First he good: It does what it says it does. One NES game I couldn’t get working, Dash Glalaxy, suddenly works first time on the BLW.
Most reviews say the BLW is kind of tight. Most cartridge connectors start tight and get a little looser over time. Normally, it’s no problem because you can grip the cart and pull it out firmly yet easily. But the NES tray has no cartridge exposed to pull out except for the little notch. Normally it was easy because it wasn’t gripped by the connect when “ejected”. But because it’s in the 72 pin connector, you have to force it out. And with very little real estate to grip, you going to have a tough time getting it out. Just like removing a cartirdge on any other system, except being prevented for grabbing it well.
Beofre I bought the BLW, someone suggested the Game Genie was an acceptable soluiotn to be used as a “cartridge extender” and then you have enough cartridge sticking out to get a good grip. Which is good, except for one problem…
There is a plastic flap on the Game Genie which makes sure the cartridge is fit in right to be easily pulled out, yet not ruin the gameplay. There a notch on the top of the flap which aligns perfectly wiht the Front loading NES… Assuming you have a slanted tray like the orginal NES tray. The BLW tray is straight, so the notch bumps into the top of the hole, and doesn’t fit.
2 quesitons:
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I guess I could cannibalize the Game Genie and remove the plastic tongue. Is the tongue permanently attached, and, if I take it off, would I ruin it permenantly? Or can it be reinstalled?
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I’m afraid of a mini-NES cartridge stub being stuck in the machine permanently attached to the inner 72 Pin. Is the Game Genie connector strong enough where is there were no tongue, would the cartridge and Game Genie come out as a unit without adding a retro-fitted tongue for the BLW, or would the Game Genie remain inside, and the NES cartridge come out by itself?
By the way, if ArcadeWorks.net is reading this, maybe a Game Genie-like stub with no Game Genie code with a BLW tongue would be a good product, or if one wants the Game Genie, a 3-D printed, reattachable tongue for a BLW-tongue modded Game Genie.
So, in general what’s a better solution?
A) cannibalizing a Game Genie by removing the tongue?
B) or removing the cartridge slot and then, while outside the tight confines of the NES deck, repeatedly insert and remove a typical NES for the length of a 30 minute TV show without commercials and hope THAT loosens the grip enough where limited real estate will not be a problem?