blow on your games or not?

[VentKazemaru]

Out there question... Do you instinctively blow on the contacts of your cartridge games? I don't even remember how I picked up that habit. But I got over it when I was around 12. I never really thought why you had to do it, only that you do if you wanted the nes games to work.

[Kureno]

I did it if the end was too dusteh or somm'it. Still works wit'mah N64 games.

[Scramjet]

It wasn't by instinct, but whenever my Nintendo 64 games didn't work, I'd blow on the cartridge and the slot to get it to work. Wiggling the cartridge into the slot also helps if the game doesn't work.

The reason you have to blow on the cartridge is because over time dust accumulates on the electrical contacts, causing data to not be sent/flow incorrectly. Combine this with the fact that unlike DVDs (which are stored in sealed plastic cases), most cartridge games are stored out in the open or in a rack, it makes the likelihood that dust will accumulate greater.

[Anonymous G]

I still do it for my DS games. It isn't instinct, it worked for my older games and it still works today.

[arinot]

Do so for my NES games.
...
Waaaaaat?

[Lythiium]

I do all the time, even in the slot, to clear out any dust when it wouldn't work. I still do sometimes, even with xbox discs, just out of habit.. Even though they're in their boxes majority of the time... just out of habit.

[ratdeathtrap]

I do it with all my game cartridges that a little of them. It works pretty since dust seems to be the number one reason that my old games aren't working.

[Randomonioum]

I selected Whats a videogame, because, while I have just about every console from the PSX onwards, said console was my first, and so I never had to deal with the old cartridges. Thank you all, for making me feel like a child amongst oldies.

[Anonymous G]

I selected Whats a videogame, because, while I have just about every console from the PSX onwards, said console was my first, and so I never had to deal with the old cartridges. Thank you all, for making me feel like a child amongst oldies.

Lame, you weren't there for the greatness that was Nintendo 64. I grew up starting with the Super Nintendo. The best game for SN was easily Killer Instinct.

[Randomonioum]

I like to think in this day and age, its easy for me to get games like those. Still, I never really play games for the gameplay anymore, besides RTSs. The story is what I play for.

[Anonymous G]

I like to think in this day and age, its easy for me to get games like those. Still, I never really play games for the gameplay anymore, besides RTSs. The story is what I play for.

I believe that that is what truly differentiates a good game from a bad game though. When you see a game where there was nothing you couldn't find everywhere else, it cheapens the experience. When a developer steps back and asks "How about we try this at a different angle?" It truly creates some fantastic results. This goes for plots as well, but the plot is also apart of the game-play if you really think about it.

[Rabbitfp]

Atari had the worst problem with dust imo.

[Mr Meatballs]

Having never owned a console (Pc gaming master race) besides a GBA sp which I hardly used because the only game I had was some weird JRPG about punching people until they turned into onions. what was I on about again?
(can anybody name the game BTW)

[Crocutrax]

I do on older console machines.

Don't do so on my Wii however.

[Eian]

Tried playing Super Mario World on my SNES, didn't work
Blew on the cartridge, picking up the instinct i had back when i was a little kid and placed it again
Presto, it works just fine and dandy.
So...yeah, i blow, and i can abide for it