucked them out of my pocket in air and they landed on concrete i saved my games.
I was watching GOT videos (BTW,where are my 2 hours episodes HBO?) so I have no idea how I ended up here and I don't know anything about this stuff (the closest thing to this I've ever done was cleaning my Laptop CPU's fan or fixing the Analog Stick of my Joystick) but I really like your way of explaining things... Even though I'd never seen something like this before I still managed to understand what you were doing...
Definitely the best retro repair channel on RUclips you make everything look so easy that I could go out buy a set up and go to town lol. But you should do a video on what to look for when shopping on eBay
But then everyone would vulture all my finds? But actually, i usually look for things such as "Nintendo not working" or "sega untested" and so on. Just have to check at the right time as the really cheap stuff disappears fast
I know nothing about electronics repairing yet having a look, but thanks man I learnt a lot, waiting to get to actually try fixing one of mine:" , do more of these game repair I've got a plenty of broken gameboy games and It would be great to learn more, great video 😢💖
DS Option Paks are for stuff like Rumble Paks and DS RAM Expanders (used by beefy games, homebrew, and sometimes video players). The old generation R4-type flashcards came with one. That a wierd solder bridge could fool the console into thinking that it was an Option Pak is wild. Without knowing what the pin-out of the offended chip is, I assume it confused the console like "I can see that _something_ is there but it screams whenever I ask it. It's probably an Option Pak, so I'll let the SLOT-1 DS Game figure it out.".
Definitely a good informative video. One piece of criticism, maybe just a slight time lapse when you're scrubbing with alcohol since it could help shave down the length of the video.
Do not go over the legs of a chip with a soldering iron from one end to the other. You can, and often will bend the legs sideways and they will not be making good contact anymore.
@@RetroRepairs That is exactly what I told myself and then burned my fingers really, really bad, so take this as a friendly heads up. You don't want to unsolder the chip, straighten the legs out and then put it back on the board. It is terrible work :D
Those are quite giant and hefty chips, so yeah, there is not much of a risk, but if you try to do this on some more delicate chip, you are sooo screwed... I am way beyond bad ideas like soaking board in alcohol, reflowing the whole board and stuff like that. That's learning process. Found out that it is bad and now I am trying to pass the knowledge to others without them causing damage. But nope, there is always some know-it-all, whi talks crap about that. Okay, go ahead, destroy some equipment with price tag containing four zeros and then say 'oopsie, I broke it' and 'should have listened to the guy'. Making something work is very far from making something work and look nice. And doing a crap job is worth nothing.
A DS Option Pak is essentially any accessory for the Nintendo DS that is inserted in the GBA slot. Some notable examples are the DS Rumble Pak and the guitar grip controller for Guitar Hero: On Tour. They aren't games themselves, and instead find their use through a slot-1 game. Occasionally, when a GBA game is not working correctly or is a little dusty, it will be identified incorrectly by the DS as an Option Pak!
I love your fixing videos. I am getting ready to repair my first gameboy Color which is my own. It just has no sound and I hope it just needs a new speaker. I had it forever I think it just needs a new speaker and I want to install a Frontlit to it as well.
It's a little known secret, once you get 10,000 subs, Google gives you the keys to the internet, which allows for infinite possibilities. Either that or something screwy is going on with the timestamps.
@@RetroRepairs Ah okay, btw my GBA SP has a problem. When I turn it on the power light flickers for a second and then goes off. You think a fuse might have blown?
Can't rule it out, but could also be a dead battery. Might be an issue with the charging circuit. I'm not familiar with the sp symptoms well enough to say for sure
Videos like this inspire me to repair my electronics. Too bad I started pretty late with learning about all this jazz (almost 21...) and I have basically zero knowledge. Oh well! We all gotta start somewhere. :)
![Quando Rondo - Grow Up [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8zFnCg3BO4Q/mqdefault.jpg)
Could have saved some time and just blew in to the cartridge.
that's not how this work mate :P Blowing in a cartridge will moisture it and damage the cartridge over time, instead of fixing it. Moisture conducts electricity as we all know, so when blowing in a cartridge, it is possible, that by the moisture all the pins get conducted, and your game works again (Depending on the issue it self ofcourse) for a period of time, that is. after a while, the game will most likely short circuit itself. Then after a while, we are presented with videos like these :P and i like it :P They inspire me :)
Lol sure hope this was a joke.
