Why do the scores on my Atari 2600 games have random symbols in them that don't resemble numbers?
For some reason every game I play on my Atari 2600 has a score that looks like a combination of numbers and random symbols. Every game does this. Only wherever counters/timers are in every game, certain numbers show up as strange symbols, like with Pitfall, some numbers show up as part of the Activision logo.
No other aspects of the game seem to be effected. Just scores and timers. It also happens regardless of the game being played. Space invaders, Donkey Kong, Battlezone all have the same issue.
I have a four switch Atari 2600 with the wood panel on the front. It's model number is CX-2600A, manufactured April 30th 1982. I haven't been able to find any info on Google regarding this issue.
Everything else works great. Why does it do this?
Best Answer
If you can find an Atari Hangman or Surround cartridge, you may want to see what happens when you play those. I would not expect that the memory within a 2600's RIOT (RAM+I/O+Timer) chip would be likely to go bad, but if those games exhibit "stuck" pixels, bad memory would be the only likely explanation. I suggest those games in particular because they use a significant portion of the system's RAM to display a bitmap, and any problems in those portions of the RAM would manifest themselves as stuck pixels without any other side-effects.
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