Weird Jr. Pac-Man problem

[pocketmego]

I bought a 2600 Jr. Pac-Man cartridge today and when I put ti in my Heavy Sixer to play it seemed to big fr the slot. It went in real tight, wouldn't play and got stuck in the unit until I pulled it out really hard.

 

It wouldn't fit in my normal woody either. It seems to fit in my 2600 Jr. OK, but the problem with that is my Jr doesn't work, so i can't tell if the thing even plays.

 

What's going on here?

 

-Ray

[BrianC]

Sounds like a typical problem with some Atari Corp carts. I had that problem on my Atari light sixer with Atari Mouse Trap, Crystal Castles, and Pole Position, but I got the games working by pushing down on the games to make sure they are in the slot.

 

Edit: I tried the Jr. Pac-Man I found at a yard sale out on my Atari light sixer rather than the one I usually use. The one I usually use is a 1986 copyright one that has a shell that is more like the Atari Inc shells and fits great in all systems. The one I found at a yard sale uses the Atari Corp shell and I had to work to get the game working and struggle to get the game out of the Atari light sixer. However, I did get the game working and, surprisingly, I got games that I never thought would work on the Atari light sixer working every time. Still a pain to take out, though.

 

Oddly enough, games fit better in my Sears light sixer than my Atari light sixer. Oddly enough, some 1986 label variants for games like Solaris and Jr. Pac-Man still use shells more similar to Atari Inc.

Edited August 20, 2006 by BrianC

[+atari2600land]

I had the same problem with Realsports Football & Crystal Castles. I just took the chips out and replaced the cartridge. Have any spare dupes?

[+Omegamatrix]

Simply put, most of the red labels were released in a different shell that is slightly bigger for whatever reason. I'm talking about the open-ended shells here that have two noticable gaps underneath the front label. If you look at the cart you can tell that the holes are there because in the manufacturing process the prongs are stamped out of the top part of the shell. Atari Corps also released several silver labels and a few black labels in the same style of shell. I really had to ram my Jr. Pac-Man into my Heavy sixer to get it to go. Atari Corps really didn't have any great quality control. You really get the feeling that they were just trying to push everything out the back door while the creditors were banging down the front.

[BrianC]

Simply put, most of the red labels were released in a different shell that is slightly bigger for whatever reason. I'm talking about the open-ended shells here that have two noticable gaps underneath the front label. If you look at the cart you can tell that the holes are there because in the manufacturing process the prongs are stamped out of the top part of the shell. Atari Corps also released several silver labels and a few black labels in the same style of shell. I really had to ram my Jr. Pac-Man into my Heavy sixer to get it to go. Atari Corps really didn't have any great quality control. You really get the feeling that they were just trying to push everything out the back door while the creditors were banging down the front.

 

I said something about this in my previous post, though I didn't describe the carts in detail:

 

Oddly enough, some 1986 label variants for games like Solaris and Jr. Pac-Man still use shells more similar to Atari Inc.

 

I'm guessing Atari Corp was trying to get rid of old stock and used what was left of the Atari Inc. shells for some 1985/1986 copyright games. Atari Corp shells seem to be inconstant in size. Millipede, Midnight Magic, and a couple others in the Atari Corp style shells fit fine in my Atari light sixer. Some games fit tightly, but aren't too hard to get out. Others have to be really pushed down and are a pain to get out. I never had a problem with Atari Corp games in Atari Inc shells fitting, though. There's also an inconsistancy with some Imagic shells, but that's another story.

Edited August 20, 2006 by BrianC

[+Psionic]

I don't know, but I have a few carts that don't fit in my 2600 (Light Sixer) very well. My copy of Sky Skipper (Parker Brothers) doesn't fit too well and I really have to shove it in to get it to work.

[pocketmego]

I had the same problem with Realsports Football & Crystal Castles. I just took the chips out and replaced the cartridge. Have any spare dupes?

 

I actually have a Megamania that doesn't work. But, I don't know how to open up an Atari cartridge.

 

-Ray