Foam in the bottom of Activision Cart?

[VicViper]

Just bought a copy of checkers from a local store, and both me and the guy at the store were quite puzzled to discover a cut foam insert inside the bottom of the cart. It's custom cut, not just wadded in there. Whats this all about?

[atari2atari]

Just bought a copy of checkers from a local store, and both me and the guy at the store were quite puzzled to discover a cut foam insert inside the bottom of the cart. It's custom cut, not just wadded in there. Whats this all about?

 

It was an alternate method of protecting the PCB from dust and moisture.

 

Probably cheaper than manufacturing a spring loaded door, like most ATARI carts.

 

Seen more commonly in Activision carts, in my experience. They seem to get removed over the years, though, so to find one with it in it is nice.

 

-a2a

[VicViper]

I figured it was something along those lines. Thanks!

[krypton85]

If you look in the bottom of some activision titles, you can see notches on the casing, it was to hold the foam in, and it's only on some of them.

[Rom Hunter]

Titles that had this:

 

 

[+save2600]

Seeing how snug they are inside, I'm wondering.... were you expected to leave the foam in there while playing? I could see bits of that stuff breaking off over time and winding up in your cartridge port.

[Crazy Climber]

Seeing how snug they are inside, I'm wondering.... were you expected to leave the foam in there while playing? I could see bits of that stuff breaking off over time and winding up in your cartridge port.

I don't think they were planning on people still playing atari some 20 years later

[donssword]

Wow, I've never seen that before.

 

Its such a classic vintage electronics element--so conceptually required, and so completely uneccessary. It must have been common in some of those initial releases. I don't recall seeing this in any of the carts I bought at discount at KB Toys after the crash.

 

I love it.

[+save2600]

Seeing how snug they are inside, I'm wondering.... were you expected to leave the foam in there while playing? I could see bits of that stuff breaking off over time and winding up in your cartridge port.

I don't think they were planning on people still playing atari some 20 years later

 

Shortsighted bastards!

[Mats90245]

Titles that had this:

 

actifoam.jpg

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/icon_cool.gif

I have a Starmaster with the foam

[AtariLeaf]

I think I found three copies of checkers over the years with the foam and got to wondering why it was always checkers. Then it dawned on me - it's fricken checkers! The foam was never removed because who actually plays fricken checkers!

[coleco82]

I would actually. I always liked activisions games back in the day. Too bad for me H.E.R.O and Frostbite are still expensive as heck.

[Good_Times]

I would actually. I always liked activisions games back in the day. Too bad for me H.E.R.O and Frostbite are still expensive as heck.

 

Frostbite is all over Ebay for $10-$20, not exactly what I'd consider "expensive as heck", but I suppose it's all relative - I've recently scored many 2600 favorites for less than $2 each, heh.

What the hell happened with H.E.R.O, though?? I've had several copies at one time, it was far from 'rare'. Something must have happened recently to cause this spike.

[RamrodHare]

 

Frostbite is all over Ebay for $10-$20, not exactly what I'd consider "expensive as heck", but I suppose it's all relative - I've recently scored many 2600 favorites for less than $2 each, heh.

What the hell happened with H.E.R.O, though?? I've had several copies at one time, it was far from 'rare'. Something must have happened recently to cause this spike.

I can't say for sure, but it seems like I remember some of the price increases being due to a certain Youtube personality. I don't know if that's really true, but I have noticed similar price increases on games for other systems that he "reviewed", so it may be the reason.

 

As far as the foam goes, I'd never seen it either, but it is a neat idea. I would be worried about it getting in the port and blocking the contacts though. Even new foam could easily be ripped and mashed into the cartridge slot.

Edited July 19, 2017 by RamrodHare