@@skins4thewin I think he was serious and I think he may just be a dip shit.
mentalfloss.com/article/12589/did-blowing-nintendo-cartridges-really-help
@@Chrispy9393 dead serious m8
Its 4am, why am I here, why am I not asleep, why am I so interested to what happens to this game
Same
Cuz it's old af
3:52 am
Same
You re right!! Go fuck yourself!!!
The DS says that an "option card" is inserted whenever you have something plugged in that isnt an actual game like a rumble pack or the guitar hero attachment. The solder bridge probably made it so the DS could tell that something was inserted but it couldnt tell what and assumed it was some kind of special accessory
When I was like 5 I dropped my gameboy micro into a sink and after it dried out it was fine. Every time I see a video about wet electronics I think of my gb micro
Thank god, someone else respects the Micro. Definitely my favorite of the gba line...
@@LunarPurin the micro will always be my favorite
Micro is very under rated console, one of the best handheld to game on up to this day. Very comfy in hand and cool looking too!
That was my favorite game boy, and the only one I didn't break when I was 6. By the way, I broke 7 game boys. I cherished my GB Micro, I paid for about 100 dollars in repairs. (Yes I loved it that much). I even got a traveling case with all my pokemon games. I also even bought about 10 skins for it. But then my idiot brother sold it 2 years ago for 15 bucks. That was the worst day of my life.
Where i live they never sold that gameboy, only gameboy advance and advance sp.
1:13 "Let's grab my Gameboy and see what can we do here"
GRABS DS
It must be from growing up, I do the same thing without batting an eye. It's been gameboy for me since the original released as a kid.
😄 the actual gameboy screen is crap, but now that ive got a modded gba, that'll be what i use going forward instead of the ds
I thought the same thing but then I thought maybe I was just stupid or something ~_~
The way you’re able to salvage things is incredible.
Hi there. I am an electronics technician with experience in microsoldering. A few tips to help with future repairs. Re-flowing is almost never going to be the answer with these cartridges and could potentially damage the IC's. When using de-soldering braid you will save braid and time if you cut off a small piece and hold it with tweezers. This means the braid has a lower thermal mass and will reach the desired heat more quickly with less chance of burning your fingers. A quick look under a cheap microscope (or a macro lens on a cell phone camera) would have made this a much simpler job. Hope some part of this helps and good luck in future repairs.
Yeah, I don't like doing even easy solder jobs without my microscope. It just makes it so much easier to see tiny flaws.
Just a few weeks ago i fixed a copy of pokemon red by re-flowing the rom, i don't have much experience with this kind of thing like you do, so maybe look for other things first but re-flowing is sometimes the fix needed.
Yep, very often it's all that's needed if a simple cleaning doesnt work. Those boards are so slim, they bend and put stress on the rom and ram chips.
@@RetroRepairs It's also worth noting that thinner boards require a lot less heat, so there's less risk of damaging components. Unlike something like a PS4 motherboard, which is a HUGE heat sink and requires a ton of hot air to remove the HDMI port, for instance.
@@RetroRepairs I own one of these microscopes, and it is amazing. It also works as a pc camera, or can output to a tv
www.amazon.com/Opti-Tekscope-OT-M-Microscope-1920x1080p-resolution/dp/B01JKHJRPM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=hdmi+microscope&qid=1556571860&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
You can't disrespect a trainer like that man. You're obligated once it's working to check out his progress and team that the washing machine took from him. Kept waiting to see it, but you just reset it every time.
I wish he would clean his bench more often during the "surgery".
I wish he would clean his "bench" more often before his "surgeries"
tyksdf
@@nababsingh9617 which means what?
@@newtom80 its a keysmash its basically just lol or lmao but you just. Smash keys. Ncsdgnsjfjgsjgdgj
Lunar Raevyn gay rights ldkdnfkffnjc
This was the most amazing emotional rollercoaster I've ever been on.
Amazing job, saved it from being junk. Great to see people who do this.
this is awesome. you have inspired me to want to buy broken games and stuff to work on.
same lol
Same here, I once fixed a broken VCR with superglue and scotch tape, worked (still works to this day) and have been fascinated by electronics ever since. Been too afraid to ever try anything this delicate. But like he said, it’s already broken, the worst thing can happen is it stays that way. I think I’m going to google a beginners kit lol
DeepFriedwater1 so how’s that going
You should have shown us the save... By the way, good video as always !
He said the battery is dead. The save is gone.
@@MrSantarexIn the gba pokemon games the save is stocked on a chip. The battery is for the in game clock. The save was still there.
@@MrSantarex If you viewed the whole video he does a whole explanation that the game doesn't need the battery to save. Only to keep time.
