Games that run on one, but not another....

[eegad]

Hi all. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever had an experience of a cart working on one Atari console, but not on another. I'm not talking about an issue with dirty contacts or anything like that. I mean a good clean cart, and 2 consoles that seem to be in perfect working order, but one particular game won't play on one of the consoles. If so, which game was it, and what model did the problem appear with?

 

The reason for my curiosity....

 

I have a heavy sixer and a light sixer, and maybe 100 old carts. All carts work fine in both units.

 

For christmas I got a Stella Stocking game cart. It works fine in my heavy. But in my light, it locks up after the intro screen.

 

A week ago I got one of the new Harmony carts (which are very cool and let you load all your Atari games on one cart and you select which game you want to play from a menu when you turn the unit on). A few days ago I discovered an interesting glitch. Most games load and play fine from the Harmony cart on both of my consoles...but Moon Patrol ONLY works on the light sixer. On the heavy, it just shows a black screen. Note that my original Moon Patrol cart works fine on both of my consoles. (so, it works on light, doesn't work on heavy...the OPPOSITE of what Stella Stocking does for me!).

 

So I'm stumped and wondering if anyone else has ever experienced something similar. And I'd also be curious to hear from some knowledgeable hardware-oriented people out there as to what differences might exist between different console models that could cause the same cart to work on one but not another. I was almost willing to believe that it was some type of "dirty contact" issue with Stella Stocking....but clearly that CAN'T be the case with Moon Patrol on Harmony.

[+chriswhit]

I have a heavy and a light sixer. Some games on my harmony will run on my light sixer but not on the heavy sixer which is strange because the harmony works on both. I've had this issue with a few game hacks that I downloaded but have not had it happen with games that are original roms. I tried switching the harmony back and forth with the same results on the same games every time. I know my systems are clean. I'll go through my harmony games this weekend and let you know which games give me an issue and on what systems. I have 2 heavy sixers (sears and atari) a light sixer, A 4 switch and 2 7800's with expansion ports one of which is modded into a dev. I haven't had any compatibility issues with the dev running roms but I also haven't been looking for any. I do have a reproduction of missing in action that won't fit into the cart slot on my dev though but it fits in the other. I will just test 2600 games and roms so this doesn't get confusing. I have close to 200 original games plus the harmony so It will take a couple days to check it out.

[Benzman66]

I would think possibly the RIOT chip has an issue. I have had that situation before where one or two carts wouldn't work, then changed the chip and all was ok.

 

I believe it was the Berzerk, Starmaster, and Home Run games that would show a black screen with the bad chip in.

[Christophero Sly]

My light sixer is incompatible with River Raid II.

[+chriswhit]

I would think possibly the RIOT chip has an issue. I have had that situation before where one or two carts wouldn't work, then changed the chip and all was ok.

 

I believe it was the Berzerk, Starmaster, and Home Run games that would show a black screen with the bad chip in.

 

Which chip is the RIOT? Those same games will not run on my atari heavy sixer along with some others to. Especially some harmony loaded games. All the games I had the issue with work fine on all my other systems. Thinking this may be my issue. Also has anyone tried to run the Harmony with a coleco and the 2600 adapter? Just curious. Thanks.

[zylon]

I believe it's the one closest to game port.

[CPUWIZ]

C010750

[tz101]

I believe this is common especially with home brews. Stella's Stocking is a home brew. Sort of like how not all NES games work on the new clone systems based on NOAC technology. Somehow, it seems that some of the home brew programmers are not aware of a glitch that existed on certain model of VCS/2600 consoles. Atari and Activision programmers of yesteryear must have known how to program around these slight differences, while modern home brewers have not figured it all out quite yet.

[Benzman66]

RIOT is the top chip. You can also try switching the middle chip as sometimes the issue lies there instead.

[eegad]

..... Some games on my harmony will run on my light sixer but not on the heavy sixer which is strange because the harmony works on both.

 

Much thanks for the reply....I'm glad to know that I'm not alone and that I'm not going crazy!

 

If/when you come across more games that aren't working on your heavy, please post here.....I'll also post if I come across more as I play through all the games on Harmony in the coming weeks.

[holygrailvideogames.com]

Lady Bug would only work on some of my systems and not others.

[+chriswhit]

..... Some games on my harmony will run on my light sixer but not on the heavy sixer which is strange because the harmony works on both.

 

Much thanks for the reply....I'm glad to know that I'm not alone and that I'm not going crazy!

