Breaking news: Intellivision flashback coming to retail

[+Lathe26]

RPN FOREVER! \m/

[onmode-ky]

Just for clarification, you incorrectly quoted me as asking about what emulator they are using. That question was from someone else.

Er, if you'll look back at my post, that particular quote is attributed to user grips03, not you. I used the forum's multi-quote feature, as I am also doing in this post.

 

I wasn't familiar with Nice Code. Keith told me that Techno Source did the programming, but I guess he misspoke.

Assuming for the moment that Techno Source themselves did not do the NOAC Intellivision programming (remember, this isn't actually confirmed but is rather merely a possible conclusion from the available evidence), it might simply be that Techno Source didn't tell Intellivision Productions who their outsource subcontractor was. If, in your future discussions with Keith Robinson, you can ask him if he knows for certain who programmed the NOAC Intellivision projects (e.g., perhaps he actually met in-house programming staff at Techno Source's office), that could resolve the mystery with certainty. However, I doubt Techno Source did it themselves, because they're a small toy company who, prior to their Intellivision work, had never done any video games. It would make sense for them to link up with a firm that had a lot of Famicom development experience. But again, this is speculation.

 

I sure hope that everyone reading this understands that this is just speculation/brainstorming/fantasy/wishing.

Yes, I don't wish to imply that the jumper method is how it is really being done. It was merely a bit of "how might this be done" wondering on my part. Everyone reading, please keep that in mind.

 

I have no insight into how the extra game works, but I seriously doubt it's a jumper, because that to me would seem like extra manufacturing effort. It's probably nothing more complicated than there being one of two versions of the complete (OS, emulator, and ROMs) software package being flashed to the chip, making that the only difference other than packaging.

The reason why I began wondering about how the variant content might be getting done is that I don't have any concept of whether or not there is a great cost in simply setting up a second image for mass ROM manufacturing. Is it really just a matter of replacing a master source file with another one, just putting in a different name in an input field? It seems like it could be, but my mind is cluttered with vague memories of reading here and there that ROMs are very different from other memory types, so I thought maybe setting up a variant image for burning could possibly have a greater cost than just having the assembly line add in one extra step on part of the overall production run. If someone out there could definitively say for us, "The cost for making a variant ROM image is (very high|not significant)," that would be most helpful.

 

onmode-ky

[+nurmix]

Er, if you'll look back at my post, that particular quote is attributed to user grips03, not you. I used the forum's multi-quote feature, as I am also doing in this post.

 

My apologies. I use Tap-a-Talk on my smartphone most of the time while reading and posting here, and when viewing your post in that, it screwed up the quote. In fact reading your post that I'm responding to now, every quote appears to be attributed to me!

 

Viewing it on my PC / browser, all is correct. Damn you Tap-a-Talk!

[Flojomojo]

Atari Age has a nice mobile view, as do many forums nowadays. I've deleted Tapatalk since it seems to get in the way more than help.

[+DZ-Jay]

Atari Age has a nice mobile view, as do many forums nowadays. I've deleted Tapatalk since it seems to get in the way more than help.

 

I like and use Tapatalk and for all its faults (and increasing annoyances), I find it superior than using the mobile view. Moreover, the mobile view requires JavaScript to be of any service, otherwise it's just a mostly useless inert page with broken links. I disable JavaScript on my mobile, and all web browsing (to the extend that I do) works rather well for me, so I'm not about to make exceptions for AA, especially if I have to constantly turn on and off the feature as I start and stop to use the site.

 

Tapatalk does have a most annoying problem with nested quotes which started recently.

 

-dZ.

[Flojomojo]

Is tapatalk remembering passwords in the current version? I am attempting to use different credentials everywhere I go and last time I used it, tapatalk seemed to forget what it was doing, which is very annoying.

 

To bring this back on topic, remembering passwords has never been an issue with any intellivision system I have owned.

