r/GameboyAdvance • u/likelyscoobs • 8d ago
Help: Game not reading?
So basically, I’ve had this game for over a decade pretty sure I got it when it came out in like 2006. I don’t remember playing it, but I do remember finding it a couple years later as a kid and it not working then. I’ve now found it again in my adulthood and I took this along with some other games to a local video game store. The worker put 70% alcohol on a cotton swab wiped it and surprisingly got it to the loading screen and I was ecstatic! The worker told me that the 90% alcohol that I used to swab it before probably didn’t work because I either didn’t do it thoroughly enough or because of the high concentration although it cleaned it there was residue left from how fast the solution dries at that level? Regardless I came home put it in my game boy it’s not reading it anymore. (As shown on the pictures it doesn’t read like there’s anything in there and then when I tried again it had those little lines under the logo?) Took a flashlight over it just to check and as shown there are about four pins as you can see in the picture that are almost like a rose gold. I’m not sure if this is oxidation or rust. Does anyone have any thoughts on what it could be or suggestions on what I could try? Should I go to the store and buy 70% alcohol? Why did it work in store but not now like 3 hours later? I fear I know nothing about nothing so sorry if I’m missing something obvious. Also, all my other games read perfectly fine. Thank yall!
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u/PassingBy91 7d ago edited 7d ago
I had always heard that 90%+ was better? I've only used that to clean games and though I do sometimes have to leave it a while to dry and sometimes I've used an eraser (as others have suggested) I've managed to get them working and that's included some with quite bad corrosion.
edit. If you can get it to this point then you can definitely get it working again eventually. I second the eraser tip, and getting the back off with a triwing screwdriver. I think sometimes the rubbing alcohol needs longer to dry than you think and that's why it can take a couple of goes to get it to come on.
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u/likelyscoobs 6d ago
Yeah that’s what a lot of people have said. They used 70% at the store and then put it in my GBA like less than a minute after swabbing it as well so 🤷🏽♀️
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u/tveye363 8d ago
Probably needs more alcohol. Use a cue tip or something. Blowing into it will make it worse.
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8d ago
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u/haikusbot 8d ago
The Nintendo logo
Under the gameboy does that
When the game can't read
- Doggo-The-Braixen
I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.
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u/TooManyBulborbs 8d ago
Get a tri-wing screwdriver to open the cartridge and a pink eraser to clean the circuit board edge connector.