kakutoman Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) i got permission from wd_gaster at gbatemp to repost this. from his thread: https://gbatemp.net/threads/atgames-sega-flashback-2018-edition-is-out-in-the-wild.522990/ Edited November 11, 2018 by kakutoman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blainelocklair Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Interesting. The original thread doesn't mention where it came from. Any idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I thought Sega was doing their own version without atgames? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blainelocklair Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 That's what a quick Google search suggested, along with some mentions of delays until 2019. Would be neat to see if this one is out in the wild, though. As much dunking as AtGames gets, and sometimes deservedly so, they are trying. They've produced more classic consoles than I have, so I have to at least give them props for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakutoman Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 i pmed him and he says he saw them at a few retailers as he was visiting CA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmr_md Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) I can confirm they are available in US. I've just got one from my local Fry's near Dallas. It's interesting that they are being sold together with the 2017 version. I hope the "firmware fairy" can release the sd card unlock for it soon. Edited November 11, 2018 by rmr_md Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg2600 Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I can confirm they are available in US. I've just got one from my local Fry's near Dallas. It's interesting that they are being sold together with the 2017 version. I hope the "firmware fairy" can release the sd card unlock for it soon. You mean sold in the same shelves/bins? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmr_md Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) You mean sold in the same shelves/bins? Yes. The only way to distinguish the boxes is the volume slider on the 2018. Edited November 11, 2018 by rmr_md Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmr_md Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) I took a picture of them side-by-side... the box is almost identical... It has the same games listed in the FCC site: https://fccid.io/2AMTQ3680SEGA18 I need to test more, but it seems that they are using the same cartridge dumper from the 2017 model. I could read Streets of Rage 2, but Sonic 3 doesn't work. Edited November 11, 2018 by rmr_md 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakutoman Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) look at the side of the box. its a dead giveaway. also as per wd_gaster. adb debugging has been taken away. he seems dissapointed because there goes the opportunity to tap into it for homebrew it seems. Edited November 11, 2018 by kakutoman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmr_md Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) While the console is not easily accessible like the 2017 version, It may be hackable after we learn how the SD card works. It has a SD Card slot, so it should accept 'updates' like the Legends Flashback and Atari Flashback 9. If we learn how to change the 'payload' inside the updates, we may have the doors opened to load other games or understand how to improve the emulation - I'm still trying to define what's wrong with the sound, but it definitely has some slowdowns, I think they set it to 48Khz where 44Khz should be more than enough. Edited November 11, 2018 by rmr_md Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 They just don't give up, do they? I mean, except when actually designing the systems. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Defender_2600 Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 (edited) This is good news:"AtGames Digital Media lnc.‘s use of Genesis Plus GX is licensed under signed agreement with CharlesMacDonald and Eke-eEke."https://fccid.io/2AMTQ3680SEGA18/Users-Manual/User-manual-3952641 Edited November 12, 2018 by Defender_2600 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixdownita Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Does it have the same issue as per the Hyperkin MegaRetroN: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/284147-why-is-no-one-talking-about-this-new-hyperkin-genesis-hd-clone/page-3?do=findComment&comment=4147888 namely mode H32 is upscaled poorly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hwlngmad Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Interesting. One would think Bill would have said something at this point, but perhaps they are doing a soft release and/or cannot officially comment on this product. Either way, the situation concerning the Sega Genesis mini is very intriguing to say the least. I took a picture of them side-by-side... the box is almost identical... It has the same games listed in the FCC site: https://fccid.io/2AMTQ3680SEGA18 I need to test more, but it seems that they are using the same cartridge dumper from the 2017 model. I could read Streets of Rage 2, but Sonic 3 doesn't work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD_GASTER Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 (edited) *sigh* this thing is surprisingly locked down. I wanted to make cfw for this but there is very little entry points to be able to do anything for this. truly a shame, since this thing runs retroarch. also to add i have mixed feelings about this device. the lack of a usb port that responds to adb commands or device detection really blows. (usb devices , dongles etc dont react in anyway when connected either) being able to add a hard drive to last years model was a bunker busting feature (albeit unintended. Also not to toot my own horn but once the cfw was done for last years it was pretty ok for a 40-50 dollar device (if picked up second hand at a goodwill or something) that being said i guess for most folks this device will be ok if they want an ok-ish genesis clone. sound is much better than last year. although oh boy i am surprised how much people seem to dislike this device.