The save would have been wiped just cause he had to fix that bridge. I've wiped a few pokemon saves changing the batteries *i know its not the batteries that save the game*
Save was not wiped
These Pokemon GBA Carts are getting increasingly rare to find. I'm so glad I kept my original 5
I just got my 5th one about 2 weeks ago. My god, getting the full set took forever
Don't get mad about me saying this but piracy the thing if you're poor you can't afford the game
@@NatetheNintendofan with the rising prices of games, I don't think piracy is bad tbh. And to be fair, it does have perks. Ofc, I do have my preference towards original hardware, but emulation is fine with me. Probably can't say the same about others
Id be shocked if you find those games at a flea market for cheap.
People seem to know they're worth money now. Best case is maybe a yard sale of an older couple selling their adult kid's stuff to get room in their garage. I've found some really good nes deals that way
I appreciate the full walkthrough and not fixing some things off cam. Now I feel like I can fix all defective chips lol
Dude thank you for such a good introduction to the troubleshooting. You did a fantastic job of "thinking out loud" here. Big kudos
They sell tri wing at Walmart now! It's in a cell phone repair kit. Pretty cool.
I think a DS option pack is like the rumble pack. It wasn’t widely released. Nintendrew has a good video about it.
Yeah that would be my guess too
It could also be things like the ram expansion for the DS browser, Also the M3 GBA expansion pack and some other DS slot 2 flashcarts.
Hubert Francis yes your half correct it’s anything that a ds game needs to have an gba add on like garter hero with the button add on. This is why the rumble pack is ds option pack because it’s an add on using gba slot.
I think the DS detected that it was a Gameboy Advance cartridge, but didn't identify it as a game, so it defaults to DS option pack
Guy taught me more about circuit boards than my whole Electronics 101 course in college.
I've had my ruby version since I was 5 and after years of blowing on it I started seeing the effects of it.
Decided to open it up and cleaned it. Looks like new now.
If you ever wonder what battery it should be. They always say it on the pcb next to the + on the battery tab. Great fix by the way!
when i was in the navy we would use isopropyl alcohol to clean the computer system innards on our aircraft. interesting properties....
Good stuff, but again I had this weird feeling, that I would screw this up myself. Such small spots for soldering.
I have recently rescued a built-in games board from a dead Famicom clone. Unfortunately I still have to get myself soldering braid, so I can get rid of the solder blobs from the contacts. I find this really helpful, since I have never been using this myself, always being careful not to use too much solder..
For reference the DS option pak is the add-on cartridges for the DS which some games used - such as the DS memory expansion (used by the web browser DS card), DS Rumble Pak (Used by several games) or the Guitar Hero 4-button controller add-on for the DS and DS-Lite
Everyone else in the comments section seems to know what they're talking about... meanwhile I have no idea about any of this stuff but it's still super cool and amazing. It makes me wonder what's going on with my PKMN Gold cartridge. It turns on just fine... but the glitches...
Jade Juniper I'd try cleaning the contacts with a q-tip to start.
@@antidote5125 It's definitely not the contacts. Trust me, I've had the cartridge for eight years. I've tried all of the easy remedies.
Jade Juniper Oh, okay, sorry. Hope you get it figured out some day :-)
Most likely Missingno. Pray for your sins.
Well,glitches are more often than not, by-products of faulty circuits. If the glitches are multiple and persistent, then something is definitely wrong with either the board, or a basic component on it. I don't know much about GBA cartridge boards, but from my limited knowledge I will assume that those glitches originate from faults within the graphics chip of the board. If the chip is faulty, find a new one (good luck with that) or fix it yourself (which is impossible, since the transistors inside it are smaller than the eye can see)
Good work on the "Measure twice, cut once" double check of that bad lead you found. Stellar.
im getting a gba later this month so it helps to learn the most i can (becuase you never know what to expect from eBay).
This is some ASMR disguised as a repair video.
Cool video! DS Option pack is the little add ons rather than games. Like the Guitar Hero thing. The DS wont know what it is but the related game will.
Those traces are so damn small I would never have the guts to put a wire on it. Props to you for getting it done. Love these videos been binging for about a week now.
My Pokémon Ruby I bought from eBay does some weird color changing when I walk around. The green grass and trees get brighter when I walk, and then back to normal when I stand still. I opened it up, it looks clean however I think it may have been damaged when the seller soldered the new battery on. It’s the only thing I can think of, I cleaned the chip with alcohol like you did.
That's weird. Either a connection needs to be reflowed, or it's at the point in the story where it's really sunny because of Groudon.
