AtGames Fall 2017 Flashback and Portable Lineup

[+Nathan Strum]

You have to fix the score, too. It's impossible to have a score of 0 once you've eaten any number of dots.

 

 

When the game first loads, it runs in demo mode, showing 0. But for a proper product shot, there should be a score.

[TrekkiELO]

Just curious and a minor nitpick, why no David Crane's Pitfall II: Lost Caverns from 1984?!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techno_Source

 

On 9 February 2006 the company announced a worldwide licensing agreement with Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) to develop and distribute products based on Activision properties from the 1980s including Pitfall 2, River Raid, Chopper Command, Barnstorming and Kaboom. The deal included TV plug and play Systems and LCD-based handheld games, which were available at retail on September 2006.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitfall_II:_Lost_Caverns

 

"Released after the North American video game crash of 1983, when interest in the 2600 was waning, Pitfall II was one of the last major releases for the console."

 

Reception

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns was named No. 1 in the "best 25 Atari 2600 games of all time" in issue 46 of Retro Gamer Magazine.

Edited June 22, 2017 by TrekkiELO

[+Nathan Strum]

Just curious and a minor nitpick, why no David Crane's Pitfall II: Lost Caverns from 1984?!

 

Their emulation isn't 100% accurate, and Pitfall II utilized a custom chip in the cartridge that probably isn't worth their time to figure out.

[Flojomojo]

Plus that TechnoSource agreement was a long time ago, and has nothing to do with AtGames.

[enoofu]

Wonder if they fix the sound on the sega

[Tanooki]

The HD unit supposedly has all the audio, visual, saving, and game breaking(contra background not scrolling) bugs of the old Sega systems repaired.

 

That said, the non-HD console, and non-HD handheld use the same firecore that runs like hot garbage. Maybe they'll upgrade those next year. I have no space for more consoles, handhelds though I'm good. I got rid of my Sega cart collection a good year or so ago, so that HD unit has little value to me other than what's inside as I don't want to go down that road again since I had some gems like the Konami/Capcom stuff among others and sold those off. Handheld with a SD memory card slot though, I couldn't whip the wallet out fast enough if they'd finally fix the damn thing.

[Atariboy2600]

 

AtGames has announced their fall lineup of Flashback consoles and portables, further expanding on their offerings for fans of the Atari 2600 and Sega Genesis. These new products include several Atari Flashback consoles, an updated Atari Flashback Portable, a new Genesis Flashback styled after the classic Sega Genesis console, and an updated Genesis portable.

Here's a brief description of the AtGames Fall 2017 lineup:

• The all-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold features 120 built-in all-time favorites. Games include legends like Activision’s Pitfall! and Taito’s Space Invaders, as well as many other all-time Atari 2600 classics like Kaboom!™, River Raid™, Centipede™, and Millipede™. Two all new, high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired joysticks or paddles. Other all new features for the Atari Flashback® 8 Gold include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.
• The all-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition features 130 built-in games, including 39 Activision classics. These games include legends like Activision’s Pitfall!, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, and Taito’s Space Invaders, as well as many other all-time Atari 2600 classics like Centipede™, Chopper Command™, Enduro™, and River Raid™. Two high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired joysticks. As a special bonus, authentic paddle controllers are also included, perfect for precision play of fast-paced titles like Kaboom! and Pong. Other features for the Activision Edition include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.
• The Atari Flashback® 8 Classic Game Console returns in a new value-priced edition, complete with 105 all-time favorites. Amazing new additions to the game line-up include Activision legends like Pitfall!™, Kaboom!™, and River Raid™. Two wired controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports to add your own optional wired joysticks or paddles.
• The Atari Flashback® Portable Game Player features an amazing selection of 70 built-in games, including the legendary BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment arcade hit, PAC-MAN™. Other blockbuster games include Dig Dug™, Pitfall!™, and Frogger™, and you can even add your own games with an optional SD card. A built-in, rechargeable battery, means the on-the-go fun never has to end. Games can be played on the portable’s built-in, high resolution 2.8” display, or on a TV via optional cable.
• The all-new Sega Genesis Flashback has a stunning new design, reminiscent of the original console, and features 85 built-in games as well as an integrated cartridge port that plays almost all of your favorite Sega Genesis and Mega Drive original cartridges. Built-in all-time favorites include the Sonic™ series, Mortal Kombat ™series, Phantasy Star™ series, and Shining Force™ series games. Two new high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Sega Genesis originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired gamepads. Other new features for the Sega Genesis Flashback include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game.
• The Classic Game Console returns in a new value-priced edition, complete with 81 all-time favorites. Amazing new additions to the game line-up include role-playing and strategy legends, Shining Force™, Shining Force II™, and Shining in the Darkness™. Two wired controllers, styled after the Sega Genesis originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports to add your own optional wired controllers.
• The Ultimate Portable Game Player returns with an enhanced selection of 85 built-in 16-bit Sega Genesis and Mega Drive classic games. The selection of blockbuster games include new additions PAC-PANIC™ and Splatterhouse 2™, as well as many more surprises. You can even add your own games with an optional SD card! Returning for 2017 is save game support for the included Phantasy Star™ series role-playing games. A built-in, rechargeable battery, means the on-the-go fun never has to end. Games can be played on the portable’s built-in, high resolution 2.8” display, or on a TV via optional cable.