(particularly when told about this years iteration) Edited November 13, 2018 by WD_GASTER Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philyso Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 (edited) *sigh* this thing is surprisingly locked down. I wanted to make cfw for this but there is very little entry points to be able to do anything for this. truly a shame, since this thing runs retroarch. According to that (old) libretro twitter, they are not really using retroarch but only licensed the libretro API portion that is used by Genesis Plus GX (the emulator core) to interact with retroarch (the frontend). They apparently developed their own libretro frontend and surely already had their own GUI (is there any screen of the new user interface or is it identical to 2017 model?) https://twitter.com/libretro/status/1040341977009717248 Interesting. One would think Bill would have said something at this point, but perhaps they are doing a soft release and/or cannot officially comment on this product. Either way, the situation concerning the Sega Genesis mini is very intriguing to say the least. My guess is that AT Games 2018 model was planned long before Sega MD Mini announcement but then, when Sega discovered overall awful public reaction after AT games incidentally implied they were involved in upcoming Sega MD Mini release, they decided to manage development themselves and pick local developers for the software instead of reusing ATGames software. I think it was always planned to be two different products, one for Japan market, the other for western market, with maybe some licensing clauses to avoid competition between the two products. This situation change would also explain why Sega also announced a western release for MD Mini was now planned since they aren't bound to AT Games software anymore. I'm still trying to define what's wrong with the sound, but it definitely has some slowdowns, I think they set it to 48Khz where 44Khz should be more than enough. Most likely, they did not change the CPU specs and it struggles running the more accurate sound emulation full-speed, which is quite a shame if true :-/ Edited November 14, 2018 by philyso 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmr_md Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 I gave my Genesis Flashback 2018 another try, and my second experience has been much better. The sound seems much better to me today, without the slowdowns I had in my first attempt playing it.. The only thing I've changed in my setup is that I'm using a regular power adapter instead of pluging into an USB port in my TV. Since these mini consoles are SBCs, they may have some current constraints. Now I'm waiting for the 'update' to enable SD Card to play a few other games. I reviewed the other updates, and they have basically 2 files: a sdcard_config.ini, which enables the SD Card, and a retroplayer.ini, with settings for RetroArch cores. there is also some files with partition table which makes impossible to re-use the update from Atari Flashback 9 or the Legends Flashback. While this new Flashback HD is not as fun to mod as the 2017 version (I've been planning to make my experiences with it public soon) it is a solid "Genesis mini", with a good emulation and great controls. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DamonicFury Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 It has the same games listed in the FCC site: https://fccid.io/2AMTQ3680SEGA18 I was curious and found the following changes from the 2017 model: New Genesis games: Champions World Class Soccer Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja Judge Dredd Side Pocket Super Real Darwin Bonus games re-added that were not on the 2017 model: Bottle Taps Race Chess Warehouse Keeper: Bonus games deleted that were on the 2017 model: Adventure in the Park Bubbles Master Cross the road Curling 2010 Jack’s Pea Jewel Magic Plumbing Contest Wall-Breaking Now I'm curious if the interface on the 2018 model has improved from the much-maligned one on the 2017 model. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmr_md Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Interface is pretty much the same but they changed/fixed the navigation keys. You can navigate between categories using "up" and "down" (no more B and C), and you have pages in each category. We have now only 3 main categories (Sega Games, Sonic Games and Bonus Games), and they moved the "bonus games" to the end of the list in the main category. I can take a couple of screenshots if you want to see it, but It's much more intuitive than the 2007 model. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DamonicFury Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Interface is pretty much the same but they changed/fixed the navigation keys. You can navigate between categories using "up" and "down" (no more B and C), and you have pages in each category. We have now only 3 main categories (Sega Games, Sonic Games and Bonus Games), and they moved the "bonus games" to the end of the list in the main category. I can take a couple of screenshots if you want to see it, but It's much more intuitive than the 2007 model. Awesome! Losing that B and C silliness was my main concern. Will probably pick one of these up someday, especially if that SD card slot becomes useful. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD_GASTER Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 ok if the "firmware fairy" does not release anything we may have an alternative here: I posted a challenge in gbatemp as i am not particularly great with math but i would appreciate it if anybody did here: https://gbatemp.net/threads/atgames-sega-flashback-2018-edition-is-out-in-the-wild.522990/page-3 posting it here for folks to make sense if possible: the following are the offsets to the nand for the device:it seems to be recognizing it as a 256mb device (which if they managed to fit it in there... impressive)CMDLINE:console=ttyS2,115200 androidboot.selinux=disabled earlyprintk init=/init initrd=0x62000000,0x00800000 root=/dev/rknand_rootfs rw rootwait mtdparts=rk29xxnand:0x00000800@0x00000800(misc),0x00004000@0x00001000(recovery),0x00000800@0x00005000(boot),0x00000800@0x00005800(resource),0x00002800@0x00006000(kernel),0x00007000@0x00008800(rootfs),0x0001E000@0x0000F800(rom),0x00004000@0x0002D800(emulator),-@0x00031800(data) the sector where the partition starts and then the block count. if you look at the data partition (the last one) the partition start is known. it doesnt know what the block count would be.@asper did a write up on making sense of this here: https://www.mdfbrew.org/tutorials:backup_original_partitions (this is for last years model but still applies here) I made an arbitrary block count dump and managed to learn that its 132mb however I am not sure what the block count equivalent would be and I am also heading to bed as I have work to do tomorrow. so if anyone wants to tackle this challenge, be my guest if we get the right block count, in theory the sd file that needs to have the value set to 1 to enable the cfw should do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD_GASTER Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 well im tired and burnt out. before anybody asks, this is just as annoying as the arcade flashback legends when it comes to get it to detect sd cards... (i see people voicing sd card detection issues with the arcade flashback legends) i must have gone through 5 sd cards and no avail to get it to be detected by the stupid console but the cfw is up and running! i will keep wrestling with this contraption tomorrow. cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmadgames Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Just as an FYI, looking at the game list, the 2018 flashback is available on Groupon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swami Posted November 27, 2018 Share Posted November 27, 2018 Target website has one they have listed as being from dreamgear. I associate dreamgear with the loads of cheap wii remote accessories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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