My Flashback 9 stopped working

[Jarod]

I bought the Atgames Atari Flashback 9, and it stopped working after only 18 months of light use. I bought it new from the Dollar General. When I turn on the power, the Atgames logo comes up and just sits still. The system doesn't move over to the game menu. Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know what is wrong, or how to fix it?

[0078265317]

On 3/5/2021 at 1:29 PM, Jarod said:

I bought the Atgames Atari Flashback 9, and it stopped working after only 18 months of light use. I bought it new from the Dollar General. When I turn on the power, the Atgames logo comes up and just sits still. The system doesn't move over to the game menu. Has anyone else had this problem? Does anyone know what is wrong, or how to fix it?

IDK.  I just got one from ebay for 40 dollars.  Hope it lasts longer. 

[Rogerpoco]

I have one, a 9, and it only worked for a while, then would just "blackscreen".

I shelved it for a while, randomly tried it one day, and it worked?

 

My INT flashback has performed fine, but other than that, I don't really have a lot good to say about the ATGames stuff, sadly.

My Coleco Flashback blackscreened after only a few hours of usage, never came back to life-unfortunately, I shelved it when I got it, after "trying it out", was months later before I "put it thru the paces", so it was out of store warranty when it died.

 

The one GOOD thing, oddly-

The, lol, flimsy assed controllers!

Easily breakable, fragile, for sure-I'm actually "pretty good", at the High Scoring stuff, just a regular dude, not one of the Superstars I am honored to call my Friends, but the HSC scores/standings sure make me, uhh, feel good, haha!

When I started using a flashback controller, on real 2600 and PC EMU, my scores started improving dramatically-I was "at the time", and "on pace" to get better, I'm a "trier", but I really think the F/B stick made a difference, it's easier on the hands, and actually DOES respond quite well.

 

Gotta tell ya, my advice-

Suck it up. Eat cheap for a while. Get a real 2600, have it A/V modded, get a Harmony Cart, and give the Flashback to yur Kids, haha!

 

One last thing, on the "I'm pretty good" thing...

I've been Mentored quite well, I swear, some of the best of the best have helped me "get good", they KNOW what they are talking about, and I have truly learned things to "notice", from them.

I'm not against the idea of the flashback, I like Atari being made available to "the masses", at the Dollar Store(haha!).

But for anyone near attempting to "play seriously", the Flashback just doesn't cut it.

I'm not sure what the problem actually is, but the games do not respond the same, framerates, etc, you are really getting a watered down, almost "glitchy" experience on the Flashback.

My bragging is typically VERY tongue in cheek, but I'll kick your ass in Dragster, unless yur name is Pete ( @nads ), and that would be a very specific example of the glitchyness I am speaking of. I can pop off fast times on real hardware and EMU over and over, even "out of practice", but on the Flashback, it's a fight just to get a decent time, when you are trying to make millisecond inputs, it just doesn't seem to understand it quickly enough, it takes "skilluck" to run fast.

 

Ya, shoot-I understand the convenience and the low cost, but Man, a real 2600, and a Harmony Cart...

2600 Heaven.

 

At least open it up, take q-tips and hand sanitizer to it, prolly won't help, but prolly worth a shot before giving up, it's "already broke", there's not a lot going on inside a Flashback, so "might as well".

 

Good Luck!

[Draxxon]

is it an HDMI version?

unscrew the bottom, open it up. hold the tiny reset button and power on. continue to hold that reset button about ten seconds and you will be in android recovery mode.

do a factory reset and hope it works. or flash an update image from the sd card.

I have owned multiple atari and legends flashbacks and have hacked the shit out of them. I have gifted about a around 10 different units over the years to friends as gifts, and they have had no issues. They have never stopped working. they have never been bricked.
I own a 4 switch 2600, a 2600 Jr, an atari Pi, a flashback 1, 2, 9, X, Retron77, Its all good to me.

As a "Pro Gamer" who has won numerous fighting game tournaments, anyone that 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Draxxon

[Draxxon]

1 hour ago, Rogerpoco said:

Gotta tell ya, my advice-

Suck it up. Eat cheap for a while. Get a real 2600, have it A/V modded, get a Harmony Cart, and give the Flashback to yur Kids, haha!

