How to Clean Atari 2600 Cartridges - Tips & Tricks

Hello, A-Sven-gers! In this follow-up video to Cleaning Game Cartridges, I'll show you how to access the hidden copper pins on an Atari 2600 cartridge for cleaning purposes (works for Atari 5200 carts as well).
See the cleaning techniques here:
• How to Clean Video Gam...
As always, kids should be supervised by an adult
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#tipsandtricks #atari #cartridges

[@toddjbradshaw]

Thanks for the video. That H.E.R.O. cartridge you're holding up there is going for a mint these days. I picked up a Boxed one on Ebay for $200 recently. I'm 53 years old and had all these games when I was a kid. If only I would have held on to them. There's a certain joy rediscovering these old games. As old as they are, if you find them out in the wild most will not work but after a cleaning that should save the majority of them. Another tip if you've read this far do not forget the cartridge slot itself on your Atari. I found an old credit card and cut it to the width of the opening, Covered that with paper dabbed in 99% alcohol and I was amazed how much dirt I got out and that fixed alot of problems by itself. Lastly, if you have a few units leave a cart in the system to protect the cartridge slot from getting dust. Cheers!

[@SvennyMcG]

Thanks for watching & sharing your memories, I appreciate it! Atari games can certainly be fun and challenging and at times even surprising; I was shocked at some of the complexity in Superman when I played it recently. The credit card tip is a fantastic one and I agree, the port shouldn't be ignored. Good advice in keeping a game in place too to avoid contamination 😊👍

[@rauldelarosa2768]

Ty for this! I'm going to clean my official Atari game carts now the right way.

[@SvennyMcG]

@rauldelarosa2768 so many fun games to play! Glad you found the video helpful 😊 Thanks for watching 🎮

[@rauldelarosa2768]

@@SvennyMcG now I'm just trying to get a copy of defender to work after cleaning it several times. I might have to go back to that store and hopefully they'll honor an exchange. I got it from a flea market store that is at the flea market weekly.

[@SvennyMcG]

Does your Atari play other games, just your Defender cartridge isn't working?

[@rauldelarosa2768]

@@SvennyMcG actually I am using a retron 77 at the time, I'm shopping for original hardware but people want ridiculous prices for old systems. I'm looking for an Atari 2600 junior or I'll just go to the next city over where there's a video game store that sells modded Atari 2600 systems with the AV mod for $100.

[@mrjotz]

Thanks for the help. Just purchased about 40 games in a lot and wanted to clean the carts before trying them out.

[@SvennyMcG]

You're very welcome! Cleaning them first is always a good idea, that bit of preventative maintenance will help keep the cartridge port clean and avoid headaches later 👍 Thanks for watching

[@Satiator123]

I'm about to clean up and test what I have to see how well it all works before buying a nice lot myself.

[@SvennyMcG]

That's fantastic, there's a lot of fun to be found on an Atari still these days 🕹

[@Satiator123]

@@SvennyMcG I've got a super curious 3 year old. All this stuff that's old and obsolete to most people, is new and exciting to him! He definitely recognized Pac Man and Mario and went straight for the joystick.

[@SvennyMcG]

@@Satiator123 that's fantastic! Donkey Kong may be another recognizable mascot 😊 That's a fun age and having some classics to start with is a great experience for you both. He may even take interest in cleaning the cartridges too 😊 Enjoy! 🕹

[@kenclark9075]

Thanks for the tip on how open the cartridge. I used some electronics cleaner on mine and it worked well.

[@SvennyMcG]

Awesome! I've heard great things about electronic contact cleaners, did you use a specific brand? Thanks for watching 😊

[@jeffjcool1600]

Excellent advice.... I did not want to peel labels and unscrew casing, This is awesome.

[@SvennyMcG]

Very happy to hear you found it helpful 😊👍 Thanks for watching

[@joeg4707]

Isopropyl works best for me. I have better luck with the 91% than 70%. The PCBs are much thinner on the Activision carts (maybe some other manufacturers as well), so any corrosion on the contact pads will make it less likely to boot. Carts with thicker boards usually have enough contact force to cut through some of the dirt.

[@SvennyMcG]

I hadn't noticed that about Activision games, good to know! I know some stand by isopropyl and I have no reason to not endorse it as it's easy to come by and cleans well 👍 Thanks for watching

[@Hounddoggy33]

I'm finding that most of my Activision games are hit and miss, especially on my new Atari 2600+. I even opened a few of them and went to town on the pins, but they still act up. The Atari ones seem to work okay after a cleaning. Cheers!

[@SvennyMcG]

Glad to hear you've had some success but really strange to hear the Activision ones are acting up 🤔 Same result on an original Atari?

[@UnprofessionalFlip]

Very helpful and thank you!

[@SvennyMcG]

Awesome, happy to help! Thanks for watching 😊

[@gregferguson7737]

Got a suggestion for dirty/grungey label?

[@SnookPhlop]

thank you so much!!🎉

[@SvennyMcG]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching 😊🙌

[@thatgpknerd2581]

Hey I I have a question that no one has been able to answer on KZbin and maybe you can answer it for me. Recently, I went to my grandmas house and she had all of these old Atari, Nintendo nes, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64 games, etc. anyways she didn’t want any of them so she told me to take em. A lot of the Atari game cartridge stickers are dirty including the nes games. How can I safely clean them without damaging the sticker? Thanks

[@SvennyMcG]

How awesome to get these games in your collection! Firstly, I can't accept any responsibility for damages so you have to proceed carefully no matter which option you decide for cleaning. Are we talking physical crud? Markers? Discolouring? The main thing is to remove blemishes without further discolouring or staining the sticker

[@nivlahtims7434]

Thank you so much for your help

[@SvennyMcG]

You're very welcome, happy to help! 🙌 Thanks for watching 😊

[@christophertuckwell9665]

Thanks I had an issue with Mrs PAC man thus just solved the problem

[@SvennyMcG]

Fantastic! Happy to have helped 😊 Thanks for watching

[@ericlj007]

Thanks for the help!

[@SvennyMcG]

Happy to help! Thanks for watching 😊

[@Satiator123]

Why in the world are people using windex instead of 90%+ rubbing alcohol??

[@SvennyMcG]

I've used Windex for years without issue 🤷‍♂️ the ammonia works well in cleaning and dissipates well; a good dry scrub afterwards and you're ready to go

[@provisionalhypothesis]

it's gold lol. not brass or copper

[@SvennyMcG]

Thanks! 🙌