God, I love cartridges!

[Brian R.]

There's just something about being able to actually handle a game that I just love. It's something you can't get with a CD-type game, just a cartridge.

 

And, oh, the variety! From the standard 2600 cart, to the big side-ridged 5200 carts, to the eloquent-in-its-simplicity Genesis carts, to the Asian-influenced Jaguar carts... I just love 'em.

 

Last night I brought home a Sonic & Knuckles cart that I found for $2.50 at a game exchange shop. A pretty neat cart with the lock-on gimmick. It had two stickers on it, a price tag that came off easily, and some sort of security tag on the back that left tons of sticky residue. I enjoyed taking the time to clean it and remove all that goo. It took time and effort, but I actually enjoyed it... am I sick or something? I just like rescuing stuff like this and cleaning it up.

 

Sometimes, just looking at and handling the 5200 carts makes me want to play. And with S&K and Sonic 3, I think I may take the time to play through that game for the first time!

[shadow460]

I like them because when you die for the 447th time, you can chuck them out the window and they'll live to play another day.

[jaybird3rd]

I like the immediacy of being able to simply plug in the game and switch on the console. No load times, no downloads, no damaged media messing up the game when it's almost done loading ... it's perfect, especially when you don't have much spare time and need to get your gaming done in short bursts.

 

I also like the durability of cartridges (especially the early built-like-tanks 2600 carts), which no modern media can match: how many of today's CDs or even flash drives will be working and usable after thirty years in circulation?

[Brian R.]

I like the immediacy of being able to simply plug in the game and switch on the console. No load times, no downloads, no damaged media messing up the game when it's almost done loading ... it's perfect, especially when you don't have much spare time and need to get your gaming done in short bursts.

 

I also like the durability of cartridges (especially the early built-like-tanks 2600 carts), which no modern media can match: how many of today's CDs or even flash drives will be working and usable after thirty years in circulation?

 

That's something I've said before.

 

I don't think there will be a "retro" gaming time for fans of CD-based systems, not like what we've had/have for our cart based systems. Not only won't the software survive as well, but neither will the consoles.

[MCHufnagel]

I like the immediacy of being able to simply plug in the game and switch on the console. No load times, no downloads, no damaged media messing up the game when it's almost done loading ... it's perfect, especially when you don't have much spare time and need to get your gaming done in short bursts.

 

I also like the durability of cartridges (especially the early built-like-tanks 2600 carts), which no modern media can match: how many of today's CDs or even flash drives will be working and usable after thirty years in circulation?

 

That's something I've said before.

 

I don't think there will be a "retro" gaming time for fans of CD-based systems, not like what we've had/have for our cart based systems. Not only won't the software survive as well, but neither will the consoles.

I have music tapes that are over 25 years old that still work fine. Although I recorded these myself, the pre-recorded tapes haven't held up so well. I also have music CD's that are over 20 years old that are still sound perfect. So, the media itself will hold up for a long time. Now the equipment it plays on is another story. I haven't had a cd or tape player last as long as a game console.

But as long as people keep making emulators, these cd/dvd based systems will still be played in the future. I can play SegaCD and PSX games on my computer when the TV's in my house are being used by my kids and my wife.

[Brian R.]

The emulators will be played, not the systems. And as I'm sure most of us know, an emulated game often is not identical to the original game on the original hardware.

 

The problem with CDs is if they get scratched or scuffed or otherwise damaged, they won't play. Cartridges don't have that problem.

[n8littlefield]

I have to admit, there is just a certain warm fuzzy feeling about that great big grey NES cartridge that you don't get with a new game on CD. I just had a particularly nasty cleaning job on a copy of Whomp'em, but there is such a sense of accomplishment when it actually works for you.

[Brian R.]

I usually clean carts with rubbing alcohol, case and pins. But with that Sonic & Knuckles, I was glad I still had some Simple Green around to work off that security sticker goo.

