Maintaining Your N64

Woah, it's been a minute huh? I had to temporarily shelve the 64, to clear some space, so not much has been going on with it lately. So, I thought I'd take this time to talk a little about keep your machine in working order, 'cause sometimes it takes a little more than blowing on a cartridge to the fix the problem. For this post, I'll talk about my experiences with cleaning controllers and then later I'll post about the actual system and cartridges.

First off, let's talk controllers. Most N64 controllers are gray, so by now you've noticed the disgusting build up of gunk in the groove lines and buttons. In case you haven't realized it yet, that's basically congealed sweat (yeah, gross). If your button's are sticking or your joystick is acting funny, this may be the problem.

To fix this this, all you need to do is give your controllers a good once over with a tooth brush, some water and maybe cleaning fluid. Now, before I go further, some people claim that using liquids on controllers can damage them. This hasn't happened to me yet but just in case, be careful. Clean at your own risk! Anyway, grab an old tooth brush, clean it, get some water on there (not too much) and scrub away. Get deep into the joystick's crevice, turning the stick in a circle, so as to clean all of it. Don't forget the rest of controller, especially in places where your fingers spend most of their time.Use a wet towel of some sort to go over the whole thing, to get the gunk you can't see or don't notice.

It's simple, but effective. To keep your controllers working well for a good while, avoid eating any food near them (crumbs are hell if they get in there), especially things that can melt, like chocolate. When you're done playing, place them in a box, bag, or cupboard so you'll minimize dust.