I have a confession to make.... I was a label puncher!

[Mike 01Hawk]

Yeah,

 

Blame it on immaturity (I was only something like 8 at the time), boredom, or just plain OCD... but I was fascinated when I found out that there were little indentations/slots underneath the labels on all my 2600 games (I wanna say I had around 10-15). Well.. I just couldn't help myself after I punched my first one and soon I pretty much punched out all my carts

 

Oh well, I guess what's even worse is my mom sold off the entire system/carts in a garage sale after I got a NES... oh the horror!!!

Edited September 13, 2006 by Mike 01Hawk

[Dauber]

Hey, I did the same thing. On most of my carts you can see a little round indentation and a small slit...

 

D'ya think Atari did this to create collectibles -- i.e. intentionally put things in that allowed indentations, holes poked, etc., in hopes that they could sell off some untampered ones years later for mucho bucks?

Edited September 13, 2006 by Dauber

[jbanes]

D'ya think Atari did this to create collectibles -- i.e. intentionally put things in that allowed indentations, holes poked, etc., in hopes that they could sell off some untampered ones years later for mucho bucks?

No, I think they did it to hide the screw holes in order to discourage smart-alec kids from opening their carts to "see what's inside".

[Lord Helmet]

D'ya think Atari did this to create collectibles -- i.e. intentionally put things in that allowed indentations, holes poked, etc., in hopes that they could sell off some untampered ones years later for mucho bucks?

No, I think they did it to hide the screw holes in order to discourage smart-alec kids from opening their carts to "see what's inside".

 

didn't stop me

Edited September 13, 2006 by Lord Helmet

[candiru]

D'ya think Atari did this to create collectibles -- i.e. intentionally put things in that allowed indentations, holes poked, etc., in hopes that they could sell off some untampered ones years later for mucho bucks?

No, I think they did it to hide the screw holes in order to discourage smart-alec kids from opening their carts to "see what's inside".

 

What's in there? Tape?

[shadow460]

Just about every gaming company has some way of trying to prevent you opening their games up.

Some are more effective than others...

[JacobZu7zu7]

I have had no urge to push the belly button open on the 2600 carts.

Most of mine are used, but are not exposed

I like the neat 'unmarked' label.

[lost child]

One time my older brother borrowed a copy of Q*bert from the neighbor across the street. We only had the cartridge for a day or two when I found myself pushing a nail through the label... I don't know why. Boredom? ADHD?

 

When I was found out, my mother took some money from my bank to buy a new copy of the game to give back to my neighbor. I never did it again.

[CGQuarterly]

One time my older brother borrowed a copy of Q*bert from the neighbor across the street. We only had the cartridge for a day or two when I found myself pushing a nail through the label... I don't know why. Boredom? ADHD?

 

When I was found out, my mother took some money from my bank to buy a new copy of the game to give back to my neighbor. I never did it again.

 

Did you get to keep the copy of the game who's label you punched, then?

 

Chris

[ATARIPITBULL]

Yeah,

 

Blame it on immaturity (I was only something like 8 at the time), boredom, or just plain OCD... but I was fascinated when I found out that there were little indentations/slots underneath the labels on all my 2600 games (I wanna say I had around 10-15). Well.. I just couldn't help myself after I punched my first one and soon I pretty much punched out all my carts

 

Oh well, I guess what's even worse is my mom sold off the entire system/carts in a garage sale after I got a NES... oh the horror!!!

 

I am also guilty of these crimes, but I was only 9 at the time and only a few carts were harmed during my crime spree.

 

[lost child]

 

Did you get to keep the copy of the game who's label you punched, then?

 

Chris

 

Yeah.

 

At the time (I must have been 6 or 7), I didn't really see what the big deal was... I mean, the game still played fine!

I never enjoyed the game as much as others. I suppose it was also around this time when I learned to appreciate a nice clean tear-free label.

[Paranoid]

 

Did you get to keep the copy of the game who's label you punched, then?

 

Chris

 

Yeah.

 

At the time (I must have been 6 or 7), I didn't really see what the big deal was... I mean, the game still played fine!

I never enjoyed the game as much as others. I suppose it was also around this time when I learned to appreciate a nice clean tear-free label.

 

I still don't see...

 

I mean, I guess I can understand. But, the game DID still play fine. Your 6 year old logic was not flawed.

 

On the other hand, I guess you learned a very valuable lesson, without an ass-beating being involved, so... your parents were onto something.

[lost child]

I still don't see...

 

I mean, I guess I can understand. But, the game DID still play fine. Your 6 year old logic was not flawed.

 

On the other hand, I guess you learned a very valuable lesson, without an ass-beating being involved, so... your parents were onto something.

 

I can't say for sure that I went without a beating; If my dad didn't kick my ass, I'm sure my brother probably did.

 

Still, I carelessly damaged someone else's property! It was only right that I have to replace the cartridge. I'm not entirely sure I knew whose cartridge it was when I punctured the label, but I certainly knew it wasn't mine.

 

...

 

I destroyed a lot of things back then. I was the kid who chewed through joystick boots, tore apart the plastic on our Intellivision 2 controllers, and threw NES controllers at the television. My brother was far worse. One day I watched as he got so pissed off playing Ghosts and Goblins on the NES that he ripped the cartridge out of the machine and through it at the wall so hard he left a corner shaped dent in the sheetrock! Then he walked over, picked the cartridge up off of the floor, and re-inserted the game into the gaping grey box to find the game still played fine (I'm sure that was a blow to his ego)! He also eventually kicked the doors completely off our bedroom closet after repeated game losses.

 

Oh... those were the days.

[Rik]

Thats one of the things that pissed me off the most,a mint conditon boxed game,and upon opening it,voila the otherwise perfect label with the screw holes punched in!

[plaidbrad3141]

I just found out a couple months ago that my little brother used to punch and slam his fists on my NES. I recently replaced the pins and it still works except only if the cart tray isn't pushed down. Thankfully he never cared for the Atari.

[pocketmego]

Yeah,

 

Blame it on immaturity (I was only something like 8 at the time), boredom, or just plain OCD... but I was fascinated when I found out that there were little indentations/slots underneath the labels on all my 2600 games (I wanna say I had around 10-15). Well.. I just couldn't help myself after I punched my first one and soon I pretty much punched out all my carts

 

Oh well, I guess what's even worse is my mom sold off the entire system/carts in a garage sale after I got a NES... oh the horror!!!

 

WHAT!!!!????

 

And we let you post here!

 

GET OUT!

 

 

That's being a kid man.

 

-Ray

[Shannon]

My cousin used to deliberately pull the boots of my Atari sticks which drove me crazy. Leave MY property alone...

[Philflound]

I actually may have done that a few times on my own carts when I was smaller. I think I was 8 when I got the Atari in 1978. Though we wound up selling all our carts to a friend, and like I've said in other threads, his house went up in flames and so did our carts.

 

Phil

[super_dos_man]

D'ya think Atari did this to create collectibles -- i.e. intentionally put things in that allowed indentations, holes poked, etc., in hopes that they could sell off some untampered ones years later for mucho bucks?

No, I think they did it to hide the screw holes in order to discourage smart-alec kids from opening their carts to "see what's inside".

 

didn't stop me

 

LOL! omg thats a good one