 

 

Harmony cart wont let you play atari 800, 7800, arcade games, nes, sega, etc. a flashback 9 and X will.

 

[Rogerpoco]

41 minutes ago, Draxxon said:

Harmony cart wont let you play atari 800, 7800, arcade games, nes, sega, etc. a flashback 9 and X will.

 

Haha, I'm one of those fortunate enough to have the room to just have all the real systems!

Naw, I DO understand, the convenience is a plus, for sure.

Now, to try to find a reset button on my Coleco Flashback...

(Actually, recently got a real Coleco and an Atarimax, don't "need" the Flashback to work, but odds are I'll still look for a reset switch somewhere, lol!)

[Draxxon]

reset button on the coleco flashback? IDK. is it an android rockchip device? Its older than the AFB9, X and LFB.

I totally get having all the old systems, but what about all the arcade games? do you have 100s of jamma boards in a closet?

Edited April 1, 2021 by Draxxon

[0078265317]

3 hours ago, Draxxon said:

Harmony cart wont let you play atari 800, 7800, arcade games, nes, sega, etc. a flashback 9 and X will.

 

FB 9 can do NES roms.  How is that even possible. 

[Draxxon]

the nes core from the LFB unit was imported. They are basically the same device.

you are limited to 1 button games because of the joystick though.

what I was going to say earlier and decided not to (but forgot to delete half the thought lol) was

I agree with Roger. As a pro gamer, emulation just isnt the same. A handful of games like Kaboom,

Dragster, Mike Tyson's Punch out on nes, really need original hardware to play them at a top level.

 

that said, games and systems are pricey these days, hooking them up can also be a hassle.

if youre into speed runs, high scores, FGC tournaments, etc. original hardware is important.

For instance, I own a dedicated Mortal Kombat II arcade machine to practice on. So I get it.

But there are many many people that dont have one, practice on MAME, and do just fine.

the few people who play their few games at that top level are a fraction of the population,

and I feel like they already have original hardware, if possible, for their game of choice. But, it

really just depends on the game.

for me the emu boxes with 1000s of games arent for my favs or games i feel im a pro at. its for

the 1000s of games i would have never thought of playing otherwise. And I would also like to add

An AFBX for $40 is a steal, a harmony cart for $150 is kinda nutso.
 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Draxxon

[0078265317]

46 minutes ago, Draxxon said:

the nes core from the LFB unit was imported. They are basically the same device.

you are limited to 1 button games because of the joystick though.

what I was going to say earlier and decided not to (but forgot to delete half the thought lol) was

I agree with Roger. As a pro gamer, emulation just isnt the same. A handful of games like Kaboom,

Dragster, Mike Tyson's Punch out on nes, really need original hardware to play them at a top level.

 

that said, games and systems are pricey these days, hooking them up can also be a hassle.

if youre into speed runs, high scores, FGC tournaments, etc. original hardware is important.

For instance, I own a dedicated Mortal Kombat II arcade machine to practice on. So I get it.

But there are many many people that dont have one, practice on MAME, and do just fine.

the few people who play their few games at that top level are a fraction of the population,

and I feel like they already have original hardware, if possible, for their game of choice. But, it

really just depends on the game.

for me the emu boxes with 1000s of games arent for my favs or games i feel im a pro at. its for

the 1000s of games i would have never thought of playing otherwise. And I would also like to add

An AFBX for $40 is a steal, a harmony cart for $150 is kinda nutso.
 

Actually through a series of complicated adapters and such I can use 2 button nes pad on a real 2600.  Not sure if it would work on a flash back though. 

[Draxxon]

no clue. I know you could build a super joystick that exploits both controller ports and have a 6 button for only one player.

and as long as you can set the buttons in the core in the AFBX.

[0078265317]

52 minutes ago, Draxxon said:

the nes core from the LFB unit was imported. They are basically the same device.

you are limited to 1 button games because of the joystick though.

what I was going to say earlier and decided not to (but forgot to delete half the thought lol) was

I agree with Roger. As a pro gamer, emulation just isnt the same. A handful of games like Kaboom,

Dragster, Mike Tyson's Punch out on nes, really need original hardware to play them at a top level.

 

that said, games and systems are pricey these days, hooking them up can also be a hassle.

if youre into speed runs, high scores, FGC tournaments, etc. original hardware is important.

