Another weekend, another Super Nintendo! Well, technically it’s Monday, but I’ve taken a couple of days off work, so that counts for something.

This particular SNES, serial UP12144537, has put me in a bit of a difficult position. I originally bought it for spare parts, mainly the reset switch and the little LED diffuser. The trouble is, the blasted thing actually works! I don’t particularly want to pull apart a perfectly functional Super Nintendo just to get a few bits and pieces.

The case has certainly seen better days, though. It’s become terribly discoloured, and some sections are an entirely different shade from the rest. I’m thinking about trying some vinyl spray paint to see whether I can make it look respectable again. After all, this console wasn’t originally supposed to survive as a complete machine!

Inside we’ve got an SNSP-CPU-01 motherboard with a removable cartridge slot, which is rather handy. The slot could do with a good clean because there’s plenty of dust and other rubbish hiding in there. I’ve also noticed some older corrosion around the board and shielding, although the connections I’ve checked still have continuity.

Today’s main job is replacing the electrolytic capacitors with their canned brethren. No long legs here, that should make some of the purists happy!

I accidentally ordered some of the replacement capacitors in a smaller case size than the originals. Rather than the larger D-size cans, I’ve used some C-size replacements where appropriate. They actually fitted rather nicely and were easier to work with than I’d expected, although the electrical specifications still matter. There’s no point fitting a smaller capacitor if it isn’t suitable for the job!

With the new capacitors fitted and the remaining connections checked, the motherboard is looking rather good. The case restoration is still a work in progress, but at least I’ve got a functional SNES that’s now had some attention to its ageing components.

Not bad for a console that was supposed to become spare parts!

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