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Nintendo Switch

You mean the game card slot?

Get a toothpick in the slot and give the pins a wipe. Also scrape up the Splatoon game card while you're at it - or take advantage of the fact that it's external to make it easier to clean the pins (use IPA)

Almost always the reasons that connector pins fail on modern devices like phones or games consoles is dirty pins. They can look quite clean but stuff takes dirty contacts a lot less well than they used to - well unless you remember **** like the NES.

Of the things that do fail on Switches, the game card slot isn't really one of them. They're pretty durable, mechanically. So unless your lad has knackered it without admitting to it somehow, 99% it's going to be a bit of dirt on either card or console.

Thanks I'll try cleaning the pins. I think he's tried different cards so I'm guessing it's the card reader itself.
 
Thanks I'll try cleaning the pins. I think he's tried different cards so I'm guessing it's the card reader itself.
Muck has a way of spreading between connector pins; so if you have trouble actually getting a good angle on the pins (it's not an easy task for this slot) then get one of the game cards 100% clean with IPA, a toothpick scrape, the works, then insert and remove it a few times, and keep re-cleaning the card. It'll indirectly improve matters.

It's a bit of a last ditch of an 'easy' method as modern card slots are not quite ZIF but it's not as much of a ZIF as, say, the aforementioned NES console which was just dreadful, and also a fantastic lesson on why contact wiping is nearly essential for reliability of electrical contact points - just like it is EOS switches and others on our games.

If all else fails and you want someone that will repair it quite quick from this forum, send me a message and I can repair it for you, as fast as I can get the replacement card slot to arrive. Granted, with social distancing that's not as useful an offer as it could otherwise be... (and I'm in Wolverhampton and your profile says you're in London, so no chance of a cheeky whip-around in a car, really) but I'll mention it just in case things go weirdly badly and you don't have anyone else you'd rather use in mind.
 
Muck has a way of spreading between connector pins; so if you have trouble actually getting a good angle on the pins (it's not an easy task for this slot) then get one of the game cards 100% clean with IPA, a toothpick scrape, the works, then insert and remove it a few times, and keep re-cleaning the card. It'll indirectly improve matters.

It's a bit of a last ditch of an 'easy' method as modern card slots are not quite ZIF but it's not as much of a ZIF as, say, the aforementioned NES console which was just dreadful, and also a fantastic lesson on why contact wiping is nearly essential for reliability of electrical contact points - just like it is EOS switches and others on our games.

If all else fails and you want someone that will repair it quite quick from this forum, send me a message and I can repair it for you, as fast as I can get the replacement card slot to arrive. Granted, with social distancing that's not as useful an offer as it could otherwise be... (and I'm in Wolverhampton and your profile says you're in London, so no chance of a cheeky whip-around in a car, really) but I'll mention it just in case things go weirdly badly and you don't have anyone else you'd rather use in mind.

Thanks mate that's very kind of you. My only other thought was to send it nintendo but with everything like it is I had no idea when it would be looked at, and the idea of Eddie not having a switch over the next 6+ weeks was a complete non starter. So that's a great option, thanks.

I'll try all suggestions first and let you know how I get on. If I'm able to do a daddy repair on it I'm going to be in his good books for weeks.
 
@stumblor most of my games are physical cart and no probs thus far with slot, I've collected carts more for nostalgia really perhaps the Switch will be the last console we have that option.
There is a great sale at the moment, particularly if you venture onto the foreign eShops, perhaps get him some digital games to tide him over? I do appreciate his frustration, if you want to play Splatoon only that will do!
 
@stumblor most of my games are physical cart and no probs thus far with slot, I've collected carts more for nostalgia really perhaps the Switch will be the last console we have that option.
There is a great sale at the moment, particularly if you venture onto the foreign eShops, perhaps get him some digital games to tide him over? I do appreciate his frustration, if you want to play Splatoon only that will do!

Yeah I've always advised him to buy carts as well for that exact reason although it certainly seems like a wasted sentiment now. Most of his friends do too interestingly enough, seems as though everyone young and old still like the idea of owning something physical. I still buy 12 inches of songs I love rather than Spotify. Hard to feel ownership of a stream.
 
