iFixit - Answers With Device "Nintendo Game Cartridge"

NES Cartridge: cheapest tool for working on nes games.

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:14:05 -0700

Cheapest tool kit for working on nes games.

⟐ Answer edited March 13, 2026 at 18:14 MST

Game Boy Cartridge: Is this Chip Replaceable?

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:57:04 -0700

Hello i wanted to know if anyone knows if this chip is replaceable or if have to buy another cartridge (see attachment for the melted chip)

⟐ Commented March 06, 2026 at 5:57 MST

Nintendo DS Game Card (Cartridge): Need help repairing a Pokémon White Game

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:41:34 -0700

I recently buy the game but when I put it on my 2DS it didnt work

⟐ Answered February 16, 2026 at 4:41 MST

Game Boy Advance Cartridge: Can't get it to work

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:37:19 -0700

Hi there, I have a copy of Metroid Fusion which I think had water damage. I have cleaned the contacts with a magic eraser and cleaned the board with WD40 contact cleaner but I'm still having no luck. I've taken the old battery out to clean underneath it as well. Happy to send photos of it for more help. Cheers.

Nintendo DS Game Card (Cartridge): Need help repairing Pokémon Platinum Game

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 20:54:20 -0700

A few years go my game stopped working, I put it way after trying to fix it myself. The case is busted and there are scratches on the gold parts at the bottom, is there anything that can be done?

⟐ Commented November 29, 2025 at 20:54 MST

Game Boy Color Cartridge: Why is my GBC game cart not storing saves

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:57:03 -0700

I recently picked up and old copy of Pokemon Crystal for the Gameboy Color, it wasn't storing saves data, which I mostly expected so I replaced the battery with a brand new battery and when I tested it, it still wasn't holding the save data, I opened it back up and double checked my soldering work to make sure I had installed the battery correctly and that the solders were good and couldn't find any issue. So what else could cause the save data to be almost immediately lost other than a dead battery?

⟐ Commented October 26, 2025 at 15:57 MST

Super Nintendo Cartridge: Cartridge cease working, how to fix? Can game saves be kept?

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 05:01:26 -0700

I would love a detailed guide on maintenance on the cartridges as well as how to diagnose & repair them when they cease to work. Possible modifications for ease of future repairs such as the battery inside the cartridges and is there any way to keep the save data when battery replacement is nessasry? Can any guide be geo-friendly as there are sometimes slight differences between consoles/cartridges, depending on you location in the world.

⟐ Answered August 15, 2025 at 5:01 MST

Nintendo 3DS Game Card (Cartridge): Why won't my game load

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 03:15:19 -0700

I recently bought a copy of pokemon y on ebay when it arrived it did not load, so I cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol a few times which didn't work and have also used an eraser what is the issue?

⟐ Answered June 19, 2025 at 3:15 MST

Nintendo Switch Cartridge: I can transfer data from a ds game cartage to a switch on card

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:38:13 -0700

I want to transfer the data from My simpsons ds game cartridge to an empty nintendo switch cartridge

⟐ Answer accepted April 09, 2025 at 12:38 MST

Game Boy Cartridge: Pokemon gold doesn't boot, blank screen after nintendo logo

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:26:09 -0700

hi, I'm trying to get my old pokemon gold game to work, it gets past the gameboy logo after I cleaned it, but now the screen is blank and nothing happens. Anyone know what the problem could be? Here's how the inside looks:

thanks!

⟐ Commented February 21, 2025 at 16:26 MST

Nintendo Switch Cartridge: Game cartridge missing ridges and cannot be read?

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 05:59:20 -0700

Picked up a lot of various games but one in particular was a switch cartridge for Dragon Ball Z The Breakers and looks like a repair was already attempted. The fins in between the pins of the cartridge are missing entirely but does not affect the cart being inserted and seated or removed. However, cart is not able to be read, causing the switch to lock and unable to even say that there is a game inserted. Has anyone encountered this issue?

⟐ Commented February 17, 2025 at 5:59 MST

Game Boy Advance Cartridge: Why won't my game start?

