When did you discover "frying"??

[Bob Bytchin]

I discovered it by accident back in '81. I had just bought Missile Command, and accidently hit the power switch during a game. I can't remember exactly what happened when I fried that game, but I was soon trying it on every game I owned, borrowed, or bought.

[Tempest]

I've never and to this day still can't fry my 2600. I've given up and jsut use my 84 7800 for playing games (which of course is unfryable). Maybe I'll see someone do it at CGE 2001.

 

Tempest

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I actually do remember the day I discovered frying...

 

It is regarded as one of Americas worst days in history.

 

I discovered Frying by accident on a kangaroo cart. I can't remember what happened specifically but I seem to recall that I could play the game on what was an empty screen. No platforms...or anything. There were no monkeys but there was the fruit (course I couldn't reach it without the platforms).

 

I remember all of this fondly because that day was the same day my 2600 first died on me also. Frying wasn't the cause...unless that is what took out the power supply. But I had to replace the power supply and also later I had to clean up some thermal paste on the lower left transistor which had turned to an oily mess and was shorting out some stuff.

 

This day was also the day that the Shuttle Challenger blew it's O'ring.

[khryssun]

I haven't discover frying myself.... I think I red about it on the web.

 

just wondering if frying is dangerous for the VCS ?

[Tempest]

I've heard mixed reports on that, but anything that sends voltage spikes through your 2600 can't be good for it. I wouldn't do it with any game or system you want to keep.

 

Tempest

[Ze_ro]

I found out about frying when looking through cheats for the 2600, and 90% of the cheats were done by frying. I haven't really tried it much myself, as it seems to be about as useful as using random Game Genie codes.

 

--Zero

[Scott Stilphen]

2600 Connection - 1st issue (Russ Perry Jr.)

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Less usefull than Game Genie codes..

 

At least game genie codes can do something. Frying usually didn't do much other than screw up the graphics or something to that effect. Usually the game wasn't playable or didn't do all that much different.

 

There are a few games on the other hand that do some cool stuff...Like extra lives...or being invincable etc...but usually nothing all that cool.

[+Random Terrain]

I discovered frying in 1999 on the internet when looking up information on the 2600. I thought it sounded like a dumb idea. No way would I ever treat my Atari or my games like that.

 

That's why I like Le Geek's version of BTECH because it's the frying free version.

 

You can find that and other cheat sites by visiting the Atari 2600 Cheats and Hints category at the dmoz.

[Mountain King]

My very first atari was a reconditioned 4 switch. The on off switch was bad and would stick. I would fry games unitentionally and still play them. Some odd things that would happen to me that I can remember:

Flying Pitfall Harry Shadow

Invincible Submarine (Polaris)

The Programmer's initials would come up on Indiana Jones.

 

I also had a bad joystick that I could make go left and right at the same time. It was great for Combat. I could make my tank move really really fast.

[davidbrit2]

The first time I heard the term "frying" was from the famous/infamous BTECH list. I didn't read the definition, so I had a vague guess that frying the 2600 involved leaving it on until it overheated. Hey, it sounded logical. After I read how to do it, I went to work. He he.

[Albert]

I don't remember exactly how I discovered frying, but I clearly remember doing it quite a bit on my 2600 when I was young. While the results were never predictable, I had lots of fun playing games that were fried. I couldn't afford many games when I was young, so it was poor man's way to get additional game variations out of a title.

 

I don't much care for hints that call for frying either. Speaking of hints, I'm putting together hints, easter eggs and tips for as many games as I can find, for the 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx and Jaguar. No, I'm not going to say exactly why but you can probably figure that out yourself. Anyway, I'm not saving any hints I find that require frying.

 

..Al

[Jeffy Arensmeyer]

My first "fry job" happened with Pitfall! when I accidentally didn't turn the deck on all of the way. Harry was solid black (ninja style) and would sink without warning.

 

After that, I tried every game I had. The only game that had decent results was Commando Raid by U.S. Games. The score would continue to climb while you played. That was a long time ago, though.

 

I'm like you guys though. Frying doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's kinda like saying "What do you see when you hit yourself in the head with a stick?" How about "What sounds do you car make when you drain the oil and drive it?" Typically, the games are barely playable, everything is scrambling, and it's not a valid game so why try to "beat it"?

 

"Frying" is a ding-a-ling's version of the Game Genie, and that's just a cheater's tool in itself.

 

ò¿ó

[Joel D. Park]

I hate to admit it but the first time I learned about frying, I tried it out on a Keystone Kapers cart. It was early in my collecting and was the only KK cart I had.

 

The frying did actually damage the cart. After a few fry's the cart stopped working and would just humm with colored lines on the screen. I desperately cleaned the cart and the Atari and tried again and again to no avail.

 

Then I kicked my own Butt and started searching ebay for another cart.

 

So YES! It's dangerous.

[Skatepunk60]

i found out the same way as zero but never tryed it because i dont wanna ruin anything atari an i got atari jr.