Like so many things in life, retro games often get better with age. However, if they're not properly cared for then they can fall into pretty bad shape physically - especially cartridges, which contain multiple components such as chips and back-up batteries.

You might assume that when a cartridge reaches a certain state of disrepair that it's only fit for the rubbish pile, but that's not always the case. Imgur user Snip3r95 took a chance on a battered copy of Pokémon Red at a local flea market for $5 and predictably discovered that it didn't work when they returned home.

However, rather than discard the game Snip3r95 decided to open it up and see what the issue was. As you can see from the images below, the cart was in pretty bad shape with corrosion taking its toll and the battery missing, suggesting that the cart had been opened up before.

Unwilling to admit defeat, Snip3r95 got busy fixing these issues and cleaning up the cartridge. After three hours of work, Pokémon Red was back on working order - proof that these carts are more robust than we give them credit for.

Was it worth the effort? Well, this particular Game Boy game changes hands for around £10 / $13 to £20 / $25 on eBay, depending on overall condition and can also be downloaded on the 3DS Virtual Console. But the satisfaction of bringing a dead game back to life? That's priceless.