radiohead

The links to the manuals seem to be broken. Does anyone have any saved copies of these manuals? I just got a used flashback 2 and it did not come with the printed manual. I have the original FB2 Instruction Manual booklet, not the online pdf. If you want, I could scan it for you. It'll be only 7 pages (not counting the technical credits and warranty pages.) It'll have to wait until I get home from work.

There are no "forced firmware updates", but yes, it's true that firmware updates are generally directed to thwart homebrew (game disks will have a pop up the very first time you insert the disk to ask you to update, otherwise you have to manually select firmware updates via system settings.) It's best not to upgrade until you've read online about what the new firmware does to your homebrew. Usually, homebrewers find work-arounds very quickly, so even if your homebrew is disabled, in a few days you'll be able to find a patch. I'm currently using the latest firmware 4.2U and I still have full function of my homebrew channel, emulators and game disks. Read up on this stuff and take your time. Don't install ANYTHING until you thoroughly understand how to install it correctly, and check people's comments on various Wii homebrew forums for the particular program you want.

When you install homebrew onto the Wii, in virtually every case, it's implied they you would install emulators to play game roms from former consoles. By doing this, you basically elminate the need to download vintage VC games from Nintendo, and therefore sidestep the issue of tying content rights to one particular Wii console (yeah, there's a legal or coypright debate to be had, but not from me.) I'm mostly playing Atari 2600 roms on the Wii via homebrew, as well as some classic Aracde titles from other systems, and they look a WHOLE lot better on my HDTV than playing my Flashback 2.0 and other Plug N Play devices. Most every VC title can be found and played through a console emulator via Homebrew, so that's how to get around the issue of getting them on a second Wii. The only problem would be getting copies of your original wiiware titles. Currently, I'm looking to purchase a PS3 slim as a media hub for blu-ray, wi-fi and storing my ripped DVD movies onto it's hard drive to free up shelf space. I'll get around PS3 games later. If it wasn't for Homebrew and emulators, I'd probably wouldn't be touching the Wii these days. I picked up a black controller and nunchuck off Ebay. That and the future purchase of the PS3 Slim will have satified my need to "go Black."

I uploaded the DVD cover I made (granted it's based on covers I found elsewhere, and I wanted to reduce the amount of "red ink" used to print.) http://img293.imageshack.us/i/wiinetflix.jpg/ Hope the link works. Should be standard size 3240x2175.

I found myself playing it for a few rounds before giving up somewhere over 130 points. Kudos on a unique premise! I assume sound would be the next thing you'll tackle (I didn't hear any when I played it.) A constant pulsating that speeds up as the wall builds (which would also speed up as it gets closer to the end) would help the excitement. Static or buzzing noise should accompany the electrodes/atoms bouncing across the screen. Maybe the electrodes/atoms (sorry if I'm misnaming it) could come after each other faster, as the horizontal one flies off the screen, the vertical one immediately appears - randomly from all 4 sides, all at varying speeds. I like how the building wall is the same color as the electrode. It makes locating the electrode/atom difficult as the wall is nearing completion. Maybe if the wall and electodes/atoms blink and pulsate random colors (like in the title screen of "Saboteur",) it would add that "Oooh & Ahhh" that seems to be missing right now. I only played the default 1 player/difficult mode. I don't know how the game ends or what happens after you complete a round (I couldn't get that far, but I be back to find out!) Maybe exploding flashes like at the end of "Missile Command" when you hit the wall and lose. Congrats on hitting the ground running. I look forward to the rest!

Yeah, the stick loosens under seemingly the lightest play, but I find that barely an annoyance, and certainly worth the carpal-tunnel relief on my hands. Funny, I can't seem to bring myself to glue that thing in yet. With the joysticks from my Flashback 2, I used about a 1.5 inch long strip of black electric tape to wrap around the stick's screw thread. It's thin enough to let the screw thread turn into the base, but thick enough to keep the stick from slipping and unscrewing. And it's not permanet. It's been working great for me for the last 4 years (only had to re-tape twice - your milage and results may vary.) But remember, the added thickeness of the tape on the thread will require more effort to screw the stick into the base. Provided you don't use too much tape to pad the threads, nothing should break.