 

If/when you come across more games that aren't working on your heavy, please post here.....I'll also post if I come across more as I play through all the games on Harmony in the coming weeks.

 

Sure thing. I am compiling a list. I have to bring my son to a basket ball game today. Lady bug doesn't work on my atari heavy sixer but it does on my sears version. It's an awesome game. If you haven't tried it I highly recommend it. http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/81913-ladybug-2600/page__st__550 post #557 is where you can find it.

[AtariLeaf]

..... Some games on my harmony will run on my light sixer but not on the heavy sixer which is strange because the harmony works on both.

 

Much thanks for the reply....I'm glad to know that I'm not alone and that I'm not going crazy!

 

If/when you come across more games that aren't working on your heavy, please post here.....I'll also post if I come across more as I play through all the games on Harmony in the coming weeks.

 

Sure thing. I am compiling a list. I have to bring my son to a basket ball game today. Lady bug doesn't work on my atari heavy sixer but it does on my sears version. It's an awesome game. If you haven't tried it I highly recommend it. http://www.atariage....0/page__st__550 post #557 is where you can find it.

 

Ladybug works fine on my Atari Heavy Sixer. I just tried it after reading your post. Strange.

Edited January 24, 2010 by AtariLeaf

[GroovyBee]

Maybe if Harmony users with this problem made a note of their 2600's 6507, TIA, RIOT and PCB rev numbers a common link between them could be tracked down. I know its a pain to take the machine apart but I think more information is required (other than the game and console type).

[atari_envy]

I had problems with Dungeon. My first copy didn't work correctly on my Heavy but played fine on my light sixer, 2600A, and 7800. Albert sent me a cart that plays fine on my heavy but doesn't work on any of my other systems. (Since I play my heavy most, that works for me).

 

The Defender Arcade hack sometimes freezes on the title screen on my heavy, but doesn't on my other systems.

 

I have over 330 2600 unique games and have only had issues with these two.

[+chriswhit]

Maybe if Harmony users with this problem made a note of their 2600's 6507, TIA, RIOT and PCB rev numbers a common link between them could be tracked down. I know its a pain to take the machine apart but I think more information is required (other than the game and console type).

 

That sounds like a good idea. I will have to take note of those things on all my consoles along with games that won't run on one but on another. After a bit of research I'll start a thread in the Harmony section. I don't own enough home brew carts to test without the harmony but I think a rom is a rom or am I wrong? Well I'm off to my son's basketball game.

[zylon]

Oddly, I run into a lot of Starmasters that are system selective. They'll power up but only scroll vertically real fast. I usually use RIOT chips with the suffix 03 or higher at the end of the atari part number. I get those from busted 4 switch models. Haven't had any issues with these transplants yet.

[+chriswhit]

Oddly, I run into a lot of Starmasters that are system selective. They'll power up but only scroll vertically real fast. I usually use RIOT chips with the suffix 03 or higher at the end of the atari part number. I get those from busted 4 switch models. Haven't had any issues with these transplants yet.

 

Great to know. I may go this route but I want to play around with it a bit first to see if certain RIOT chips don't like certain roms. I have many systems at least 3 of each style with the exception of the 2600 jr I haven't found one of those yet.

[Armonigann]

No problems w/ my 2600 compatibilties but Miner 2049er will only work (semi) on 1 of my Colecovision consoles and not the others..

[shadow460]

River Raid II won't run right on my heavy sixer, but it does run OK on my 7800. STUN Runner doesn't even fit the slot, however, but it works fine in my Lynx!

[+chriswhit]

C010750

 

Cool I don't know how I got this but cleaning my shed I found a box of chips with that # on it but underneath that # is the # 4581 Does that mean this is not a RIOT?

[Benzman66]

The number on the top of the chip is the important number. I think some of them have a stamped number underneath which may be a production run number.

[GroovyBee]

A RIOT is actually a 6532.

[zylon]

Always good to have spares! That's the most common chip I replace. Also a good cure for black-screenitis.

[+chriswhit]

Update My Atari heavy sixer is now experiencing issues running the harmony at all. It just scrolls the menu no matter what I try. The issue started when loading a pac-man hack. It still works on all my other systems and a minute or to ago I decided to try loading the same rom in my other sears heavy sixer to see if the same issue would occur and i ran fine. My harmony no is longer usable on the Atari version. I'm going to tear them both apart later for chip #'s hoping the RIOT's have different #'s. I'm going to take note of all the chips in both systems.