Atari 7800 games go "squish", not "click."

[aclbandit]

I finally got an Atari 7800 for Christmas this year, and save for only two of my 28 games, all is well.

However, these two are both Atari 7800 games; ALL of my 2600 games are fine.

The issue: when I put in Atari games, they "click" into place and work fine. This includes one of my two Pole Position II's. However, when I put either (the other) Pole Position II or my Donkey Kong Jr. into the console, it "squishes" into place and it is incredibly difficult to find the right distance in to make them work.

Is there an explanation as to why these two (but not the rest) would do this? And, if so, how can I fix it?

[aclbandit]

So no one's got any insight on this at all...?

[Mitch]

Poor QC at Atari. This is not uncommon.

Mitch

[2Dskillz]

How bad is the contact wear on the 2 squishy carts? Maybe they have been worn down, I do not have a 7800 here to go by, but this is my guess.

[aclbandit]

Poor QC at Atari. This is not uncommon.

Mitch

Damn. Which part is it in he cart that isn't working? Can it be repaired, or should I look for new carts? I mean, neither of these are expensive, but it's still a bit annoying.

[FABombjoy]

I think the tactile feedback is a separate issue from your non-working carts.

7800 carts have a different card edge (compared to 2600 carts) which will change their feel. Also, many 2600 carts have a cart edge cover that the 7800 and later 2600 carts lack. Having that cover, or lack thereof, will change the way that cartridges feel when inserted.

My advice: Clean the cartridges & the pin connector on the console. Forget about the squish.

[aclbandit]

Forget about the squish.

I would love to, but it's pretty difficult to find the right distance they need to be pushed into the Atari without that convenient "click: I'm here" noise. I can get them working, but it's certainly not as easy as I'd like.