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:23:07 -0700

While attempting to solder a new battery for a copy of Pokemon Sapphire, I accidentally installed the battery backwards (i.e. the negative tab was connected to the positive contact and vice versa) the game was working fine before, and I am confident that I didn't accidentally bridge anything on the board, but when attempting to launch the game, I get the normal "Gameboy Nintendo" logo and then it freezes on the white transition screen.

Is there a possible fuse that I blew, or did I do something irreparable?

Thanks,

Caleb

⟐ Answered February 07, 2025 at 21:23 MST

Game Boy Cartridge: Pokémon Red goes white

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:57:24 -0700

Pokémon Red goes through the Nintendo splash screen and then turns white. The game doesn't start.

I cleaned the cartridge, performed a reflow, replaced the battery, checked for corroded parts, but found nothing. I traced the entire circuit and identified all components.

I don't know what to do next. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks everyone.

First - logo

Second - white

Third - Chip

Fourth - Back

Fifth - Trails (all working)

⟐ Answered February 07, 2025 at 20:57 MST

Game Boy Cartridge: Cartridge frozen after start

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:14:47 -0700

Hi, I don't know if you can help me, I recently changed the battery in a Pokemon Crystal and everything worked perfectly, it saved and so on, the thing is that after playing for a while, the game froze and turned off, after this, I tried to start it again, the Nintendo logo has the letters correctly, but the sound is like a lightning bolt and it doesn't go past that screen, it stays blank. I don't know if it could be the oscillator or some component in bad condition, thanks in advance. Here are some photos of the cartridge.

⟐ Answer edited February 07, 2025 at 20:14 MST

Game Boy Cartridge: Pokemon Blue Corrupted Cartridge

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 14:05:43 -0700

As a child my friend battled and traded with someone whose pokemon blue/red game was not an authentic copy and as a result his game became corrupted. Could anyone explain about corrupted game files and if there is any way to restore/fix it?

⟐ Answered December 12, 2024 at 14:05 MST

Game Boy Cartridge: Pokémon Gold doesn’t boot, scrambled Nintendo Logo.

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:21:13 -0700

I own a copy of Pokémon Gold that doesn’t boot. It gets stuck at the Game Boy screen with a scrambled Nintendo logo. I’ve re-soldered every chip on the board with flux yet nothing seems to fix it. Are one of the chips dead? Is there anything I can do? Thank you for any help :)

⟐ Commented December 09, 2024 at 19:21 MST

Game Boy Cartridge: Pocket Monsters Crystal Version

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:36:43 -0700

Why won't my game data save?

⟐ Commented December 02, 2024 at 5:36 MST

NES Cartridge: Hold the board while cleaning

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 16:28:27 -0700

My hands shake whenever I clean NES game boards. Is there a way I can hold them while cleaning the board?

⟐ Answer accepted August 06, 2024 at 16:28 MST

Nintendo Game Cartridge: Why my Pokemon black 2 game can't access save file?

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 18:54:46 -0700

Every time I boot the game I get a message saying "The save data could not be accessed." I tried cleaning the gold pins with Novita alcohol but nothing worked. I also made sure that my system slot was clean. Please help

⟐ Answered June 16, 2024 at 18:54 MST

Nintendo 3DS Game Card (Cartridge): Are the Pins too dirty to be read on my 2ds?

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 16:53:23 -0700

Are the pins too dirty or is it a different problem? I've tried to clean the pins but maybe I just didn't do it right?

I've also tried it in two different 2ds systems and it worked on one but it took a lot of tries. On the other one, I haven't gotten it to work yet.

The 2ds that I want to play New Leaf on reads Tomodachi Life just fine but not New Leaf so I think it's definitely a problem with the cartridge but the pins don't seem too dirty.

Idk maybe It's dirtier than I think it is.

Here are some images

Could this be a problem?

Edit: My Tomodachi Life cartridge has the same markings as the image below but it works fine anyway

I got the game from eBay so I don't know what it's been through or how much use it had

⟐ Commented January 10, 2024 at 16:53 MST