Building an Atari 2600 mini arcade, which games to choose?

[Animedude360]

(

) So I have plans to build a mini arcade machine like this one, but with an Atari Flashback 2 inside instead of Pac-Man, made to look like a Pong cabinet. The project is still a long ways off from completion, so I will post about it when some progress is made.

 

In the meantime I came here to ask you guys for some feedback. The Atari flashback 2 can be modded to take real Atari carts. Even though it has a ton of great games built in (including a better version of Pong than Video Olympics) I still want to find some real carts to play on the arcade, of some of the games that aren't built-in. Which games do you think would be a good fit for something like this? Atari has a ridiculous library.

 

If you curious, you can see what games are already on the AF2 here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Flashback#Atari_Flashback_2)

Edited February 19, 2014 by Animedude360

[Goochman]

THe Harmony cart is the one and only cart you need for this project - then you get everything

[+Gemintronic]

FB2 hardware can't handle batari BASIC games so Princess Rescue is out.

[Animedude360]

FB2 hardware can't handle batari BASIC games so Princess Rescue is out.

The who and the what? Is that a hack?

[+Random Terrain]

The who and the what? Is that a hack?

 

Related link:

 

atariage.com/forums/topic/215058-princess-rescue-binaries-released/

[Animedude360]

 

Related link:

 

atariage.com/forums/topic/215058-princess-rescue-binaries-released/

Oh I see. Well if I wanted to play Mario, I would make a little arcade with a NES clone inside rather than an Atari FB. Which I may actually do, depending on how this one turns out. I'm still trying to get down the technicals of making a combo joystick and paddle you can switch between.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Animedude360

[Cynicaster]

What will you be using for a joystick?

 

I occasionally play 2600 games using Stella on my MAME cabinet, which is a lot bigger than your project but a similar idea.

 

The main thing to keep in mind is that if you're going to use some kind of arcade joystick then some games will play a lot better than others, and some are simply going to suck without a proper 2600 joystick.

 

As a general comment, left/right space shooter type games (Megamania, Galaxian, Worm War I, etc.) play just fine with arcade sticks, and to be honest, I prefer arcade controls for those. On the other hand, I find twitchy precision type games like Frostbite and Missile Command unplayable on arcade controls.

[chas10e]

the gemini (atari clone) joystick may work, for two player paddle games though there was a wye adapter

 

the arcade ports would my best guess for games to use Pac Man , Pole Position , Missile Command , Space Invaders , Donkey Kong , Food Fight, Kangaroo, Popeye, Berzerk, Time Pilot, Joust , Breakout, Circus Atari to name a few ...

 

looking at that wiki page I noticed the flashback 2 has a controller test feature .... now I haz to get one

 

good luck with the project

[Animedude360]

What will you be using for a joystick?

 

I occasionally play 2600 games using Stella on my MAME cabinet, which is a lot bigger than your project but a similar idea.

 

The main thing to keep in mind is that if you're going to use some kind of arcade joystick then some games will play a lot better than others, and some are simply going to suck without a proper 2600 joystick.

 

As a general comment, left/right space shooter type games (Megamania, Galaxian, Worm War I, etc.) play just fine with arcade sticks, and to be honest, I prefer arcade controls for those. On the other hand, I find twitchy precision type games like Frostbite and Missile Command unplayable on arcade controls.

Yeah, I plan to use an arcade stick and buttons, So something pretty similar to what would be in a Mame cabinet. More than likely, I will use these plans, minus the keypad (http://www.instructables.com/id/Atari-Combo-Controller/#step1) I've never played any games with that type of controller, so I'm not sure how they differ.

[Animedude360]

the gemini (atari clone) joystick may work, for two player paddle games though there was a wye adapter

 

the arcade ports would my best guess for games to use Pac Man , Pole Position , Missile Command , Space Invaders , Donkey Kong , Food Fight, Kangaroo, Popeye, Berzerk, Time Pilot, Joust , Breakout, Circus Atari to name a few ...

 

looking at that wiki page I noticed the flashback 2 has a controller test feature .... now I haz to get one

 

good luck with the project

Berzerk is a good idea, but isn't Pac-Man the worst thing ever? Missile Command and Battlezone are in the built in games, which is awesome but Space Invaders isn't. But the Atari has so many space-shooter type games, I wonder if Space Invaders is still the best one.

 

What's a controller test feature?

[chas10e]

Berzerk is a good idea, but isn't Pac-Man the worst thing ever? Missile Command and Battlezone are in the built in games, which is awesome but Space Invaders isn't. But the Atari has so many space-shooter type games, I wonder if Space Invaders is still the best one.

 

What's a controller test feature?

