Your favorite neighborhood Atari Man here, with a new series of articles direct to the 2 Dudes And A NES world, simply called “Atari Man Loves…” taking a look at some of those items of interest that we love about our beloved console as well as the games we play on it. Now certainly I’m not naïve to the fact that all the things I love may not be the same things you love, and that’s ok, but if nothing else I hope this articles shed some light on the things all of us as NES owners and collectors have thought about or even fallen in love with over the time we’ve had the NES in our lives. Today I’m going to begin with something that I feel is often overlooked but certainly deserves it’s fair share of attention, so sit back, relax, and think about what this Atari Man is saying about that glorious invention known as the NES!
In life, there are two distinct kinds of sounds, those that irritate, annoy, and perhaps make it impossible to sleep, your “nails on a chalkboard” type sound, and it really could mean a lot of different things to anyone out there in the universe. Dane Cook has gone on record as saying that these are the sounds that “make you want to punch a baby”, and while neither myself nor the fine folks here on this site would ever condone doing so, we are certain that there are sounds out there that make us want to scream.
Then there are those soothing sounds that can comfort anyone, even a fussy baby or a grumpy old person. For some people this is the sound of waves coming into the shore, or even a washing machine or dryer, but for this classic gamer and video game small business owner, it is without question the sound an NES makes when you click a cart into place.
Not sure what I mean? Allow me to elaborate. When an NES comes into my store, it is cleaned, taken apart, and the lock out chip is disabled to make it easier to get games to work. We do this as a courtesy to our customers. In addition, we also make sure that the 72 pin connector is in proper order, but sometimes the NES is a bit too tight in the area where you put the cart in, and thus some loosening of screws is in order, and if you get things just right, as in the case of my own personal NES console, the small click when the cart is seemingly in the perfect spot might as well be the most beautifully orchestrated masterpiece, as far as I’m concerned.
Keep in mind, not all NES consoles are capable of doing this. Some are simply worn out and beyond repair. However, in the right hands of someone with the time and patience to do so, and an NES is capable of creating something that would make the thinkers of the Renaissance Era jealous. That click, for me, might as well be a sigh of satisfaction, a declaration that all is right with the world and that we will continue on in the human race. While certainly other consoles, including the NES top loader model, may cause you less headaches, I think it’s the challenge of getting an original NES to work properly that makes this sweet little melody that much more lovable in the end.
Fewer headaches… less nostalgia
So dear readers and NES owners, take pride in the fact that while we live in a thankless world filled with machines that may need updates, downloads, and other such nuisances that rob us of our time and pleasure, the NES is still there, as faithful as always, to remind you what happens when contacts work together to make a spark and pure bliss fills your old tube television set. There’s a lot of things I love about my NES, and I’ll be delving into them in due time, but none perhaps more so than a simple clicking noise from my old friend to tell me “It’s ok, pal. I’ve gone and made everything that much more awesome. You’re welcome.”
About the author:
Atari Man is a 33 year old video game small business owner, retro enthusiast, and writer. He’s a good guy, just don’t get trapped in an elevator with him if you don’t know who Ace Harding or the VTech World Wizard are.
2 Dudes and a NES 