Bro this was absolutely fascinating to see you repair this like no joke you got a new subscriber in me
Great video! Nice one on figuring out that tiny break in the trace. The best repairs are the ones that take a bit of detective work to figure out what's wrong; they're always the most satisfying when you get them figured out!
I will be jealous though when you release your battery swap fix video. I'm still sitting at.......... 11 views on mine, lol. I'm sure that yours will do well. Looking forward to seeing it!
~ EDIT ~ I see it now, sorry! here's a view lol
@@thalanoth Hey, thanks! :D
"Just gonna stick it in this hole, I think."
Things She Said, 2019 Edition.
One day, your camera is going to make me barf.
hi
I thought this channel was dead 💀
Nope, might have an occasional brief hiatus, but never dead
Letfordlay What? On his own video?
@@Krilium I was talking about TweeterMan287
This is incredible!!! I had no idea you could do this with circuitry. I gotta get on this. I've been fixing large machines for 5 years, I'd love to fix gaming consoles
I've tried to repair a similar issue before, with a Super GameBoy. Though it was about 4 broken circuit paths. I didn't finish the fix because these issues are caused in part by the cartridge shell were it presses up against the board (I figure something small and hard got in between and got pressed into it, severing the connection(s).) In my case I found that any such wires being added would be clamped down by the shell, if it could even be closed at all the wires would be aggravated the same way with basic wear and tear. Hope that's not the case for your Pokemon Ruby.
yeah but dude, I wanted to see where they were at on the pokedex situation... How many seen and caught? Could have stumbled on a gold mine here!
When the battery dies like it did here the save file gets wiped, there would be no save file to show.
That's not how GBA games work. The battery only powers the internal clock
@@UnchainedGoku It's like there was a contest to admit that you didn't watch the video.
Wow! Bridging that trace was super interesting to me, haha. I definitely learned something. Although, I still don’t know how to use a multimeter. It would be super helpful obviously. Well done!
hearing this guy say “so this got WET” is oddly satisfying to my 3 am brain
I've always used a flathead screw driver on tri-wing screws. You don't necessarily need a screw driver specifically designed for tri-wing screws. A flathead screwdriver works perfectly fine, every time.
A good in depth look at fixing microchips on games.
I never knew repairing electronics could be SO FUN, regreting my career choices right now. Looking forward for more videos like this :)
I once dropped one of these in our yard into the snow without realizing it as a kid. I only realised after it had spent the better part of 4 months under a foot plus of snow when I found it in the mud in the spring, dried it off over a fan and cleaned the dirt out of it and it fired right up. These carts are damn near indestructible
Dude....you put bill nye to shame. Unbelievably smart
I've got a Metroid Fusion that's been through a washing machine and dryer that still functions to this day. The GBA SP that it was inserted in, though? 😥
Where is the Game Boy Advance SP now?
@@rqyhae3340 Thrown away that same day all those years ago.
GBA SP saved it
Your SP sacrificed itself for Metroid Fusion.
F for the SP. What a hero.
How i fixed my pokemon ruby:
I blown on the cartige and he started
Due to the removal and unremoval of the cart, you scrape off the oxidation on the pins. This is why it works again, not you blowing it like you want money.
@@stickmaker10111 That is bullhsit.
@@TheDantheman12121 yup, it's a placebo
@@sweetbabyrodney No it is not. It blows off dust and also the moisture creates a better connection.
The most amazing thing about this whole blowing vs not blowing debate is the people who say blowing does nothing are claiming to be able to prove a negative.
Unbelievable man. Great diagnostic. Although I think u knew it from the start and everything on the video was just content to make it longer lol. But either way, very impressive bro
i'm shocked at how awful condition that was in, yet you still managed to revive it. kind of inspires me to do this stuff and then resell any duplicates i manage to fix lol
great video!!
PinaPerfect Wasn’t all that bad honestly, I’ve seen far worse. I’ve seen old computers with corrosion covering sizeable chunks of the board, it’s especially common if the computer was used in industrial environments to control equipment. Those chips were the worst part of you ask me.
I have a GBA SP that my "friend" dropped in salt water, it worked for another 2 years. Now when I turn it on though it's all scratchy and doesn't get past initial boot up screen. Little warrior served me well though.
Would you be willing to take a look at a genesis model 2 if I send it to you?? I’d be willing to give you enough money to buy a 6-pack.
5 freaking dollars to fix a 50$ console... are you out of your mind??
