2600problems Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 maybe its just nostalgia blinding me, but why does the At Games Sega genesis system sound like crap? I can forgive the fact that the graphics are blurrier but the music (and the fact that you can't play other carts without side effects) makes me wonder why they made it in the first place. now, i'm not denying the fact that this is an okay system, but with thousands of other retro consoles to choose from, why would someone buy this? and for the life of me, why are the backs of the controllers screwed shut? they're hard enough to open already! add to that the lack of genesis favorites such as Road Rash and Forgotten worlds and you've got a questionable "budget" system. thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 The screws on the controllers are to keep babies from eating batteries or losing the battery door or something. All toys are like that nowadays. The music has been naff on these systems for almost a decade. They're coming out with an HD version on a new hardware platform this fall, which should fix it at last. There's a portable Genesis with an SD slot that runs Road Rash perfectly. It even sounds OK because of the jangly music style. I don't care about cartridges so much so that's the one I like. It's forty bucks and it comes with two controllers. I remember when Genesis games cost fifty dollars each ...and this has 40 of them. I find it hard to criticize it because it's mostly good. Except for that sound. "Thousands of other retro systems to choose from," eh? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2600problems Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 apologies for that, I should've said hundreds. at least you and me agree on one thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 There's supposed to be a fix for the crap sound on these units, but I don't know which ones can be fixed. Anyone have more information? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 There's supposed to be a fix for the crap sound on these units, but I don't know which ones can be fixed. Anyone have more information?I believe it's "wait for next year's version, and hope Lucy doesn't pull the football away AGAIN" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 There's supposed to be a fix for the crap sound on these units, but I don't know which ones can be fixed. Anyone have more information? You're probably talking about the thing 8 Bit Guy did on his YouTube channel. I believe that was just to fix the gain, though, whereas what most people seem to complain about is the pitch. The weird thing is AtGames' Atari consoles have this exact same issue (the Flashback Portable does, at least) and nobody ever says anything about it. It's only their Genesis stuff that people seem to complain about. It doesn't bother me, personally, although I'd obviously rather have it be correct than not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 The weird thing is AtGames' Atari consoles have this exact same issue (the Flashback Portable does, at least) and nobody ever says anything about it. It's only their Genesis stuff that people seem to complain about. Maybe that's because Atari VCS games sound like wet duck farts anyway. I never noticed it before but I'll listen for it now. Thanks for ruining the Atari Flashback line for me, pal. But seriously, there are so few melodic VCS games. Many Genesis games sound just fine or good enough on the AtGames Firecore, but a few things are literally ruined. Phantasy Star III on real hardware or a better emulator: Phantasy Star III on AtGames: https://youtu.be/dyy0TdsjtXA?t=17s 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Maybe that's because Atari VCS games sound like wet duck farts anyway. I never noticed it before but I'll listen for it now. Thanks for ruining the Atari Flashback line for me, pal. Sorry The first thing I noticed it on with the FBP was Atlantis, especially the alien fire sound. But then I noticed it on some other games, and then I did some captures for a direct a/b comparison and it's consistent. The FBP is the same as all the Genesis stuff; about a full tone lower in pitch than the real thing. I literally had not seen a single person mention this before I noticed it, whereas it's practically all anyone ever talks about with the Genesis stuff. If it's not the actual topic to begin with, usually it's within the first couple replies that somebody brings it up. For me, I care more about the fact that I used to have to buy individual games for $50 and play them at home, and now I have them all free (well, the 75% that work) on a $30 handheld that I can take anywhere. That vastly freakin' outweighs the pitch being slightly off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 For me, I care more about the fact that I used to have to buy individual games for $50 and play them at home, and now I have them all free (well, the 75% that work) on a $30 handheld that I can take anywhere. That vastly freakin' outweighs the pitch being slightly off. YES, this. Of course, having all the stuff on a cheap handheld AND having it sound good would be nice, too! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignGuy81 Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 add to that the lack of genesis favorites such as Road Rash and Forgotten worlds and you've got a questionable "budget" system. thoughts? that's why u have cart slot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignGuy81 Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 I would like to gut a Genesis 3 and put this Atgames unit inside it because the Atgames console looks ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 I would like to gut a Genesis 3 and put this Atgames unit inside it because the Atgames console looks ugly.The new one looks nice, though. An itty bitty mega drive committee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignGuy81 Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 The new one looks nice, though. An itty bitty mega drive committee. Is it already out? If not when and do you have any links where I can see it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Is it already out? If not when and do you have any links where I can see it?Should be out in September 2017 or thereabouts. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/259236-2017-flashback-speculation-thread/page-6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignGuy81 Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Should be out in September 2017 or thereabouts. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/259236-2017-flashback-speculation-thread/page-6 Just seen it. Sold!!!! They are going to be taking my money for sure, and yes I can forget about doing the case mod I mentioned above. I just hope I can actually get my hands on one of these unlike the NES mini. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 I'm sure I mentioned something about the 2600 Portable Flashback not sounding quite correct. I like tunes / chiptunes done with the 2600. Probably the first thing I ran from SD card was the attached file. The music is for the 7800 game T:me Salvo, but it was so good, I asked for a 2600 file just to show myself it wasn't using a Pokey chip. Later I wasn't sure if it was badly off or the portable volume was just too high. If the small speaker is too loud, the sound will distort. MusicSalvotheme.bin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onmode-ky Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 There's supposed to be a fix for the crap sound on these units, but I don't know which ones can be fixed. Anyone have more information? There is a hardware fix for the distorted audio that comes out of Radica's Genesis plug-n-play systems (2004-2006), but no real fix for the out of tune audio of AtGames' RedKid-chip models. Sorry The first thing I noticed it on with the FBP was Atlantis, especially the alien fire sound. But then I noticed it on some other games, and then I did some captures for a direct a/b comparison and it's consistent. The FBP is the same as all the Genesis stuff; about a full tone lower in pitch than the real thing. But what you're describing is not, in fact, the same kind of sound error. Unless I'm reading you wrong, the Atari Flashbacks' pitch is universally transposed in comparison to true 2600 output (I'm no 2600 tech guru, but I figure the system architecture only had one sound channel), whereas the RedKid chips' various Genesis sound channels shift their pitches in multiple, different intervals/directions. If the members of a choir group all sing at some same x number of half steps lower than they're supposed to, it's not particularly noticeable, but if each member picks their own key, different from everyone else's keys, that's when it starts raining rotten tomatoes. Or are you saying that the AFBP does not preserve the proper intervals between notes (e.g., major thirds becoming minor thirds, fifths becoming fourths)? onmode-ky 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 But what you're describing is not, in fact, the same kind of sound error. Unless I'm reading you wrong, the Atari Flashbacks' pitch is universally transposed in comparison to true 2600 output (I'm no 2600 tech guru, but I figure the system architecture only had one sound channel), whereas the RedKid chips' various Genesis sound channels shift their pitches in multiple, different intervals/directions. If the members of a choir group all sing at some same x number of half steps lower than they're supposed to, it's not particularly noticeable, but if each member picks their own key, different from everyone else's keys, that's when it starts raining rotten tomatoes. I only have the Genesis Portable, but can you give me an example of a game that does this? I can notice the shifted pitch but it's all universal on the games I've played just like the Atari FBP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 The Genesis example I posted a few days ago is the worst I have heard. Sonic the hedgehog sounds bad too, but not quite as awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacecadet Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Weird! Mine does not sound like either one of those PS3 examples! It sounds somewhat closer to the example of the AtGames version but it's actually not out of tune, it's just pitch-shifted and the instruments do sound weird and tinny like the example. Sonic sounds totally fine, just a tone or so lower, but again everything is in tune with itself. Is it possible they switched at some point to using the same hardware as in the FBP? I know I have one of the later revisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Which Sega unit do you have? (When did you buy it, what color is the case?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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