Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Wait so there is one on there? Yes, it comes with a screen protector on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acortest Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Can someone tell me how to return to the SD Card Menu (or at least the main menu) without power the unit off, then back on, when playing a ROM off of the SD card? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) I haven't played it in a week or so, but I think the rectangular shaped yellow button above the face buttons on the right hand side does it. If not, just try them all since one definitely does it. What's the light on the front signify? Unless it was on as I was charging it before using it, I've yet to ever see it lit. Edited January 10, 2017 by Atariboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Can someone tell me how to return to the SD Card Menu (or at least the main menu) without power the unit off, then back on, when playing a ROM off of the SD card? Thanks! Press the button in the top left hand corner of the unit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I haven't played it in a week or so, but I think the rectangular shaped yellow button above the face buttons on the right hand side does it. If not, just try them all since one definitely does it. What's the light on the front signify? Unless it was on as I was charging it before using it, I've yet to ever see it lit. It turns green to signify when the unit it fully charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everett1954 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 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. ****** Id say that is a great explanation as to why the TV Mode switch is the way it is. I didn't realize that so many games made use of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everett1954 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. I would like to try some of these games, can you post the .bin files for them? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Id say that is a great explanation as to why the TV Mode switch is the way it is. I didn't realize that so many games made use of it. Actually, that's why the TV Mode switch on the Flashback Portable is bad. It doesn't work the way these games expect it to. The only game it works correctly for that I know of it Secret Quest, because Secret Quest wants you to quickly flick the TV mode on and off to access the status screen. Games that expect you to switch the switch and keep it in that position don't work properly. To make Secret Quest work great they kinda broke the switch for every other game. Starmaster is unplayable. After your first warp you're basically stuck on the galactic map for the rest of the game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 The green light is the one on top, the light on front turns red when the charge is low. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Yes, it comes with a screen protector on it. And mine actually had a scratch UNDER the screen protector! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everett1954 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Actually, that's why the TV Mode switch on the Flashback Portable is bad. It doesn't work the way these games expect it to. The only game it works correctly for that I know of it Secret Quest, because Secret Quest wants you to quickly flick the TV mode on and off to access the status screen. Games that expect you to switch the switch and keep it in that position don't work properly. To make Secret Quest work great they kinda broke the switch for every other game. Starmaster is unplayable. After your first warp you're basically stuck on the galactic map for the rest of the game. Ok, so I guess it is just bad implantation on ATgames part (trying to use a momentary pushbutton instead of a slide/toggle switch). So back to Bill, any logic behind this, or just cost cutting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Actually, that's why the TV Mode switch on the Flashback Portable is bad. It doesn't work the way these games expect it to. The only game it works correctly for that I know of it Secret Quest, because Secret Quest wants you to quickly flick the TV mode on and off to access the status screen. Games that expect you to switch the switch and keep it in that position don't work properly. To make Secret Quest work great they kinda broke the switch for every other game. Starmaster is unplayable. After your first warp you're basically stuck on the galactic map for the rest of the game. Just press the fire button to leave the map and warp to the sector you've selected. Works fine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I would like to try some of these games, can you post the .bin files for them? Thanks They're available at atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everett1954 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 They're available at atarimania.com Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Just press the fire button to leave the map and warp to the sector you've selected. Works fine. If I hold down the TV mode button I can access the galactic map, yes. I press fire, begin the warp and it automatically switches back to the action screen, then let go of TV mode. But after the warp is completed it automatically switches back to the galactic map, and from then on I can only see the action screen by holding down the TV mode button. It's impossible to play keeping one finger on the TV mode button the whole time. For me the TV mode's function changes after the game begins. When the game begins pressing it brings up the galactic map, but after the first warp pressing it brings up the action screen. It works like this is Stella too, but in Stella we don't have the TV mode button problem. Edited January 10, 2017 by Glorkbot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 If I hold down the TV mode button I can access the galactic map, yes. I press fire, begin the warp and it automatically switches back to the action screen, then let go of TV mode. But after the warp is completed it automatically switches back to the galactic map, and from then on I can only see the action screen by holding down the TV mode button. It's impossible to play keeping one finger on the TV mode button the whole time. For me the TV mode's function changes after the game begins. When the game begins pressing it brings up the galactic map, but after the first warp pressing it brings up the action screen. It works like this is Stella too, but in Stella we don't have the TV mode button problem. My mistake. I use the difficulty buttons on the AFP instead of the TV type button. I have no problems with the game using those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I've put in a request to have the TV Type be persistent when pressed. I also asked about making the HARD, MONO, etc., less noticeable when on the screen. Obviously, these requests are for the next version of the product. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 My mistake. I use the difficulty buttons on the AFP instead of the TV type button. I have no problems with the game using those. Oh! I didn't even know you could also use the difficulty buttons to access the galactic map. Well, thank you very much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 Oh! I didn't even know you could also use the difficulty buttons to access the galactic map. Well, thank you very much! I'm 99.44% certain one can play Starmaster without touching those buttons, I certainly remember just sitting on my butt and waiting for empty sectors to time out and take me back to the galaxy map. It doesn't take much fuel/time as I recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) I also asked about making the HARD, MONO, etc., less noticeable when on the screen. It should disappear after a few seconds just like the volume bar and so on does on a television when a setting is modified. Nothing is gained by it being continually displayed that you've selected the hard setting, even if done in a less intrusive manner than is the case with the 2016 release. If they're afraid that people will forget that they set one or both switches to hard as they move from game to game, I'd suggest just coding it where the switches both default back to easy each time you exit the emulator and load up a new rom (If it doesn't already do that; I haven't noticed since I've usually left it set to easy). Then there's no question when firing up a new game at what the switches are set at. Edited January 11, 2017 by Atariboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorkbot Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I like having some kind of on-screen notification about what difficulty setting it's set at. It could definitely be improved on, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 All good stuff and seems like we got Starmaster figured out. Just for fun I bought the Sega Flashback Portable off ebay for like $20. Kinda fun but man with the sound I think I payed about $10 too much. We really got lucky with the Atari Flashback Portable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 (edited) If they're afraid that people will forget that they set one or both switches to hard as they move from game to game, I'd suggest just coding it where the switches both default back to easy each time you exit the emulator and load up a new rom (If it doesn't already do that; I haven't noticed since I've usually left it set to easy). Then there's no question when firing up a new game at what the switches are set at. Already defaults back to easy when moving to another game, I just noticed. Since you can't move to another game with it inadvertently left set to hard, I'm now even more confused on why they felt it necessary to constantly display that the difficulty switches have been set to hard as you're playing a game, rather than just let the notification fade away after a few seconds. Edited January 11, 2017 by Atariboy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug0909 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 One ROM I'm bummed I can't get to work on this is the Ms. PacMan multicolor hack... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr0st Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 One ROM I'm bummed I can't get to work on this is the Ms. PacMan multicolor hack... I expected you to say Dig, Doug... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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