I do honestly reckon you'll get away with a clean. Maybe you'll find a dust bunny or seven inside the slot (that's usually what I find in the microUSB slots of phones when people say they've stopped charging...) There's a dust cover on the slot but it's already weird to hear of issues with the game cart slot. I've been doing a little reading and it's just not a part that seems to fail on Switches, really. Joycon problems (various), console case cracking, dock failing, NFC failing, but not the game cart slot...
 
:hmm: the plot thickens.

Not that he's the cleanest of kids but the slot certainly looks okay - no crisp detritus that I can see. I'll get some toothpicks and Ipa out today and see if a can't russle up some magic.
 
:hmm: the plot thickens.

Not that he's the cleanest of kids but the slot certainly looks okay - no crisp detritus that I can see. I'll get some toothpicks and Ipa out today and see if a can't russle up some magic.
You'll be amazed how much black dirt you can get off a seemingly gold contact.

Don't worry yet until you pick those teeth clean!
 
I don't even really like the Switch carts, no way as pleasurable as the "kathunk" of a chunky SNES cart locking into the console, and swapping them over for a quick blast is fiddly.
The resale argument is waning too, just bought Unravel TWO £5.01 + 5% Gold Coins, I'd easy lose that on the physical purchase.
 
I don't even really like the Switch carts, no way as pleasurable as the "kathunk" of a chunky SNES cart locking into the console, and swapping them over for a quick blast is fiddly.
The resale argument is waning too, just bought Unravel TWO £5.01 + 5% Gold Coins, I'd easy lose that on the physical purchase.
You're on a pinball forum, like with a lot of retro gaming forums you're going to have a very hard time selling many people on the irrelevance of a physical medium ;)
 
Easily my favourite game of 2019, the Untitled Goose Game, is getting a 2player mode!

https://www.theguardian.com/culture...ding-a-new-horrible-goose-what-does-that-mean

Update! I secretly tiptoed into Twitter land for a brief moment and found some more info:

Local multiplayer, coming to all platforms
Play through the whole game with a friend
One of you plays as one goose, the other one plays as the other goose
You can carry each other around in a box

https://t.co/3pFQ1cqflH

My 5yr old son and I are both literally honking with excitement. Best game in years.
 
Bought this for Eddie the other day. He loves that fact that the whole concept of the game is to annoy people. He basically just waddles about rapid firing the honk button.
 
Bought this for Eddie the other day. He loves that fact that the whole concept of the game is to annoy people. He basically just waddles about rapid firing the honk button.

It's brilliant - the perfect game to play with younger kids. No shooting, fighting, blood/gore, 'lives' or ways to die, just wander about pretending to be an animal in a world where mild naughtiness is acceptable. That's what escapism should be.

I love games with attention to detail, and this just oozes it at every turn. The Australia-based developers captured 80s Britain so very well, even the little blue wall plaques on buildings and the phone box, etc... The poignancy of the golden bells in the pit at the very start is just lovely.
 
Donut County is worth a gander ( :rolleyes: ) currently on Eshop sale for £3ish too :thumbs:

Donut County is a story-based physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground. Meet cute characters, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole.
 
Anyone played Street of Rage 4? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

One of the games I'm currently playing and I'm loving it :thumbs: I am a massive Streets of Rage fan though :D
 
I just picked up Hollow Knight (physical copy). It includes all the add-ons. Really enjoying it so far. The PlayStation has been my go to platform. I have a PS3, and PS4 right now but I find I've been playing my son's Switch more and more. Just finished up BOTW, and while I was a bit disappointed by the ending, the game was absolutely brilliant.
 
One to reminisce over, Super Mario All Stars added to SNES Online app today :thumbs:
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And from 1st October Super Mario Bros 35

3536801.jpg

twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1301511222588825600?s=19
 
How cool is Mario Kart Live : Home Circuit, an augmented reality version of Mario Kart based on video streaming from RC Karts wizzing around your living room.

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