How to Clean and Repair an Old NES Controller

After years of misuse and even inaction, your old NES controllers are probably in a sad state. I pulled mine out of the box in my basement and had to blow the dust off and pick the dirt from the corners. Needless to say, they didn't work quite as well as they did in 1995, but there is a simple fix for this problem that will likely work for anyone with the same problem. Don't worry; you don't need any special skills or equipment. All you need is a Phillips head screwdriver, isopropyl alcohol (the higher the percentage the better off you'll be), cotton swabs or cotton balls, and at least one NES controller.

First, you'll need to unscrew the back of the controller to reveal the filthy inside. Mine was caked with dirt, though the images show an already cleaned version. You'll have to remove the circuit board, but first uncoil the wire that is holding it in place. Now you can see the important parts- the A and B buttons, Start and Select, and the D-Pad are what we're focusing on. The Start and Select buttons weren't much of a problem for me, but the others can be quite a challenge. With a small amount of alcohol on the cotton instrument of your choice, gently wipe the dirt from the rubber pieces that are underneath the buttons themselves. Alcohol can cause some deterioration in rubber, so after applying for about thirty seconds, I recommend using a small amount of water to clean off the piece and check your progress. If it doesn't appear to be clean yet, repeat the process as necessary. It shouldn't require much more than one attempt.

Once the rubber pads are clean enough for your liking, the worst is over. The plastic buttons don't require much work at all, as they don't actually contact the circuit board, but for the sake of cleanliness you can use a little alcohol to leave them shining. Most importantly now, wipe down the circuit board liberally with alcohol and a rag. The alcohol is not a worry as it was with the rubber pads, so scrub until you can no longer endure the repetitiveness. Then, reassemble the controller just as you disassembled it and plug it in. You should now be able to jump, punch, and kick as if it were 1995 again.