secret3
Blowing on cartridges was, by far, the most ubiquitously shared memory of NES players. As systems wore out, however, players were encouraged to become even more creative with their own hardware "fixes." My brother, in particular, remembers that everyone had their own special trick for how to get the NES to work. Some jammed cardboard above the cartridge to press the cartridge down; others placed books or other heavy things atop the system (somehow!). Likewise, as our group played, even with our fresh 72 pin connector, we quickly found that special maneuvering was required. What's more, any pounding feet on the floor (a commonplace among game players), jerked the cartridge out of sync with the connector and we were left with a "remixed" screen--letters and numbers changed, images were larger or in strange places. But we played. Oh yes, we played.