Cartridge restoration & console repair services
Cleaning, label work, fresh save batteries, and console repair — everything needed to get a tired collection playing again.
A cartridge that won't boot usually isn't dead. Age does predictable things to these games: contacts oxidize, save batteries run flat, adhesive hardens, and the consoles themselves collect dust in every slot and vent. Each service below targets one of those failures, and most collections need more than one.
Cartridge cleaning is $10, a save battery is $12 more, and sticker removal is $5 a sticker — console repairs are listed job by job on the pricing page. Everything here is available by mail from anywhere in the United States — buy both shipping labels to send it in now, then receive a repair quote after inspection. Shipping and repair payments are separate. See how mail-in works.
Cartridge Cleaning
Deep-cleaned contacts and housings so your games boot on the first try.
- Contact pins cleaned of oxidation, grime, and old finger oils
- Shells opened with the correct security bits — no prying, no cracked tabs
- Boot-tested on original hardware before it goes back
Sticker & Label Removal
Old price tags and sticky residue gone, shells and labels intact.
- Price tags, rental stickers, and hardened adhesive lifted slowly
- Original artwork and shell texture protected throughout
- Residue cleaned off without bleaching or hazing the plastic
Battery Replacement
Fresh save batteries so your progress sticks around again.
- Dead CR2032-style save batteries replaced and soldered in properly
- Existing save files preserved where the cart allows it
- Common on RPGs, sports titles, and long adventure games
Console Repair
Retro consoles diagnosed, cleaned, and repaired so they boot up like it's 1995.
- No power, no video, no sound — diagnosed at the board
- Cartridge slots cleaned or replaced, A/V and power jacks repaired
- Full interior cleaning and reassembly
Free On-Site Game Testing
Catch us at events and we'll test your carts on the spot, no charge.
- Bring carts to a convention table and we'll test them on the spot
- Great before you buy at a swap meet or flea market
- No charge, no appointment
Available at events
Common questions
How long does a restoration take?
Most cleanings and battery swaps are quick turnarounds. Console repairs depend on what the diagnosis turns up and whether a part needs sourcing — you'll hear from me either way before work starts.
Will cleaning damage the label?
No. Labels and artwork are treated as part of the game, not something to work around. Shells are opened with proper security bits and everything is dried fully before reassembly.
Can you replace a save battery without wiping my save?
In many cases, yes — the battery can be swapped while keeping power to the save memory. It isn't guaranteed on every board, so tell me up front if there's a file you want kept.
What if the game can't be fixed?
Some carts are too far gone — heavy corrosion, cracked traces, water damage. If that's the case I'll tell you plainly rather than run up work that won't help. See the repair authorization terms for the full details.
Do you work on disc-based consoles?
Yes — disc systems are some of our most common repairs. We replace worn lasers in PS1, PS2, GameCube, Wii, and Dreamcast consoles, and we do HDMI port replacement on PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Disc resurfacing itself isn't offered, but the consoles that play them absolutely are.
Work is carried out under the repair authorization & risk acknowledgment.
Guides
Pokémon Save Battery Replacement
Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal and Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald — why the saves die and what a swap involves.
Cartridge Battery Database
Searchable list of NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, GBA, Genesis and 32X carts — which have a cell, which don't, and what it does.
Why Your Cartridge Won't Boot
Black screens, flashing title screens, and the dirty contacts behind nearly all of it.