system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why do NES games glitch when one of the contacts is dirty? Isn't digital an all or nothing kind of thing?

Let's say I strip out random bits from a different kind of file - the whole thing wouldn't make sense. Especially in a binary file, all of the opcodes would be wrong if I took out random bits. How come a NES game can have such subtle glitches sometimes? For example, sometimes just one messed up sprite, or swapped sprites, or crackly music but fine graphics?
gpt
I suspect some or all of the pins are to address sections of memory. If those sections are not available, those sprites can't be drawn. Same with the music.  Because those memory contents are not defined,  the system defaults to use whatever IS in the system memory location, which often is junk leftover from other code execution. This is why you get crazy sprites and strange music.  The system is simply reading out leftover garbage in a visual or audible way.