MonoType a good six-pack will cost you anywhere from 10-20 bucks
More like 9 bucks for a 25 dollar consol, but either way no one is doing this much work for a 6 pack.
This is my first video of yours I’m seeing, and I’m beyond impressed. Wow. You make me want to learn to solder!
I enjoy watching your videos. I also like getting stuff and fix them.
But can you please clean that mat off lol.
I'm finally getting everything reorganized next week and moved back into a better workspace. For the last month, everything has been super cramped
Brave going for the fix on the water damaged game, glad it worked out. Thanks for another great video!
Came across your eBay Junk repairs videos recently. Great stuff man!
I'd love to see something like this for a DS game repair... I've had a Heartgold dead for a very long time that has a bunch of my best Pokemon on it.
I just love watching repair videos just so fastinating and interesting.
It really works, i'm amazed, guys. I've just fixed today a copy of pokemon blue, i re-soldered the area with paste for soldering just like that guy did and it worked, i got so happy! I recommend using flux for soldering instead of the paste tho, the paste can damage the board of the cartridge.
You are one dedicated s.o.b. jesus I would have given up 3 attemps ago :')! congratz
This was cool af! Never knew you could fix a cartridge! Love the video, Keep it up!
You should totally buy a plug n play console and fix it (:
I did this trick and fixed a broken Pokemon Sapphire. Had to bridge a broken connection with some wire. Worked like a charm!
i caught that Canadian dollar clap back.
I've learn quite a bit from the video. So meticulous in finding the issue! Also, the solution is something I would have never considered. I've never soldered or have the equipment like checking the current or connections but this video is great!
Fixing Liquid Damage with a liquid sounds fun to me :D
For those card-edge pins on game cartridges, the best thing I've found to clean them is a pencil eraser. Give them a little rub and they come out super shiny and clean.
Great bridge man,you are total a badass!
I wonder if it worked, if you just have made the bridge instead of the other cleaning parts.
Very well done Video, i learned much about how an Advance-Cartridge is built, thanks mate!
I really appreciate this content, genius fix.
Sick video! I just started collecting gameboy stuff, im 14 and i think its very interesting. Eventough i wasnt born yet i get a nostalgic feeling. Your videos are fun to watch!
Thanks. The Game Boy Advance had alot of great titles, they also remade alot of original NES titles for the GBA. enjoy collecting!
28:48 BEST PART OF THE VIDEO!!! Almost died laughing xD
the chip on the right is the FRAM ship for saving whitout battery backup, the battery is needed for the upper small ship with that quartz is a realtime clock, the rom ship or the OTP is the long ship with the MX label on it
What temperature do you recommend when desoldering gameboy batteries.
Also best temperature for desoldering anti-static balls on new ps2 slim lasers.
Standard unleaded solder temps are 300c so I guess 310 should do it
300-350c. Not really a lot you can overheat or damage while desoldering as long as you are quick. Use leaded if you can. As well as flux which will keep the surface tension and stop the solder from peaking when you remove the tip.
Best way i find is to use a large tip. I use a 2.4mm chisel type. Remove the battery one side at a time. Hold tab with tweezers, melt solder and lift up on the tab which will stop it from sticking back down. Remove old solder and tin the pads lightly. Fit the battery and melt into place. Then melt and add solder to each side with plenty flux, you can move the iron about a bit in the solder to fill the entire pad + tab nicely.
You will also have to bend the tabs on the battery on gba carts as the rom chip is in the way.
The way u say perfect sounds like the perfect from the old street fighter games
Excuse me bro
Temperature of reflow?
I don't have any gba game but i like learn 😊
This is so educational, it was really satisfying seeing the game boot up
One time when i was young i jumped into the pool and right when i jumped i remembered some games in my pocket for the ds do i chucked them out of my pocket in air and they landed on concrete i saved my games.
I hear they won't break as long as they're not on while wet and they don't have a battery
Correct, unless corrosion sets in, then it causes problems
I was watching GOT videos (BTW,where are my 2 hours episodes HBO?) so I have no idea how I ended up here and I don't know anything about this stuff (the closest thing to this I've ever done was cleaning my Laptop CPU's fan or fixing the Analog Stick of my Joystick) but I really like your way of explaining things... Even though I'd never seen something like this before I still managed to understand what you were doing...
If I were to do this myself I would screw up my game more
Definitely the best retro repair channel on RUclips you make everything look so easy that I could go out buy a set up and go to town lol. But you should do a video on what to look for when shopping on eBay
But then everyone would vulture all my finds? But actually, i usually look for things such as "Nintendo not working" or "sega untested" and so on. Just have to check at the right time as the really cheap stuff disappears fast
RetroRepairs that is true didn’t think about that part best not show that lol but keep the videos coming ! Maybe throw in a mod on a system?
