jaybird3rd

The FB1 was an NES clone in disguise, running recreations of 2600/7800 games. From what I understand, it was originally intended to be a new 2600/7800 machine, but time and budget constraints made it necessary to use the Famiclone chip instead (which will not run native 2600 or 7800 software). There is reportedly a way of modifying the FB1 for an NES cartridge slot, but that information can't be given out without permission from Atari's legal department; last I heard, Curt Vendel was working on obtaining this.

Me too.

I'd be interested in an Intellivision multi-cart, assuming I have enough money when the time comes. Regarding some of the discussion points you raised on your site, I wouldn't have a problem providing my own cartridge case (I've got enough extra copies of Math Fun and Word Fun kicking around), nor would I mind a build-it-myself serial interface. Others might appreciate a pre-built cable, though, so perhaps you could provide pinout information with all CC3s and sell assembled cables seperately for those who want them. Enclosing the memory card inside the case isn't a problem, either; it's possible to load up a single card with every Intellivision game ever made, so I figure there's not much of a reason to change out the card after that. A few questions: Will the CC3 be able to use the cartridge binaries directly from the BSR's Intellivision Lives and Intellivision Rocks collections, or would they have to be converted to another format (I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the Intellicart's ROM image format)? Will it be compatible with the Intellivision II? And, to echo a previous question, can it handle the later INTV titles like "Triple Challenge"?

That must be why there's an operating system named after him.

Come now, let's be patient. The ball is in the lawyers' court now, so any delays at this point aren't Curt's fault. I'm just grateful he's pursuing the issue even though he really doesn't have to.

You're really not missing much. I probably powered mine up once or twice, and although I've seen TV-game translations that are much worse, the ones in this unit (particularly Qix) are way off and will annoy anyone who's played the originals, either in the arcades or in MAME. I figure that I'm entitled to play the original games in MAME after the dozens of Radica Space Invaders sticks that I've bought, so that's what I do now; in my opinion, the ones inside the joystick are not worth wasting the joystick on.

Well, I can't take full credit for it because remowilliams came up with the idea first; I just made it a little simpler and documented the procedure so others could do it for themselves. I don't mind not getting more requests (it wasn't like it was a big money-maker for me), but I am concerned about having a place to get more in case someone does ask me. Plus, I'd like to make one or two more sets for myself.

If you don't mind my asking, what does "Uihjah" mean? I tried googling it but didn't get many hits besides some of your old AtariAge posts.

Unfortunately I'm in rural Alabama, and nobody within about 40 miles of me carries them. But, since Gamestop has them in stock again (thanks for the link Atariboy!), I'll pick up a few more units even though I haven't gotten any joystick orders for a while. Always pays to be prepared!

Nope, just solder the wires directly to the resistor leads. The direction doesn't matter for resistors, either, so the left and right leads are interchangeable.

It's actually the Flashback 2, but yes, they're very serious. Only about one in ten units have it, though, so if you already have a FB2 without the "special surprise" inside, you'd better go out and buy nine more before the hardcore collectors get them all.

I didn't get around to ordering any before Gamestop's supply (apparently) ran out, so I'll have to find another source sometime.

Heeeeeyyyyyy ... nice! Time to stock up! This might even allow me to go back to my original $35 price for new 7800 sticks, too.

This is a VERY old-fashioned interface by today's standards, but here is a site that has wiring diagrams for connecting a number of classic controllers to the PC's parallel port. The Atari/SMS diagram claims to support two-button operation, but since I haven't tried it myself, I can't confirm that it works with 7800 controllers. I can attest that their driver works very well, even though it only supports Win95/Win98; I built their NES adapter to connect four FB1 joysticks to my Win98 emulation box. The other option is, of course, the Stelladaptor, which supports modern OSes and the USB interface but (as far as I know) is limited to one action button. EDIT: I just looked over that interface a little more closely, and it seems that it does not use pin 5 on the Atari side (the right action button), so chances are it will NOT work in two-button mode with 7800 controllers. The two-button support might be limited to the SMS controllers.

