Non-working Scrapyard Dog cart

[Dire 51]

Picked up a sealed copy of Scrapyard Dog at a local game store a couple weeks back. Finally got to test it on my 7800 today. Popped it in, Atari logo came up, then just got a black screen. Decided to clean it to see if that helped. Got screens in a couple different colors after that, even got one that just displayed a garble and made a high pitched humming sound, but still no game.

 

Any suggestions as to what I can do to get it working, if I even can?

[+save2600]

You probably unknowingly bought a PAL version of the game. I too bought a brand new Scrapyard Dog from a guy that didn't know it was a PAL cart and experienced the same results as you. I was able to return it for a full refund, but there's a lot of PAL 7800 games floating around in the U.S. for some strange reason. Some places like Classic Game Source in Florida, know the difference and lists what they've got accordingly. Does your cart have a black sticker with the initial P in white, on the back by chance? Can't remember if mine had one, but even if it doesn't, can still be a PAL cartridge.

[Dire 51]

I'd considered that, actually, and I wouldn't be surprised if I've got one here. No "P" sticker on the cart... any other ways to possibly be able to tell the difference? Something else on the box or cart perhaps?

Edited April 18, 2017 by Dire 51

[+save2600]

Didn't come with instructions on a white sheet of paper, written in French or other languages did it? That would be a dead giveaway. lol

 

Besides that, I do not believe the end label or back of the box would show a PAL designation unfortunately. Extremely rare when even these old Atari cartridges don't work, so I'm betting you just have a PAL cartridge is all. Your local game store should be able to take it back. Or depending on what you paid, keep the box and instructions and wait for a deal to come along on a loose cart.

[Mayhem]

All the Atari published 7800 games in Europe used the same boxes as the US releases, so no way to tell there sadly.

[Dire 51]

Nope, nothing that obvious, just a standard 7800 manual.

 

It's been a while since I bought it (took me forever to get the time to sit down and test it), but I may hold onto it. If nothing else, I know a couple of 7800 collectors in the UK that might be interested in it, so maybe there's a trade in my future.

 

edit - Mayhem! Been a long time. Thanks for the info. So I guess the only way to find out if it's dead or PAL is to get ahold of a PAL 7800 and fire it up.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Dire 51

[CPUWIZ]

A PAL cart would not react that way, it is most likely ROM damage (internally), or a solder joint that has come loose over the years of tumbling around in a box.

[Dire 51]

Any thoughts as to how it might be repaired, if that's the case?

[AtariBrian]

I have had some games do similiar things that you mentioned . I "almost" always get them working with de-oxit and rubbing alcohol .

[crtfreak]

If you cant get it to work, I have a NIB Scrapyard Dog that is the USA version. I picked it up 7-8 years ago thinking I would get a 7800 but never did. Send me a PM if you might be interested in it

[+save2600]

A PAL cart would not react that way, it is most likely ROM damage (internally), or a solder joint that has come loose over the years of tumbling around in a box.

Would it bring up the title screen and fail afterwards then? I may be misremembering exactly what I experienced with my PAL Scrapyard Dog, but I know for a fact it was totally unplayable and had to send it back. It did not behave like a PAL 2600 game where you simply had different colors and a rolling screen. Thought it wouldn't boot at all/black screen.

[CPUWIZ]

Would it bring up the title screen and fail afterwards then? I may be misremembering exactly what I experienced with my PAL Scrapyard Dog, but I know for a fact it was totally unplayable and had to send it back. It did not behave like a PAL 2600 game where you simply had different colors and a rolling screen. Thought it wouldn't boot at all/black screen.

 

Yeah, you know what, it would be completely dead, I forgot about the fact that PAL machines do not require the ROM to be signed. So it is also possible that the cart is PAL.

[Mayhem]

Surely the fact that the NTSC 7800 requires games to be signed means that NO PAL 7800 games can run on a NTSC 7800? Because no PAL 7800 games are signed as CPUWiz says, the PAL 7800 console didn't require it.

[Dire 51]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. Going under the assumption that it is a PAL cart, I'm going to see if I can work out a deal with one of the UK collectors I know.

[DJ Clae]

If it's NTSC, I would open it up and reflow the solder joints.