doctorclu Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 If you'd like to see pictures of comparison of original verses hacked rom on both pre-production and production versions you can see that here... http://atariage.com/forums/topic/259166-flashback-portable-needed-controller-hacks/page-4?do=findComment&comment=3666711 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 We have new games working at this link mostly thanks to Nukey Shay... http://atariage.com/forums/topic/259166-flashback-portable-needed-controller-hacks/page-4?do=findComment&comment=3666491 Acid Drop 12KB ----- NTSC conversion version by Thomas Jentzsch did test out working though the title screen is positioned downward. Action screen on that is alright. Custer(portable).bin 4KB ---Works Enduro(portable).bin 4KB ----Works, screen position looks good. Jawbreaker(portable).bin 4KB ---Works (fun game) Lochjaw(portable).bin 4KB ----- Works, screen position looks good. Marauder(portable).bin 4KB ---- Works. (Top down Berzerk?) Sharkattack(portable).bin 4KB ---- Works. Squeezebox(portable).bin 4KB ----- Works. (Interesting game). Wordsattack(portable).bin 4KB ---- dpad Works. Wow! Big thanks to Nukey Shay for doing this. Looking forward to playing Maraduer and Jawbreaker on the portable. I tried a few more ROMs that weren't on the list or didn't have anything for condition. Allia Quest - works perfectly Alfred Challenge - bottom of screen cut off, makes it impossible to play because you can't see gaps in the bottom platform. Pac-Man (Ebivision) works perfectly Pesco - works perfectly Ghost Manor - works perfectly Motocross Racer - works perfectly Robin Hood - works perfectly Sir Lancelot - works perfectly Spike's Peak - bottom of screen cut off Snail Against Squirrel - bottom of screen cut off. playable, but you can't see how many lives you have left I also tried The Extraterrestrials, which is a 2-player game that doesn't run right in Stella, so no surprise it doesn't work on the portable. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Jaw Breaker and Enduro are a couple of my favs. -Thanks gentlemen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arenafoot Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Allia Quest - works perfectly Alfred Challenge - bottom of screen cut off, makes it impossible to play because you can't see gaps in the bottom platform. Pac-Man (Ebivision) works perfectly Pesco - works perfectly Ghost Manor - works perfectly Motocross Racer - works perfectly Robin Hood - works perfectly Sir Lancelot - works perfectly Spike's Peak - bottom of screen cut off Snail Against Squirrel - bottom of screen cut off. playable, but you can't see how many lives you have left PM sent about the top group of ROMs. I made the adjustments on the "Compatibility List" for the bottom group. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acortest Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 (edited) I have a 2GB SanDisk card (white one originally made for the Wii), and I formatted it FAT and EXFAT (FAT32 is not available on my Win 10 PC), but when I try to read my card on my FBP, the screen goes blank for a second or two and reads "Loading..." like it's trying to read, but then it comes back to the 'SD Card Menu' screen. Can anyone help me get this working? I tried it with the Game folder labeled 'GAME' and 'Game'. I also downloaded and unzipped the known working ROM file/list and just copied it over to the card (that was how I realized it should be 'Game', not 'GAME'. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! *EDIT* I used a program called 'SDFormatter' to format the card. Same program I used to format a 128Gb MicroSD card in FAT32 to use with my Raspberry Pi (RetroPi) system. However, I noticed that it only gave me the option to format in FAT, so I did. It appears to work now. I wonder why it worked after using SDFormatter and not after formatting it FAT with my PC? Edited January 8, 2017 by acortest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 StarCastle works! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrBlackCat Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 (edited) I have a 2GB SanDisk card (white one originally made for the Wii), and I formatted it FAT and EXFAT (FAT32 is not available on my Win 10 PC), but when I try to read my card on my FBP, the screen goes blank for a second or two and reads "Loading..." like it's trying to read, but then it comes back to the 'SD Card Menu' screen. Can anyone help me get this working? I tried it with the Game folder labeled 'GAME' and 'Game'. I also downloaded and unzipped the known working ROM file/list and just copied it over to the card (that was how I realized it should be 'Game', not 'GAME'. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! *EDIT* I used a program called 'SDFormatter' to format the card. Same program I used to format a 128Gb MicroSD card in FAT32 to use with my Raspberry Pi (RetroPi) system. However, I noticed that it only gave me the option to format in FAT, so I did. It appears to work now. I wonder why it worked after using SDFormatter and not after formatting it FAT with my PC? Much of this probably has to do with Windows 10 default sector sizes or any of several other factors that are mostly automatic... there is a lot to formatting that is mostly behind the scenes. If you Google for FAT or FAT32 and Windows 10, all you see is a lot of people telling each other what program to use to do it... Hahaha! Yeah... Win10 doesn't work well for this it seems. "Windows, selling you stuff that does't work since well... it came out." or "We'll fix it in the next version!" MrBlackCat Edited January 8, 2017 by MrBlackCat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug0909 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Space Instigators does not play properly on my FBP; the graphics are messed up to the point where the aliens are actually conjoined Too bad, it'd be the perfect game for the system and controller; Demon Attack and Space Invaders play great... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 (edited) 1. I've been lurking here for weeks (on this thread, years on the forum) and finally signed up. First of all, thanks everybody! Especially thanks for everyone testing things, offering suggestions, and especially for rewriting code to make certain games work on the Flashback Portable. 2. If you're on a mac and having trouble with ._ files messing up your SD card layout, another way to fix it is to use this program: http://pixelchimp.net/blog/pixel-chimp/clean-invisible-mac-files I prefer this to having to use command line to clean it up. Just drag the SD card onto the app and it deletes all invisible files. 3. Although the game Alien plays well on the Flashback portable, there are some issues. Dots appear double and in not quite the right spot on the playfield. 4. Does everyone have the same problem with the TV mode button? It changes the screen to black & white, but only briefly while the button is actively held down. Is it supposed to behave this way? It's not that useful as is. (When I was growing up, I played Atari almost exclusively on a black & white TV.) 5. Did your Flashback portable come with a screen protector on it? Mine did not, as far as I can tell, and the screen was scratched in shipping. It also looked like the box had been opened already, like Bed Bath and Beyond sold a returned unit. (I didn't send it back it because it was a Christmas gift from my sons, and I don't really notice the scratches while playing). Edited January 9, 2017 by Glorkbot 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 (edited) Since mine operates that way and someone else reported the same behavior at another forum that I visit, it seems safe to say that it's "supposed" to operate that way. Stinks if you want to enjoy something like Missile Command in black & white. Not only are some of us nostalgic for b&w, but it actually improves some games. The smart bombs in Missile Command for example can be hard to see on their LCD screen in color. Edited January 9, 2017 by Atariboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asaki Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 5. Did your Flashback portable come with a screen protector on it? Mine did not, as far as I can tell, and the screen was scratched in shipping. It does seem like there isn't one there, you really have to dig in there to get it loose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arenafoot Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 4. Does everyone have the same problem with the TV mode button? It changes the screen to black & white, but only briefly while the button is actively held down. Is it supposed to behave this way? It's not that useful as is. (When I was growing up, I played Atari almost exclusively on a black & white TV.) yes, mine does the same thing too 5. Did your Flashback portable come with a screen protector on it? Mine did not, as far as I can tell, and the screen was scratched in shipping. It also looked like the box had been opened already, like Bed Bath and Beyond sold a returned unit. (I didn't send it back it because it was a Christmas gift from my sons, and I don't really notice the scratches while playing). I can't tell on mine. If there is, it's on there really good, because my screen is clear. But I also bought mine from Bed, Bath & Beyond, but in the store and not online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everett1954 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I bought mine from BB&B store and yes there is a screen protector on it. It is very hard to detect but it is on there. You really have to pick away at the corners to get it off. It took me about 15 minutes of trying on the corners to finally get it to lift. With it off, screen is brighter, however more prone to static and dust particle.In hindsight , i should have left it on. Maybe Bill Loguidice can provide us some input as to the logic as to why Atgames made the TV mode button a momentary press instead of latching Color or B&W mode. I agree, seems kind of useless. