CBS games won't work

[Hastor]

So this may be an obvious thing, but I couldn't find anything googling around, and haven't been involved with discussions online.

I have two Atari 5200s. They are both 4-port. For one of them, the top fire button doesn't work for player 1 OR 2, I haven't tested players 3 and 4. I'm thinking I may need to replace the CD4052s in it. Let me know if that sounds right.

 

However the other one works great except for the fact that no CBS games will start at all. Just a black screen every time. These games work great on the other one, and all other games, including other third party titles, work great. Are there some models that don't work with CBS games? If not, what would you suggest I do to fix it?

 

I also had a third 5200 that I think is at my parents house - it may have been a two port. However, with it, I remember that CBS games wouldn't even fit into the cartridge slot.

 

I'd like to buy another 5200, but want to know if there's anything I should look for or avoid in order to use my CBS games.

[Hastor]

Ok, quick update. So I took a CBS game out of the cartridge and plugged the PCB straight into the 5200, and it worked! Is it something about the shape of the cartridge with these? As mentioned, I had one that they wouldn't even go inside. They go in this one, but they don't work while in the case. Would love to correct this.

[Hastor]

Ok, one my reply to my own topic hah... I solved my problem. The shape of the cartridge slot was the issue. So I took the top piece with the cartridge slot off the system that won't recognize the top joystick buttons, and put it on the one that worked aside from CBS games. Now CBS games work fine as do both buttons, and I have a system for parts (or games that don't need the top button).

 

Seeing as I had one that they wouldn't even go inside, was this just a slight variation in molding the plastic, or an intentional move by atari to keep third party games from working?

[MEtalGuy66]

Yes. My 4-port is like that.. Aftermarket carts (not just the CBS ones, but activision, sega, cbs, parker brothers)all fit really tight in the slot, and sometimes you have to really cram them in there to get them to work..