Nintendo Gameboy Cartridge Cleaning Guide.

This guide is intended to help you clean the older Gameboy cartridges that may not be working. The same methods can be used on Nintendo NES game carts too. I have used this method successfully on my games and cannot guarantee that it will work 100% of the time. In some cases, the problem may be more than dirty contacts. This guide is focusing on contact cleaning only. Use at your own risk. I cannot be held reblah-sponce-blahable.

Tools.

Items needed for this project are:

• security game-bits 3.8mm for Gameboy games - eBay search - $.99 to $7.99
  
• Q - tips - eBay search - I prefer the Q-tips brand
• Brasso - eBay search - or brass polish

Removing the game back.

Using the 3.8 mm tool, remove the screw on the back of the cartridge. Be sure to place the screw somewhere that it will not get lost.
Now slide the cover about a 1/4 inch and pull up to remove. The circuit board is loose in the case, so be careful not to drop it. The board can damage fairly easily, hold it only by the edges.

Cleaning the brass pins.

The pictures above show the circuit board and a close-up of the pins you will be cleaning.
The pins are at the bottom and gold in color. You will want to be careful as to not get polish on any other parts.

1. Dip Q-tip into brass polish and rub gently on to the pins making sure to get complete coverage.
2. Let the polish dry for several minutes.
3. Using a clean Q-tip, rub to remove all polish from the contacts. You may need more than 1 Q-tip to remove all of the residue. Be sure it is fully removed and that no cotton fibers are present.
   

Remember to not touch the circuits.
The reason I prefer Q-tip brand is because it is well made and the cotton fibers are attached to the stick well.
Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol can be used as a substitute for brass polish. Mix equally with water. I like brass polish for two reasons. It seems to work better and it does not drip like water/alcohol tends to. Rubbing alcohol is more available though.
If this method does not work, you may have a bigger problem. I have found that dirty pins are about 75% of a non-working cartridge's problem.

Prevention.

Protecting your game system from dirt and dust can increase the life of your investments.
Here are products I use:

• official Gameboy unit case - eBay search - tons of these.
  
• cartridge cases - eBay search - rather inexpensive.
  
• camera cases - eBay search - might find a cheap one.
  
• swiffer cloth - eBay search - occasional dusting is recommended.
  

Always keep cartridges in game cases.
Keep Gameboy unit in a fitted or generic case.
Leaving your most played cartridge in the Gameboy unit itself will also protect it from dust and prolong life.