Experimental 2600+ Firmware and Dumper

[MrChickenz]

1 hour ago, Gabe said:

Great demonstration. I'm seeing the same thing on paddle games with my 2600+, with Breakout and Kaboom being the ones I play most often. I'm hoping it's addressed in a future firmware update. Don't get me wrong, I know they can probably never get it to be as smooth as on an original system, but smoother than it is would certainly be a good thing. Though it's still not as good as on a genuine 2600, AtGames was able to improve their paddle play with the Flashback 50th and 12 to being about on par with where the 2600+ is now, so I imagine with some tweaks Atari will be able to improve it a bit more with the 2600+. With this said, I know it's tricky with emulation.

What paddle set are you using the new CX30+ or Original paddles

 

My new CX30+ Paddles work great with all my paddle games with the exception of Super Breakout 

My Original Paddles work great with all my paddle games including Super Breakout

 

Note: Super Breakout does have a bit of a course feel with my Original Paddles but is definitely playable!

In my experience with Flashbacks, paddle games are not as good as they are on the Atari 2600+

Atari 2600+ is not an Original Atari 2600! But it’s pretty dang close! In many ways it’s even better!

It has crisp HDMI output!

Plays 7800 games!

Plays NTSC and PAL!

 My Original Atari 2600 can’t do that!

 

I’m playing more Atari now than before! Atari 2600+ brought Atari gaming back like it was yesteryear!

 

Enjoy it for what it is!

 

Edited June 5 by MrChickenz

[MrChickenz]

This is Super Breakout on the Atari 2600+ using Original Paddles I almost cleared level 2 on game select 5 without even trying!

Plays great for me!

Edited June 5 by MrChickenz

[tradyblix]

On 6/3/2024 at 5:00 AM, Atari_Warlord said:

I was able to use the Krokodile Cart to load single roms with the latest release.  I tried out Birthday Mania and it worked great.

What's the Krokodile Cart ? And can I get one ?  I wanna play that highly illegal Zelda for 2600 release everyone's talking about 😄

Edited June 5 by tradyblix

[tradyblix]

17 hours ago, lucienEn said:

 

I'll buy Pitfall II cartridge to see if that works.

It does. You may need to clean it but I confirmed it works. 

 

Whether you think the music sounds normal on it is a whole discussion we already had lol 

Edited June 5 by tradyblix

[tradyblix]

14 hours ago, MrChickenz said:

What paddle set are you using the new CX30+ or Original paddles

 

My new CX30+ Paddles work great with all my paddle games with the exception of Super Breakout 

My Original Paddles work great with all my paddle games including Super Breakout

 

Note: Super Breakout does have a bit of a course feel with my Original Paddles but is definitely playable!

In my experience with Flashbacks, paddle games are not as good as they are on the Atari 2600+

 

Enjoy it for what it is!

 

That's interesting. I wonder what the hell went on with Super Breakout lol 

[Albert]

17 minutes ago, tradyblix said:

What's the Krokodile Cart ? And can I get one ?  I wanna play that highly illegal Zelda for 2600 release everyone's talking about 😄

It's a really old flash card that used an SD card..

 

 

It has 512K onboard and you needed to use a serial cable with a PC to upload files. 

 

https://atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareID=4047

 

It hasn't been sold in a long time, so if you want one, you'd need to find one used.

 

 ..Al

[Gabe]

14 hours ago, MrChickenz said:

What paddle set are you using the new CX30+ or Original paddles

CX30+. I've tried the paddles from my Flashback as well. They're the same. 

 

I'm not complaining about the 2600+, just that the paddle movement needs improvement. 

[JetmanUK]

On 6/3/2024 at 11:11 AM, JetmanUK said:

It is great how much more compatible the Plus is right now, and they aren't even finished yet.

 

I have mentioned elsewhere, I have even run Chiphead on the Harmony cart in it’s standard mode now! I just take out the Micor SD card I use wth the OG console and pop one in with a game on.

Lots of games work as individual files, I just use one of my many ancient Micro SD cards that were sat in a drawer as they were previously too small to be of modern use, not now, they are like mini carts, one game per card. I might make a video and share it on here later.

Update on this, I was making a video when I ran into an issue with Chiphead.

 

I've tried many games and they work well, with some quirks. They always seem to fail on first read and then work.

Back to the Chiphead demo, it's a strange one as it works... Occasionally. More often I get a garbled screen and a tone. Really nice when it works though. 

 

UPDATE:

I may have a way that makes it more reliably load. 