[Won Hung Lo]

Just wanted to say hi to everyone as I'm new here. As a kid, I never was blessed to own an Intellivision. I only found out they existed about ten years ago. I have almost pulled the trigger several times to buy one, but for one reason or another I never did. I am really exited to learn of this flashback model to be able to get a feel for the controllers and the games. I certainly hope this community and the public at large supports this endeavor so we may see future renditions with more games and additional features. Accordingly, this flashback could be the impetus to nudge me into purchasing an old console.

[mr_intv]

Is it known if Canadian retailers are going to be selling these in October as well?

[+LS650]

Is it known if Canadian retailers are going to be selling these in October as well?

AtGames have not yet said if any Canadian retailers are lined up.

[mr_intv]

AtGames have not yet said if any Canadian retailers are lined up.

Hmmm, me thinks I might need a buddy in the good ole US of A to borrow me their address and then have them ship it to me....

[+nurmix]

Hmmm, me thinks I might need a buddy in the good ole US of A to borrow me their address and then have them ship it to me....

Consider it done.

[mr_intv]

Consider it done.

Thankyou kind sir.

[+JasonlikesINTV]

Just wanted to say hi to everyone as I'm new here. As a kid, I never was blessed to own an Intellivision. I only found out they existed about ten years ago. I have almost pulled the trigger several times to buy one, but for one reason or another I never did. I am really exited to learn of this flashback model to be able to get a feel for the controllers and the games. I certainly hope this community and the public at large supports this endeavor so we may see future renditions with more games and additional features. Accordingly, this flashback could be the impetus to nudge me into purchasing an old console.

Welcome to the forums! The Flashback will have a great lineup of games, but definitely consider buying an original console to open you up all of the 3rd party and homebrew games that didn't make it on the Flashback. A multicart (LTO Flash) was recently announced (visit the 'Project L' thread), so if you can track down the ROMs this can save you from buying all of these games in their original boxes (some of which are rare and pricey).

[Won Hung Lo]

Thanks Jason for the tips. That's exactly the route I am going to take. I don't consider myself a collector so I'm not interested per say in the boxes and carts. I would just like to be able to play the games on the original hardware and with the original controllers. A multicart is definitely the way to go. By the way guys, a lot of folks really dislike the controllers. Are they really that bad? On the other hand, the games are widely heralded.

[+intvsteve]

 

Thanks Jason for the tips. That's exactly the route I am going to take. I don't consider myself a collector so I'm not interested per say in the boxes and carts. I would just like to be able to play the games on the original hardware and with the original controllers. A multicart is definitely the way to go. By the way guys, a lot of folks really dislike the controllers. Are they really that bad? On the other hand, the games are widely heralded.

You've actually happened to come into the Intellivision at a great time! By all indications, the Flashback seems like it's going to be excellent, and with the announcement of LTO Flash!, building up a game library in a compact format will become much easier. It's been a number of years since a new multi-cart has been available. Couple this with all the new games coming out and you've got a lot of options. We hope that LTO Flash! will actually foster the hobby even more, as new games that are part of a licensed franchise may have a chance to become available as lower-cost ROMs in addition to their more expensive, but beautifully packaged full cartridge releases.

 

I've never understood the hatred of the controller. I think the primary driver of it was mainly that... it wasn't an Atari joystick. They are NOT ergonomic, so in some games, long play sessions may be painful. The disc is much like the thumbpads of later consoles - more of a hybrid between that and an analog stick, as it supports 16 directions.

 

The keypad greatly expanded input options, making more complex games possible.

 

The fire buttons are probably the most likely to be the source of discomfort, as they are small, and it's easy to press them 'too hard' leading to fatigue.

 

All that said, the Intellivision II controllers, IMO, actually delivered all the worst aspects - they were shaped a little differently, and the fire buttons were murder. Some people do like them, but perhaps they developed a skill with them that I never could.

