Something very odd...

Armageddon PotatoArmageddon Potato
in Help Wanted!
I just found a Vanguard cart I've had sitting on a shelf for some time now. I was in the middle of moving some games around when I noticed how light it was. I took a glance at it, and as crazy as this sounds... there's no game inside the cartridge! I tried to play it, and nothing is in there. The craziest part though is that the label is intact. No signs of anyone opening it. How can this be possible? Did this cart just somehow never have a game put in it? What's going on!? image

Comments

  • RetroHackerRetroHacker
    Couple things could have happened here. If it's a later 2600 cartridge without the plastic dust flap, it IS possible to get the board out without opening the cartridge It involves a lot of pulling and bending, but it's possible. It's also possible the screw wasn't installed - in which case you can take open it even easier.

    Similarly, it's possible to remove/restick the label on some 2600 cartridges. Heat will soften the glue and you can peel the label off intact (or at least, far enough back to get at the screw holding the cartridge together). Heat the label with a hairdryer and peel. I use this method all the time when recycling junk cartridges to make new ones - it's quite possible to get many labels off intact.

    Also, it's not uncommon to have the label fall off a game. Occasionally you'll have one with exceptionally bad glue, and the label just drops off. You can easily reglue it though. Parker Bros. games are especailly prone to this. I think I have at least a dozen blank Parker Bros. games (mostly Frogger).

    -Ian
  • dangevindangevin
    I once had the problem that I lose an intellivision board inside the unit...I pulled the housing out and it was a pain in the ass, it was stuck deep inside. I was a little kid, so at first I didn't know that there was something inside the plastic that was removable image I was mystified when I removed the game, and the system still played the same game! Anyways, needless to say the game stayed apart, I couldn't get it back together. Possible this had the same history and was just kept with the collection from that point on.
  • RetroHackerRetroHacker
    Hehe. I can imagine that happening on the Intellivision, those cartridges really weren't a very good design, and were notoriously hard to insert/remove.

    The Atari's cartridge slot *shouldn't* be tight enough to do this, but anything is possible. More than likely, someone threw the cartridge against the wall hard enough to dislodge the board...

    -Ian
  • Armageddon PotatoArmageddon Potato
    Well it does have the plastic dust end. The one that can move up and down. I guess somehow the board got removed... but it's going to be a mystery that's for sure! =)
  • WATA GRADED WEBSITEWATA GRADED WEBSITE
    I Once rented Castlevania for the n64 shortly after it came out and tossed it in my system and it wouldnt work. After a few tries of powering it on and off and taking it out I go to look at the pin connector and there isnt even one in there haha. I thought the game felt a bit lighter than usual.
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