Bill Loguidice Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Looks nice. I would pay for a digital (only) version. please make a kindle version.png I'm not sure Prima does a Kindle edition. I think they just include a digital copy with the physical release. On the plus side, the physical book is quite inexpensive (at least in comparison to all of my previous books). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FifthPlayer Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 (edited) I'd be upset if the digital copy were only a Kindle version. Kindle formatting is fine for fiction books, but it is terrible for anything needing a real layout. I much prefer PDF for that sort of thing. I'm okay with buying the physical version to get the digital copy, especially since they got the proper use case (second screen while you're at the console) in mind. I think I'm okay with it as a website, except I have concerns about longevity - will it still be there a few years from now. I just added it to my Amazon wishlist, so maybe Santa will get a hint. Edited October 5, 2017 by FifthPlayer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I'd be upset if the digital copy were only a Kindle version. Kindle formatting is fine for fiction books, but it is terrible for anything needing a real layout. I much prefer PDF for that sort of thing. I'm okay with buying the physical version to get the digital copy, especially since they got the proper use case (second screen while you're at the console) in mind. I think I'm okay with it as a website, except I have concerns about longevity - will it still be there a few years from now. I just added it to my Amazon wishlist, so maybe Santa will get a hint. I'm not sure they even do Kindle. It might just be some type of app or other interface to the content. I have to admit I've never tried any of their digital stuff. The challenge with these books is that they're heavily formatted, so at best you'd get in an eBook a 1:1 mirroring of the book's design, kind of like a PDF (in fact, that's what another publisher did with my CoCo book, so it only worked on a certain class of devices). These are really meant for paper consumption, as anachronistic as that sounds, particularly coming from someone who almost exclusively reads eBooks these days. Prima is one of the few publishers - particularly in the videogame genre - with a still significant retail (brick and mortar) presence, so they're very much focused on physical books. For something like this that's meant mostly (but not entirely) as a game companion in lieu of having all those manuals lying about, that's probably not a bad thing, particularly considering the subject matter. Anyway, I'm reading through the close-to-finished copy (side note, while I'm the lead author, there are several other authors on this, and the design team at Prima obviously plays a big role) and it's definitely looking good. I'm pretty happy with the end result. it's not quite like anything else on the market for the 2600. If all goes well, we may do something similar for the Sega Genesis next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrekkiELO Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 (edited) At a Target store last week, I realized that if you really, really can't wait for the AFB8 line to come out, you can currently approximate some of the contents via spending a total of ~$60--same as the non-Gold AFB8 MSRP--at Target on three products. - MSI Entertainment's 2016 Space Invaders plug-n-play system (hack of NES Space Invaders) - MSI Entertainment's 2016 Frogger plug-n-play system (probably a reuse of Majesco's NOAC port from 2004) There is one that they did for Q-Bert that's nice, Walmart has them, I purchased it, they also had Asteroids, Centipede, Frogger and Pac-Man, then Space Invaders at Toys R Us, they're all in mini arcade cabinets! Edited October 7, 2017 by TrekkiELO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onmode-ky Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Now that AtGames' 2017 lineup of standard-definition plug-n-play consoles and portables is all out in stores, I'd like to put out a call to anyone who has gotten one (or more than one!): 1. If you might be willing (and able) to open up your pricey new tech toy and take nice clear photos of the PCB, it would be of great interest to me everybody, and possibly helpful in identifying the ICs used in the system. 2. If you could test out getting into the system test/debug mode (for prior AtGames Atari Flashbacks: press-and-hold system's Start and Select buttons while powering it on; for 2016's Atari Flashback Portable: press-and-hold A, R, and S buttons while powering it on), we could determine if those key sequences still work in the 2017 models; also, a photo or straight reading-and-typing of the main debug mode screen could also reveal the identity of the system CPU. I'd appreciate any input in these areas! Contributors would earn, uh . . . points toward your next trip across the 8th dimension? At a Target store last week, I realized that if you really, really can't wait for the AFB8 line to come out, you can currently approximate some of the contents via spending a total of ~$60--same as the non-Gold AFB8 MSRP--at Target on three products. - MSI Entertainment's 2016 Space Invaders plug-n-play system (hack of NES Space Invaders) - MSI Entertainment's 2016 Frogger plug-n-play system (probably a reuse of Majesco's NOAC port from 2004) There is one that they did for Q-Bert that's nice, Walmart has them, I purchased it, they also had Asteroids, Centipede, Frogger and Pac-Man, then Space Invaders at Toys R Us, they're all in mini arcade cabinets! I think we're actually not talking about the same kinds of products. The mini arcade cabinets, that have a built-in screen and don't connect to a TV, are from Basic Fun/The Bridge Direct. I think this thread covers those. The products I was talking about are reminiscent of the retro plug-n-play products from 10-15 years ago, joysticks that plug into a TV. MSI Entertainment's website mentions their Ms. Pac-Man NOAC-based unit (runs Namco's NES port of the game, with title screen text hacks, and nothing else for its $20 asking price) that's in stores now, plus a presumably upcoming unit with (just) Double Dragon. No mention of a Q*bert model. onmode-ky 