Cleaning Gunk Off NES Games

     Unfortunately, many former owners of NES games did not treat their nes games with the care and loving, mindful of the future NES collectors who would later come to possess their carts. Video rentals stores are the worst offenders; my copy of Afterburner had the senseless "Be Kind, Please Rewind" as well as the evil "void" sticks as well as anti-theft magnetic strips securely attached by more tape, glue, and annoying stickers. Enclosed is my advice of removing those unsightly stickers and gunk, should the mood strike you. *Please note that I am not responsible for any damage to your NES carts and/or property should you decide to attempt removal of stickers.

What you will need:

A very small flat-head screwdriver

A towel or rag

Some kind of gooey substance/gum remover (I prefer to use a product called Goo Gone)

Kinds of Stickers:

The price tag     Method of removal: Just peel off. If paper and/or adhesive remains, use Goo Gone, then rub vigorously                            with towel.

"Void" tags        Method of removal: These tags are evil, leaving several  gooey masses that say "void" on the cart. Usually                          used by places to ensure the warranty, if you remove the sticker, it is "void". Remove sticker very slowly                          to get as much of the "void" goo as you can. Use Goo Gone, then rub vigorously with towel.                                             Warning: "Void" tags are often are sliver, which will dirty your towel.

Anti-Theft tags  The most evil tag of all. Luckily if the anti-theft tag is like a tag on a CD, it is pretty easy to remove                                    because the magnetic strip is covered by plastic. If not, you're in for a bad time. The tag will probably                                have some tape, black surface, or some paper protection over it. To remove this kind of sticker, the                                  screwdriver is usually needed. Try to get under the tag from a vertical angle, DO NOT USE THE                                    SCREWDRIVER FROM LEFT-TO-RIGHT IF THE STICKER IS ON THE LABEL OF THE                                    CART. Doing so will likely cause damage to the labels. Once you have got a spot to grab, remove the                              paper protection. You should see the magnetic strips. Odds are you will have to remove the anti-theft                                tape one strip of magnetic tape at a time; have patience.

The other evils GUM and COKE

These are actually pretty easy to remove if their are not on the labels of the game. If they are: see below

WARNING! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!

You are a whole new world of trouble if the gunk you are trying to remove is on the labels of the cart. Use extreme caution. Peel off as much as you can carefully using your fingers if possible, but don't use them for too much else you will chafe them (not fun). Be weary of using Goo Gone, it will dissolve the labels if there is a tear or if they are not securely fasten to the cart. Put the Goo Gone on the towel and attempt to clean from center to edge in one motion or rub slowly; thr glossly finish of the label should protect it from the Goo Gone.