What are the most common retro game restoration challenges you face?

[EleanorT]

For those of us who do retro game restoration, we all encounter certain recurring issues. What are the most common challenges you face when restoring old games and consoles? For me, it's usually dealing with corroded battery contacts in cartridges, fixing yellowed plastic on consoles, and dealing with capacitor issues in older hardware. I'd love to hear what problems you encounter most frequently and any tips you've developed for handling them. Also, what's the most difficult restoration project you've successfully completed?

[JonathanJ]

Battery replacement in cartridges is probably the most common issue. So many games from the 90s have dead batteries that need replacing. The challenge is doing it without damaging the board or label. I've developed a technique using a soldering iron with a fine tip and lots of flux. Also, dealing with corroded contacts from battery leaks is always tricky.

[DanielHD]

Yellowed plastic on consoles is a constant battle. Retrobrighting works, but it's temporary and can make plastic brittle over time. I'm experimenting with different methods for retro game restoration that are less damaging. Also, capacitor replacement in older consoles - especially the Sega Genesis model 1 and TurboGrafx-16. Those capacitors leak and can destroy the motherboard if not caught early.

[EleanorT]

Disc drive repairs on systems like PlayStation and Sega CD. The lasers wear out, the motors fail, and the mechanisms get gummed up. Finding replacement parts that are actually good quality is difficult. For retro game restoration, these are some of the most challenging repairs. I recently restored a Sega CD model 2 that had multiple failed components - took me weeks to source everything and get it working.