Greg from Laser Bear just opened pre-orders on the “Slotmaster” 72-pin replacement for front-loading NES consoles: An open source project from Merlin Shaw, that replaces both the 72-pin connector and plastic tray. After installing, your games will slide directly into a brand new 72-pin connector with no need to push down the cartridge. The price is $30 plus shipping for a completed unit (just bolt it in), or $20 for a DIY version:
Purchase Here: https://retrorgb.link/slotmaster
Open Source Link: https://github.com/ShawMerlin/NES-Slotmaster/tree/main
The goal of this project is to provide people with a reliable 72-pin replacement. Unfortunately, there’s just no consistent place to get standard replacements, with quality all over the place. Also, the Blinking Light Win project has been out of stock for a long time…and even when it was available, a common complaint from owners was a “death grip” that seemed to put too much pressure on the cartridge connector.
The Slotmaster aims to be a reliable 72-pin replacement and I’m interested to hear reviewers opinions after a normal break-in period: Are people (with clean games ;p) still getting blinking lights? Is the grip snug as it should be? Hopefully we’ll see some footage soon!
