Overweight Solaris cart?

[Hypnotuba]

Hi! I recently got Solaris (finally!), and it's too fat to fit in my 6-switch Sears. It requires a lot of effort to push it all the way in. . .uh. . .the slot. . .remember I'm talking about the cartridge. . .

Anyway, is this a known condition of some 2600 carts? Was it just games that came out later in the 2600's life? Sorry if this is common knowledge, but I was surprised that this cart is oversized (it is visibly thicker than my other carts).

Thanks for any info!

[Sylentwulf]

Yes, this is common with atari CONSOLES, the width of the slot on non-atari brand consoles is a hairs-width thinner than atari brand consoles.

[Lady Jaye]

Even the Sears-brand console? After all, they were licensed consoles, not really third-party consoles (we're not talking the Coleco Gemini here).

Could it be due instead to the fact that Solaris is a 16K, F6 bank-switching (4 x 4K) game? Maybe it doesn't really fit in the old heavy sixers (or 4-switchers) either?

One thing's for sure: there isn't any problem making it fit in a 2600 Jr.

[Hypnotuba]

That's a common problem with most late 80s, red-labeled carts. The casings are slightly larger, which becomes a problem with older 2600 system models (esp the 6-switchers).

Thanks for the info! I wonder why they started making the cases bigger?

The slot may be a little bit narrower on my Sears (I have no way to compare it with another 2600, though), but the cartridge is definitely bigger. I think it feels self-conscious sitting next to my other carts.

[Lady Jaye]

As I said, maybe it's all the bank-switching. Solaris is a 16K cart (4 x 4K chips). I suppose it would make the cart bulkier and heavier.

Of course, if anyone else has a better explanation, go ahead. That's just my deducing, not out of actual knowledge.

[Hypnotuba]

As I said, maybe it's all the bank-switching. Solaris is a 16K cart (4 x 4K chips). I suppose it would make the cart bulkier and heavier.

Of course, if anyone else has a better explanation, go ahead. That's just my deducing, not out of actual knowledge.

Hey, I know nothing about everything, so, your guess is better than mine!

I didn't mean to ignore your thought about the extra chips on the Solaris cart itself requiring a larger case. That could certainly be true. I wonder if games from the red-label era that didn't have extra chips (please excuse my poor vocabulary when it comes to describing these things) still have a bigger case?