is it the system or the games giving me all this trouble?

[Commander Keen]

Hope you can help with this puzzle.

 

I picked up a 2600A with 10 games. The games each turn on, but not one of them works correctly. Tried qtips and rubbing alcohol, they're clean now, but no change. Cleaned the system inside and out, the only visible damage was to the foil that joins the four switches. The reset switch causes static, so I know it may need replacing soon.

 

I tried cleaning the contacts on the system, and bending the pins to make it tighter. No change. Here are the problems:

 

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Frogger: invisible sprites, constantly killed by non-existant trucks and logs.

 

Astroblast and Empire Strikes Back: Flickering sprites

 

International Soccer, Video Pinball, and RealSports Baseball all have the dreaded vertical line wiping across the screen right to left.

 

Bowling, Circus, Dodge Em, and Combat: controllers don't work correctly.

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Should I scrap it and buy another one? Perhaps I should buy a newer game and test it to determine that it is, indeed the system failing.

 

 

 

Thanks everyone!

[+Mitch]

It sounds like you have a flaky system.

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org

[Thelen]

I think it wouldn't be normal if all 10 games won't work properly. I think it's your system

 

Thelen

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I'm thinking the TIA has issues...you are having graphic problems and controller problems. And I believe the TIA controls both of those items...

 

TIA is one of the chips on the 2600 system. One of 3 used for its main logics.

[eggplant_casserole]

Give the games a try on another system that you know is ok. Sounds like it could be the console, but check just in case