Odd 5200 2-Port Issue - Only Plays Some Games

[bradd1978]

I got a 2 port system cheap on Ebay. I fired it up today and it wasn’t loading a lot of games. I put Pac Man in and got a green screen, Congo Bongo was light blue and garbled, Pengo green screen as well. Atari max SD Cart didn’t load as well, green screen. 
Super Breakout worked just fine, as did Frogger and Qbert. 
I have a spare parts board with all known working chips. Swapped out all the Ram and the 4 major ICs as well with no change. 
Has anyone had this issue occur? Or any ideas of what could be the issue?

There are other non-socketed ICs to try swapping but thought I’d see if anyone can pinpoint a particular one  

[BIGHMW]

It could be a 2-port version with a 2-port BIOS, those are notorious with issues involving lack of compatibility with certain games, most noted titles include Pitfall, K-Razy Shoot-Out and Mountain King (and sometimes Thetris). Swapping out the 2-port BIOS with a 4-port BIOS should do the trick. I myself own a 2-port unit (I bought it so I can use a VCS (2600) adapter with her as 4-port consoles not marked with an * will not work with it) with a 4-port BIOS and feel fortunate to have one, but check out (I think) Console 5, they just might have the answers for you, including some 4-port BIOS in order to do a swap.

 

I hope I'm right, I was fortunate to have one. My first 5200 unit (I got for my 17th birthday in May 1983) was an OG 4-port non-asterisk unit, my next (I owned her for 6 months in 2017) was an a/v modded unit, the current one I own, I got her later on that year. She has been with me ever since. I've been a 5200 player since 1983 and proud of it!!!  

[0078265317]

29 minutes ago, BIGHMW said:

It could be a 2-port version with a 2-port BIOS, those are notorious with issues involving lack of compatibility with certain games, most noted titles include Pitfall, K-Razy Shoot-Out and Mountain King (and sometimes Thetris). Swapping out the 2-port BIOS with a 4-port BIOS should do the trick. I myself own a 2-port unit (I bought it so I can use a VCS (2600) adapter with her as 4-port consoles not marked with an * will not work with it) with a 4-port BIOS and feel fortunate to have one, but check out (I think) Console 5, they just might have the answers for you, including some 4-port BIOS in order to do a swap.

 

I hope I'm right, I was fortunate to have one. My first 5200 unit (I got for my 17th birthday in May 1983) was an OG 4-port non-asterisk unit, my next (I owned her for 6 months in 2017) was an a/v modded unit, the current one I own, I got her later on that year. She has been with me ever since. I've been a 5200 player since 1983 and proud of it!!!  

So what happened to the one you got when 17?  Broke or just gave it away like my parents.  I wish I still remember weather mine was an asterisk or not.  It was definitely a 4 port though.  My moms borther's kids had a 2 port version.  I remember thinking it was weird not having 4 ports.

[BIGHMW]

I got rid of it in 2016 when I got my a/v/power-modded version in which I owned in place of it. After finding out I could not use the VCS adapter with an a/v-modded unit (despite that unit being originally an asterisk model), I got myself the very 2-port unit I currently use right now, and sold the a/v unit in the AA Marketplace as to give someone else a chance to have one. The a/v-modded unit was also a 4-port but had the asterisk, it was the fact that I could not use the VCS adapter with her due to her being modded that prompted e ti sell her after acquiring a 2-port unit, in which I (later) found out was one with a 4-port BIOS, in which was a good thing, knowing that she worked with all the games including those that normally don't work on 2-port units. The current 2-port unit is stock and I use that now-famous RF-to-HDMI analog TV receiver/converter on her so I can hook her (or my other 3 Atari units, the 2600, 7800, and XEGS) up to an HDMI source through the converter.

[0078265317]

16 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

I got rid of it in 2016 when I got my a/v/power-modded version in which I owned in place of it. After finding out I could not use the VCS adapter with an a/v-modded unit (despite that unit being originally an asterisk model), I got myself the very 2-port unit I currently use right now, and sold the a/v unit in the AA Marketplace as to give someone else a chance to have one. The a/v-modded unit was also a 4-port but had the asterisk, it was the fact that I could not use the VCS adapter with her due to her being modded that prompted e ti sell her after acquiring a 2-port unit, in which I (later) found out was one with a 4-port BIOS, in which was a good thing, knowing that she worked with all the games including those that normally don't work on 2-port units. The current 2-port unit is stock and I use that now-famous RF-to-HDMI analog TV receiver/converter on her so I can hook her (or my other 3 Atari units, the 2600, 7800, and XEGS) up to an HDMI source through the converter.

I also got a 2 port unit that works with mountain king and pitfall.  Not sure if its a 4 port bios or how to tell.  Without opening it does on of the test carts tell the bios number?  Also got too find crazy shootout.

 

[+DrVenkman]

Pac-Man is about as basic a game as there is for the 5200. If that one isn't working, I doubt it's a BIOS compatibility problem.

 

That said, it could be a number of things, but I'm thinking the first thing to do is swap DRAM chips if you have any spares. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

1 hour ago, DrVenkman said:

Pac-Man is about as basic a game as there is for the 5200. If that one isn't working, I doubt it's a BIOS compatibility problem.

 

That said, it could be a number of things, but I'm thinking the first thing to do is swap DRAM chips if you have any spares. 

As he has a 2 port those RAM chips might be soldered in so not nearly as fun.

 

[bradd1978]

Hey guys, sorry meant to update - I swapped out a DRAM, I think that’s what it is - to the left of the BIOS chip and everything is working as it should  

[+DrVenkman]