Turns off when we start a game

So I pulled the n64 out to play while my brother is in town. It was stored in a box in my closet. It is hooked up and turns on.. problem is, when we try to START a game, it shuts off but light stays on… example, we try to play pokemon.. it turns on goes to menu, we can pick our players for battle, but as soon as battle starts it goes black. Or as soon as we click on mini games, goes black. The cords are rather new and hardly used. We last used the n64 about a year ago with no issues. Weve blown in the game and console, weve used air compressor, tried cleaning with alcohol wipes, unplugged and plugged back in… still same problem. Is my n64 doomed?