Nes zapper won't work. Using crt tv. No shooting sound or visual. What could I check.

If you are using a newer TV or a digital TV the nes zappers do not work on them for some reason. Only will work on cRT or tube style tv's sorry

either the optics cable that you are using or the optics port on the NES is faulty.. try finding a new cabkle on ebay

Well it might be dirty then try cleaning the game packs out with qutips and rubbing alcohal. Or try using av cables instead of an rf switch

You could try another port, or try to adjust firing modes etc. in case there is a loose connection. It sounds like a hardware problem to me.

Do this step by step to minimize your problem:

-Check your remote control's battery if properly charged (swap with known good, same specs)
-Check your remote output visually by using your mobile phone's camera,, point your camera lens to the tip of your remote control where you can find LED..
-Push the buttons 1 by 1 while the camera points the LED it should emit a small amount of light
that can't be seen by ***** eyes.. if its emitting it means that your remote control is good..

this is the basic trouble shooting to check your remote control, hope this helps

If your playing from an LCD or Plasma widescreen, then your gonna be missing all day. For some reason newer displays will not work with nes shooter games.

If your using it on an older tube tv, chances are that bulb alignment is not set correctly (At the end of the zapper). You would have to purchase a replacement gun.

I don't know a lot about this console (the Retron 3), but the game sounds like it works fine, try using a different third-party console, I recommend the Retro Entertainment System, it's only around $20 - $25 on eBay, try a different NES game, if it doesn't work, than it's probably the controllers, get replacements, or the batteries are dead.

Hi jme0007!

In order to help you let me explain to you how the Nintendo zapper works.
The nintendo zapper works by decetcing the light from your TV screen. When you "shoot" the gun the screen goes completely dark for a franction of a seccond display white squared where the targets are. The light emitted by the squares is picked up by the zapper only if it's pointed directly at it. What may have happened is that your nintendo zapper is not working propperly, to make sure of this try "firing" the gun at a strong source of light like a light bulb. If this doens't trigger the gun to work then youre Zapper is broken and sadly the product has been discontinued and they don't offer tech support for it anymore.
Your best chance of fixing it would be ordering repair kits online or buying a new one.

Hope this helped you.

-Luchen

I've never tried the lightbulb trick, but I do know that light guns won't work an LCD or plasma screens, as it relies on how CRT screens work. If this describes your problem, you'll have to scrounge up a good 'ol boxy tube TV for your duckhunting needs.