These products are expected to hit retail shelves in the fall of 2017.

Here are some photos of the consoles, portables and boxes!

AR3620_box.jpg

AR3620_ID_TV_mockup.jpg

AR3220_box.jpg

AR3220_ID.jpg

AP3228_box.jpg

AP3228_ID_side.jpg

AP3228_ID_TVH.jpg

FB3680_box.jpg

FB3680_ID_mockup.jpg

Sega-Genesis-Flashback-(FB3680)--Console-and-TV.jpg

FB8280C_box.jpg

FB8280C_ID_TV_v2.jpg

GP3228_box.jpg

GP3228_ID_side.jpg

GP3228_ID_TVH.jpg

 

 

GOD I would LOVE to have the HD version of the unit^_^

[vtadave]

Am I missing something with the specs on the new portable? I thought the old one had a 3.1" screen which I found too small, and the new one is 2.8"?

[Flojomojo]

It looks like the same size to me. Maybe they're computing the size in a different way? Like across instead of diagonally, or counting the bezel in addition to screen space?

[leech]

The HD unit supposedly has all the audio, visual, saving, and game breaking(contra background not scrolling) bugs of the old Sega systems repaired.

 

That said, the non-HD console, and non-HD handheld use the same firecore that runs like hot garbage. Maybe they'll upgrade those next year. I have no space for more consoles, handhelds though I'm good. I got rid of my Sega cart collection a good year or so ago, so that HD unit has little value to me other than what's inside as I don't want to go down that road again since I had some gems like the Konami/Capcom stuff among others and sold those off. Handheld with a SD memory card slot though, I couldn't whip the wallet out fast enough if they'd finally fix the damn thing.

While their last one was okay sound wise (at least okay for tiny speakers), the lack of being able to save games made me not want to play it. I really wanted to finally win Starflight, but decided instead to buy one of those DB9 to USB adapters so I can connect a Genesis controller up to my computer and use an emulator.

[4ever2600]

Wonder if they fix the sound on the sega

 

 

The HD unit supposedly has all the audio, visual, saving, and game breaking(contra background not scrolling) bugs of the old Sega systems repaired.

 

That said, the non-HD console, and non-HD handheld use the same firecore that runs like hot garbage. Maybe they'll upgrade those next year. I have no space for more consoles, handhelds though I'm good. I got rid of my Sega cart collection a good year or so ago, so that HD unit has little value to me other than what's inside as I don't want to go down that road again since I had some gems like the Konami/Capcom stuff among others and sold those off. Handheld with a SD memory card slot though, I couldn't whip the wallet out fast enough if they'd finally fix the damn thing.

 

Yeaaahhhhhh.. I'd like a 10 second video of ANY Sega Genesis game ran on this to check sound before I get near another one of these. Fix the sound you have my money...

[Kurt_Woloch]

Judging from the pictures of "Space Invaders" and "Frogger", these are complete remakes. They did take the graphics from the arcade, but expanded the width of the playfield to 320 pixels instead of the original 224 (don't know if it actually was 224 on the original Space Invaders though). The total resolution seems to be 224 or 232 scanlines x 320 pixels... so no NES on a chip, which would only be supporting 256 pixels vertically.

 

Actually, it looks like this version of Space Invaders has already been on Flashback 6, as can be seen here:

 

 

Same thing with Frogger from Flashback 7:

 

 

However, while Space Invaders is pretty much spot-on sound-wise when comparing it to the arcade original, Frogger is severely off, most notably missing all of the music. Hey, even the Parker Bros. version on the 2600 played some tunes!

 

Btw, this seems to be the case with Frogger as well:

 

Frogger_menu.jpg

 

Frogger_game.jpg

[Kurt_Woloch]

(accidental double post deleted)

Edited June 24, 2017 by Kurt_Woloch

[AlwaysOnPlanetPatrol]

I'm a tad puzzled about the variety in the line-up. It's good to see them develop the FBs, but offering 3 models? The Activision one is probably the first one that I would consider buying (I've never bought one in years past). That one seems to have the broadest list (thanks Albert for the list!) with the only exception of Dig Dug.