Something else that comes to mind is Pitfall, which was done for the home consoles first and then made into an inferior arcade version.

I would only add Vanguard. I've played the arcade (in MAME, anyway), and I've played the Atari 2600 and 800 versions. I much prefer the Atari versions: the controls are less of a pain, and on the 800 version at least, the music and graphics are better to me than the original.

I hope so too ... your versions are light years ahead of the undercooked ports in the FB2.

A few of us posted our thoughts on that particular unit in this thread. Overall it's pretty nice, and from the prices in those auctions, it looks like it's getting even cheaper.

I own an EPROM programmer, so with a little work, I've actually made a couple of reproductions of my own. I usually make copies of games that I play a lot (like Kaboom) so I don't wear out my originals, but I've also made games that I'll never own the originals for, either because they are extremely rare or because they were never released (these include Video Cube, Meltdown, etc). To cut down on the number of carts, I sometimes pair up two 2K or 4K games into a single EPROM and use a switch (attached to the top address line) to change from one to the other before I power up the console.

Nurse!!!!

Missile Command is a notable omission, and it's one that I'd like to try to implement on the 7800 myself. Another is Qix: it's a perfect match for the two-button 7800.

Oh boy, now I feel really stupid ... those sites already include maps just like the one I was working on! They even use the same idea of indicating the items that are inside the treasure chests! My hat's off to whoever created those maps; I know from putting together my two or three pieces how time-consuming it is to assemble those screenshot graphics. Good job on the maps for Blaster Master (another NES favorite of mine), too, although I have spotted one small omission in the Area 1 map: there is a small platform hidden just below the ceiling in the "outdoor" portion of the map that has a few powerups on it. It isn't accessible without all the enhancements to your tank (you have to drive upside-down on the ceiling for a while to get to it), so the artist might not have realized it was there.

There is more, but I haven't mapped the entire game yet. I had thought of arranging screenshots into 1024x768 "tiles" like that one, and shrinking them and pasting them together into one (very large) map once I get the whole thing. That was just the first piece; I'll post the others as soon as I can find them.

Thanks for the kind words! I should say something about the prices I charge for my modded Space Invaders joysticks for the 2600/7800. For the sake of discussion, let's take the most expensive option that I offer: $40 shipped for a brand new stick, which falls into the range you're talking about. It typically costs me about $15 each to obtain the sticks, which I order new from Gamestop. That cost varies a bit depending on how many I'm able to buy at once, but $15 is a good average. The 7800 joystick cables cost $6 each, and return shipping (via USPS Priority) usually costs between $7 and $10 depending on where it's going and what packing materials I have on hand. That usually leaves me about $9 to $12 left over, which covers the solder, wire, hot glue, and heatshrink sleeve that I use to build the sticks, plus a few bucks for my time and effort in building them and testing them with a handful of 2600 and 7800 games before I ship. That doesn't strike me as being terribly expensive considering that the joystick and everything inside it is brand new and thoroughly tested. To get the $25 that I charge to mod someone's used stick and ship it back, I just subtracted my $15 cost for obtaining a new one, since all the other costs involved are about the same. I never thought of doing any of this as a "business," exactly; I'm just a 7800 enthusiast who knows from his own experience that a high-quality controller can give that console a whole new meaning. My services are there primarily for players who can't do the modifications themselves, or who don't want to be bothered. Between new sticks and used ones, I've probably shipped about three dozen so far (with no complaints at all from the buyers, I'm proud to say). It doesn't bother me a bit if somebody gets one some other way; I'd love to see every 7800 owner get one, whether they build it themselves or buy it from me, which is why I posted my write-up on how I do the modification. I'd never try to make a killing on these because the design of the modification isn't mine (it came from staring at the 7800 joypad PCB and figuring out how it's wired), nor is the idea of doing it in the first place (remowilliams did it first).

Mine tend to be mostly ten to fifteen minutes at a time, with the longest going up to 45 minutes. It's rare that I have any time for more these days.