Any classic gamer knows that playing old school NES games on the original NES hardware always starts with a fight to get the game running. The classic hardware is a front-loading (zero-insertion force) design where you slide the cartridge in from the front, and press down to lock it into place. Unfortunately, this design causes frequent problems when trying to start your game. More often than not, you'll get the blinking power light, or a garbled version of the game.
Many old-school gamers have their own ways of getting the game to start. Some rely on keeping the game contacts clean by using rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip to clean grime off of the cartridge. Others wiggle the game from side to side while in the machine to make a better connection, or press up and down on the game cartridge 50 times. Another common method is to wedge one of the black game protectors into the machine to hold the game down further. All-in-all, many of these methods will eventually work, but there is only one discovered method that works nearly every singe time.
In 1991, Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. first introduced the Game Genie, which is a pack that sits between the game console and the game itself. The Game Genie is widely considered to be one of the first Game Cheating devices, as its primary function is to apply miniature patches into the game code to provide infinite ammunition, lives, etc. Years ago, Nintendo sued Galoob in 1992 to cease producing the product, claiming that it created derivative works which violated their copyright. Nintendo lost the case, and could not stop the product from being sold in the US. Galoob went on to release similar products for the Game Boy, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and Sega Game Gear.
One of the benefits of the Game Genie is that it fits very snugly in the original NES, and games that are plugged into the system using it tend to start nearly every time. Many believe that you're cheating by plugging the game cart into the Game Genie, but as long as you don't enter any Game Genie codes in the initial screen, you will not alter the game play. In rare cases, you may eventually need to clean the contacts of the Game Genie.
It's often said that the Game Genie compounds the boot problem of the NES, considering the Game Genie slightly bends the pins more than just the cart itself. Keep in mind that once you start using the Game Genie to play your games, your game system may not be able to load games without the Game Genie attached. Considering that most NES systems start to exhibit the boot problems regardless, at least the Game Genie will get games to boot.
The NES Game Genie is compatible with nearly every NES game, though there are a few exceptions:
- Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse
- Fester's Quest
- Most games by Color Dreams
The only major problem with using this method is the increasing rarity of the Game Genie device. If you don't already own one from "back in the day", you'll be very fortunate to find one in a local used game shop that still resells NES products. Otherwise, you'll have to turn to sites like ebay to find one.
The Game Genie does not fit into the revised top-loading edition of the NES (NES-101) without an extremely rare adaptor (nearly impossible to find). However, the NES-101 does not have the problems associated with getting games to run like the original hardware. The 101 model was built with a card-edge connector that was much more reliable than the ZIF socket in the original design. Nintendo also removed the 10NES lockout chip that used to inhibit the original NES from booting.
Whatever your method, the Game Genie works... and works well. Go find an original Game Genie and start enjoying those old classics without any of the headaches. Don't forget, the Game Genie lets you cheat, too... so maybe you can finally finish some of those impossible NES game titles that you used to yell at as you threw the controller at the TV.
Huge thanks to TechLore Editor Matt Whitlock for assistance in writing this article, as well as the background information on the Game Genie and tech information about the NES hardware.