You don't want to use desoldering braid to remove solder bridges, you'll end up removing too much solder from the joints.
I know nothing about electronics repairing yet having a look, but thanks man I learnt a lot, waiting to get to actually try fixing one of mine:" , do more of these game repair I've got a plenty of broken gameboy games and It would be great to learn more, great video 😢💖
22:20 my motto through high school
DS Option Paks are for stuff like Rumble Paks and DS RAM Expanders (used by beefy games, homebrew, and sometimes video players). The old generation R4-type flashcards came with one.
That a wierd solder bridge could fool the console into thinking that it was an Option Pak is wild. Without knowing what the pin-out of the offended chip is, I assume it confused the console like "I can see that _something_ is there but it screams whenever I ask it. It's probably an Option Pak, so I'll let the SLOT-1 DS Game figure it out.".
50 cents American. Oof, burned.
Definitely a good informative video. One piece of criticism, maybe just a slight time lapse when you're scrubbing with alcohol since it could help shave down the length of the video.
i literally never see anything you're seeing
So happy that you were using a non-plastic toothbrush
Do not go over the legs of a chip with a soldering iron from one end to the other. You can, and often will bend the legs sideways and they will not be making good contact anymore.
No reason the legs would bend unless the solder isn't fully melted, or if I'm putting too much pressure.
@@RetroRepairs That is exactly what I told myself and then burned my fingers really, really bad, so take this as a friendly heads up. You don't want to unsolder the chip, straighten the legs out and then put it back on the board. It is terrible work :D
Don't listen to @@Krivulda he knows nothing about this stuff. Keep doing what you've been doing, it works. 😉
@@Jajuan44 Yeah, I do that for living for quite some years now and know nothing about it. Sure...
Those are quite giant and hefty chips, so yeah, there is not much of a risk, but if you try to do this on some more delicate chip, you are sooo screwed...
I am way beyond bad ideas like soaking board in alcohol, reflowing the whole board and stuff like that. That's learning process. Found out that it is bad and now I am trying to pass the knowledge to others without them causing damage. But nope, there is always some know-it-all, whi talks crap about that. Okay, go ahead, destroy some equipment with price tag containing four zeros and then say 'oopsie, I broke it' and 'should have listened to the guy'.
Making something work is very far from making something work and look nice. And doing a crap job is worth nothing.
I have never seen this sort of thing before i have to say i am completely in awe
22:19 that’s what I tell my gf pretty much everyday
Bro wtf🤣
A DS Option Pak is essentially any accessory for the Nintendo DS that is inserted in the GBA slot. Some notable examples are the DS Rumble Pak and the guitar grip controller for Guitar Hero: On Tour. They aren't games themselves, and instead find their use through a slot-1 game. Occasionally, when a GBA game is not working correctly or is a little dusty, it will be identified incorrectly by the DS as an Option Pak!
"Go to town"
I love your fixing videos. I am getting ready to repair my first gameboy Color which is my own. It just has no sound and I hope it just needs a new speaker. I had it forever I think it just needs a new speaker and I want to install a Frontlit to it as well.
$13 in monopoly money or $0.50 real money
Ah, the DS you used to test it is the same colour I had. Very nostalgic!
this god - - wish i had this ability
Retro, I used to have a red DS lite but it broke. Seeing yours makes me want to save up again
@Master of spinjitsu Doom screen not only cracked in 3 places but before that a massive red line covered the top side of the top screen
"Oh boy, it got wet..."
*Proceeds to wash it with alcohol*
Yup. And?
@@RetroRepairs Wtf how did you reply 4 minutes before Tyler made this comment??
It's a little known secret, once you get 10,000 subs, Google gives you the keys to the internet, which allows for infinite possibilities.
Either that or something screwy is going on with the timestamps.
@@RetroRepairs Ah okay, btw my GBA SP has a problem. When I turn it on the power light flickers for a second and then goes off. You think a fuse might have blown?
Can't rule it out, but could also be a dead battery. Might be an issue with the charging circuit. I'm not familiar with the sp symptoms well enough to say for sure
Videos like this inspire me to repair my electronics. Too bad I started pretty late with learning about all this jazz (almost 21...) and I have basically zero knowledge. Oh well! We all gotta start somewhere. :)
Never too late. I started in my late 20s.