inextremis staple Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 ok got: circus atari cosmic ark demon attack freeway ice hockey indy 500 name this game solaris and venture 1. why do activision carts never work for me all i ever get is a scrambled screen and the ones i do get to work i have to have them pulled half way out of my 6er 2. my indy 500 end label is weird: its goldish instead of black with white border and lettering anyhelp on any of these is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 I've had Activision carts act up on me too, just goofy, I guess. I have a text Breakout with the golden boarder end label. Just a variation, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxSpeed Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I can usually get Activision carts to work, but sometimes they require a lot of cleaning. Maybe bacause the connector is always exposed unlike the Atari carts. Maybe because they were played so much and have more ware & tear. I have often wondered if their PCBs are thinner as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I can usually get Activision carts to work, but sometimes they require a lot of cleaning. Maybe bacause the connector is always exposed unlike the Atari carts. Maybe because they were played so much and have more ware & tear. I have often wondered if their PCBs are thinner as well. I've spent a lot of time cleaning Activision carts myself, and I always assumed it was their lack of dust covers. The only one I could never get to work was a copy of River Raid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I spent a long time cleaning up a copy of Pitfall that finally worked but I have a dead Freeway that never got started up. I've noticed Activision carts have more problems than usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Player Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I think--and have nothing to base this on but a gut feeling--that Activision used cheaper materials than Atari and others in manufacturing their cartridges. However, their games are the best and worth the hassle in getting them to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 I think--and have nothing to base this on but a gut feeling--that Activision used cheaper materials than Atari and others in manufacturing their cartridges. How do you think I got "So Rich"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yar Posted January 5, 2003 Share Posted January 5, 2003 It's probably due to the exposed connectors. I wonder why they chose to go with exposed ones-ease of manufacture and reduced cost? It doesn't seem all that hard or expensive to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inextremis staple Posted January 6, 2003 Author Share Posted January 6, 2003 well i finally got freeway to work i have to just barely set it in the slot and turn on the power i still have an ice hockey and kaboom! id really like to see working oh well im trying alcohol and eraser any other ideas? thanks guys its good to know im not alone with the perpetually dirty activision carts is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxSpeed Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Last resort, use very very fine sandpaper to clean the connectors. Be careful, once they are shiney; they are clean ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inextremis staple Posted January 6, 2003 Author Share Posted January 6, 2003 sand paper eh thats safe i suppose i could as a last resort ill try a few more times of alcohol and eraser first tho thanks is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Yancey Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I've experienced this problem also. Alcohol usually works for me. Some of the carts remain "touchy" even after cleaning. The slightest touch or vibration can cause them to "wink out" during a game. I have found that they tend to "warm up" or "settle in" on the VCS after you play them for a while and cause no further problems. Perhaps they were just lonely after not being cared about for soooo long. Talk to them and make them feel better in their new home. Tell them you will take wonderful care of them always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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