Add Games To Flashback 2

[roadman1977]

Is there anyway that I can add games to the Flashback 2 without using cartridges? Can I add the games to the rom chip?

[Curt Vendel]

Not really...

 

Well, not without totally understanding how the ROM is setup and how to code "Gizmo"

 

Gizmo is actually a chip within a chip, well really a mode within the "Michele" 2600 chip.

 

When the 2600 chip is powered up, its actually in "GIZMODE" which means the 2600 is not active, but Gizmo is, and Gizmo handles and menu'ing and bankswitching of the games into the 2600 mode of the chip. So you'd need to understand and know how to code in GizCode to alter the menu, add more games and have them bank into memory, then switch to 2600 mode, release the latch and the code loads up into the 2600 as if a cart were plugged in.

 

 

Curt

 

 

 

Is there anyway that I can add games to the Flashback 2 without using cartridges?  Can I add the games to the rom chip?

981892[/snapback]

[128bytes]

Not really...

 

Well, not without totally understanding how the ROM is setup and how to code "Gizmo"

 

Gizmo is actually a chip within a chip, well really a mode within the "Michele" 2600 chip.

 

When the 2600 chip is powered up, its actually in "GIZMODE" which means the 2600 is not active, but Gizmo is, and Gizmo handles and menu'ing and bankswitching of the games into the 2600 mode of the chip.    So you'd need to understand and know how to code in GizCode to alter the menu, add more games and have them bank into memory, then switch to 2600 mode, release the latch and the code loads up into the 2600 as if a cart were plugged in.

 

 

Curt

 

 

 

Is there anyway that I can add games to the Flashback 2 without using cartridges?  Can I add the games to the rom chip?

981892[/snapback]

983082[/snapback]

 

 

Curt, it sounds like you are surprised that it took someone that long to ask that question! Interesting answer, as I was curious as to how you interfaced the menuing system to the 2600 code. Did the FB2 team develop GizCode themselves? Is GizCode open source?

Edited December 15, 2005 by 128bytes

[Curt Vendel]

We are still utilizing this within FB2 and derivitives for 06' So right now, I'm not preparing to release that info until Atari officially says they are no longer interested in marketing the FB2 platform. Gizmo and its design is mine and Atari doesn't have control over it, but I have a contractual obligation to support the FB2 platform as whole until they do not wish to market it any further, I will then at that time consider releasing its technical details.

 

 

 

Curt

 

Not really...

 

Well, not without totally understanding how the ROM is setup and how to code "Gizmo"

 

Gizmo is actually a chip within a chip, well really a mode within the "Michele" 2600 chip.

 

When the 2600 chip is powered up, its actually in "GIZMODE" which means the 2600 is not active, but Gizmo is, and Gizmo handles and menu'ing and bankswitching of the games into the 2600 mode of the chip.    So you'd need to understand and know how to code in GizCode to alter the menu, add more games and have them bank into memory, then switch to 2600 mode, release the latch and the code loads up into the 2600 as if a cart were plugged in.

 

 

Curt

 

 

 

Is there anyway that I can add games to the Flashback 2 without using cartridges?  Can I add the games to the rom chip?

981892[/snapback]

983082[/snapback]

 

 

Curt, it sounds like you are surprised that it took someone that long to ask that question! Interesting answer, as I was curious as to how you interfaced the menuing system to the 2600 code. Did the FB2 team develop GizCode themselves? Is GizCode open source?

983274[/snapback]

[Kurt_Woloch]

So, any news on this? Sorry to bring this up after nearly 3 years, but I just found this thread and didn't know previously about the menu system of the FB2.

What I'd really be curious about is if it would be possible to write games in Gizmode. I know, that's sort of defeating the point that the FB2 should be essentially a repackaged Atari 2600, but I'm always interested what various systems really could do if tweaked in the right way.

