My Arcade Plug And Play

[Pinkie Mclucas]

Withtiny bits if info scattered and rare, I thought it would be cool to have one thread to mention/display/share/request info all all things relating to hacking or modding plug 'n' play TV games. Post up, y'all!!

I'm planning on doing something similar, although smaller with just a 12" TV or maybe even just a PSOne screen. I just have a small apartment, so size is definitely an issue. For the most part, hacking apart a TV game to use in this way is easy--most of the stuff inside is just switches that you can easily solder to and replace with whatever kind of buttons and sticks you like.

Anyone got an idea how I could use its guts in a lil' arcade machine using an arcade joystick and maybe a spinner or a hacked Atari paddle/or off-the-shelf pot or something? If I could figure it out, I could build a groovy little steering wheel or maybe dismantle an old PC or Playstation steering wheel--maybe that's the replacement part option. I see them turn up fer cheep in thrifts/flea markets here and there, but it's the way the wiring will work that I don't get.

The two pix of the joystick itself show a tiny little greenboard connector with three wires coming off the spring-loaded "twist" portion of the joystick; the normal joystick left/right/up/down portions each have their own individual submicro switch, pretty standard and easy to work with there.

The two pix of the larger, main greenboard of the game show interesting stuff, namely the spots where the wires from the "twist" thing are attached being labeled "VOC." Sorry I couldn't get the words that are silkscreened on there to come out clearly, but here's what they say:

(Interesting here that the "V" in the work "VIDEO" is upside down, and that it specified the audio is left; there are only mono video and mono audio cables that come out of this thing--wonder if I can get stereo with some diddling? Any thoughts? Anyone? Bueller?)

Wish he'd post pics of the guts, even if it is rough work, as it inspired me to hack one of mine in a similar way. Don't ask how I ended up with two of these generally crappy Atari joystick plug-n-play TV games.

Generally, the chips in the p-n-p TV games are covered with the legendary "giant glop of rock hard goo smothering the whole thing" that makes it next to impossible. I wish they wouldn't do that in lame efforts to protect what is already everywhere all over the net. It would make it way easier to combine a bunch of tv games with one set of controls. I've been trying to brainstorm doing that with a buttload of switches or something to use in my mini arcade project mentioned a couple places in this thread already.

I know those glops make direct chip rips pretty much impossible, but people have found ways around that before. The Flashback 2 had its games ripped out in fairly short order, though to be fair the FB2 is by design more hackable than most plug-in-plays.

It is possible by tracing the pcb, and with some pretty intense programming and electronics knowledge(programming that almost has to be insider knowledge in some cases and electronics stuff that's way out of my league anyway), just not probable and nearly never done. I know that at least a good chunk of the Flashback 2 stuff was already on the web prior to its release as well(i.e. Save Mary was a prototype I'd seen before), but you're right: it was done, and also right that that's one hack-friendly unit!

As far as I know, it's only what I'll refer to as the "crappy" plug and plays that are Nintendo on a chip(Super Joy Pad, Atari Joystick--Flashback 1 as well?, the mini Atari Keychains, XXXXCast, XXXXstation, anything that lists 50+ games built in--pretty much everything imported from Japan or China). I have three different versions of Pac-man, a couple Ms. Pac-mans, a couple different Sega/Sonic ones, and even a Scooby-Doo one that are all not NOAC. The Scooby-Doo is probably the simplest, and still has graphics and colors that the NES just can't do. But in fairness, there are SO many of the "crappy" Chinese/Japanese ones that I guess that is technically "most." Just where I live here in Southern California, doesn't seem most retailers mess with that stuff.

why dont you just use the original joystick and just use some dry wall screws to attach to a hole in cabinet so you cant see anything exept the stick and ball!! this way you can KEEP THE TWIST FEATURE I assume the twist feature is just a left right switch .. GOOD LUCK..

The new Makey Makey Apps are the culmination of years of learning and play at JoyLabz. We took our tried-and-true piano app that was created when Makey Makey was first introduced, and we took it up a level alongside a number of new apps that we have created from the ground up. The new apps all have a number of cool features and are adjustable so you can plug and play your next invention.

After the unit is connected and activated, several seconds of passing license screens appear, followed by the main menu screen. The games can be cycled through by moving the joystick left and right, then games can be chosen for play by pressing button A (there is also a button B with this unit, which is only used for Xevious and Pole Position).

There is also a menu button to the left of the on/off switch on the front base of the unit (which is made to look like a coin slot for an arcade machine) which also acts as a pause button during gameplay, giving the player the option to quit the game they are playing. Pressing this button while on the menu screen will give the player the option of erasing the high scores. High scores will retain even once the batteries have been changed.

In this game, the player controls the Star Destroyer Bosconian ship flying through space that must destroy a series of space stations in order to advance to the next level. The stations can either be destroyed with a shot up their middle or by having all of their cannons shot.

In between dealing with the stations are smaller ships and various debris scattered around. Colliding or being shot by anything will result in the player losing a reserve ship. The game ends when there are no more reserve ships left, although extra ships are awarded at 10,000, 50,000, and every 50,000 points thereafter.

There are also bonuses awarded for spy ships and entire ship squadrons being destroyed. However, take too long during a wave, or miss a spy ship, and "Condition Red" will occur. Tons of smaller enemies will fly towards the player's ship from all directions.

In Dig Dug, the player must clear each screen of enemies by blowing them up with their pump. Rocks can also be dropped on enemies as well. However, if a rock falls on the player, or a monster catches him, then a life is lost (plus one of the enemies can also kill him by breathing fire on him), and the game ends when there are no remaining lives. However, an extra life is awarded at 10,000 points, plus a bonus prize will appear at the center of the screen if two rocks are dropped during a level.

The screen is large and will scroll a little. The entire screen cannot be seen all at once. The player will have to move up or down a little in order to see what is going on at the top or bottom of the screen. Other than that, it plays identically to the arcade original.

In Galaga, the player controls a ship at the bottom of the screen facing formations of aliens. Aliens will peel off from the formation and dive bomb the player. If an alien isn't shot and doesn't destroy the player's ship, then the alien will reappear at the top of the formation again. Being rammed by an alien or getting hit by one of its bombs will result in the player losing a reserve ship and the game will end if all ships are depleted.

All aliens are worth twice as much during an attack run than when sitting in the convoy. There is also a flagship that is worth more than the aliens and usually has escort ships flying with it during an attack run.

In this sequel though, not only have the graphics changed, but the flagship will, at times, emit a tractor beam that will capture the player's ship and fly back to the formation with it. If this happens and the player is able to free the ship by shooting it's captor during a bombing run, then the captured ship will join the player's ship at the bottom of the screen, which will double the player's firepower. If a ship is captured when the player has no more reserve ships then the game ends.

The player controls a ship at the bottom of the screen facing formations of aliens. Aliens will peel off from the formation and dive bomb the player; if an alien isn't shot, doesn't shoot or collides with the player's ship, then the alien will reappear at the top of the formation again. Being rammed by an alien or getting hit by one of its bombs will result in the player losing a reserve ship and the game will end if all ships are depleted. An extra ship is awarded at 7000 points though.

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