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambler172 Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 The new Atari portable might be slightly more compatible, but not by much. For instance, Galaxian now works and is included. The three HD consoles are HDMI only and output 720p. If you need SD then the composite budget versions of the two consoles are available. Hi Bill got the new Portable.I am a little bit disappointed. The Paddle games are unplayable and the control pad for the directions Up Down Right Left is worse... especially the Left does not work good in some games. Portable old is much better greetings Walter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Hi Bill got the new Portable.I am a little bit disappointed. The Paddle games are unplayable and the control pad for the directions Up Down Right Left is worse... especially the Left does not work good in some games. Portable old is much better greetings Walter Well, I don't really consider paddle games playable with anything other than paddles, myself, so I'm not a good judge. While I prefer the older style of d-pad, some people seem to like this one better. In any case, if you're concerned about responsiveness, you might want to exchange your unit. It could be the build tolerance of your specific unit that is causing problems. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambler172 Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Well, I don't really consider paddle games playable with anything other than paddles, myself, so I'm not a good judge. While I prefer the older style of d-pad, some people seem to like this one better. In any case, if you're concerned about responsiveness, you might want to exchange your unit. It could be the build tolerance of your specific unit that is causing problems. Hi Bill the control problems are only in a handful of games....Most of them work...... For example..Astro Blast is damn hard to play...try it out.. greetings Walter Ps:I live in germany and trying to exchange is too expensive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Hi Bill the control problems are only in a handful of games....Most of them work...... For example..Astro Blast is damn hard to play...try it out.. greetings Walter Ps:I live in germany and trying to exchange is too expensive... Unfortunately, that's one of the games that's generally better to play with a paddle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I'm just confirming that I'll be posting my reviews of the Atari and Sega HD consoles this Friday on Armchair Arcade. There won't be any surprises there because the only real criticisms I can levy at this point are mostly nitpicks. Of course I'll post several videos of games in action as well, which I always feel give the best sense of performance. Presumably most, if not all other reviews will also hit on Friday, so you can get a "clean" perspective, i.e., not from someone actually involved in the projects. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I'm just confirming that I'll be posting my reviews of the Atari and Sega HD consoles this Friday on Armchair Arcade. There won't be any surprises there because the only real criticisms I can levy at this point are mostly nitpicks. Of course I'll post several videos of games in action as well, which I always feel give the best sense of performance. Presumably most, if not all other reviews will also hit on Friday, so you can get a "clean" perspective, i.e., not from someone actually involved in the projects. Is this a review of the final version that will be coming out next month Bill? I'm thinking because there is no press release yet, the list of games and any bonus stuff included (i.e. paddles) will be kept in the dark on your review? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Is this a review of the final version that will be coming out next month Bill? I'm thinking because there is no press release yet, the list of games and any bonus stuff included (i.e. paddles) will be kept in the dark on your review? These are the final. Nothing has changed from the game lists and inclusions already discussed. The only game list that has not been revealed yet is the one for the Activision edition. That's final, just not public. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Here is my Atari HD review: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/10/13/review-atari-flashback-8-gold-2017/ And the Sega HD review: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/10/13/review-sega-genesis-flashback-2017/ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Here is my Atari HD review: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/10/13/review-atari-flashback-8-gold-2017/ And the Sega HD review: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/10/13/review-sega-genesis-flashback-2017/ I'm confused, this is quoting you here And since each game is dumped to memory, flash cartridges won’t work either, nor do Sega Master System or Game Gear games, even with an adapter. Nevertheless, despite the finicky nature of 20-year-old cartridges and the occasional emulation issue, greater than 90% of the Sega Genesis game library should still work without issue." Then inches below a picture of a Game Gear (Sonic Drift 2) and SMS (Kenseiden) working. Am I reading this wrong or which is it? Also curious of an example or two of a licensed Genesis game that fails to work that isn't the chipped Virtua Racing (which is a shame, it's fun.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 I'm confused, this is quoting you here And since each game is dumped to memory, flash cartridges won’t work either, nor do Sega Master System or Game Gear games, even with an adapter. Nevertheless, despite the finicky nature of 20-year-old cartridges and the occasional emulation issue, greater than 90% of the Sega Genesis game library should still work without issue." Then inches below a picture of a Game Gear (Sonic Drift 2) and SMS (Kenseiden) working. Am I reading this wrong or which is it? Also curious of an example or two of a licensed Genesis game that fails to work that isn't the chipped Virtua Racing (which is a shame, it's fun.) Did you look at the built-in game list? The included SMS and Game Gear games work, but you can't play them in any way via cartridge. The 5 direct feed game videos are all from the built-in games. You can see me scrolling through the menus in the videos and accessing various features. (I guess to clarify, I'll change "games" to "cartridges" in the review) Unfortunately, there's no definitive list of what works and what doesn't work. I only own a few dozen original Genesis cartridges these days myself. AtGames tested quite a few more in getting compatibility levels up with their emulator, but I don't have access to the list to see any that might not be working still. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Well, let's wait for the other reviewers then, if they come up to similar conclusions and most notably can dismiss the previous issues they had with the faulty units as now fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted October 13, 2017 Share Posted October 13, 2017 Here is my Atari HD review: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/10/13/review-atari-flashback-8-gold-2017/ Thanks for the review Bill! I will be torn which one to get as the Gold offers Frogger & Space Invaders arcade versions but does not contain some favorites that the Activision Edition will have, most notably Ice Hockey, Laser Blast, & River Raid II. I wish what was included on the Gold was included on the Activision. For me it comes down to which group of games I like better. This is going to be a tough one! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TF14 Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 Here is my Atari HD review: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/10/13/review-atari-flashback-8-gold-2017/ And the Sega HD review: http://armchairarcade.com/perspectives/2017/10/13/review-sega-genesis-flashback-2017/ Thanks for the great reviews and videos Bill. I really am looking forward to playing Kaboom with the paddles I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TF14 Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 John Hancock's review for the updated Sega Genesis Flashback HD is available - 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 (edited) Did you look at the built-in game list? The included SMS and Game Gear games work, but you can't play them in any way via cartridge. The 5 direct feed game videos are all from the built-in games. You can see me scrolling through the menus in the videos and accessing various features. (I guess to clarify, I'll change "games" to "cartridges" in the review) Unfortunately, there's no definitive list of what works and what doesn't work. I only own a few dozen original Genesis cartridges these days myself. AtGames tested quite a few more in getting compatibility levels up with their emulator, but I don't have access to the list to see any that might not be working still. What threw me off is your clarification -- carts vs games. I was thinking specifically if I had an ATgames or otherwise SD card using kit, could I put a bunch of SMS/GG games on there and they'd work? I was thinking outward whenever the "HD" emulation style handheld drops with its SD card slot would it also run those 8bit games or not too. Also forgive me if I forgot/missed, but does this thing handle an everdrive like kit on the existing unit? Edited October 14, 2017 by Tanooki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Are the Gold and Activition Gold 2600 Flashbacks going to be some department store exclusive? Amazon has absolutely nothing about something that is supposed to be released in the next six weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SabertoothRetro Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Here's Polygon's review of the Sega HD unit: https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/13/16051258/sega-genesis-flashback-hd-review I had been considering the Sega unit as it has a cartridge port but the framerate issues noted in both this and John Hancock's review make me take pause. I will still likely pick up the portable Atari unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmadgames Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Here's Polygon's review of the Sega HD unit: https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/13/16051258/sega-genesis-flashback-hd-review I had been considering the Sega unit as it has a cartridge port but the framerate issues noted in both this and John Hancock's review make me take pause. I will still likely pick up the portable Atari unit. This stinks. I was hoping that the revisions were going to fix all of the core issues with the console. I have a bad feeling between the confusing skus (regular and HD versions) and the lackluster quality, this may be the first and last year for the HD units. AtGames doesn't seem to care at all Edit: With that being said, I think Bill deserves another shout-out for keeping us informed, representing "true" classic gamers, and helping to push AtGames to fix most of the issues. Edited October 16, 2017 by bmadgames Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 This stinks. I was hoping that the revisions were going to fix all of the core issues with the console. I have a bad feeling between the confusing skus (regular and HD versions) and the lackluster quality, this may be the first and last year for the HD units. AtGames doesn't seem to care at all Edit: With that being said, I think Bill deserves another shout-out for keeping us informed, representing "true" classic gamers, and helping to push AtGames to fix most of the issues. The HD units will be back in 2018 and with improvements. If anything, the SD units will undergo overhauls to be more like the HD units. As for "not caring," it's all in we're you're looking from I guess. And just for the record, I consider the Polygon review bad form. It's really not reflective of what it actually is. Hopefully next time they'll have a different reviewer on the product. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Are the Gold and Activition Gold 2600 Flashbacks going to be some department store exclusive? Amazon has absolutely nothing about something that is supposed to be released in the next six weeks. It will be available everywhere, including Amazon. In fact, at some point, AtGames is going to have some type of Amazon store. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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