 

From the looks of the title screen, I suppose Gizmode simply lays out the Atari 2600's capabilities over a full bitmap which gets fetched from somewhere (probably RAM, but maybe not) line-by-line automatically like in other graphics chips. In the worst case we probably have a 160 wide x 192 high resolution bitmap in 4 colors per scanline, but no sprites / players overlayed over that. This would give us graphics capabilities that are roughly comparable to the 5200 (at least one graphics mode of it) without the players in it. Still I suppose some games would be possible, like those that primarily used software sprites for displaying their characters and didn't use more than 4 colors (at least per scanline). Examples for these would be Karateka, Donkey Kong (Atari 8-bit version) or Drol.

 

We are still utilizing this within FB2 and derivitives for 06' So right now, I'm not preparing to release that info until Atari officially says they are no longer interested in marketing the FB2 platform. Gizmo and its design is mine and Atari doesn't have control over it, but I have a contractual obligation to support the FB2 platform as whole until they do not wish to market it any further, I will then at that time consider releasing its technical details.

 

Not really...

 

Well, not without totally understanding how the ROM is setup and how to code "Gizmo"

 

Gizmo is actually a chip within a chip, well really a mode within the "Michele" 2600 chip.

 

When the 2600 chip is powered up, its actually in "GIZMODE" which means the 2600 is not active, but Gizmo is, and Gizmo handles and menu'ing and bankswitching of the games into the 2600 mode of the chip.    So you'd need to understand and know how to code in GizCode to alter the menu, add more games and have them bank into memory, then switch to 2600 mode, release the latch and the code loads up into the 2600 as if a cart were plugged in.

 

 

Curt

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Curt, it sounds like you are surprised that it took someone that long to ask that question! Interesting answer, as I was curious as to how you interfaced the menuing system to the 2600 code. Did the FB2 team develop GizCode themselves? Is GizCode open source?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[raskar42]

i too am interested in this GizCode thingy

[Shawn]

i too am interested in this GizCode thingy

 

 

I'm more into putting all the 2600 games I like into the FB2. There is only about 20 games for the 2600 I like so it would be great to have them all inside a little fb2 just for fun.

[Curt Vendel]

Gizcode is run on a super stripped down nes chip used for the menu's and game loading. I'd have to pull the boxes out and pull all of the code together. I've got a lot on my plate right now, I'm coming home from the hospital tomorrow after my 3rd major open heart surgery in 7 months and I need to catch on so very much, I'll still need about 2 weeks just to really build up my strength and get back in game.

 

So keep in touch, keep nagging me to remind me, but also please be patient

Edited January 26, 2009 by Curt Vendel

[mimo]

i too am interested in this GizCode thingy

 

 

I'm more into putting all the 2600 games I like into the FB2. There is only about 20 games for the 2600 I like so it would be great to have them all inside a little fb2 just for fun.

That sounds like a great idea Shawn, I would love to do that too. Handy to take the 2600 games that I actually like on a camping trip in a little FB2.

[yuppicide]

Man, this sounds awesome. The only part I don't like about this whole discussion is he said NES. But anyway, I understand his obligation. Had I not made a good amount of money off the deal, I'd probably be towards the "dark side", ie: logging onto here with a pseudoname and pretending I figured out a way to hack it.

[Shawn]

So there is a NOAC and an AOAC inside the FB2?

[awace]