Edited June 5 by JetmanUK

[MrChickenz]

3 minutes ago, Gabe said:

CX30+. I've tried the paddles from my Flashback as well. They're the same. 

 

I'm not complaining about the 2600+, just that the paddle movement needs improvement. 

Just my opinion but I don’t think Flashback paddles are as good as the Original paddles!

[Gabe]

Just now, MrChickenz said:

Just my opinion but I don’t think Flashback paddles are as good as the Original paddles!

They aren't. They're junk in comparison. Far too stiff turning to enjoy using. I have another set of CX30+ paddles on order to replace them. 

[MrChickenz]

6 minutes ago, Gabe said:

They aren't. They're junk in comparison. Far too stiff turning to enjoy using. I have another set of CX30+ paddles on order to replace them. 

Hopefully that helps!

[+Nathan Strum]

1 hour ago, Albert said:

It's a really old flash card that used an SD card..

 

Best. Label. Ever.  

1 hour ago, Albert said:

It has 512K onboard and you needed to use a serial cable with a PC to upload files. 

You could use it with a Mac, too. Although it's been so long since I've used mine, I don't know if that software still works.

[Bitsized]

On 6/2/2024 at 1:05 AM, Trebor said:

As of June 3, 2024, attached is all the files and thorough step-by-step instructions on updating the 2600+ console, whether it is the first time the console is being updated, or it has been updated previously.

 

Complete zip archive: How to Update the 2600+ Console_20240603.zip

 

Included Word document in the above attached archive provides the following information:

 

HOW TO UPDATE THE 2600+ CONSOLE

(As of June 3, 2024)

 

There are two parts to a complete 2600+ console update:

Part I – Dumper --> Reads the cartridge data

Part II – Firmware --> Runs the cartridge data and controls overall functionality of the console

 

Prerequisites & Setup: A desktop or laptop running Windows is required to successfully update the 2600+ console.  If this is the first time the desktop or laptop running Windows is being utilized for an update, it is very likely, a one-time driver install needs to be performed.

 

If the machine has been utilized to update the 2600+ console previously, jump to the next section, “Part I – Dumper” below.  Otherwise follow these steps to install the driver:

1.       Ensure POWER lever switch is set to the OFF position on the 2600+ console.

2.       Connect included USB cable to the 2600+ console and the other end to a laptop or desktop running Windows.

3.       On the 2600+ console, set the TV TYPE to COLOR.

4.       While HOLDING DOWN the RESET GAME lever on the console, move the POWER lever to the ON position.

5.       Wait to hear an audio jingle indicating a device connected from the computer running Windows.

6.       Decompress the file: DriverAssitant_v5.12.zip, noting where the folder and files are placed.

7.       Go to ‘Device Manager’ on the machine running Windows and click on the ‘Unknown Device’ listed.

8.       Select ‘Update Driver’ for the ‘Unknown Device’ opting to Browse for Driver.  Navigate to the folder where the DriverAssitant_v5.12.zip file was decompressed and select the OK button.

9.       A confirmation pop-up message should be received indicating a successful driver update.

10.     Proceed with the section “Part I – Dumper”

 

Part I – Dumper

1.       Ensure POWER lever switch is set to the OFF position on the 2600+ console.

2.       Connect included USB cable to the 2600+ console and the other end to a laptop or desktop running Windows.

3.       On the 2600+ console, set the TV TYPE to B+W.

4.       While HOLDING DOWN the SELECT GAME lever on the console, move the POWER lever to the ON position.

5.       Wait to hear an audio jingle indicating a device connected from the computer running Windows.

6.       Double click/Open the file: dumper-052024-x.01.exe

7.       The “Atari 2600+ Dumping Tooling” application Window will appear on screen:

                               a.       Version: = Version of dumper software that will be installed

                               b.       Checksum: = Validation data of file running.

                               c.       Device Version: = Version of dumper software currently installed on the 2600+

                               d.       Status: = Whether a 2600+ console is detected as connect to the computer.

8.       Ensure “Status: Detected” in green is present.  If “Not Detected” in red is present, go back to Step 1.  If the issue persists, try a different Laptop or Desktop running Windows.

9.       With “Status: Detected” in green shown, click on the “Download” button.  Download will take several seconds.

10.     Status will now show “Not Detected” in red.  This is normal, expected, and indicates a successful update.  To double check, proceed to Step 1 again and note when under step 7, both “Version” and “Device Version” will match, and “Status: Detected”.

