Blinking Light Win Is a Kickstarter Project to Permanently Fix NES Cartridge Slots

As retro game collecting becomes more accessible to wider audiences, formerly annoying issues associated with retro gaming have blossomed into monumental headaches. One such issue is the cartridge loading slot on the original NES — unlike other cartridge-based consoles in witch you simply shove a game into slot and turn it on, the NES required you to insert a game and then push it down to lock into place. Over time, the contacts on the mechanism would wear out, leading to games that wouldn't play and a blinking red power button light.

Blinking Light Win aims to correct that issue. Developed by Arcade Works, which previously manufactured a high-quality Neo-Geo clone called Omega Entertainment Mahcine VMC, Blinking Light Win is a replacement for the "zero insertion force" connector currently inside the NES so that you can simply stick a game in and turn the machine on without having to push the cartridge down. It's like playing a top-loader, only with the original NES aesthetic! The Kickstarter campaign has a $15,000 goal, and is just shy of $9000 with a month left to go. Pledging $20 will net you one of the first BLWs, although you will have to install it on your own.

On the pricier end of the Kickstarter spectrum is hdmyboy, a module for the original gray brick Game Boy that allows you to output the picture onto a TV via HDMI. It also comes with picture scaling and color options, as well as a replica NES controller to effectly turn your Game Boy into a microconsole, like PlayStation TV. This campaign, however, has a €65,000 goal (just under $80,000), and you'd need to pledge €125 (about $154) to get the hdmyboy unit. This one is clearly more for major tech heads — the rest of us would be better satisfied with a Super Game Boy or Game Boy Player!