Nintendo 64: How to fix a stuck reset button

Nintendo 64 reset button final

A common fault on Nintendo 64-consoles is that the reset button gets jammed. When it is pressed, the console won’t start. In this post I will show how to fix the reset button. You will need:

  • A Gamebit special screwdriver for Nintendo products (available at Wish, Aliexpress, eBay etc)
  • A cleaner (isopropanol, or soap and water)
  • A lubricant (I prefer silicon spray)

Step 1: Open your Nintendo 64 by removing the six marked screws on the bottom of the console. The white button on image 2 below is the reset switch. Usually, this part is not the problem. The fault is that dirt and dust gets stuck in the button on top of the console. Check that the white switch works properly. If not, clean and lube it until it works. This is also a good time to give your Nintendo 64 a proper overall cleaning.

Step 2: Locate the reset button on the bottom of the cover, and eject it. Clean it carefully, as well as its crate on top of the cover. Lubricate the crate.

 

 

Put the top cover back and test the button. Then assemble everything in reverse order. Be careful not to tighten the screws too much since it can cause the plastic to break. Done!

About Nintendo 64

Nintendo 64 was Nintendo’s sequel of the 16-bit Super NES. The console was launched in Japan and United States in 1996 and in Europe 1997. Super Mario was back in 3D in “Super Mario 64”. The Nintendo 64 came with a controller with a characteristic analog joystick (although innovative, it was also subject to tearing and breaking). The console was a beast, with a 93.75 MHz cpu, 4 mb ram, expandable to 8 mb, and a dedicated 62.5 MHz gpu. The Nintendo 64 was Nintendos main stationary console until the Gamecube in 2001. The Gamecube was a competitor to the Dreamcast while Nintendo 64 was a competitor to SEGA’s Saturn and Sony’s Playstation 1. Unlike these consoles, which used compact discs (Dreamcast: “GD-r”) for software, the N64 still used cartridges.

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