I honestly not very good at any Pac Man ... Ms. Pac-Man for the 2600 is a better port from the arcade version , Pac Man Jr is done well too . I understand the managers at Atari wanted the designer to use 2k chips & not the more expensive 4k chips (whatever that means ) so if compared with the arcade version that EVERYbody has seen ... it isn't quite the same

 

Space Invaders is a great game for the 2600 ... really common so a cart should be easy to get

 

I read the wikipedia article you linked (obviously missing a couple games )

 

 

 

Test screens

Controller test screens can be accessed by holding down the select and reset buttons while pressing the power button to turn on the console. With the color/black-and-white switch set to 'color', the joystick test screen will appear; with it set to black-and-white, the paddle test screen will appear. These test screens allow a gamer to test controller inputs as well as the console's colors and sounds. On the paddle test screen, if joysticks are plugged in as opposed to paddle controllers, the game Off the Wall can be accessed and played by moving right with the left controller.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Pacman 4k is highly recommended, as well as either of the upcoming donkey kongs. Get a harmony while you're at it.

[Animedude360]

I honestly not very good at any Pac Man ... Ms. Pac-Man for the 2600 is a better port from the arcade version , Pac Man Jr is done well too . I understand the managers at Atari wanted the designer to use 2k chips & not the more expensive 4k chips (whatever that means ) so if compared with the arcade version that EVERYbody has seen ... it isn't quite the same

 

Space Invaders is a great game for the 2600 ... really common so a cart should be easy to get

 

I read the wikipedia article you linked (obviously missing a couple games )

Oh, I didn't know that. I have some paddle controllers i need to test. I cleaned them and I want to make sure I put they back together right. And I just meant the port of Pac-Man for 2600 is notoriously bad. So bad it toppled a multi-billion dollar industry bad. But I think I will definitly use Berzerk and Space Invanders. "Destroy the humanoid!"

[Animedude360]

Pacman 4k is highly recommended, as well as either of the upcoming donkey kongs. Get a harmony while you're at it.

I was planning on getting a copy of Pac-Man Arcade Edition. What is the difference between that and 4k? Also, someone is working on Donkey Kong in the same way?

[Andromeda Stardust]

Pacman Arcade is a Ms Pacman hack to look and feel more like Pacman.

 

Pacman 4k is a brand new homebrew that better matches the arcade feel of the original.

 

Honestly I would pick up the original Ms Pacman (it's cheap and worth it) along with the Pacman 4k homebrew from the Atariage store.

 

Jr Pacman 2600 pulls off some impressive tricks on Atari hardware such as vertical scrolling, but is tough as nails. The ghosts are so relentless in their pursuit and eating pellets slows you down so the game is borderline unfair. I only recommend it if you're an "expert" or simply a machosist for tough videogames. I can only ever play it in "teddy bear" mode with most of the ghosts removed, then it doesn't feel right. Someone should really hack Jr Pacman to slow down the ghosts and balance the difficulty; then it would be a fun game.

[yllawwally]

You should put two ports on the machine, so you can still plug in external controllers. With the way the atari wired controllers, having two connected simultaneously won't hurt it. That way you can play 2 player games, does the fb2 support paddles, I don't remember. Space Invaders, pitfall, and ms pac-man, would be my votes for games to include.

[Animedude360]

You should put two ports on the machine, so you can still plug in external controllers. With the way the atari wired controllers, having two connected simultaneously won't hurt it. That way you can play 2 player games, does the fb2 support paddles, I don't remember. Space Invaders, pitfall, and ms pac-man, would be my votes for games to include.

Atari Flashbacks supports regular joysticks and paddles, but nothing else. But the way paddle games work will make it difficult to play any two player paddle games on a set up like this. Player 1 will be plugged into the control panel. I was planning adding a player 2 port on the side (using a sega genesis controller extension cord), so a second player could plug in a regular joystick, but that will only work with joystick games. Paddle games have that weird split that shares the same port. It's complicated, for sure.

[AlecRob]

Put some actual Atari arcade hardware in there, dude.

[Animedude360]

Put some actual Atari arcade hardware in there, dude.

Wouldn't that be expensive... and destroy a real atari? Also, what would be the advantage over the Flashback? the FB2 can be modded to play real carts.

[+Ripdubski]

Very cool,

[AlecRob]

Berzerk is a good idea, but isn't Pac-Man the worst thing ever? Missile Command and Battlezone are in the built in games, which is awesome but Space Invaders isn't. But the Atari has so many space-shooter type games, I wonder if Space Invaders is still the best one.

 

What's a controller test feature?

Whats so bad about pac-man?

[Animedude360]

Whats so bad about pac-man?

The 2600 port of Pac-Man was so bad it single-handedly toppled a multi-billion dollar industry? It's so bad, Atari drove it out into the desert and buried it under concrete, the same treatment they give nuclear waste. When I bought my 7800, the clerk at the store gave me a copy for free and told me to get it out of his store. And then I played it and It brought back horrible child-hood memories like a 'Nam flashback. When I woke up, the room was covered in blood and I don't know who's blood it was!

[+Random Terrain]

Whats so bad about pac-man?

 

This:

 

randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-favorite-games.html#pacman

[stvd]

The 2600 port of Pac-Man was so bad it single-handedly toppled a multi-billion dollar industry? It's so bad, Atari drove it out into the desert and buried it under concrete

 

I think you're getting stories (and games) mixed up there!

[bikeguychicago]

Whats so bad about pac-man?

Watch and learn....