 

I wonder if the AtGames folks have a "roadmap" of the features/games for the next few years? I guess in technology, if you don't innovate your competitors will pop up (although they seem to have the Atari/Activision/Imagic/M-Network licenses).

 

These models seems to have everything one needs; HDMI support, wireless, joystick ports, a wide list of games. I guess the only things remaining would be keep expanding the list (it seems they have 90% of the games most people want), a SD card, an actual cart slot, Atari 7800 support, head-to-head Internet support, LinkedIn integration, cloud-based AI, AS400 emulation of Lunar Lander, etc.

[onmode-ky]

I have to say, I think this is too early in the year for AtGames' game selections to have been finalized already. Based on production batch and ROM build datestamps of previous years' Flashbacks, they haven't started production for the 2017 models yet. There's a strong possibility that there will be changes between the lists from right now and the content that's in the systems when they hit shelves.

 

so no NES on a chip, which would only be supporting 256 pixels vertically.

AtGames uses their own proprietary chips. They have either a subsidiary or affiliated firm, Digital Media Cartridge, which does their chip design--actually, I'm honestly not sure if AtGames is the parent of DMC or if DMC is the parent of AtGames, or if they're both under something else. They seem joined at the hip. Anyway, AtGames' Atari, Intellivision, and ColecoVision Flashbacks (but not their Sega systems) have used their ARM-architecture Titan chip, running emulation programs. The Atari Flashback Portable that was added to the line last year used an evolution of that, the Monkey King 2 chip. This year's HD SKUs will use a completely different chip, though (this year's SD and Portable SKUs will likely be the same chips as last year).

 

Actually, it looks like this version of Space Invaders has already been on Flashback 6, as can be seen here:

The AtGames version of Space Invaders has been around since the Atari Flashback 4 in 2012. The terms of their license with Taito dictated that they could not use the 2600 version of the game. Taito officially only recognizes the arcade original as "true" Space Invaders, unfortunately.

 

However, while Space Invaders is pretty much spot-on sound-wise when comparing it to the arcade original, Frogger is severely off, most notably missing all of the music. Hey, even the Parker Bros. version on the 2600 played some tunes!

When Frogger was added to the Atari Flashback line last year, AtGames had to build their own version of it because the original game unfortunately used music owned by third parties (likely without permission); see this post and this post for details. If someone wanted to distribute a truly arcade-accurate Frogger these days, or even 2600-accurate, there would be a bunch of licensing required to do it legally. Granted, there would have been no third-party issues with including newly written background music, but for whatever reason, that didn't happen.

 

Yeaaahhhhhh.. I'd like a 10 second video of ANY Sega Genesis game ran on this to check sound before I get near another one of these. Fix the sound you have my money...

The newly added HD model is built on a completely separate architecture from their line of SD Genesis systems (i.e., a software emulator this time versus the RedKid-series Genesis-on-a-chip implementation they've used since ~2008 (the systems that have sometimes borne the name "Firecore")), so it will not have the same bugs. It could certainly have different bugs, but the exact same bugs would be unlikely. In any case, Bill Loguidice here at AA will most likely include sample videos when he posts overviews of AtGames' 2017 lineup on his Armchair Arcade website.

 

onmode-ky

[4ever2600]

Who takes the Streets of Rage series and several other great titles OFF the roster and THEN fixes sound?? Im just as puzzled about their choices in software unless they had to due to the new Sega Forever program that's coming up...

[Tanooki]

Who said anything about fixed sound? Sound still is unchanged according to Bill who works for them, so basically you have hacked saving for just only the games already build in, same audio, same other oddities on SD loaded games, and for those RPGs they removed the Streets of Rage titles. Seems unless you're just hard up for Phantasy Star 2 and 3 and the other couple RPGs, it's a total downgrade. I just question why it's so complicated to allow games to save their data as it on the SD console side even blocks legit carts from saving too, so don't bother trying Phantasy Star 4 on that one or Sonic 3.

[Kurt_Woloch]

Hmmm... OK. I actually thought they left out the music because otherwise Frogger would have been the only game on the system that required more than 2 sound channels. Well, maybe this was just another reason for doing it this way.

 

I've read the other posts about the Frogger music, and it's quite interesting. I've actually been a fan of the music since I got the Sierra version on the C-64, and already then I noticed some differences between its music and that of the arcade version.

 

I took a closer look at the arcade music now, and actually there's a lot of different tunes. There's the game start tune (Doggy Cop and Lost Kitty) and the main background music (Hidy Hidy Little Rascal), then the Level End music (which I don't know where it's from). These are the tunes you probably hear most often. Then every time you've landed a frog except for the last one in a level, it plays a different tune before returning to Hidy Hidy Little Rascal. And those tunes are unique for 5 levels, which makes for 20 different tunes! Some of those I recognized are Heidi (the theme used in the japanese, portuguese and spanish versions of the cartoon, but not in the German one), Yankee Doodle, Arthur I'm on fire (as given on the Wikipedia page), and the Erzherzog-Johann-Jodler (Austrian Folk Song) which is divided in two parts (verse and chorus), which should be copyright-free as far as I know (and also appears on Microsoft's version). I think Yankee Doodle and Camptown Races, which gets played after you lose a life except the last one, should be as well.

