Rik Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 (edited) It's RIDICULOUS to see ATgames STILL have not addressed the missing B&W switch function needed to access the STATUS screen for SECRET QUEST on FB6!!!!!! I discovered this on my FB3 and 3 FB's later.... STILL? WTF. They KNOW about it, so why include a game that was UNPLAYABLE, fix it or take it out! ridiculous. FB6 is still a great value though, glad i bought it. I sure wish i COULD play SQ though. Edited November 26, 2015 by Rik 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtarinDave Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 It's RIDICULOUS to see ATgames STILL have not addressed the missing B&W switch function needed to access the STATUS screen for SECRET QUEST on FB6!!!!!! I discovered this on my FB3 and 3 FB's later.... STILL? WTF. They KNOW about it, so why include a game that was UNPLAYABLE, fix it or take it out! ridiculous. FB6 is still a great value though, glad i bought it. I sure wish i COULD play SQ though. Eh, at this point I am not interested in a Flashback 7.... Srsly, I like the FB6 and everything, but there is no freaking way I'm gonna spend another $40 for the same games I have plus a few different ones. If they could just focus on some other fun Atari systems instead of doing 7 do-overs of the 2600, then I'd be interested. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tschak909 Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 In this age of awesome emulation, I see _ZERO_ value in the AtGames units, except as a harvesting point for joysticks. -Thom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUBARofPittsburgh Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Eh, at this point I am not interested in a Flashback 7.... Srsly, I like the FB6 and everything, but there is no freaking way I'm gonna spend another $40 for the same games I have plus a few different ones. If they could just focus on some other fun Atari systems instead of doing 7 do-overs of the 2600, then I'd be interested. A Flashback 5200 or 7800 would be awesome! Especially if the 5200 still had that storage compartment in it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ZuluGula Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 A Flashback 5200 or 7800 would be awesome! Especially if the 5200 still had that storage compartment in it. I would buy Flashback 5200 but only if they will make it bigger than original, not smaller. Plastic is cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Here's my review of the Atari Flashback 6: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2015/11/29/review-atgames-atari-flashback-6-includes-video/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 I find it interesting ATGames is having issues acquiring licensing for many of the 2600 game titles, and they seem to be focused on Atari titles only. Some of those 3rd party companies that made games folded in the 1980s. If it had 500 games, or have a cartridge slot, more people probably be willing to buy. Also maybe if it had the entire 7800 collection. They seem not interested in acquiring any of the modern homebrew tittles also. I wouldn't hold my breath on them adding Bachelor Party, Porky's Revenge, Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em, or Custer's Revenge to the Flashback 7 unless an adult edition is exclusively sold through Adam & Eve. Funny, there's now an unauthorized homebrew port of Beat 'Em to the NES. No word whether it uses the Arkanoid Paddle Controller…probably not though. On a separate note, is it known how much the homebrew programmers make off the inclusion of their games to the Flashbacks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 I'm discussing the 2016 products with AtGames now (again, it looks like just Atari and Sega updates), so if anyone has any suggestions for games to include - particularly arcade games (Battlezone, Pooyan, etc., are some obvious ones that come to mind) - let me know and I'll pass it on to them. They're looking for new games to license. For the record, if AtGames is ever interested in an Atari Flashback Trak-Ball Edition model, Dan Kramer is open to consulting on the hardware portion. At one point, long before AtGames' acquiring the Flashback franchise, Dan and Curt apparently discussed the possibility of such a beast. Of course, at this point, such a beast would probably be best to use the ARM to emulate the original arcade ROMs. Dan did some last minute consulting with Nyko at the behest of Sony when Nyko was still in the design stage of their classic trackball for the PS1. Dan can be frequently found participating in the Trak-Bombers group over on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/trakbombers/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUBARofPittsburgh Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 It's RIDICULOUS to see ATgames STILL have not addressed the missing B&W switch function needed to access the STATUS screen for SECRET QUEST on FB6!!!!!! I discovered this on my FB3 and 3 FB's later.... STILL? WTF. They KNOW about it, so why include a game that was UNPLAYABLE, fix it or take it out! ridiculous. FB6 is still a great value though, glad i bought it. I sure wish i COULD play SQ though. Seriously? there is no way around this flaw? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 On a separate note, is it known how much the homebrew programmers make off the inclusion of their games to the Flashbacks? I purposely don't get involved in that, but I believe it's generally a flat fee. I'm not sure, though. Either way, AtGames does compensate homebrew authors. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 For the record, if AtGames is ever interested in an Atari Flashback Trak-Ball Edition model, Dan Kramer is open to consulting on the hardware portion. At one point, long before AtGames' acquiring the Flashback franchise, Dan and Curt apparently discussed the possibility of such a beast. Of course, at this point, such a beast would probably be best to use the ARM to emulate the original arcade ROMs. Dan did some last minute consulting with Nyko at the behest of Sony when Nyko was still in the design stage of their classic trackball for the PS1. Dan can be frequently found participating in the Trak-Bombers group over on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/trakbombers/ AtGames has considered an Arcade Flashback (joystick-based) a few times, but never went ahead with one. I would think until that happens, having a trackball-based Flashback would be outside their interest level. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Seriously? there is no way around this flaw? No. It's a closed system, so there's no real way to hack anything in either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUBARofPittsburgh Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Here's my review of the Atari Flashback 6: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2015/11/29/review-atgames-atari-flashback-6-includes-video/ Forgot to post this before, I loved this review! Thanks! I hope the next Flashback is a 5200 or a 7200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Forgot to post this before, I loved this review! Thanks! I hope the next Flashback is a 5200 or a 7200. Thanks. I'm afraid there won't be a 5200 or 7800 Flashback, as there just isn't enough nostalgia there to drive sufficient sales for those products (keep in mind, the audience is not us, but the casual big box consumer who has a fond recollection of the brand or system). They struggled to sell the Intellivision and ColecoVision products, and its arguable that those brands - particularly the Intellivision one - are much better remembered than either the 5200 or 7800. The issue with the 5200 as well is its weird controller, which would be difficult to replicate. While it probably wouldn't be much effort to add 7800 compatibility to an update of the Atari Flashback, there probably aren't enough licensable games of reasonable market value to make it worth the effort, particularly since you'd likely have to include a new controller design for the second action button (or just limit it to 7800 games that only need one button, which would further shrink the list of available games, which would in turn make it harder to justify the initial effort). I think the most practical and logical suggestion would be for a portable Atari Flashback, much like their portable Sega products (Genesis and Master System/GG), since their biggest successes thus far have been mining the same Atari 2600 and Genesis stuff. And as stated earlier, it sounds like they plan to make some technical changes for 2016, so we'll see where that goes. Maybe that will open up additional easy options for added value or platforms. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) A handheld system would be great. Thanks. I'm afraid there won't be a 5200 or 7800 Flashback, as there just isn't enough nostalgia there to drive sufficient sales for those products (keep in mind, the audience is not us, but the casual big box consumer who has a fond recollection of the brand or system). It's just called the Atari Flashback 6 though, it's not the Atari Flashback VCS 7. Not saying that you're wrong about your views on their worth to AtGames, but there's no reason if they were to expand their Atari system coverage that it couldn't be rolled into the next iteration. They're not bound to the 2600, so the logical thing would be to expand this lineup and coverage rather than offer competing Atari themed products that surely are doomed to failure as you said. An easy step might be recycling the Colecovision and Intellivision emulators to add Centipede for both platforms to the Atari Flashback 7. I'm not sure if there are any other finished games that wouldn't require licensing from the small AtariSoft portfolio, but these could surely be added fairly easily with just small changes to the existing emulators that already run on AtGame's standard hardware, while offering some neat variations on a favorite of many. In lieu of the Colecovision keypad for instance, have game select cycle through 1-6 on the Colecovision keypad with the emulator displaying the selected number on your tv screen, with the reset button being used to input your selected choice. That way no original game code has to be touched and I bet the emulation changes could be done by the author with extremely little effort. The issue with the 5200 as well is its weird controller, which would be difficult to replicate. Very few 5200 games really put analog control to use and demand such a controller. And most 5200 games had computer ports that used the standard CX40. So if we ever did see Atari 8 bit emulation rolled into the Atari Flashback line, they'd surely focus there for candidates for inclusion. And a lot of people owned and played games on Atari's computer lineup, so while the 5200 and the later XEGS are lesser known as consoles, a lot of the software isn't very obscure at all. I personally think the biggest roadblock to justifying the investment into coding an emulator to add to the Atari Flashback 7 that covers Atari's 8 bit hardware is the existence of 2600 ports of much of this material. The Atari 8 bit version of Missile Command for instance is great and the name is well known and has selling power. So even if the consumer considering purchasing it as they look over the box had never played on the several iterations of console and computer hardware that shared the same basic hardware and much of the same software, they do know about games like Missile Command and it will have drawing power. But what does AtGames gain with selling this to the average buyer when they're already able to advertise games like that and Centipede on the box by virtue of including the classic 2600 versions? That's a stumbling block as I see it, but if they don't give people a reason to come back by impressive additions to the game lineup each year among other improvements for them to discover, this whole deal is going to be fizzling out soon I bet. Right now most people that enjoy these enough to want to buy the next version, likely