 

For you, Won, the great thing is that the flashback console is said to have near-perfect replicas of the original controllers, and includes almost half of the entire game library, including many of the best games on the system. So you should be able to get a true feel for them before taking the plunge into the original hardware. Sadly, the Flashback won't have third-party games from Activision, Imagic, or Parker Brothers, nor movie- or arcade licensed properties. Some of those games are incredible, too.

 

The best way to get legitimate ROM images is from the Intellivision Lives! and Intellivision Rocks! collections. However, those, sadly, are going out of print. 'Lives!' may be sold out, and the remaining quantities of 'Rocks!' are very limited. www.intellivisionlives.com is the best place to look for the current items. They do come up on eBay as well, I'd guess.

Edited July 20, 2014 by intvsteve

[Bill Loguidice]

I agree with most of those points. The dislike of the Intellivision controller is not entirely unjustified, though, as there was never anything else like it, and, much like other off-the-wall controllers, it's probably not as versatile as it could be, i.e., it's good at certain game types, but poor at others. The other problem, as was stated, is that after the original Master Component controllers (which were the same as the authorized clone systems), controller quality dropped dramatically, and that's what a lot of people were exposed to, further dampening any potential enthusiasm for the design. Hopefully the Intellivision Flashback controllers eventually do get backwards compatibility in a future redesign, because by all accounts they're based on the superior design of the originals, which may help (somewhat) the reputation of the controllers. I don't think they'll ever be fully in the "like" category, though. They're just too different and again, not quite as versatile as most other designs.

[Won Hung Lo]

Steve, it does sound like there's a lot of exciting opportunities ahead for those of the Intellivision community. Even absent the third party titles and homebrews, the new Flashback sounds like it will have a sizeable count of classics and the convenience of the plug and play can't be denied. Atgames has done a masterful job of replicating the classic console look and the controllers look pretty much spot on. I realize a cartridge slot isn't practical or feasible, but if reception is strong for the Flashback we can only hope for the continuation of the line with additional games or a SD slot. I purchased the 25 in 1 Intellivision plug in play in the past and really enjoyed it, although I have read that it's a poor representation of the actual games. That's great news to me! I have a lot to look forward to. I have no doubt I will acquire a classic console to enjoy the entire library and support homebrews too. I feel the same excitement I did as a kid when I first discovered the 2600. One more question for everyone this pertains to, how has your experience been with purchasing consoles off ebay?

[Bill Loguidice]

Steve, it does sound like there's a lot of exciting opportunities ahead for those of the Intellivision community. Even absent the third party titles and homebrews, the new Flashback sounds like it will have a sizeable count of classics and the convenience of the plug and play can't be denied. Atgames has done a masterful job of replicating the classic console look and the controllers look pretty much spot on. I realize a cartridge slot isn't practical or feasible, but if reception is strong for the Flashback we can only hope for the continuation of the line with additional games or a SD slot. I purchased the 25 in 1 Intellivision plug in play in the past and really enjoyed it, although I have read that it's a poor representation of the actual games. That's great news to me! I have a lot to look forward to. I have no doubt I will acquire a classic console to enjoy the entire library and support homebrews too. I feel the same excitement I did as a kid when I first discovered the 2600. One more question for everyone this pertains to, how has your experience been with purchasing consoles off ebay?

 

As long as it's stated as "tested," it shouldn't be too much of an issue. I actually have two spare Intellivison II's (working) with Intellivoice, so unless you want a modded console (or original Intellivison with hard-wired controllers), I'd be happy to sell you one of those with some games before I post it to eBay.

[Uzumaki]

It all sounds to me like the console can play unmodified ROMs with emulated console. If that's the case, what is preventing us from wiring a cart slot and make the console run off actual physical ROM chip?

[+nanochess]

It all sounds to me like the console can play unmodified ROMs with emulated console. If that's the case, what is preventing us from wiring a cart slot and make the console run off actual physical ROM chip?

 

In order to lower prices as far as possible there are two chances (both very probable):

1. Everything is contained in a chip (including the games), so as the "address/data bus" isn't needed, there is no way to "wire" a cartridge. The chip could be even a blob over the PCB.
2. Everything is contained in a chip but uses a separate ROM for games, there is a "address/data bus" but it's not compatible with a cartridge.

