Flashback 2's flashy menu - sneak peak

[Curt Vendel]

Okay...

 

Here's some more sneak peaks at Flashback 2. Since the 2600 chip itself cannot support a fancy menu'ing system, FB2 has a seperate chip along side the "Michele" 2600 called which is the MMVIO chip called "Gizmo" (MMVIO is Menu/Memory/Video/IO)

 

Basically Gizmo takes control of the connections to/from the joystick and Video signals on power up. It commandeers them to direct the input into itself to handle controlling the menu functions and to display onto the screen. Gizmo also handles displaying the menu graphics. Lastly Gizmo is the Memory handler (bankswitcher) and handles how each game loads into the 2600 chip for F8 and above. Once a game is selected, Gizmo latches the video and I/O lines over to the 2600 chip and then just takes care of bankswitching the game into the 2600.

 

Here are some screenshots of the actual menu running on the console. With 40 games, the titles were broken into categories - Adventure Territory, Arcade Favorites, Space Station and the Skill & Action Zone.

 

 

 

Curt

FB2_Menu_sneakpeak.zip

[z28in82]

Looks really nice Curt, and not trying to be too much of a butt-head but is there any reason for the "ghosting" on the 4th pic?

 

Can't wait till this bad boy comes out. *drool*

[keilbaca]

Very nice, looks good. This system is turning out better and better by the day!

 

However, I am going to see about using a real atari 2600 for my mod, because I want it done before I go home. It'll be nice to play the HSC still with my Kroc cart and a built in Atari 2600

[Curt Vendel]

Looks really nice Curt, and not trying to be too much of a butt-head but is there any reason for the "ghosting" on the 4th pic?

 

Can't wait till this bad boy comes out. *drool*

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The pic was snapped a little too quickly during the screen change to the next menu selection.

 

 

Curt

[z28in82]

Looks really nice Curt, and not trying to be too much of a butt-head but is there any reason for the "ghosting" on the 4th pic?

 

Can't wait till this bad boy comes out. *drool*

 

The pic was snapped a little too quickly during the screen change to the next menu selection.

 

 

Curt

Figured it was something like that. Still looks sweet

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Thrust's power plant is still there.

 

And a remainder of my unreleased hack too.

Edited June 2, 2005 by Thomas Jentzsch

[ZylonBane]

The marketing wonks just won't stop pounding the hammer on that bellbottom fuji, will they? Oh well.

 

The menus look... eh. As I feared, the categories seem to be confusingly arbitrary. For instance-- I'd expect Asteroids and Centipede to be under Arcade Favorites, but it appears that Asteroids is under Space Station, and Centipede is under Skill and Action Zone. Any chance there will be a "just list them all alphabetically" category?

 

Also, the UI seems unnecessarily complex. It looks like you have to scroll left/right looking for a category, then click to select it (in the blind hope that you selected the correct one). Wouldn't it be easier to combine the category splash page and game listing into one screen? It would save users having to click into a category, having to click out of a category, and having to guess what's in the category. I've attached a mockup of what I'm describing.

 

Of course, I'm going to buy this thing regardless of how clunky the UI is.

[ATARIeric]

@ Curt: I really like all the menu screens

 

What a flashy tease, Lookin good!

Edited June 2, 2005 by ATARIeric

[Flojomojo]

Great!

 

There's no way to please everyone when you're browsing through 40 different menu items, but I think this does a good job and I'm happy to see the good old chunky visuals.

 

I want it now!

[geosteve]

I'm so excited about this one, can't wait to get it

[Curt Vendel]

Damned Zylons! Where's a good Star Raider when you need one

 

 

Actually your mockup was an original concept, however there is a reason why the menu system was altered to the way it is now, I'll explain more in due time.

 

PS - The Manual lists all the games under each category, so a user can quickly and easily find what their looking for before exploring the categories and submenu's.

 

 

 

Curt

 

The marketing wonks just won't stop pounding the hammer on that bellbottom fuji, will they? Oh well.

 

The menus look... eh. As I feared, the categories seem to be confusingly arbitrary. For instance-- I'd expect Asteroids and Centipede to be under Arcade Favorites, but it appears that Asteroids is under Space Station, and Centipede is under Skill and Action Zone. Any chance there will be a "just list them all alphabetically" category?

 

Also, the UI seems unnecessarily complex. It looks like you have to scroll left/right looking for a category, then click to select it (in the blind hope that you selected the correct one). Wouldn't it be easier to combine the category splash page and game listing into one screen? It would save users having to click into a category, having to click out of a category, and having to guess what's in the category. I've attached a mockup of what I'm describing.

 

Of course, I'm going to buy this thing regardless of how clunky the UI is.

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[ZylonBane]

PS - The Manual lists all the games under each category, so a user can quickly and easily find what their looking for before exploring the categories and submenu's.

So if I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying the category system works great if you just memorize everything.

 

Riiiiiiight. Kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think? May as well just call the categories "A", "B", and "C" then.

 

And I'm not a Zylon. I'm the bane of Zylons. Hence the name.

[scrummy]

PS - The Manual lists all the games under each category, so a user can quickly and easily find what their looking for before exploring the categories and submenu's.

So if I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying the category system works great if you just memorize everything.

 

Riiiiiiight. Kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think? May as well just call the categories "A", "B", and "C" then.

 

And I'm not a Zylon. I'm the bane of Zylons. Hence the name.

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Sound like something a Zylon would say.

[Clint Thompson]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing Curt!!

[sidcrowe]

Sweeeeet

 

Don't like the bellbottom logo, but still sweet

[Room 34]

So if I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying the category system works great if you just memorize everything.

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I thought every true Atari fan spent his childhood memorizing the contents of "Adventure Territory," "Space Station," etc. from the game catalogs like I did.

[sku_u]

If you're going to go with the pixellated look, why not actually make the images looks as they would on a real VCS instead of trying to give it a vintage look with watered down graphics? It would make more sense to either go with something flashy and usable or with something authentic. Not a college intern aspiring to be a graphic programmer's rendition of what he thought it might have looked on a VCS. That logo on the machine looks especially bad.

[AtariDude]

When is the system expected to be released? Will it be released during Christmas time like Atari used to do at the beginning or will it be earlier?

[shank]

When is the system expected to be released? Will it be released during Christmas time like Atari used to do at the beginning or will it be earlier?

868303[/snapback]

I heard at the end of july 2005.

[cyberneticimplant]

I think the console itself looks really ugly. The menu would be better if it was black and more plain.

[yuppicide]

Thanks for sharing Curt. I like the menus and I think they're just fine. It's only 40 games. It doesn't take that long if you have to find something.

[King_Salamon]

Another generous tidbit from Curt! Thanks again Curt for another morsel for us to feast on!

 

Any news on the manual? I recall there were some surprises in store for us regarding the manual?

 

Too bad I can't preorder this somewhere like you can preorder games for current systems! I think I'll head the EB today and see if they can preorder.

 

This is going to be a great Christmas gift for some relatives this year!

[ATARIeric]

I think I'll head the EB today and see if they can preorder. 

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The sales clerk @ my local EB didnt know anything about the FB2 system, when I explained what It was, he said we wont be selling that here & then said If we do It would probably be around christmas time.

[XT]

I know I cant wait much longer....

 

Curt, are you available for comment on the release date?

[Curt Vendel]

End of July, beginning of August should start to see arrivals in store shelves.

 

 

Curt

 

I know I cant wait much longer....

 

Curt, are you available for comment on the release date?

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