I got my Netflix Wii disc yesterday, and I have to admit - I'm pleasantly surprised with the results. The full screen video quality and streaming is far better than I expected (my Wii is hooked to a Vizio 42" LCD HDTV with component cables.) There were no hiccups, syncing or buffering issues. A vast improvement over viewing anything on Youtube via the Internet Channel, and much better than the video trailers on the Nintendo Channel. Certainly a convenient alternative to hooking up my wife's laptop to watch movies. The interface is pretty slick with use of the Wiimote (the only controller needed.) Loading times vary depending on your internet speed, but I didn't find that to be much of an issue. It's no longer than if you inserted a game disc and waited for it to boot up. When you turn it on, 100 movie titles per category (comedy, horror,sci-fi,thriller, etc) appear in an interactive menu similar to what you see online. So right off the bat, you have access to over 1,000 movies, not couting what you have in your instant quere. Overall I'd give it an 8 out of 10. I have to deduct points for not being able to manually search the full library by typing in a title using the Wiimote (you still have to do that online with a computer.) You can only select a movie from the 100 in each category that is presented to you at start up. Otherwise, you have to search for what you want via your computer and add it to your quere, then it appears on the Wii. The available download selections are a bit uneven. For every "A" list title, you get about 20 lesser titles to choose from. Lots of catalogue titles, not many new releases for instant streaming. Oddly, you can choose "Ghostbusters 2", but not the original "Ghostbusters". But the library improves weekly. Also, the movie resolutions differ greatly. Some are great looking widescreen. The movies from "Starz" look like "On Demand/DVR" quality. Other titles are Pan & Scan. Obviously no true HD on the Wii, but most aren't even DVD quality... just very good VHS. Netflix on the Wii is not designed to be viewed casually, as if you're channel surfing. But since it's a free service with your paid Netflix account, this is a no brainer. Plan and choose the movies old and new you want to see via your computer, and go and watch it comfortably on the Wii. P.S. The disc comes in one of those Netflix mailer envelopes. I made a homemade custom DVD case cover. So if you'd like to print it out, PM me and I'll post it.

You're pegging the "Coolness" meter with the joystick action! (P.S. Thanks for using my "too damn cool" quote on your website!) I see in your readme file that: Joystick [if enabled] B1: Shoot B2: Deploy Squadron B3: Autofire On/Off This being an Atari forum, I'm playing your game using the USB classic Atari Joystick from Legacy Engineering (D pad joystick, 1 fire "B" button). Autofire and Deploy Squadron are still controled via keyboard. Joystick movement works "left" and "right" well enough. Is there anyway to configure so that autofire can be activiated by pointing the joystick "up" (or just holding down the fire button) and deploy squadron by pointing "down" or some similar control? It's hard to use keyboard once the game starts and your using a joystick like this. But I fully understand this is a multibutton arcade game, so what you're doing is rockin'! If I'm asking too much, I'll just shut up now and keep playing. ------ EDIT - My son is learning to program simple video games using a program called "Scratch". But Scratch doesn't support joystick input. So he found a program called "JoyToKey" (maybe everyone has heard about this except for me) that maps joystick positions to key strokes. Well, I just installed/configured that program to work with Astrosmash as I suggested above and it works. So if you decide against any special Atari joystick configuring, I'll happily play this way.

It wouldn't have to be ported specifically to the Wii. Just port it to an exisiting PC emulator (Atari 2600/7800/NES/Coleco, etc - oddly, there's no Intellivison Wii emulator yet that I'm aware of.) Wii homebrewers have already converted the emulators, so as long as your rom image works on a PC emulator, it' work on the Wii. Or how 'bout configuring optional joystick controls for the PC? But I'm no programmer, so I can't imagine the amount of work this might require. Anyway, whatever you decide, keep up the good work!!

That's just too damn cool! I'm almost afraid to ask if that can be ported to some emulator, or as a stand alone so that I can play it on my 42" HDTV with Wii Homebrew Channel. That arcade action is really slick! Well Done!

Sorry, I missed that. I see it now... the flared out ends. OK. Though clearly it not enough to buy another one, I do like the lettering and spacing of the button controls sticker (they're smaller). The adhesive on my sticker has started bubbling and creasing. Has anyone made a custom photoshop template to print out a new one? I've been wanting to add that orange outline like the original.