 

As for the original home ports, some of them ported all or some of the music as well. The Sega Genesis port from 1998 had all of it as far as I know, while the Atari 2600 version only plays the game start and level end tune (which it plays at Game Over, strangely). The Colecovision version plays the proper Game Start, Level End and Game Over tunes, but only plays "Hidy Hidy Little Rascal" as the background music which doesn't change as you land the frogs. The TI-99 version plays Game Start, Level End and Game Over, but no background music. Sierra's C-64 version plays the opening tune, going into a potpourri of Hidy Hidy Little Rascal, Yankee Doodle, Arthur I'm on fire and maybe other tunes I didn't recognize, which continues to play as long as the game lasts. The first Atari 8-bit version by Sierra has a longer potpourri which seems to include all the tunes I specifically mentioned except for the Erzherzog-Johann-Jodler, while the second one leaves out some of the tunes, and the Parker Brothers' version has no background music at all. Oh, and the Gameboy Advance version seems to have changed the music to something similar in style, but still different.

 

Maybe I should start a new thread in order to find out what all the tunes used in the arcade version really are.. I'm sure there will be some Atariage members who know some of the other tunes.

 

Seems like back in the early 1980's the video game manufacturers could get away with not licensing existing music even if copyrighted, whereas now the record companies and rights holders try to get money wherever they can.

 

When Frogger was added to the Atari Flashback line last year, AtGames had to build their own version of it because the original game unfortunately used music owned by third parties (likely without permission); see this post and this post for details. If someone wanted to distribute a truly arcade-accurate Frogger these days, or even 2600-accurate, there would be a bunch of licensing required to do it legally. Granted, there would have been no third-party issues with including newly written background music, but for whatever reason, that didn't happen.

[+evg2000]

Kurt_Woloch - when you mention the A2600 version I'm guessing you mean the cart. Does the supercharger version have the same music?

[Kurt_Woloch]

Let's see...

 

The Supercharger version actually has more music than the cartridge version, but it plays it on only one channel...

 

It plays the opening theme (Doggy Cop and Lost Kitty), background music (Hidy Hidy Little Rascal), and several frog homing themes, among them Arthur I'm on fire, Yankee Doodle (divided in 2 parts), Camptown Races (when you lose a life, as in the arcade), Level End Theme and Game Over Theme. There only seem to be 6 different Frog homing themes instead of 20, however... the Erzherzog-Johann-Jodler or Heidi isn't in there.

[kenjennings]

The most important thing I saw....

 

 

• The all-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition . . . As a special bonus, authentic paddle controllers are also included, perfect for precision play of fast-paced titles like Kaboom! and Pong. . .

 

Mmmmmmm. Real paddles. Nothing substitutes for real paddles.

[Bill Loguidice]

I just want to point out that any game lists you see for now are not final. There will be an official announcement eventually (before the pre-order and/or ship dates) that will list the final inclusions. There will be some nice surprises here and there (and a few minor omissions) from what you've all seen to date.

[Bill Loguidice]

Who said anything about fixed sound? Sound still is unchanged according to Bill who works for them, so basically you have hacked saving for just only the games already build in, same audio, same other oddities on SD loaded games, and for those RPGs they removed the Streets of Rage titles. Seems unless you're just hard up for Phantasy Star 2 and 3 and the other couple RPGs, it's a total downgrade. I just question why it's so complicated to allow games to save their data as it on the SD console side even blocks legit carts from saving too, so don't bother trying Phantasy Star 4 on that one or Sonic 3.

 

The RPGs all save their games. In the HD products, all games, including cartridges, allow for save states. The HD hardware is all new technology, so it won't have the same issues as the SD hardware. On the Sega side, the sound will be roughly the same as before, but now in stereo. On the HD side, it sounds just like it's supposed to.

[Bill Loguidice]

Am I missing something with the specs on the new portable? I thought the old one had a 3.1" screen which I found too small, and the new one is 2.8"?

 

The screens on the portables are both 2.8" diagonal. It's about the LCD supply available.

[Tanooki]

I was just addressing the non-HD side of things since I had asked you a few times about it before to get things clear. I know the HD device should run properly features and all that original hardware would do, but with the boosted features including the HDMI. I was addressing the stock console/handheld unit using the old tech still and hoping that a 2018 version would remedy the problem on the portable side.