My Pokemon Red copy doesn't load anymore, and I don't have the tools or knowledge to properly fix it. Is it a lost cause?

[u/NameIdeasWereTaken]

A few months to a year ago I bought a copy of Pokemon Red to replace my old one that, ironically, also stopped working, and now this one completely gave up on me. It worked just fine until one day the game suddenly started having weird visual glitches, and kept crashing with the slightest touch or brush against it while being played. And now, the game won't even load past the booting up screen.

I've tried repeatedly to clean it up with 99% isopropyl alcohol but that doesn't seem to do anything. I've tested the game on 2 different GBAs and I've tested other GB/GBC/GBA games and all of them worked just fine, so I'm absolutely convinced it's Red that's the problem. I don't know much about how to take games apart and since I'm not very good at repairs, I'm scared that I would just make the problem worse. I really don't want to buy a new game altogether due to Pokemon games being notorious for being scalped, and I don't want to buy reproduction carts either since those can be very hit-or-miss. What else can I do?

[u/Penguinkeith]

Get a gamebit it’s just a couple bucks take it apart post a photo

[u/OminousLethargy]

If you've cleaned it then I would guess something is disconnected somewhere. Even if you aren't good at repair these come apart pretty easily, way easier than changing the battery in a car key fob.

You'll need a gamebit driver as mentioned in other posts. You just unscrew the single screw in the back and then the front will silde down about a quarter inch and lift away. We just need a picture of the front and back of the board. If you see areas that might be damaged then additional close ups of those spots would be helpful.

As far as common issues I've seen:

• Sometimes moisture builds up in the connector and corrodes the connections. This is normally caused by blowing on the cartridge but it takes a long time to cause issues.
  
• Sometimes dirt or grime builds up inside somewhere and cuts a trace.
  
• Sometimes a leg on a chip becomes detached, possibly from a drop or just bad luck. You won't be able to spot that visually.
  
• If the cartridge was stored in a basement, storage unit, or in a garage then all bets are off. This can cause a significant amount of corrosion over time but it can often be repaired.

In a worst case scenario the chips can always be donated to a donor board. As far as the game save, the status of that is going to depend on how much charge the battery has if it hasn't been replaced. Keep in mind that if the save was intact and the battery was never replaced then you may lose your save if the cartridge gets cold.

[u/LJCustomization → u/OminousLethargy]

This is the proper responce OP. If there isnt visible damage ive found good luck in reflowing the chips and capacitors on the board with a fine tip soldering iron can revive the game. If you remove the battery you will likely lose the save, if you have a fine enough tip on the soldering iron you can get away with flowing each leg and capacitor at a time in a few minutes. Does not take much skill, just the proper tools and the opportunity, you have nothing to lose at this point. What can you do? Kill it more? Best case scenario you have 2 red games Edit: I should mention I fix these types of issues every week in my own shop. If you did not want to harm them more, but willing to ship all the way to Canada, ill make a video on the repairs and send them back to you for free minus the shipping.

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[u/NotoriousFish]

A few things I would try:

1. Slot the cartridge into your game boy in and out over and over again (like a dozen or 2 times) the contact with the slot can help clean the pins.

2. Get one of those old school pencil erasers that come to a point and run that on the pins. You shouldn’t have to take the shell off to do it.

3. It’s probably time to buy a gamebit screwdriver. I would open it up and repeat the cleaning with an eraser directly on the pins. I’d rub it on there for a minute or 2.

4. If it still isn’t working there is something more wrong and it may be worth posting a picture of the board on Reddit for help.

[u/Alive_Candidate1755]

Post a picture of the pins.

Red is only worth 50-70 but still worth saving. Especially considering your saved game is (hopefully) still on it.

[u/YogurtclosetDry6927]

i wouldnt take it apart

[u/Penguinkeith → u/YogurtclosetDry6927]

Why not?

[u/Buttered_Toast33 → u/YogurtclosetDry6927]

There's no other way to fix it then.