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Piecing Together the History of Nintendo NES Game Box & Cartridges: Here are Some Clues to Use When Dating & Authenticating NES Boxed Games & Cartridges
If your box has a hangtab, you can narrow down the production date even further by looking for codes on the box.
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Indicators that your Super Nintendo Console is a Rare 1-CHIP Model
Is my SNES a 1 Chip model? The very first Super Nintendo system was released in 1991 in North America. The Super Nintendo console delighted video game enthusiasts with its improved sound, visuals, and accompanying game library.
Although even the first Super Nintendo was groundbreaking in these areas, a later model released around 1995 called the "1-CHIP" SNES was especially pioneering. The motherboard design of the 1-CHIP SNES enables it to output better graphics than earlier revisions of this Nintendo system. The 1-CHIP is highly sought after by collectors because it offers some of the best gameplay visuals you can get on a Super Nintendo. It is also somewhat rare to find, which makes treasure hunting for it even more thrilling!
Prior to the year 1995 or so, Nintendo designed their Super Nintendo console motherboards so that they used 3 chips for graphics and central processing. These three chips are called the CPU, PPU1, and PPU2. When Nintendo revised the SNES motherboard around 1995, all 3 of these chips were combined into one single chip called the S-CPUN. This hardware change is what gave this model of the SNES more graphics processing power.
How do I know if my SNES is a 1-CHIP version?
1. Look at the serial number.
The serial number barcode is printed on a sticker located on the bottom of the console beneath a barcode.
One obvious indicator that you may have a SNES with a 1-CHIP motherboard design is if the console's serial number begins with "UN3". A 1-CHIP SNES serial number will always start with a UN3. However,
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The Basic Essentials of Soldering when it Comes to Gaming Systems and Video Game Save batteries.
Soldering can be scary for a lot of people at first. My first SNES save battery took me at least 50 minutes! Vegas Stakes! Now, it usually takes me 5 minutes. I wasn’t using the right equipment and obviously people tend to get better with practice. These are some suggestions for setting yourself up to solder!
- Buy a nice solder station. (Usually, will come with a roll of solder roll)
- Use the appropriate solder. (some elements work better with electronics than others) We recommend a 60 percent amount of tin and 40 percent lead.
- Use copper desoldering wick/braid with flux. (We recommend 2.4mm in width)
- Have flux handy! (No-clean flux preferred)
- Isopropyl alcohol. (preferred percentage minimum of 90%)
- Q-tips.
Let’s start with something simple:
- Power on your soldering station to approximately 600 to 650 Farenheit (You can use lower temperatures).
- Place your no clean flux on the old solder you want to remove.
- Cut a piece of copper wick braid to use for desoldering
- Copper conducts electricity, so be prepared for the braid to become hot
- Once your soldering iron is at the correct temperature place it over the old solder and hold it into place until you see the old solder s
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Which GameCube Games Don’t Work on the Wii? A Collector’s Guide
One of the Wii’s most underrated features is its backwards compatibility with the Nintendo GameCube. Pop in a GameCube disc, plug in your GC controller, and you’re playing like it’s 2001 all over again.
But here’s the thing — while almost the entire NTSC-U GameCube library works f
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Which PS3 Consoles Are Backwards Compatible and Do all PS2 Games Play on Them?
The Sony PlayStation 3 is well known for its powerful hardware and impressive library, but one of its biggest questions among gamers is backward compatibility—specifically, which models can play PS2 and PS1 games. Sony released multiple versions of the PS3 over the years, and not all of them retained the ability to play older PlayStation titles. If you're looking to revisit some classics, here's what you need to know about which PS3 consoles support backward compatibility and which PS2 games don’t work properly, even on compatible models.
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Where Did Mario First Appear? The Surprising Start (and Strange Early Days) of Nintendo’s Mascot
the rights to make a Popeye game. So they invented their own characters—Donkey Kong, Pauline, and the soon-to-be-iconic Jumpman, who was quickly renamed “Mario” (inspired by a real-life landlord, Mario Segale, who apparently wasn't thrilled about overdue rent).
By 1983, Mario switched professions from carpenter to plumber (because of all the pipes in Mario Bros.) and even brought along his lesser-known brother, Luigi. The duo started appearing in all kinds of titles, not all of which you’d expect.
Here’s where it gets weird:
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In Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (1987), Mario randomly appears as the referee, calling knockouts with a cheerful little hop.
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Save The Dreamcast: The Fans Rallied (Failure of Sega's Last Console)
The Road to Failure: Did It Start with the Saturn?
Absolutely. The seeds of the Dreamcast’s downfall were sown long before its launch—with the Sega Saturn.
1. Complex Hardware = Developer Nightmare
The Saturn used a dual-CPU architecture that made development notoriously difficult. Meanwhile, Sony’s PlayStation was a breeze to program for. Guess where the developers went?
2. Surprise Launch Debacle
Sega of America randomly launched the Saturn early in May 1995—months ahead of schedule. Retailers like Walmart and KB Toys weren’t told and flat-out refused to carry it. Worse, devs weren’t ready either, leaving the launch lineup bone-dry.
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Why the PlayStation 1 Is Still One of the Best Retro Gaming Consoles in 2025
When Sony released the PlayStation 1 in North America in 1995, it wasn’t just launching a console — it was changing gaming forever. The PS1 brought true 3D graphics into the home, introducing an entirely new style of gameplay
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What Is the Sega Saturn 6 Player Multitap Adapter?
When Did It Launch?
North American gamers first saw the 6Player in 1995, priced at $49.99 USD upon release Sega Retro.
Games You Can Play with Up to Six Friends!
Here are three standout titles that really shine when you’ve got a full couch:
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Saturn Bomberman (1996)
The king of party chaos—battle up to six players on one multitap, or go wild with ten folks if you’ve got two adapters Wikipedia. -
Guardian Heroes (1996)
Beyond its branching RPG story, the Versus mode supports six warriors duking it out simultaneously—perfect for impromptu tournaments. -
Fire Pro Wrestling S: 6Men Scramble (1996)
This deep, sprite‑based wrestling sim goes full arena battle with up to six wrestlers in tag‑team or battle‑royal mayhem GameFAQs.