HMMMMMM interesting I was at Target the other day and noticed the atari 10 game joystick was still avalible but noticed there was a big huge 1 inside a circle then i noticed a nother jaks pacific mspacman this one was a cocktail cabinet plug play and went hmm it had a different number in the circle mabie a 2 i cant remember but i did remember that sponge bob had a 3 so there is 3 versions of the sponge bob plug play I also obtained a single paddle plug and play device and ripped it apart instantly when i got it and found a 1p 2p jumper a pal jumper (not used) since i have ntsc and paddle player 2 input paddle player 1 input SO i took a single pair atari2600 padele and now i have soldered both to the button hole and after lots and lots of melting i finnaly got the main paddle on the unit not to spin and the orignal atari paddles work and you can play 2 player games even though the menu lies and says it wont work it does let you choose 2 player games cause of the jumper added. I also did the flashback hack twice once w the one w the BLACK wire that failed cause i tried to solder pitfall II onto pcb that blew up pitfall II I witch have replaced . I did however do the hack to a diferent version FB II and fit it into a broken 2600 w blown chip then removed the good chips for spares and scrapped all wires off the traces for p1 difficulty p2 difficulty so they would short to gnd then used the CH3-4 switch for the B/w color switch for playing fbII adv making the bw mode makes the walls in the invisible rooms visible mabie a kid mode.. anyway I bought a bootleg cart from someone here w snoopy just so i could play again then i made my own hackomatic verion of crockrocks I renamed asteroids© to c 2007 aw and made the rocks look like aw's and r whell the ®'s have memory holes in them but the aw was made to fit into a rock this was hard because you had to keep adding chunks to hackomatic and think in hexidecimal binary even though i understand binary i cant quite get it my dad made a altair 8008 once so i get the jist of it but cant quite get programming as i would like to anyway I like flashbacking from built in memmory to color( i mean cart mode of the flash back) I used the color /bw switch to switch from built in and cart's this switch was used purposely cause its loose and has two thresholds where the right and left sides of the switch error near the down postistion making it able to let you switch from say cartridge is snoopy and the red barron on that 2764 cart bootleg cart witch no matter what i screw up in the built in mode lock up the snoopy cart ALWAYS BOOTS then i power off NOW I USED THE OUTPUT of the 7805 (340t)5v off the capacitor so i could use a original FUN VISION POWER PACK an original atari 2600 type power pack. so you have to unplug then wait to kill power all the way! but its cool you can start missile command on flashback II and switch to snoopy or asteroids on the bootleg REAL cart cart and sneak back to missile command like POWER FLASHING witch is impossible on this one cause i used the capacitor cause I know my self and didnt want to ruin it so i assumed the capacitor having all that power in it would keep it on WHell it works .. one time a freind was over and he started to screw w the color/bw switch i used to switch between built in memmory and carts and was flashing that switch I told him that was ok but not the power one and that I had MOVED the flashback switch he somehow got the screen to say AREA NOT USED THIS AREA intentualy not used. or some thing like that intentally left blank I was like HOW the hell did you do that and got scared then i wiggled the switch back UP and snoopy booted then i pushed back down and AS assumed it locked up so i pulled the power pack off then snapped the + end to gnd got rid of static then plugged the phono plug back in and it went to the menu I was like COOL a new way to flash so this is cool I thought about a usb stick and wondered if the chip they used was just a disguized memmory stick w .bin files filed in order at memmory locations like pacman 4 in one menu.

SO is jaks pacific going to come out w the flashback III or a cart to usb game key or do we have to make the KEY's our self ... being that is the KEY. is to collect all key chains all versions of games and the one who dies w the most toys wins and you cant take them w you. ..

hmm mabie they could get pitfall II to load into the new flashback III also before i forget once playing w a sears arcade II just a 2600 w red led's socket selectors for joysticks i was playing pitfall II and remembered someone did something stupid but it worked once I decided to hook a whimpy 6v power pack and hook a 9v power pack in parralel adding to it and found out the music in pfall II went faster w more voltage . this was cool and weird at the same time.

[awace]

Gizcode is run on a super stripped down nes chip used for the menu's and game loading. I'd have to pull the boxes out and pull all of the code together. I've got a lot on my plate right now, I'm coming home from the hospital tomorrow after my 3rd major open heart surgery in 7 months and I need to catch on so very much, I'll still need about 2 weeks just to really build up my strength and get back in game.

 

So keep in touch, keep nagging me to remind me, but also please be patient

I hope you are doing better w youre recovery and hope you dont do to mutch stress drink a lot of FUZE.. get wheller soon!