ColecoVision Flashback with alternate games :)

[+5-11under]

Well, it took a couple of days and way too much thinking and desoldering/soldering, but it's finally done...

 

Here's a few pictures of my hacked ColecoVision Flashback... well, the insides and screen shots, at least. For this first test, I selected a few of my own games/utilities as well as most of the other half of the classic ColecoVision library. I've only tried out a few games, but so far they seem fine, although I noticed a few sound issues with JetPack and Squares (I'm sure the same thing happens with the standard 60/61 Flashback games).

 

 

What next? CollectorVision Flashback? Best 60 (or 61? or 70?) Flashback?

 

[fiddlepaddle]

So, it's theoretically possible to use a flashback to replace the aging insides of my Colecovision?

[+5-11under]

So, it's theoretically possible to use a flashback to replace the aging insides of my Colecovision?

 

To some degree, anyway.

Edit: it's still a fixed amount of games, unchangeable unless you solder in a new ROM chip.

Edited December 6, 2014 by 5-11under

[akator]

I love this. Awesome work

[Pixelboy]

Kewl!

[+save2600]

Incredible work! Would love to see a "kit" of sorts with new game selections for those of us that don't mind a little soldering. A single ROM large enough for most all games would be awesome, but if not, could build a Kickstart like board and switch between them? Plenty of room in that case for it!

[ValkerieSilk]

Well, it took a couple of days and way too much thinking and desoldering/soldering, but it's finally done...

 

Here's a few pictures of my hacked ColecoVision Flashback... well, the insides and screen shots, at least. For this first test, I selected a few of my own games/utilities as well as most of the other half of the classic ColecoVision library. I've only tried out a few games, but so far they seem fine, although I noticed a few sound issues with JetPack and Squares (I'm sure the same thing happens with the standard 60/61 Flashback games).

 

all.JPG

1.JPG2.JPG

3.JPG4.JPG

5.JPG6.JPG

 

What next? CollectorVision Flashback? Best 60 (or 61? or 70?) Flashback?

 

GENIUS!

[+5-11under]

Incredible work! Would love to see a "kit" of sorts with new game selections for those of us that don't mind a little soldering. A single ROM large enough for most all games would be awesome, but if not, could build a Kickstart like board and switch between them? Plenty of room in that case for it!

 

Thanks! The desoldering and soldering is fairly difficult. The ROM chip is a TSOP package with 0.020" pin spacing (standard DIP is 0.100" spacing). I use a hot plate for desoldering, and manually solder the new chip in (although I could use the hot plate again). I'm not sure I have the ability to include more than 60-70 games, although like you say (or are at least leading to), the size of the memory could be increased, to double or quadruple the capacity (a switch could be used to swap between the banks - reset or power off would be required while/after switching - you would only see 60-70 games at a time). Great idea!

[Pixelboy]

Thanks! The desoldering and soldering is fairly difficult. The ROM chip is a TSOP package with 0.020" pin spacing (standard DIP is 0.100" spacing). I use a hot plate for desoldering, and manually solder the new chip in (although I could use the hot plate again).

So some kind of chip socket is out of the question? T'would be nice to only need to mod the thing once and then swap "60-70 games chips" in and out easely.

[nanochess]

So cool!!!

 

Technically with a daughterboard you could connect directly a Flash memory, and with a microcontroller load it from a SD memory

[NIAD]

Awesome work 5-11under... as usual !!!

 

Easier said than done I'm sure, but next step would be to figure out how to replace the AtGames emulator with a better one based off of BlueMSX.

[+5-11under]

So some kind of chip socket is out of the question? T'would be nice to only need to mod the thing once and then swap "60-70 games chips" in and out easely.

 

This is do-able, although not super easily. It'd need a daughterboard with something like this attached to it. After that, it's easy to swap out chips. Keep in mind, though, that unless you work for AtGames, it takes a number of hours to put together the contents of the chip.

