DCG

So what you're saying is you guys don't experience this problem once you clean the contacts?

So what you're saying is you guys don't experience this problem once you clean the contacts?

I say it is just your machines personality. Over time electronics go a little goofy but I do not think you have anything to worry about. I would just follow the other advice here and make sure you keep up on the preventative maintenance such as cleaning contacts, opening the console to blow out dust bunnies...... and you should be fine!!!!!  

Q-Tips and alcohol do wonders.
 
Forgot.  You could clean the contacts on your 2600, too.  Cut a piece of cardboard to the width of a game cartridge's card edge but long enough for you to hold and use.  Press one end of the cardboard to where it is almost flat.  On the end you pressed place masking tape starting on side and wrapping it around to the other side making sure that there is little to no slack.  You will want the tape to be as snug as possible against the edges of the cardboard.  Now, get a toothpick or small flat-head screwdriver to hold open the cartridge slot on the 2600 and insert the cardboard with the masking tape going inside the slot. Insert and remove a few times without using any liquids.  Believe it or not this will remove some build-up that might be on the cartridge pins on the system.  It works for me.

I've seen this with the 3 M Network games I own (Astroblast, Lock n' Chase, and Super Challenge Football). When I push the reset switch, I get these weird red lines scrolling down the left side of the screen and I hear a faint buzzing sound. I know that different games do different things while you're holding down the reset switch, but is this at all dangerous to my 2600? I know that Ghost Town from Xonox has one corner of the screen that looks deformed when you hold reset. Are these problems at all dangerous to my Atari, of am I safe to play these games?

Probably just issues with the game contacts.  The console is very sturdy.  This stuff is not likely to hurt it.  Try cleaning the carts.

Your Atari is tough as nails.  I dont think any of what you mentioned is dangerous at all.

Blasting space rocks!  Today, Isaac from Trainboy Productions and the Gemini Gamer are reviewing the 2600 port of Asteroids.
 
 

Blasting space rocks!  Today, Isaac from Trainboy Productions and the Gemini Gamer are reviewing the 2600 port of Asteroids.
 
 

They look familiar. Who are they?

Awesome!

Stryper!

 

They look familiar. Who are they?

Since you are a fan of Christian music, here's me and the Mrs with someone you might recognize.   Also the shirt is a (somewhat) obscure Christian prog band.

Every time I see a store like this I wonder how many Atari systems and games (and other consoles) must have come out of that store and gone to new homes to be played and loved over the years. So very sad to see this.

Keith Courage was a decent game, but it doesn't sell the TG-16 like Mario and Sonic did for their systems.

Yeah, the scrolling isn't very smooth.

For me, I'd rather play a game like Golden Axe, but Altered Beast is great to just pick up and play since it's pretty short.  It's a shame that it gets such a bad reputation these days.

While it's certainly not the best beat em' up game on the Genesis, I feel it deserves more credit.  Mega ranked it as the worst Mega Drive game!  I'm guessing they hadn't seen Action 52 on Genesis or Shaq Fu.  I played Altered Beast for the first time yesterday, and thought it was pretty cool.  It wasn't perfect, and I especially hate how the drums get cut off for several seconds after punching an enemy (meaning you rarely hear the drums), but the game was solid and a good port of the arcade original.  What are your thoughts on Altered Beast?

I remember when the Christian music store in Winnipeg closed.  It closed mainly due to bad parking, but the building was amazing.  I got a lot of great music from there.  They closed back in 2014, but reopened in a dfferent location a year later.  Although I'm glad they're back, it just isn't the same.
 
It's always sad when a store from your childhood closes.

I remember when the Christian music store in Winnipeg closed.  It closed mainly due to bad parking, but the building was amazing.  I got a lot of great music from there.  They closed back in 2014, but reopened in a dfferent location a year later.  Although I'm glad they're back, it just isn't the same.
 
It's always sad when a store from your childhood closes.

I remember when the Christian music store in Winnipeg closed.  It closed mainly due to bad parking, but the building was amazing.  I got a lot of great music from there.  They closed back in 2014, but reopened in a dfferent location a year later.  Although I'm glad they're back, it just isn't the same.
 
It's always sad when a store from your childhood closes.

https://www.thestreet.com/story/14001947/1/sears-is-closing-the-first-kmart-opened-and-these-photos-reveal-how-far-chain-has-fallen.html
 
This is a bit sad for me. Not only was it the first, but it was the one in my hometown, and we shopped there often. I have memories from there of buying my first G.I. Joes & Go Bots, eating at the Snack Bar (and getting souvenir cups for Brave Starr), seeing the first TMNT on VHS playing on displays as well as Thriller and of course the traveling Blue Light Special cart.
 
It's a shame they couldn't keep pace with Wal Mart and Target, but in all honesty, in recent years their prices tended to be higher, stores were dirtier and customer service not as good.
 
Oh well...
 
 

I like Altered Beast, I never knew it was considered bad.     I loved the arcade version, and the Genesis port was pretty close.    It was my pack-in game as well.

Keith Courage was a decent game, but it doesn't sell the TG-16 like Mario and Sonic did for their systems.