US-Japan Region lock on N64

Hey. So, I ordered a copy of the original doubustu no mori (Animal Crossing) on N64, ignoring the fact that I can't speak Japanese. That's besides the point, however. In my flurry to get the good deal I saw on Ebay, I didn't consider region-locking on the N64. Well, after doing a bit of research, as I had already payed for it, I discovered that the only region-locking done was the little plastic tabs at the bottom. I have a few broken games and a 3.8mm gamebit screwdriver, so I figured that I would be fine.

Cue arrival date.

So, I switch out the back of my precious JDM Animal Crossing for Nascar '99, plug it in, boot up the system, and...

Nothing.

I tried multiple resets, blowing on it, and a gentle Q-Tip as a last resort, and it still won't turn on. What I'm wondering is did I miss something in my region unlocking? Or am I just out of luck, it doesn't work, and I'm $20 down the hole, here. I've also tried loading it with a Gameshark.

TL;DR Bought Japanese version of N64 Animal Crossing, swapped back with USDM game to bypass region locking, doesn't load. Tried Gameshark, am I just out of luck?

 

Thanks. After reading your post considering the possibility of a broken game, I did some cleaning with Isopropyl Alcohol and it works. Thanks so much.