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NES - picture "shakes"
Nadius - Dec 9, 2007
  Nadius Dec 9, 2007
I need some help ruling out problems with my NES.

After watching Little Miss Gamers review of Startropics, I was inspired to dust off my NES. It had been stored in a box for about a year and a half since it was last played. So I hooked it up, and was greeted with the "normal" problems I get when playing an nes game.

But then I discovered that it isn't so normal. It seems that the best picture that my nes could put out is one that shakes. It smears from the top, and becomes offset to the perfect (as in where they should be) active sprites. For instance, I'd start off in Super Mario Bros. and mario would be about a half inch off the shaking ground. Also, as soon as I run to the right, the speed would slow down dramatically.

Could it be my AC Adaptor(rated at 9 volts, 1.2 amps)?

Is this something that a brand new 172 pin connector would fix?

If the problem is something internal and beyond me, would a Yobo NES clone be something to look into?

Thanks in advance.

 ExCyber Dec 9, 2007

  
	
	

		
		

			Could it be my AC Adaptor(rated at 9 volts, 1.2 amps)?

Maybe, but I doubt it. That doesn't sound like an adapter for NES (actually it sounds like one for Genesis 1), but the only two references I can find say that the power jack goes right into a rectifier and voltage regulator, so unless you do something silly like plugging 18V into it, it should still run (actually, it might even run on 18V until it overheats...).


  
	
	

		
		

			Is this something that a brand new 172 pin connector would fix?

No.


  
	
	

		
		

			If the problem is something internal and beyond me, would a Yobo NES clone be something to look into?

Maybe, but be aware that they are not perfect by any means. They're pretty decent but some of the sound isn't quite right, the color is not the same (IIRC the Yobo palette tends to be brighter and more saturated) and some games don't run properly or at all. I think the latter is mostly caused by a few obscure mappers, but be sure to check compatibility lists before you make a decision.

 Nadius Dec 12, 2007
Thanks for the response, Ex.

You're right. I hadn't done much research on the Yobo clone, but I recently read that it has problems with Castlevania III, and so as a result, along with the sound issues, I'm probably not going to get one.

Resisting the implulse to pay a premium for an NES online, I drove to few places today where I swore I had seen NESs before, but I couldn't find any. I'm probably going to invest in a top loading NES sometime after Christmas.

Oh well. Uncle Steve will just have to wait a little bit longer to be rescued.

Thanks again for the help.

 Scared0o0Rabbit Jan 1, 2008
Where are you located? I may have an extra NES I'd be willing to send out... though I'd need to look around for it and test it to make sure it works better than your current one lol.

Edit: Oh and as far as clones, I'd be willing to bet startropics wouldn't run on it either. I've found that atleast in emulators, startropics will run on nes emus for pc but not on nes emus on psp or xbox, almost like the game is more picky or something.

 dibz Jan 1, 2008
As far as Startropics goes, I remember back in the NES emu hayday that being a "milestone" game.

It took quite a while for the best emulators to be able to play that one, and it was one always mentioned in news bits when an emulator achieved it.

I have no idea why though.

 Nadius Jan 2, 2008
Thanks for the offer rabbit but I won't be needing it. My girlfriend realized that she had one in a closet somewhere and gave it to me.

As for Startropics, I started a new game, and found that I'm stuck again in that labyrinth that kicks you back out to the graveyard if you choose the wrong path. Whatever. I thought I had the resolve to get through it, but it's pretty frustrating when I make no progress with the little time I have to play it.