King Atari Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 I have an option to buy some 7800 games, but they're untested. My question is, how durable are they? Do 7800 games have a tendency to die easily, or do they hold up well over the years? Please let King know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyranthraxus Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Unless they have been stored in water they should work just fine. Cartridges have an amazingly long shelf life. If they do not work it usually means they need a little cleaning or perhaps your console needs cleaning. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Out of all the 2600 and 7800 games I've picked up over the years at fleamarkets/wherever, I've had a total of 3 (out of about 400) not work, even after extensive cleaning. So I'd take a chance on the carts. There's <1% chance you'll get hosed, even if the cart looks frightening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Those are about my odds on non-working carts. Actually out of the handful that I've had not work, 40% of them have been CBS Ram Plus carts (Mountain King, Tunnel Runner, etc.). Maybe something in those goes bad more easily? Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holygrailvideogames.com Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 I have probably owned 600-700 cartridges over the years. I have only had 1 that would not work after a cleaning and that was a brand new Astrocade cartridge that came defective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizoc Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 Keep in mind that that untested means they could also be PAL, be careful. Especially if there are some rares in the lot. AFIK, there really is no way to distinguish on appearance alone, except for the "P" sticker on the underside. If that sticker is gone, you got to plug them to find out. This happened to me once w/Ikari Warriors cart from Ohio. PAL 7800 will absolutely NOT load on an NTSC machine. But as everyone has already said, PAL issue aside, atari carts are very durable, I have yet to come across a faulty one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcprs1 Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I have only had one 7800 cart not work on me. Usually you have to clean them a little and they will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holygrailvideogames.com Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I think that Gearge Reese sells something to modify an American Atari 7800 to play PAL games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted July 21, 2002 Author Share Posted July 21, 2002 Excellent, I think I'll give 'em a shot. The carts look to be in pretty good condition, save for the normal wear on the labels. Thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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