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Atari 7800 won't play (most) Atari 7800 games


DocktaCake

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So I recently purchased an Atari 7800. However, it has a weird issue where it will play 2600 games fine, but I've been having issues with it playing 7800 games. It plays one-on-one and Hat Trick perfectly (of course it will only play sports games :( ) . It displays the boot screen (the Atari logo) on Pole Position II but then cuts to a black screen. I have a few other games which just display a black screen or vertical bars. 

 

This probably isn't related, but the power button doesn't work 9/10 times I want to use it. I have to keep pressing it to turn it on/off. 

Edited by DocktaCake
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So I have cleaned the switch (which is now more reliable) and (tried) to clean the pins. It usually takes about 10-20 tries, but I can get every game except for Touchdown to work (still having issues with Pole Position II as well). I also have a lot of trouble playing Activision Atari 2600 games. It seems the tighter the game, the more likely it will work. Any ideas?

Edited by DocktaCake
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Yep, the cart connector pins are loose and/or dirty. Get some good contact cleaner (I prefer Deoxit D5) and spray liberally into the cartridge connector, then insert and remove a 7800 game (not a 2600 game) a dozen or more times. This will ensure the cleaner gets spread across all the pins of the connector and will help work off any surface dirt or grime. Then set the system aside and let it dry for 10 minutes before trying again. It’s important to use a 7800 game rather than a 2600 game, as the 7800 cart actually has additional pins in either end of the cartridge port. So if you clean the cart slot with a 2600 cart, you won’t get those pins on either end cleaned off very well.

 

Anyway, if that cleaning process doesn’t work, you can remove the system from the its case, remove the cartridge guide to expose the connector on the motherboard, and very gently bend the connector pins towards one another using a wooden toothpick or very small jewelers screwdriver. Be careful to avoid bending them so much that they touch without a cartridge inserted. This is especially true for the pins on either end, as those pins are left empty when you insert a 2600 game. So if they’re touching, with a 2600 game inserted the system just won’t work. Hope this makes sense.

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I cleaned the cartridge port by cutting an old gift card, soaking it in rubbing alcohol, and sticking it in. I also used a paperclip along the edges inside the slot to make sure it the hard to reach spots were clean. I've cleaned it it to the point where I can play every game (except Pole Position II)! Some games require me to push down hard to get them to run (not sure why). I noticed some games don't stick in smoothly, and those are the ones that require me to press down hard. 

Edited by DocktaCake
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