Cleaning N64 cartridges?

[Dart Zaidyer]

I've never seen any cleaning kits for N64 cartridges before, so I'm wondering: Will an SNES cleaning kit work just as well?

Generally there's no real difference except for a few extra metal bits, so I'm confident it will work, but just to be safe I'm asking for some opinions.

[VEL]

I've used a gameboy cleaning kit for N64 carts and it worked fine. It was this stick with a soft white thing at the end that was used to clean the cart contacts.

[MottZilla]

It's just metal contacts, any Nintendo cleaning kit product should work just as well on any Nintendo cartridge, and more than likely others. Afterall, they are "ussually" just copper contacts. Although from what I remember, Sega Saturn's memory card/cart slot had tin connectors to save on money. :O Atleast the female end, the cart itself could be whatever.

[Dart Zaidyer]

What about cleaning the N64 cartridge slot itself? Right now I'm not even getting any video output when I turn the thing on, and I don't want to risk my SNES cleaner if I don't have to.

[Mak-X]

There is a N64 cleaning kit which I have. Seems to be available at Nintendo's store (http://store.nintendo.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&langId=-1&ignoreCrumbs=N&crumb1=&crumb1Ignore=&crumb2=%253CA%2BHREF%253D%2522javascript%253APassO n%2528%2527X%2527%252C%2B%2527ChooseView%2527%252C %2527%2527%252C%2B%2527%2527%2529%253B%2522%253ENi ntendo%2B64%253C%252FA%253E&crumb2Ignore=&crumb3=%253CA%2BHREF%253D%2522javascript%253APassO n%2528%2527C%2527%252C%2B%2527CategoryDisplay%2527 %252C%252714753%2527%252C%2B%2527N%2527%2529%253B% 2522%253EParts%2B%2526%2BAccessories%253C%252FA%25 3E&crumb3Ignore=&translateFrom=%C8%C9%C7&translateTo=EEC&usrSearchText=&searchText=&selSrchType=&page=&view=&productId=364&categoryId=14753&lastAction=ProductDisplay) still

I remember EGM joking years ago about the N64 being selfcleaning, probably stemming from it having flaps over the cartridge slot to protect it from dust.

[MottZilla]

Not getting any video output but you get sound and hear the games running? You need to check your video cable and video connections.

[vegeta1215]

I got a cleaning kit for like $5.99 at this local game store and it works on everything I have: NES games and system, SNES games and system, N64 games (haven't tried system), Gameboy games, and probably Sega games too. The metal connectors are what get dirty. I was shocked at how dirty my Zelda NES carts were. (and Chrono Trigger and other SNES carts too!)

[Dart Zaidyer]

It's a "needs cleaning" thing. The system doesn't even boot up, but the red light is on.
This is further illustrated by the fact that once it actually does get going, I can change cartridges and it will not run again. That always used to happen with the NES and SNES whenever they needed cleaning that badly.

[slef]

dont blow in it. saliva will just corrode it.

[Radium]

Cleaning kits? We don't need no stinking cleaning kits! Rubbing alcohol & a Q-tip will do the trick.

[zables]

Actually instead of just Rubbing Alcohol, you could spend a couple extra bucks and go big the Electrical Contact Cleaner. Thats the best stuff for cleaning anything electrical. But Radium is deffinatly right about the Q-tip :D

[Dart Zaidyer]

I'm not sticking a Q-tip into my favorite game if there's a chance it will disintegrate and leave Q-tippy bits on the contacts. Q-tips are known to fall apart, y'know.

[zables]

Well Dart, if it makes you feel anybetter i repair electronics for a living and i work on equipment alot more sensitive then the contacts on a game cartridge and we use Q-tips and Electrical Contact Cleaner. So I really would not worry too much about it leaving a small amount on the contact, if it scares you THAT bad, invest in some Compressed Air to blow it out with afterwards ;)