1Up yours. (sorry, that was stupid)

Ok, the NES has been on vacation in San Francisco for an article to be written on it. I sadly have gotten so tied up in real life that I haven't been able to deal with it so I figured it would at least mean something was happening. The big part is still left, analyzing the audio captures from the NES itself. Getting the NES back will probably inspire me to actually sit down again with my partner, transfer the audio from the tapes, and take a look 'behind the scenes' as it were.

The original guy stated that voices and sounds could be heard 'behind the music' but would stop when paused. That was probably the most significant thing he mentioned so if it's true, the insubstantial nature of the rest of his claims don't really matter. So here's hoping that off in the pink & purple misty waves of the spectral audio view there are frequencies being populated by what couldn't possibly be the familiar beeps & blips of our NES friend. That sounds better than saying, "Let us hope we can hear the unearthly cries of a dead child trapped in an old gaming console" doesn't it?

Don't worry friends, I will finish this experiment. I will email anyone on the mailing list when I do, so if you aren't and would like to be please just email me at ghostnes@gmail.com and you will be added.

Later friends.

Ok, here's some actual info.

I didn't want to really talk specifics until we were more or less finished working with it, but an email from one of you prompted me to not be so tight-lipped about it. So here.

There has been some odd intermittent flickering (haven't opened it up yet so the quality of the connections may be to blaim?) as well as the occasional 'stutter' (freeze for a moment then continue, sometimes disrupting play). Also twice while playing last, the character moved back left on it's own at just the wrong time to take a life. The controller itself may have issues and I tried it briefly with the other one and it hasn't happened again yet.

I'm holding back on the audio until we know what we're looking at. Because of the specific frequencies of sound the NES systems use they are pretty easy to pick out in a spectral graph so we can look at what else is in there.

After normal testing and we open it, we will then clean the NES properly and see what behaviours change. Since the reason we are doing this is for everyone's curiousity I suppose it doesn't make since for me to be all secretive. Ok till later.

First pictures.

Ok, here are a few beginning pictures to take a look at. It will probably take me more time to organize the photos and sound and post them than it will to actually do the research, so bear with me. I'll be sending the NES to Electronic Gaming Monthly hopefully either later this weekend or early next week so they can take a look, so my main goal is getting everything I can before then.



Don't want to talk too much about the actual experiences with it until we have it sorted out, will try and get some more photots up soon though!

Ok, finally things are rolling!

Sorry about the delays...it's been hectic getting started on this because of a close friends wedding this coming weekend. We set everything up last night, a recorder and microphones. I also forgot that I was going to the midnight showing of "Sin City" last night and that being the opening night you have to get there early. So we got all setup, started the NES to make sure it was all connected and happy, and then my friend called and I had to leave.

So, I got some pictures of my partner playing the beginning of Mario, and setting up the gear, and then we had to stop!

I wanted to at least get a photo on my jumpdrive so I could upload proof we've even begun, but it was three before I got home my friends, I gotta sleep too. But all the equipment is up and ready so we are going to actually be gathering some data now. I will at least upload some pics in the next day or so.

Now I didn't feel anything strange setting up the system, though I'd forgotten to think about it and went into my 'cabling and setting up hardware' mode, though if something was going to reveal it's presence at a stage like that, you shouldn't have to expect it right? So nothing out of the ordinary yet, but we've only just begun. I promise I'll send a mass email when I up some pictures and research logs/results. Have a great weekend everybody!

Hopefully this weekend will prove fruitful.

We will begin documenting over the next few days, see what we can get out of it. After we are sure we have enough data from use, both feelings and observable phenomena, and then we will carefully examine the actual components (both internal and external) for decay/damage.

I also want to experiment with artificially causing interference to see if it causes strange effects while playing. Not sure if I have the stuff on hand to do that this weekend however. I've always been a man of science and logic that has hoped for existing paranormal activity. I don't know if I believe in ghosts myself, but I want to!

Until next week!

It begins.

Just laying the groundwork for where all the information concerning the study of the "Haunted NES" will live. This will be the information hub as it were.

This site will concern electronics, console systems, science, and the paranormal. These will all be up for discussion and scrutinization.