 

Part II – Firmware

1.       Ensure POWER lever switch is set to the OFF position on the 2600+ console.

2.       Connect included USB cable to the 2600+ console and the other end to a laptop or desktop running Windows.

3.       On the 2600+ console, set the TV TYPE to COLOR.

4.       While HOLDING DOWN the RESET GAME lever on the console, move the POWER lever to the ON position.

5.       Wait to hear an audio jingle indicating a device connected from the computer running Windows.

6.       Decompress the file: RKDevTool_Release_v2.74.zip, noting where the folder and files are placed.

7.       Navigate to folder where RKDevTool_Release_v2.74.zip was unzipped, and click/Open the file: RKDevTool

8.       The "RKDevTool v2.74" application window will appear.  A status message at the bottom of the application window should state “Found One MASKROM Device”.  If not, go back to Step 1 and try again.  If the issue persists, ensure the “Prerequisites & Setup” section above has been performed.

9.       With a status message of "Found one MASKROM device" shown, click on the tab “Upgrade Firmware”

10.     Under the “Upgrade Firmware” tab, click on the “Firmware” button, locate and Open the file: update-052024-1.1x-r3.img.

11.     The firmware update-052024-1.1x-r3.img should now be listed under “Firmware” information section of the “Upgrade Firmware” tab.

12.     Click on the “Upgrade” button under the “Upgrade Firmware” tab. To the right, lines will be displayed indicating it is processing the update, of which should take about 30 seconds.

13.     Status message of “No Devices Found” will likely appear.  This is normal and expected.

14.     Congratulations!  Having completed Part I – Dumper and Part II – Firmware, your 2600+ console is fully updated!

 

Notes:

-          It has been discovered that computers which have been utilized to update Evercade devices, install a driver which conflicts with performing the 2600+ update successfully.  It is strongly recommended to either uninstall the driver for that Evercade device, or utilize a different computer.

-          The USB cable that is included with the 2600+ console, provides data transfer support.  Many USB cables on the market are for powering or charging devices only.  If not using the USB cable included with the 2600+ console, it is crucial to ensure the cable being leveraged provides data transfer support.

-          If utilizing a USB 2.0 port with a computer, and the update is not working, try leveraging a USB 3.0 port instead.

-          There is an alternative ‘debug’ version of the firmware.  This is for assisting with testing and informational purposes, which details MD5 checksum and ROM size data.  It is included in the archive in a separate 'Debug' folder, but not required to be installed.

 

Hope this is found useful and beneficial for any in need of it.

 

@Ben from Plaion feel free to utilize or/and modify for anything official from Plaion/Atari.

Is there a way to remove the "dubug" file. I put it on, but I have no use.  Should I start the process over again?

 

 

[shane857]

4 hours ago, tradyblix said:

It does. You may need to clean it but I confirmed it works. 

 

Whether you think the music sounds normal on it is a whole discussion we already had lol 

I had issues trying to get Pitfall 2 to work. At first I thought maybe the dumper or cartridge slot. Turns out my cart needed more cleaning, works every time now. 👍🏻

[shane857]

4 hours ago, Albert said:

It's a really old flash card that used an SD card..

 

 

It has 512K onboard and you needed to use a serial cable with a PC to upload files. 

 

https://atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareID=4047

 

It hasn't been sold in a long time, so if you want one, you'd need to find one used.

 

 ..Al

That's one 'Shady' looking Crocodile. I wouldn't buy anything from him! 😂

[tradyblix]

1 hour ago, shane857 said:

That's one 'Shady' looking Crocodile. I wouldn't buy anything from him! 😂

One of those carts is Custer's Revenge, you just know it. 

[Trebor]

6 hours ago, Bitsized said:

Is there a way to remove the "dubug" file. I put it on, but I have no use.  Should I start the process over again?

Not the entire process, only perform Part II - Firmware again, this time selecting the non-debug version.

 

Be sure to leverage the "II - Firmware" folder, the file "update-052024-1.1x-r3.img", not the "Debug" folder, avoiding the file "update-052024-1.1x-r3-debug.img".

[TornadoTJ]

Hooray, Medieval Madness works again!

And unexpectedly, it's in full-blown STEREO! It's accurate too, things that happen on the left have sound on the left, and vice versa.

 

[matatongo]

Hello,

I am new to the forum but I updated my Atari 2600+ yesterday (06/06/2024) and was pleasantly surprised.  A lot of these are probably repeats but I will list my games that used to not work but work now that I have updated. V1.1x-r3

7800:

Motorpsycho (PAL cartridge)

Rampage

Dungeon Stalker

Pole Position II (track screen can now be selected from the controller)

 

2600:

Smurf RIGC

Real Sports Boxing

Tac Scan (would boot before but wouldn't start, it is fully playable now)

Zippy the Porcupine

Robot Tank

Pitfall II

 

These are still the games I have issues with:

7800:

Crossbow,  The sprites are just black rectangles

2600:

Star Raiders, the number pad still doesn't work

 

Thanks for all your hard work.

