NES Blinking Red Light
1/22/11
From our Ask NES Repair Questions blog article, a viewer posted the following question:
Well Jeff, and those of you with an NES flashing light, fortunately the solution is tried, true, and simple to boot! A little history lesson before we get to the solution (just like eating your vegetables before desert, this too will be good for you... to know). When the good folks at Nintendo designed the NES console, they put a lot of thought and effort into being able to keep them working down the road. With that in mind, they built diagnostic indicators into the system. Namely, the flashing/blinking red light on the front of the NES, and the dreaded solid colored screen of doom! Again, these symptoms are really indicators that are trying to communicate a message. Here is what the NES would say if it could talk:
"Most of the time when I turn on my NES, the red light on the power botton flashes on and off with the tv screen flashing solid white to solid black. This doesn't always happen. Sometimes I can play a game, but the flashing is pretty consistent. What can I do?"
- Jeff, Ft. Worth, TX
Flashing red light -> NES says, "Umm, did you already put the game in or what? I can't even tell anything is in there! Oh my god, I can't feel my 72 pin connector! Please, oh please get me a new 72 pin connector!"
Solid colored screen -> NES says, "Wow, would you put a dirty game like that inside of you? Didn't think so. Why am I any different? Just clean your NES games already, I don't want to hear your excuses!"
If you are still confused, you can always send us your original NES system to have us repair it for you. We are happy to help, and as always, happy gaming!
Comments
Blinking (9/16/2011 8:59:00 AM)
Yeah me too , Guess we better buy a game at good will and find out ...its just $1 ,my sys cost $5 with everything
@Livin4jesus (10/17/2011 2:33:00 PM)
No, your NES is not broken. You can't just turn the thing on and expect it not to do that. You HAVE to have a game in there in order for it to work.
can you help me (1/1/2012 6:06:00 PM)
i got a Nintendo Entertainment System with 45 games off of eBay. when i plug it in and press the power button, the light doesn't turn on
Blinking & then some (1/5/2012 7:51:00 PM)
My brother replaced the 72pin connector a few years ago, and never used the NES much since then. The carts fit in nice and snugly, but when you turn on the NES, you get both the blinking red light and blinking screen. The game title begins to slide to the middle from the sides and stops before it gets there, and starts this maddness all over again in a cycle of text movement. Any suggestions?
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Livin4jesus - :P