pboland

I've had a couple more people ask me about cleaning a cart for a new label. I sent them to this topic. It may be an older topic but the info is still valid.

You can order just the end labels. Please keep in mind I can not guaranty a 100% color match to a 40 plus year old face label. It will be close, but not 100%. Also keep in mind I still have a $25.00 minimum order (not including shipping). PM me if you want to place an order. 🙂

Yep. Please PM (personal message) for more details.

@theonlygood I had some time today to give this a go. Funny thing, as I was taking dimensions of my "Frogs and Flies" cart, the original label fell off. I put it in the image for reference. The label I show here is a one off that I cut by hand as a test. It is a single wrap around label. I'll keep in on my desk for a week or so to make sure the label sticks well. It's not exactly like your label, but it's close. I flipped the image, moved the M-network logo, simplified the main image art a tad, and changed the title label area with a font that more closely matches the box font (added the original copyright info to make it feel more authentic ).

Those look nice! I don't know if you really need me to "run with this" being that your labels look really good. If you want I can try putting something like this together. The only thing that stands out to me might be the textured surface of the carts in that area. I find that most label stock really needs a super smooth surface to stay on. Any little bit of texture tends to be an issue over time (corners start to come up).

right...April fools I could see a homebrewer working on something like this however.

This might be true, but if a new significant revision is ever released, making it look exactly like the current version is a very bad idea. It will create confusion with consumers and they will not understand why they should purchase a newer console that looks like the one they already own ("I think I already own that"). I know, some are going to say "make a six switch model". That might be possible but, new molds would need to be made and making new or modifying molds is really expensive. It would be a better option to just reuse the molds they already have. This means only small cosmetic changes can be made that have nothing to do with the molds and that is where the Vader style console idea comes in. BTW, don't under estimate the physical shape of the 2600 console itself. I would bet that the shape is just as recognizable as the wood grain.

Not necessarily. I think you are correct about the form factor. People recognize the shape of an Atari 2600, but a slightly modified Vader style system might work. Maybe not the red text (I was playing with a splash of color so it wasn't so B&W looking) but, I think you guys get the idea. I was trying to add in the brushed metal look, but it's hard to show in a still image.

I got a feeling that many who are new to collecting Atari 2600 carts (because of the 2600+) are going to have the same issue as the OP. Many of these new collectors don't know or don't want to clean carts. I'm guessing because they are nervous that they might break/ruin something. I really think a cartridge cleaning kit might be a very good idea. I know most seasoned collectors see cleaning kits as unnecessary (I know I do, since I know how to clean carts), but for new users/collectors it might make them feel a little better about those old carts. Just a thought.

I assume he is referring to the standard coax connection on the Atari 2600 as that is technically an RCA male connector. If you are wanting to go into HDMI on your TV. The issue you are going to have is there isn't a cost effective way to convert RF (which is the standard RCA male output on the Atari 2600) directly to HDMI. You could try something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/166552952329?chn=ps&var=466201243702&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1cK1VVOYcQb-4o0dvAP6V8Q42&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=466201243702_166552952329&targetid=4580702894586631&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=418640321&mkgroupid=1233652283797640&rlsatarget=pla-4580702894586631&abcId=9300602&merchantid=51291&msclkid=1f709f41e27b1fbdb897fab5a86736a3 However the analog RF connection on this box is an F type connector. You would need two adapters (F-type to Coax then Coax to RCA) to make this work. The problem with these type of set-ups is the input latency. It take time to convert analog to digital single and you will feel it when playing your games. Your best bet is to either get an old school TV (CRT tube) or get the new Atari 2600+ console that has an HDMI output and will play all your games.

I have you on the list. You're right, the activity in here is thin. I guess there just isn't a lot of interest in this controller. Since 2020 I've only sold about 45-50 units total. I just ordered 20 more green wheels (as that is the really the only color people seem to want). I'm hoping to make another run in the next couple months. I still have to order more bearings, shaft material and USB mouse PCBs.

Thanks for the link. I think this is what I saw some years ago. The only issue I see with the "Sprite Builder" and the "Soundfinder" is real hardware acts a little different than emulation. It would be very helpful to have these two utilities on a physical cart. I guess I need to learn how to burn an O2 cart. 🤔

That's an easy question to answer. Most people would be talking of the Jack Tramiel era of Atari with a statement like that. He was a believer in the idea of "build it and they will come". And why shouldn't he be. That's how he built Commodore. And it worked great for the Commodore64. Unfortunately after the crash in the States that wasn't going to work, but he didn't know that and it is only obvious do to hindsight.

But some characters can overlap. Killer Bees is a great example of this. The beebots were made using two different standard characters overlapping. I don't know how it was done (I'm not a programmer) but, I remember reading about this "trick".

That's what I thought. Videopac+ systems are nice and all, but the vast majority of the people in North America do not have access to a PAL Videopac + system. I understand where these games are made that the Videopac+ is common but for people in the states it is next to impossible to have a Videopac + system. That's because it would need to be imported (which is expensive because of the size), two because Videopac + is PAL (which means one would need to find a TV that can take a PAL signal) and three, an AC line power transformer would be needed to power the console because here in the States our power grid it 60 Hz (not 50Hz). I get it you are not just trying to sell in the States, but if you want people in the States to buy these games they really need to be shown working on a NTSC O2 system.