Game Repair Tool Guide
Which GameBit, Tri-Wing or Phillips Tool Do You Need?
Nintendo closed most of its cartridges and many of its consoles with security screws that an ordinary screwdriver will not turn, and Sega did the same on most Genesis cartridges. The tool you need depends on what you are opening: a cartridge, a console shell, a handheld or a controller.
Find your hardware in the chart. If it is not listed, look at the screw itself. Check before you order shows how to tell the three types apart.
Which tool opens what
Cartridges
| Cartridge | Tool |
|---|---|
| NES | 3.8mm GameBit (most cartridges) |
| Super Nintendo (SNES) | 3.8mm GameBit |
| Nintendo 64 | 3.8mm GameBit, then Phillips for the two screws inside |
| Game Boy and Game Boy Color | 3.8mm GameBit |
| Game Boy Advance | Tri-Wing |
| Sega Genesis / Mega Drive | 4.5mm GameBit (most cartridges) |
Console shells
| Console | Tool |
|---|---|
| NES (front-loading) | Phillips. Requires a larger bit than our small precision screwdriver. |
| Super Nintendo and Super Famicom | 4.5mm GameBit |
| Nintendo 64 | 4.5mm GameBit |
| GameCube | 4.5mm GameBit |
| Sega Genesis (Model 1) | Phillips. Requires a larger bit than our small precision screwdriver. |
| Wii | Tri-Wing and Phillips |
Once a console is open, the boards, shields and drives inside are almost always held with ordinary Phillips screws.
Handhelds
| Handheld | Tool |
|---|---|
| Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color | Tri-Wing |
| Game Boy Advance | Tri-Wing, plus one Phillips screw in the battery compartment |
| Game Boy Advance SP | Tri-Wing, plus Phillips for the battery cover |
| Nintendo DS and DS Lite | Tri-Wing and Phillips |
| Nintendo DSi and 3DS | Phillips |
Controllers and accessories
| Item | Tool |
|---|---|
| NES, SNES and N64 controllers | Phillips |
| GameCube controller and WaveBird | Tri-Wing |
| Wii Remote and Nunchuk | Tri-Wing |
| N64 Rumble Pak | 3.8mm GameBit |
| N64 Transfer Pak | Tri-Wing |
The four tools
- 3.8mm GameBit. The small Gamebit, for most Nintendo cartridges. Game Boy Advance cartridges are the exception: they take the Tri-Wing.
- 4.5mm GameBit. The large Gamebit, for Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and GameCube console shells and for most Sega Genesis cartridges.
- 2.5mm Tri-Wing. A Y-shaped tip for the three-slot screws Nintendo used on handhelds, Game Boy Advance cartridges and several controllers.
- 1.5mm Phillips. A small precision cross-head driver. It is sized for small screws, such as the two that hold the board inside an N64 cartridge.
Why there are two GameBit sizes
The two GameBit sizes fit different-sized security screw heads and are not interchangeable. SNES and N64 cartridges use 3.8mm; their console shells use 4.5mm. Most Sega Genesis cartridges also use 4.5mm.
Pliers and improvised tools tend to chew up the screw head, and a damaged head is much harder to remove than an intact one.
Check before you order
- Look at the screw. A round, raised head with notches around the edge takes a Gamebit. A Y-shaped slot takes a Tri-Wing. A cross takes a Phillips.
- Some jobs need two tools. A DS Lite, for example, has both Tri-Wing and Phillips screws on its back. The chart names both tools wherever that is the case.
- Tri-Wing screws come in more than one size. The Switch and its Joy-Con, for example, use a very small Tri-Wing, so a Tri-Wing driver bought for one system may not fit another.
If you are unsure, tell us what you are opening, with the system and model, and we will confirm which tool fits before you order.
Why buy your tools from Calgary Games?
We are a Canadian retro game seller. Every game we list is opened, cleaned and tested first, so we know which tool each job needs. Ask us which one your repair needs and you can order the right tool, with no guessing from a marketplace listing.
Need the tool?
Shop the 3.8mm and 4.5mm Gamebit, the 2.5mm Tri-Wing and the 1.5mm Phillips from Calgary Games.
Replacing a save battery? See our Game Save Battery Guide →