For instance, I own a dedicated Mortal Kombat II arcade machine to practice on. So I get it.

But there are many many people that dont have one, practice on MAME, and do just fine.

the few people who play their few games at that top level are a fraction of the population,

and I feel like they already have original hardware, if possible, for their game of choice. But, it

really just depends on the game.

for me the emu boxes with 1000s of games arent for my favs or games i feel im a pro at. its for

the 1000s of games i would have never thought of playing otherwise. And I would also like to add

An AFBX for $40 is a steal, a harmony cart for $150 is kinda nutso.
 

I got a 9 not X.  9 with sd slot.  9 was still 59 dollars at my microcenter.  So 40 is not bad.  Plus its sealed.  It will be here on saturday. 

[0078265317]

https://www.samsclub.com/p/atari-flashback-x-deluxe/prod23230006

 

Its 40 at sams club but out of stock.  Probably discontinued by now.  But since there is no 11 it should still be sold. 

[Draxxon]

menards had the standard X for 40 also.
 

[0078265317]

10 minutes ago, Draxxon said:

menards had the standard X for 40 also.
 

Ya I saw they had X also but out of stock.  When did they stop the X version? 

[Draxxon]

No clue. I got a 2nd unit, version 2020 (reset button on the bottom) from menards when they went clearance about a month ago. I knew they would dry up soon and that they were about to be hacked wide open.

 

 

Discussion on adding games with box art is here:
Flashback 9 Gold CFW to load roms and boxart from SD - AtGames Flashback and Portable Consoles - AtariAge Forums

 

Atari Flashback X Custom Firmware for USB roms and boxart - AtGames Flashback and Portable Consoles - AtariAge Forums

 

 

Edited April 2, 2021 by Draxxon

[0078265317]

Would 5200 roms work by chance? 

[Draxxon]

Atari 400/800/XL/XE is running. they are practically the same thing, Ive been told.
7800 just got added. Lynx works, thats next to add. I have not tried a 5200 core yet, but i bet it will work.

[0078265317]

Arriving today ahead of schedule.  All the way from NJ to IL in less that one day. 

 

Tracking History

April 2, 2021
6:10 am

Out for Delivery, Expected Delivery by 5:30pm,
 

April 2, 2021
4:56 am

Arrived at Post Office,
 

April 2, 2021
3:41 am

Departed USPS Regional Facility,
PALATINE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

April 1, 2021
8:52 pm

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility,
PALATINE IL DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

April 1, 2021
3:48 am

Arrived at USPS Regional Facility,
NEWARK NJ DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

April 1, 2021
3:14 am

Departed USPS Regional Facility,
JERSEY CITY NJ NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

April 1, 2021
12:17 am

Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility,
JERSEY CITY NJ NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER 

March 31, 2021
8:57 am

USPS in possession of item,
SUFFERN, NY 10901

March 31, 2021
7:52 am

Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item,
TUXEDO PARK, NY 10987

[0078265317]

It came about 3 o'clock today.  I am downloading the firmware and trying now.  So far no sd icon but slot is on the side.  Maybe after firmware it will show.

[0078265317]

It worked like 3 or 4 times now no picture.  Power light is on but no picture.  Never flashed the firmware.  Just playing with it first and see. Now I got to unscrew it and see if there is a reset button. 

[0078265317]

I unscrewed it and hit the reset and power.  Then let go of the reset.  I got this menu.  Now what?

 

 

http://mvvg.blogspot.com/2021/04/broken-flashback-9.html?m=1

[0078265317]

It wont factory reset either. 

 

[Draxxon]

SMH, how long did it take you to screw it up? 15 mins?

Looks like you screwed up a firmware update to me, or flashed the wrong firmware for your system. And... wiped your cache? 

 

That sucks dude. But thats a user error.

What firmware did you flash?

Edited April 3, 2021 by Draxxon

[0078265317]

It stopped before I ever flashed anything.  The sd card show in recovery mode.  But the folder with my bin files do not show.  Folder is empty despite 3 bin files in it according to my mac and pc.  If I do graphics test or view recovery logs its acts like its updating but fails right away.  I never flashed anything.  Just put the sd card in did not show on menu.  Turned it off and then it never turned back on after that.  Power light but black screen. Never did a flash.