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MAGFest: How a NES power adapter saved the main concert photo

I heard a great story today from MAGFest director Dominic Cerquetti about how a Nintendo Entertainment System power adapter and a bit of technical knowledge saved the headlining concert last night. 

Special guests Nobuo Uematsu and his band, Earthbound Papas, were at rehearsal yesterday afternoon practicing, and found out there that they were missing proper adapters for their guitar pedals for the concert. It turned out that no local stores -- not even Radio Shack -- had what was needed to power this essential gear. This put the show's staff in a rough place on the night of their biggest concert ever.

They put out a call across the event for every AC adapter available, sending their staff to every corner of the convention center and hotel. It turns out that the show's game room had plenty of adapters, and from reading voltages from units found that a NES AC adapter might be a match. The staff called in their electronics guru to the stage, where found himself actually soldering and adapting the NES plug to work with the band's gear as they practiced Final Fantasy VI battle song "Dancing Mad."

As the song wraps up, with its majestic ending guitar solo, the technician finished modifying the adapter and was able to present it to the band. 

Cerquetti explained, "With that, the Earthbound Papas are powered by an original AC Nintendo power brick. We all lost our sh*t, man."

The entire concert went off without a hitch, powered by a Nintendo Entertainment System power adapter. 








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Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools. Meet the rest of the team



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32 comments | showing # 1 to 32
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josmeister's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:19
josmeister
I did this the other way round. I use my pedal's adapter with my Famicom.
Ronin4life's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:24
Ronin4life
Awesome.
Andrew Evenstar's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:25
Andrew Evenstar
who fucking cares.
mratomix's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:27
mratomix
To Andrew Evenstar, sounds like you're having a crappy day man, sorry. To Dale and Nobuo and MAG, that's so fucking awesome sawce. e-peen.
BalloonFighter's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:29
BalloonFighter
It's the feel good story of the year.
king kong five's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:35
king kong five
that's pretty nifty, but Andrew Evenstar doesn't care so i think you should take this post down.
Ronin4life's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:36
Ronin4life
@Tehtime
Are you serious, or are you trying to be humorously ironic?
I honestly can't tell, and doubt an answer from you would help me to know anyway...
@_@;
Lexi Leigh's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:38
Lexi Leigh
Yep. Andrew isn't interested. since everything posted on this site should interest him, this needs to be taken down, Dale.

Sad. I though it was pretty cool.
BrowneyeWinkin's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:43
BrowneyeWinkin
Well the NES saved vidya games so it only makes that it would save magfest
Maniac's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:45
Maniac
Will next year's MAGFest be saved by a SNES power adaptor?
masterkartridge's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:47
masterkartridge
Great story!
Bill Zoeker's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 16:51
Bill Zoeker
My boner just had a heart attack!
GoofierBrute's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:01
GoofierBrute
Is there anything the NES can't do?
Smo5000's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:02
Smo5000
Hooray for NES power adaptors!
Gaidenrider's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:03
Gaidenrider
What the hell are Earthbound Potatoe Fries and where can I get a serving?
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:16
pedrovay2003
@Andrew Evenstar

About you? No one.
Red TheHaze Veron's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:22
Red TheHaze Veron
Radioshack is just terrible these days.
Spiceweasel's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:26
Spiceweasel
@tehtimeisnow

just stop while you're ahead.
Sat's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:38
Sat
Haha, that's so cool.
PhilK3nS3bb3n's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:40
PhilK3nS3bb3n
That is so cool.
SanjiX's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:44
SanjiX
That's so awesome. Who would of thought!
Alert's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 17:51
Alert
heh. cool but old power adaptors aren't drastically different from today's.
BenelliM4's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 18:25
BenelliM4
And they say the PS3 does everything.
Dancing Mad's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 18:30
Dancing Mad
So much win.
janoDX's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 21:10
janoDX
So, nintendo is not doomed?
PrinceHeir's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 23:06
PrinceHeir
what a fitting way to to play the song :D
TSAVO's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/08/2012 23:37
TSAVO
Sounds like a guitar tech is getting a free spanking for blowing that gear checklist.
Ceallach's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2012 00:38
Ceallach
The situation couldn't have been as dire as it sounds, were talking a pedalboard here, worst case scenario you just throw in 9V batteries into everything.
kingsharkboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2012 02:07
kingsharkboi
NOW YOU'RE PLAYING WITH POWER

NINTENDO POWER
JQM78's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2012 09:39
JQM78
@browneyewinkin:

So true.
Daze's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/09/2012 11:29
Daze
Thank you Nintendo based god.
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