SALU "Decathlon" crashes on old 2600ers

[Lord-Chaos]

I don´t know if this version was published in the US , it´s a SALU picture label cartridge that is common in Europe and Australia (here published by HES).

 

This game works fine on junior systems and black 4-switchers.

 

But it won´t work on old 6-switches.

 

But even more odd is this : It usually won´t work on the 7800, but sometimes it does work withour problems.

 

I´ve tested this with multiple copies and I don´t know why this happens.

 

AFAIK Decathlon uses a special bankswitching and maybe the different SALU PCB causes problems in some ATARI 2600 units.

 

The SALU version is this :

 

 

Thimo

[Eckhard Stolberg]

Actually the Salu/HES version of Decathlon was fixed to use a different bankswitching scheme then the original Activision version. It uses Atari's 16K bankswitching which should work fine on all VCSs. Your problem sound more like dirty, worn or bended contacts on the cartridge port of your 6-switcher and your 7800. This would also explain why the game sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Do you have problems with other cartridges on these consoles as well?

 

 

Ciao, Eckhard Stolberg