 

Back when I was actively buying 2600 carts - which I have more than 200 of - cleaning them up was a big part of the fun.

[jaybird3rd]

The problem with CDs is if they get scratched or scuffed or otherwise damaged, they won't play. Cartridges don't have that problem.

The CD and the DVD are both long-lasting discs if they are properly handled, but when it comes to game discs at least, people don't seem to care; a lot of the used ones I've seen look like they were kept in boxes made out of jagged rocks and razor blades. Cartridges, on the other hand, generally don't require any special treatment in particular: I've seen 2600 carts that have been soaked, frozen, lit on fire, left out in the sun, stepped on, run over by cars, and used to prop up table legs, and they all survived. That's why we'll still be using those same cartridges long after many newer CD games have been chewed up and thrown out.

[Video]

I love carts, and with handhelds around, they'll never truely go away.

 

The CD's are quiet durable, but each jump in size for Disc Media, leads to media more easily damaged by scratches, and less likely to work. The new generation of HD DVD's/blue Ray, whatever, will probably be the absolutely last big leap in disc size due to this. But I fully believe, that once the celing is hit on optical media, Cart Media will once again come out. Maybe.... With the new "Download to play" thing going on, it's just as likely for the market of games to simply dissappear outside of the collectors relm.

 

And with carts, cleaning them is one of the joys of getting new ones. I get carts that I may have lots of, just so I can clean it and sometimes even resell it maybe to someone who never had a chance to play the game befor.

[jaybird3rd]

Maybe.... With the new "Download to play" thing going on, it's just as likely for the market of games to simply dissappear outside of the collectors relm.

That's another reason I'm especially appreciative of cartridges these days ... the modern transition to non-tangible means of distributing content (games, music, movies, etc). With the heavy emphasis on DRM, I can't imagine that publishers will allow you to use what you buy for as long as you want or to use it any way you want. How will people in the future collect games when they all expire after a certain point or can only be played on certain consoles? Edited August 1, 2006 by jaybird3rd

[Flojomojo]

Things I like about cartridges:

They're sturdy little bricks, almost impossible to break.

They sometimes contain batteries or NVRAM to save your progress.

They can be tossed in a drawer with their brothers and sisters without worry of geting scratched. They can even go through the laundry.

 

Things I don't like about cartridges:

They're much bigger than they need to be (NES carts -- UGH! The case is mostly air. VCS games are bulky, too, but not as wasteful of space.

They don't fit in your pocket, unless we're talking about GBA or DS games.

 

In general, I prefer dense flash memory ... but only if saving works as expected. My GP2X is amazing as it is ... essentially a Sega Nomad without the cartridge or battery life issues.

[christianscott27]

as a collector I can appreciate a loose cartridge in my collection but cant stand a loose CD

[pocketmego]

Maybe.... With the new "Download to play" thing going on, it's just as likely for the market of games to simply dissappear outside of the collectors relm.

That's another reason I'm especially appreciative of cartridges these days ... the modern transition to non-tangible means of distributing content (games, music, movies, etc). With the heavy emphasis on DRM, I can't imagine that publishers will allow you to use what you buy for as long as you want or to use it any way you want. How will people in the future collect games when they all expire after a certain point or can only be played on certain consoles?

 

Yeah, i'm with you on this one brother. I am none to thrilled with the whole trend of non-gtangible media. Its the reason i won't own a TIVO.

 

-Ray

[shadow460]

as a collector I can appreciate a loose cartridge in my collection but cant stand a loose CD

 

Well said.

 

Flojo, how about sending that Quadrun through the laundry?

[jferio]

The part about which consoles will be around it true. The carts meant that there weren't any moving parts in the console. Discs means that you have a fast-spinning motor in there. The moment you have motors running, the reliability basically drops by an order of magnitude, because you now have something that will eventually wear out.