aren't coming back a 3rd time when they see just how unchanged it all is from year to year. Edited December 1, 2015 by Atariboy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) Seriously? there is no way around this flaw? Sadly........nope. The only way AFAIK to properly play Secret Quest is to get the actual game cartridge on an actual 2600 that has the B&W switch so you can access the MUCH NEEDED status screen. On the FB? GAME IS UNPLAYABLE, a fine F-up courtesy of ATgames, who seem to simply not care. No excuse after 3 or more consoles later to have the SAME screw up, either fix it or take it out! ; ) The main deciding factor for ME to buy the FB3 is that it had SECRET QUEST only to find out it is unplayable. Then i buy FB6 figuring they fixed it and......NOPE. I DON'T think i would have bought FB6 if i had known that in the 1st place. But not a total loss for me, still there's other great games on FB6. Looks like i'll just have to hunt down the actual cartridge and play it the RIGHT way: "cartridge plugged into actual console"! Edited December 1, 2015 by Rik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1500 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Solution: Get a used 2600 & a Harmony Cart. Problem solved. Sure, it takes the FB 6 out the equation, but.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 (edited) Secret Quest is available elsewhere in fully operable form. I have at least three instances of it outside of original hardware, including on the Atari Flashback 2 and Atari Flashback 2+ (Which both have the necessary color/b&w switch, unlike these AtGames systems). It's also available on Atari Greatest Hits: Volume 2 for the Nintendo DS and is fully playable there as well. While I have no experience with things like mobile apps and PC downloads like whatever AtGames has done in that area, it sadly didn't make the cut for Atari Anthology on the Xbox/PS2 or Atari 80 Classic Games on the PC from 10 years ago or more. It's also not an unlockable on Atari Classics Evolved for the PC, although with the poor audio emulation with the bonus VCS games there, I don't see why anyone would want to play any 2600 game on that one. Edited December 3, 2015 by Atariboy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 (edited) EDIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES YOU ARE RIGHT Atariboy!!! Atari FB2 has SECRET QUEST included and FB2 DOES have a B&W switch!! I did not realize this as i just got a hold of a FB2 at a gaming store near me. I can now play S.Q. YEAH!!! That still baffles me and leaves the question still valid as to why ATgames left out the required B&W switch for the next 4 FB's. Edited December 3, 2015 by Rik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 EDIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES YOU ARE RIGHT Atariboy!!! Atari FB2 has SECRET QUEST included and FB2 DOES have a B&W switch!! I did not realize this as i just got a hold of a FB2 at a gaming store near me. I can now play S.Q. YEAH!!! That still baffles me and leaves the question still valid as to why ATgames left out the required B&W switch for the next 4 FB's. Because AtGames was only involved from the Flashback 3 onwards and that's the only game they include (they did actually remove it from several revisions of the Flashback - it's unknown why they suddenly added it back; I did make them aware of the issue yet again) that actually requires that button. The Flashback 2 and 1 were by different companies, and the 2 and 2+ are the only ones powered by proper Atari-2600s-on-a-chip (meaning you can hack in a cartridge port and play most, but not all, cartridge games; of course once you go down that rabbit hole, you're just better off at that point getting a real Atari 2600 with a video mod). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1500 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 (edited) FB1: Has game X on it FB2: Game X removed Okay, let's release a FB3, we will put game X back on it and that's our spin! Emulates Atari's poor business decisions as well! Edited December 3, 2015 by S1500 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtarinDave Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 FB1: Has game X on it FB2: Game X removed Okay, let's release a FB3, we will put game X back on it and that's our spin! Emulates Atari's poor business decisions as well! Man, you are right.. When you look at it that way, technically the only good Atari console by AtGames was the FB3. (I do enjoy the FB6 because of Swordquest Waterworld and Solaris), 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Because AtGames was only involved from the Flashback 3 onwards and that's the only game they include (they did actually remove it from several revisions of the Flashback - it's unknown why they suddenly added it back; I did make them aware of the issue yet again) that actually requires that button. The Flashback 2 and 1 were by different companies, and the 2 and 2+ are the only ones powered by proper Atari-2600s-on-a-chip (meaning you can hack in a cartridge port and play most, but not all, cartridge games; of course once you go down that rabbit hole, you're just better off at that point getting a real Atari 2600 with a video mod). Thanks for the info. Good lord this stuff can be confusing, so many changes are made with these things, no wonder the confusion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhindlethereddragon Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Is it just me, or does "Astroblast" run way, way too fast on the Flashback 6? Your ship moves back and forth so fast that the game is unplayable, I can't seem to aim. Please advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high voltage Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3341166/The-ultimate-gift-guide-gadget-lovers-hairbrush-glossy-locks-3D-printer-futuristic-hoverboard-technology-Christmas.html Flashback 6 a must have Christmas gift in uk this year 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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