I have the FB2. Haven't seen the FB2+ in great detail. Can someone point out to me the differences between the "classic" and the "bastard" Atari logos? Just got Legacy's classic USB joystick, so I'm been playing Stella in the PC a lot more recently.

We got the 6 switch 2600 console Xmas of '80, and I played the crap out of Space Invaders and Combat when I was about 8. Today, I'm balking at spending $170 on a Nintendo DSi for my son. I cannot imagine how my father selled out $199 for the 2600 30 years ago! We used to buy games at our local Kmart and at this little neighborhood Deli store that actually sold 2600 games (shows you how popular those games were!) However, almost a year later we lost the sound on the 2600, so for the rest of the time we owned it we played all the games silent. I don't remember why it was never fixed, but we eventually moved on to the Intellivision II when everything got cheaper. It would be years later when I started playing the games again on PC emulators that I actually found out what some of the games actually sounded like.

Oddly enough, my 7yr old just recently discovered my Flashback. He keeps wanting to play Outlaw, Human Cannonball, and Battlezone (all games where the on-screen character meets a violent death!) I may try to pick up cheap paddles at a flea market to play the hidden games. Since the FB2 sticks are being used (for the time being), I wound up buying Legacy's classic black USB joystick as I figured I'd used that at home and smuggle it to work. I was thinking of modding my other original 1980's era joystick into something clever. Online, I saw people turning their joysticks into USB hard drives or TV remotes. As sacrilage as it may sound, I'm leaning toward getting some other cheap non-working ones and making them into bookends and coat hangers for my home office! (My electrical engineering skills are serverly weak.) I think Atari should resell the Atari Anthology disc for the Wii and include a reproduction 2600 Joystick as a bundle (like WiiPlay). The controller would attach to the Wiimote like the classic controller does. Then developers (and homebrewers) can make downloadable emulations and Wiiware games that work with the joystick. Just a thought.

Yeah I saw that and the other Legacy Engineer classic black USB joystick. I'm just trying to figure out ultimately what I want to do, and where to place everything (since I'm the only one in my family who plays classic Atari. My kids have zero interest, and my wife only plays "River Raid" on the Flashback 2.0 because of the joystick.) I also have a Star Wars Plug 'n Play, Activision's 10 'n 1, Intellivsion's 25 'n 1, the Flashback 2.0, the Wii, and a PS2. I also have the PS2 Anthology games for Atari, Activision & Intellision, but once those emulators became availble for the Wii, I started playing those and my kid took the PS2 to his bedroom. Since we got a 42" HDTV in the living room, only the Wii2600 emulator looks really good. All the other Plug 'n Plays look burry & overstaturated in comparison, for obvious technical reasons. I have Stella on my computer in my "home office", but with no USB stick. I already have 3 joysticks (2 from Flashback, 1 original from 1981), so I've been hestitant to justify purchasing another. That's why I'm looking into adapters. I'm just trying to figure out where to put all this. Maybe I should just get that USB Legacy joystick for the computer, and pick up a cheap CRT TV from a flea market somewhere and put all the Plug N Plays in my office with Stella. That would be a good new thread - where do we old school gamers keep all our stuff!

I'm using Razored's Wii2600 emu and its images on my HDTV blows the doors off my Flashback 2.0, so I'd much rather keep on playing with the emu. I wanted to know if this adapter (really for the Sega) will work for the Flashback 2.0's joystick and Razored's Wii2600 emu before I plunk out the cash... eBay Auction -- Item Number: 390153502452 I noticed someone else here using it, but for the Sega. I didn't know if the Atari's fire button assignment matches with the correct button on the Sega. Anybody know for sure? Thanks!

Ninja Warrior or anyone else, Does that 4 in 1 sega adapter work well with the Atari Joystick on Wii/GC (I know the plug is the same, I didn't know if the pins line up.) I'm running Atari homebrew emulator on the Wii as my old console is unplayable on my HDTV, and my Flashback 2's single video output doesn't look nearly as good as the Wii's composite. I'm deciding between the atari/GC adapter from above or the 4 in 1. I hoping the 4 in 1 will give me more bang for the buck. The opinions of anybody who has reviewed either of these item would be great appreciated! Thanks