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 I think the idea was to put the BW/Color in there for games that use it for gameplay, like Secret Quest or Starmaster. It's not like a color LCD needs a black and white mode, and making it a "sticky" toggle would probably generate dumb support questions. Also, this http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-forgotten-switch-atari-2600s-b.html Quote ******* Finally, there are several games that use the B&W switch for a special function unrelated to its original intent. Often it could be used to pause the game, but other games assigned a unique function to it. Here is a list of games that I have verified : B&W Switch used for Something Else Space Shuttle (engine controls) Cosmic Ark (turn on/off star field on some cartridges) Fantastic Voyage (pause) Solaris (inverts planet horizons) Mouse Trap (removes playfield) Starmaster (brings up Galactic Chart) Beany Bopper (pause) Flash Gordon (pause) Spacemaster X-7 (pause) There are undoubtedly more games than on this list, but it serves as an illustrative example of why the B&W/Color switch should not be utterly ignored. ****** 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 (edited) It doesn't need to operate like a toggle switch. It could remain a standard button just like the others, yet still operate correctly. Press it once to switch to black & white and press it again to switch back to color. Indeed other buttons on the device do just that, despite the nature of the original console that originally utilized the same switches as the b&w/color control for the pair of difficulty switches. After all, you don't have to hold in the left and right difficulty buttons just to keep the options set to hard on this device. Edited January 9, 2017 by Atariboy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 The no permanent b+w is annoying. I remember playing games on a little Lloyd's 12" black and white TV as a kid... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Why on earth would anyone want to play games in B&W?! Is that for nostalgic reasons I hope? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Why on earth would anyone want to play games in 8-bit?! Is that for nostalgic reasons I hope? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug0909 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 The mono/color problem can be solved with a real nostalgic/retro device called a "paper clip" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+groundtrooper Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 5. Did your Flashback portable come with a screen protector on it? Mine did not, as far as I can tell, and the screen was scratched in shipping. It also looked like the box had been opened already, like Bed Bath and Beyond sold a returned unit. (I didn't send it back it because it was a Christmas gift from my sons, and I don't really notice the scratches while playing). I am pretty sure mine had a few scratches in the plastic that covers the screen the day I opened it. They are more noticeable when it is powered off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 After doing a little fiddling around with Gamma Attack in Stella I learned it uses the player 2 joystick. Maybe a candidate for a controller hack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Wow! Big thanks to Nukey Shay for doing this. Looking forward to playing Maraduer and Jawbreaker on the portable. I tried a few more ROMs that weren't on the list or didn't have anything for condition. Allia Quest - works perfectly Alfred Challenge - bottom of screen cut off, makes it impossible to play because you can't see gaps in the bottom platform. Pac-Man (Ebivision) works perfectly Pesco - works perfectly Ghost Manor - works perfectly Motocross Racer - works perfectly Robin Hood - works perfectly Sir Lancelot - works perfectly Spike's Peak - bottom of screen cut off Snail Against Squirrel - bottom of screen cut off. playable, but you can't see how many lives you have left I also tried The Extraterrestrials, which is a 2-player game that doesn't run right in Stella, so no surprise it doesn't work on the portable. Wow, I never tried Allia Quest before. Thanks KaeruYojimbo for mentioning that it works on the FBP. This game is addicting and I plan on purchasing a cart to support the development. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Why on earth would anyone want to play games in B&W?! Is that for nostalgic reasons I hope? For me it would be partly for nostalgia, but also for if you're playing on a Black & White CRT TV. Some games in color are unplayable on a Black & White TV, that's why the TV switch is there in the first place. Some games use a whole different color shading scheme when played in Black & White mode, rather than just translating the colors into gray shades. You can plug your Flashback portable into a CRT TV, and it's pretty awesome that way actually. I think they did it on the Flashback Portable this way just for Secret Quest, which requires you to flick the TV mode switch on and off quickly to access the menu screen. Unfortunately it kinda screws it up for other uses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 It does seem like there isn't one there, you really have to dig in there to get it loose. Soon after posting my screen protector actually bubbled up and it was finally obvious. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+groundtrooper Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Soon after posting my screen protector actually bubbled up and it was finally obvious. Wait so there is one on there? ++++ Yes there is. And yes you really have to dig at it to get it off. I am surprised their isn't a little peel tab to help show you it does have a protector on it and to help you peel it of easier. Edited January 10, 2017 by groundtrooper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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