Also in order to save in costs, probably the memory (if one is used) will be a mask ROM, not reprogrammable. Also it probably would be encrypted in order to turn down attempts to put other games inside.

 

If there is a separate memory there will be always someone that will try to load another game, but believe me, it would a very difficult task.

 

Anyway given the current state of technology, I'm almost sure the first option was choosen. After all Intellivision games are very small.

 

I remember years ago when I bought a scientific calculator in offer, $5 or so (but not working) I opened it and there was nothing for repair, the main circuit was simply a blob over the PCB, the LCD didn't even had a connector, and reusing a calculator keyboard??... I simply dropped the calculator in the trash.

[Bill Loguidice]

None of the AtGames stuff has ever been hacked, and I don't think that will change. They use custom chips with custom software that's all bundled together. As far as I know, there's nothing accessible to tap into software-wise, and definitely nothing hardware-wise. Best case, at some point we might get an SD card slot in a future version, but even that's something of a stretch based on how these things have gone in the past, with only Sega allowing them.

[+Gemintronic]

To clarify it's not that the units are un-hackable. It's just far easier to roll your own FPGA. The only units tinkerer friendly were the C64 DTV and Flashback 2. These were Warren Robinette type easter eggs. Not going to happen anymore.

[+JasonlikesINTV]

One more question for everyone this pertains to, how has your experience been with purchasing consoles off ebay?

A word of caution regarding 'tested'. Some eBay sellers consider a console tested and working if it turns on and they can get a game to load. Others are more thorough. Controllers can have issues. I have a lot of consoles and many of them 'work', but have controllers with buttons that don't. Sometimes cleaning helps, but not always. The last time I tried to find and test one of my spare consoles for another member, I had to spend a lot of time cleaning and swapping parts to make a good one with ALL buttons tested and working. Best to buy from someone who knows the system well. Ask specific questions to eBay sellers, or just ask around on the forums with trusted collectors (like Bill).

 

One of the advantages of the new LTO Flash cart (I'm hoping) is that you should be able to load the MTE Test Cart ROM (or something similar) to use for testing hardware. I currently use MLB Baseball to test controllers since it uses most of the buttons for playing. You can check the disc by running players around the field.

[+intvsteve]

A word of caution regarding 'tested'. Some eBay sellers consider a console tested and working if it turns on and they can get a game to load. Others are more thorough. Controllers can have issues. I have a lot of consoles and many of them 'work', but have controllers with buttons that don't. Sometimes cleaning helps, but not always. The last time I tried to find and test one of my spare consoles for another member, I had to spend a lot of time cleaning and swapping parts to make a good one with ALL buttons tested and working. Best to buy from someone who knows the system well. Ask specific questions to eBay sellers, or just ask around on the forums with trusted collectors (like Bill).

 

One of the advantages of the new LTO Flash cart (I'm hoping) is that you should be able to load the MTE Test Cart ROM (or something similar) to use for testing hardware. I currently use MLB Baseball to test controllers since it uses most of the buttons for playing. You can check the disc by running players around the field.

I think that both the IntelliCart and CC3 work for loading the MTE-201 test ROM. intvnut also has some controller test ROMs, too, I think as part of jzIntv SDK.

 

In fact, Jason, using MLB is a solid test. The MTE-201 includes it as the 'final' test! (You probably knew that already.)

Edited July 21, 2014 by intvsteve

[+JasonlikesINTV]

I think that both the IntelliCart and CC3 work for loading the MTE-201 test ROM. intvnut also has some controller test ROMs, too, I think as part of jzIntv SDK.

 

In fact, Jason, using MLB is a solid test. The MTE-201 includes it as the 'final' test! (You probably knew that already.)

I actually didn't know that...it sounds familiar, though. I never picked up the MTE 201, but I have the ROM