[+5-11under]

So cool!!!

 

Technically with a daughterboard you could connect directly a Flash memory, and with a microcontroller load it from a SD memory

 

... only if someone with a knowledge of how to do this showed me exactly how. Otherwise, it would take me years, I think. You would still need to put together the contents of the chip, but with a lot of work, perhaps that could be automated. It might be easier to figure out how AtGames programs the boards.

[+5-11under]

Easier said than done I'm sure, but next step would be to figure out how to replace the AtGames emulator with a better one based off of BlueMSX.

 

You're on your own, there.

I'm still trying to find the code that is responsible for the 10 second start-up delay, though, so I can change it to 3 seconds.

[+GroovyBee]

... only if someone with a knowledge of how to do this showed me exactly how. Otherwise, it would take me years, I think. You would still need to put together the contents of the chip, but with a lot of work, perhaps that could be automated. It might be easier to figure out how AtGames programs the boards.

Unfortunately I've forgotten where I saw it (Sparkfun maybe?) but you can get a chip/kit to interface a microcontroller to, that knows all about FAT and microSD/SD/MMC cards. It was expensive (maybe $40) but that might be a place to start.

[Kamshaft]

We are so lucky to have people like you man, that not only love the Colecovision, but wanna still mess with after 30+ years! Awesome work!

[+GroovyBee]

Unfortunately I've forgotten where I saw it (Sparkfun maybe?) but you can get a chip/kit to interface a microcontroller to, that knows all about FAT and microSD/SD/MMC cards. It was expensive (maybe $40) but that might be a place to start.

I think this might have been it :-

 

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/8215

 

Alas, its been retired .

[bkrownd]

Just...wow....

[Andromeda Stardust]

It would be cool if you could dump the contents of the flash chip into an EPROM and wire it into a real cart using a custom bankswitch. Not much point though because people could just use a real flash cart instead.

[+5-11under]

It would be cool if you could dump the contents of the flash chip into an EPROM and wire it into a real cart using a custom bankswitch. Not much point though because people could just use a real flash cart instead.

 

The ROMs for these are all available, except of course for the homebrews. Those you'll need to buy (unless they're available for free) to play on a real ColecoVision.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

The ROMs for these are all available, except of course for the homebrews. Those you'll need to buy (unless they're available for free) to play on a real ColecoVision.

If 5-11 releases the dump for the Coleco ROM, then the homebrew ROMs can be extracted from the dump. But it would be much simpler to just dump the hombrew ROM.

[+frankodragon]

I think this might have been it :-

 

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/8215

 

Alas, its been retired .

Perhaps? http://www.ebay.com/itm/SD-Card-Micro-Breakout-Board-/201111076295?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ed3277dc7

[thevnaguy]

Well, it took a couple of days and way too much thinking and desoldering/soldering, but it's finally done...

 

Here's a few pictures of my hacked ColecoVision Flashback... well, the insides and screen shots, at least. For this first test, I selected a few of my own games/utilities as well as most of the other half of the classic ColecoVision library. I've only tried out a few games, but so far they seem fine, although I noticed a few sound issues with JetPack and Squares (I'm sure the same thing happens with the standard 60/61 Flashback games).

 

all.JPG

1.JPG2.JPG

3.JPG4.JPG

5.JPG6.JPG

 

What next? CollectorVision Flashback? Best 60 (or 61? or 70?) Flashback?

 

Absolutely ColecoTastic!!!!

[Vectorman]

This is awesome! I knew it was possible. GREAT work man!

[chart45]

 

... only if someone with a knowledge of how to do this showed me exactly how. Otherwise, it would take me years, I think. You would still need to put together the contents of the chip, but with a lot of work, perhaps that could be automated. It might be easier to figure out how AtGames programs the boards.

you could build pi or another board like the guy did for the intv fb. development board dont cost a lot and they have hdmi vga usb sd on it and they can be fit in the fb case