 

 

[daorriss]

1 hour ago, matatongo said:

Star Raiders, the number pad still doesn't work

 

 

I had not even tried.. I figured this would be the case.. Hopefully someone cracks that problem.. I loved that game on the 2600. I lost track of how many times I played it.. Solaris.. while excellent.. isn't the same for me.

 

 

[MantaNZ]

On 6/5/2024 at 3:16 PM, MrChickenz said:

This is Super Breakout on the Atari 2600+ using Original Paddles I almost cleared level 2 on game select 5 without even trying!

Plays great for me!

Do both paddles work for you in 2 player games? For whatever reason, mine don't but it's only Breakout that has issues...

[MrChickenz]

7 hours ago, MantaNZ said:

Do both paddles work for you in 2 player games? For whatever reason, mine don't but it's only Breakout that has issues...

Yes! For a 2 player game plug the paddles in the (LEFT) port (Player 1 Port). For a 4 player game You need 2 sets of paddles Player 1 is on the (LEFT) paddle set, player 2 is on the (RIGHT) paddle set, player 3 is on the (LEFT) paddle set and player 4 is on the (RIGHT) paddle set. Hope this helps.

 

Breakout is 1-4 players 

Super Breakout is 1-2 players 

 

Breakout is Racquetball players

Super Breakout is Astronauts! Why IDK! But it’s cool!

And is it the same Astronaut from Missile Command?

 

 

Edited June 8 by MrChickenz

[JetmanUK]

1 hour ago, MrChickenz said:

Yes! For a 2 player game plug the paddles in the (LEFT) port (Player 1 Port). For a 4 player game You need 2 sets of paddles Player 1 is on the (LEFT) paddle set, player 2 is on the (RIGHT) paddle set, player 3 is on the (LEFT) paddle set and player 4 is on the (RIGHT) paddle set. Hope this helps.

 

Breakout is 1-4 players 

Super Breakout is 1-2 players 

 

Breakout is Racquetball players

Super Breakout is Astronauts! Why IDK! But it’s cool!

And is it the same Astronaut from Missile Command?

 

 

I was puzzled about the Breakout/Super Breakout lore myself. It's worse than the Centipede/Millipede lore, which is also pretty bad. Awesome art all round though. 

[Brad_from_the_80s]

4 hours ago, MrChickenz said:

Super Breakout is Astronauts! Why IDK! But it’s cool!

And is it the same Astronaut from Missile Command?

 

Imagine [for a moment] you're in a one-man space shuttle travelling through the heavens at
the speed of light.  You and your tiny ship are totally engulfed in darkness,
except for the luminance of an occasional passing star.

Suddenly, without warning, there's a brilliant flash straight ahead.  You
check the radar screen.  Nothing.  Pretty soon there's another flash, and
another.  Next thing you know the flashes have turned into one gigantic
force field of some kind and it's dead ahead.  You check the radar screen
again, still nothing.

The colors in this mysterious force field are so bright, they're almost
blinding.  And they seem to be in layers.  But the strangest thing is
that nothing shows up on the radar screen.  What could that mean?  Is it
possible to travel through this mysterious force field or will you crash
and be destroyed?  And what about the layers?  If you make it through one,
can you make it through the next, and the next? 

It's decision time and there are only a few seconds to think about it.
Turn back or blast ahead and try to make it through the layers of the
brightly colored force field.  It's up to you. [In... The Twilight Zone.]

 

Regular Breakout had a couple different motifs, including breaking through a brick wall, breaking out of prison.

Edited June 8 by Brad_from_the_80s

[MantaNZ]

9 hours ago, MrChickenz said:

Yes! For a 2 player game plug the paddles in the (LEFT) port (Player 1 Port). For a 4 player game You need 2 sets of paddles Player 1 is on the (LEFT) paddle set, player 2 is on the (RIGHT) paddle set, player 3 is on the (LEFT) paddle set and player 4 is on the (RIGHT) paddle set. Hope this helps.

 

Breakout is 1-4 players 

Super Breakout is 1-2 players 

 

Breakout is Racquetball players

Super Breakout is Astronauts! Why IDK! But it’s cool!

And is it the same Astronaut from Missile Command?

 

 

Sorry, yeah, I meant Breakout - the one that comes with the 2600+. Two player games don't work for me