 

Older disc-based consoles might be servicable if they fail, but more modern ones, in part because of their overriding desire to stop pirates, are much harder to repair when something dies.

 

Also, yes, it is expensive to produce cartridge-based homebrews for the consoles we love, but for those same DRM-laden modern consoles, I doubt that the homebrew market in twenty years will amount to much for them, given the need to modify the hardware to play them.

[shadow460]

Also, yes, it is expensive to produce cartridge-based homebrews for the consoles we love, but for those same DRM-laden modern consoles, I doubt that the homebrew market in twenty years will amount to much for them, given the need to modify the hardware to play them.

 

Just take a look at the 7800 and how heavily modded it has to be in order to have full compatibility with the 2600 library.

That hasn't stopped anyone yet. Either they've modded their console, dropped $250 on a CC2 and the stuff needed to run it, or both.

[Brian R.]

And I shouldn't fail to mention what I still think is the coolest "game cartridge" I have ever seen... the Lynx card! Looks like a solid piece of plastic.

 

Back when I was a kid, with my 2600, the cartridges were a complete mystery to me. I had no idea how they worked, or what was inside. This was due in large part to the dust door covers. I remember actually thinking that game information was transmitted from the cartridge to the console by those little plastic tabs on the sides... you know, the things that open the door on the console!

 

So, you could imagine my surprise at what I found when I first opend a 2600. I was expecting to find a lot more in there!

[CARTRIDGE STEALER]

I loved them so much that I would steal them!

[darklord1977]

yeah, cartridges were cool..i still prefer that format because of the durability factor.. i remember once my cousin took apart a old 2600 cartridge and he was like this is it?

[The_Laird]

And I shouldn't fail to mention what I still think is the coolest "game cartridge" I have ever seen... the Lynx card! Looks like a solid piece of plastic.

 

Back when I was a kid, with my 2600, the cartridges were a complete mystery to me. I had no idea how they worked, or what was inside. This was due in large part to the dust door covers. I remember actually thinking that game information was transmitted from the cartridge to the console by those little plastic tabs on the sides... you know, the things that open the door on the console!

 

So, you could imagine my surprise at what I found when I first opend a 2600. I was expecting to find a lot more in there!

 

Exactly what I was gonna say!

 

Lynx cards are the coolest! How can a little piece of plastic carry 8-meg?

[sega saturn x]

I'll admit I'm a lot more partial to CDs than I ever will be to carts. Durability no load blah blah blah. I got sick of cleaning carts in a hurry which is largley why I try not to collect for cart based systems.

[shadow460]

I'll admit I'm a lot more partial to CDs than I ever will be to carts. Durability no load blah blah blah. I got sick of cleaning carts in a hurry which is largley why I try not to collect for cart based systems.

 

Judging by your alias, I figured you'd say that.

[darklord1977]

I'll admit I'm a lot more partial to CDs than I ever will be to carts. Durability no load blah blah blah. I got sick of cleaning carts in a hurry which is largley why I try not to collect for cart based systems.

 

Judging by your alias, I figured you'd say that.

id rather clean carts then worry about scratching my game discs up... but a cd can hold a whole lot more data so thats the trade off..

[Dave Farquhar]

I'm starting to see a lot of broken original Playstations. You can get parts for them, but the parts cost nearly what the console is worth. If you've got a burnt-out motor, when you remove the plastic ring you'll break it, so you'll have to buy both a motor and a ring.

 

Granted, nearly every NES I see has problems too, but often you can fix the cartridge connector for the cost of a paper clip and a cotton swab and a little alcohol, and if you do have to replace it, you're looking at one $10 part, not two.

 

I bought a broken Atari 2600 a couple of weeks ago, but it was obviously subjected to abuse (the power connector is broken, like it got stepped on while the AC adapter was plugged in). Can't blame the console for that. When I hold the plug in just right, it seems to work, so once I find some cheap gadget with the same connector on it for a donor, I'll have that back in business.