Installing Super Nintendo Cartridge Board

User-Contributed Guide

User-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

Taking apart a Super Nintendo game cartridge for cleaning, modification, internal battery replacement, etc.

  • Author: BWest
  • Time required: 5 minutes
  • Difficulty: Easy

When games have been in storage or used for years on end, they need to get a good dose of TLC. In extreme cases you need to crack them open to get everything. It can be tense opening up a loved game in the fear that you'll destroy it.

Alternatively, you can open up a game no one liked and make it into an innocuous enclosure for something else.

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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Cartridge  ¶ 

  • On the bottom front corners of the cartridge you should see two screws using the 3.8mm "Gamebit" screwdriver bit. A 3.0U Spanner bit can also get them out.

  • Once the screws are out, slide the front part of the plastic casing down to clear the tabs on the top of the case.

  • The two halves of the case should open easily.

Image #1

Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • At this point the game board and pins are freely accessible.

  • Here you can fully clean the pin set and inspect for damage to the circuit board.

  • Cleaning the pins is the easiest part; use a cotton swab and either a rich mixture isopropyl alcohol or Brasso. Other people swear by an eraser(the white kind), but it can lead to damage if you're not careful. Personally, Brasso works the best.

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Add Note Edit Step 3  ¶ 

  • NOTE: The top edges of the board are made asymmetrically so it can only go into the casing one way. Near the Blue Circles

  • Games with battery backup (allowing for save games to be stored in SRAM) allow access to the battery at this point for replacement. Most of the time the battery is a button cell: CR2032.

    • The battery is soldered in. You will have to break it out and re-solder the new battery in.

Required Tools

Gamebit 3.8mm

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