Why do old cartridges need to be blown into to work?

I know that this is a common problem with the old NES cartridges, but now I%26#039;m concerned since it%26#039;s now happening to my SEGA Genesis and N 64 cartridges as well. How does this happen and why do I have to do this? Thanks, your answers are always appreciated!|||Well, have you ever hear the term %26quot;oxidized metal%26quot;? %26quot;oxidizing%26quot; is the process that leads to rusting in metals. Too much raw oxygen comes in contact with the metal, usually via some form of unneeded moisture. In this case, blowing on the cartridges in order to get them to work is a temporary fix that does more harm than good.





The electric current surging through the contacts of the cartridge is temporarily enhanced by the moisture caused by blowing into the cartridge, depositing minimal amounts of saliva onto the contacts. Your game machine should be able to run off of this temporary boost for one good gaming session as long as you don%26#039;t remove the cartridge.





However, it is much more advised to clean your cartridges regularly with a mildly diluted alcohol, which will evaporate into the air very quickly, giving you the same effect while causing much less damage.





Doing this will not fix any damage already occurred. It will prevent you fom doing further harm, though. I hope this was of some help to you.|||they get dust on them, and that interferes with the connecting chips