FAQ

Atari Flashback 9 Gold

1) What should I do if the screen freezes?Power off the console and then restart. 

2) What should I do if there no picture on my TV (all black/all blue/“no signal”)?Unplug the HDMI cable and plug it in again.  Make sure all connections are securely made and your TV is set to the proper HDMI input.  In rare instances, the TV may be incorrectly performing the HDMI handshake, a problem which may be cleared by turning off the TV, unplugging the TV power cable from the wall outlet, plugging it back in, and turning on the TV again. 

3) Why doesn't the game screen picture go all the way to the left and right sides of my TV screen?  Doesn't this mean the game isn't HD?The games in the Flashback were originally designed to be played on screens with a 4:3 aspect ratio.  In order to preserve the proper, intended shapes of on screen objects, rather than having everything stretched to be “fat,” the Flashback positions the original 4:3 game picture in the center of the screen and fills in the remaining left and right spaces of the widescreen display with stand-in visuals.  The 4:3 game picture is still HD, meaning it is a sharper picture, made up of more individual pixels, than the game’s presentation on its original game console. 

4) What should I do if the game has no audio?Go back to the main menu and restart the game. 

5) What should I do if my 2.4GHz wireless controllers are not working?Your Atari Wireless controller may need to be re-synced to the console.  Hold the “Fire” and “Up” buttons simultaneously while inserting the batteries.  Once the batteries have been inserted, the controller light should blink indicating that it’s trying to sync with the console.  Power on the console and the controller will be synced. 

6) How do I bring up the in-game pop-up menu with wired controllers?Press the SELECT button on the console and DOWN on the wired joystick simultaneously. 

7) How do I navigate the main menu with wired controllers?Press the SELECT or START button on the console to go up or down the menu categories. 

8) Rewind and save aren’t working for me in Frogger and Space Invaders.  What’s wrong?These features are not available in Frogger or Space Invaders. 

9) Why does my wireless controller have a delayed response?2.4GHz remote devices like the wireless controllers may occasionally be interfered with by other 2.4GHz radio sources, such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth-enabled devices, and Wi-Fi networks.  Please check if there are other 2.4GHz sources around.  The distance between the console and controller can also potentially cause a delay.  Please make sure they’re within 5 meters (about 16 feet) of each other. 

10) Any thoughts on why the response time of the game would be slow?That has to do with some TVs and image processing features they use to upgrade picture quality.  You may need to enable your television’s “Game Mode” or equivalent to turn off such features, shortening image processing time and improving performance. 

11) Some Atari games were designed to work with paddle controllers.  Where and how do get I get them?All Atari Flashback games, even those originally designed for paddle controllers, are playable with joysticks.  The reason why users opt to purchase paddle controllers is to have more precise control for games originally designed for that format, or, with two sets of paddle controllers, to play select games that support up to four players at once.  You will soon be able to purchase additional paddles from the AtGames eCommerce Store or other eCommerce sites. 

12) Can paddles from previous Atari Flashback versions or the original Atari work on the Atari Flashback 9?Atari Flashback 9 Boom and Atari Flashback 9 Gold are not compatible with original Atari paddle controllers or previous AtGames paddle controllers.  The 2018 versions of the AtGames paddles only work with the Atari Flashback 9 Boom and Atari Flashback 9 Gold, and do not work on any other platforms or previous AtGames systems. 

Sega Genesis Flashback

1) What should I do if the screen freezes?Power off the console and then restart. 

2) What should I do if there no picture on my TV (all black/all blue/“no signal”)?Unplug the HDMI cable and plug it in again.  Make sure all connections are securely made and your TV is set to the proper HDMI input.  In rare instances, the TV may be incorrectly performing the HDMI handshake, a problem which may be cleared by turning off the TV, unplugging the TV power cable from the wall outlet, plugging it back in, and turning on the TV again. 

3) Why doesn't the game screen picture go all the way to the left and right sides of my TV screen?  Doesn't this mean the game isn't HD?The games in the Flashback were originally designed to be played on screens with a 4:3 aspect ratio.  In order to preserve the proper, intended shapes of onscreen objects, rather than having everything stretched to be “fat,” the Flashback positions the original 4:3 game picture in the center of the screen and fills in the remaining left and right spaces of the widescreen display with stand-in visuals.  The 4:3 game picture is still HD, meaning it is a sharper picture, made up of more individual pixels, than the game’s presentation on its original game console. 

4) What should I do if the game has no audio?Go back to the main menu and restart the game. 

5) How do I bring up the in-game pop-up menu with wired controllers?Press the MENU button on the console. 

6) How do I save my game?  Press MENU to call up the in-game pop-up menu and then press A to save. 

7) Can I play games with a 3-button Sega controller?The original Sega 3-button controller is compatible with most games.  Some fighting games require a 6-button controller.  Please use the 6-button wireless/wired controllers to play these games. 

8) Why does my wireless controller have a delayed response?2.4GHz remote devices like the wireless controllers may occasionally be interfered with by other 2.4GHz radio sources, such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth-enabled devices, and Wi-Fi networks.  Please check if there are other 2.4GHz sources around.  The distance between the console and controller can also potentially cause a delay.  Please make sure they’re within 5 meters (about 16 feet) of each other. 

9) Any thoughts on why the response time of the game would be slow?That has to do with some TVs and image processing features they use to upgrade picture quality.  You may need to enable your television’s “Game Mode” or equivalent to turn off such features, shortening image processing time and improving performance. 

10) Do my cartridges work on the Sega Genesis Flashback?The Sega Genesis Flashback has been tested to work with a wide range of cartridge games.  However, due to the overall volume and type of available cartridges, cartridge age, and other conditions that may affect functionality, not every available game will be compatible. 

Legends Flashback

1) How do I use the save, load, and rewind features on the Legends Flashback console? 

Press “Start” and “Left” while in a game to rewind games. 

Press “Start” and “Up” while in a game to bring up the in-game menu.  Here, players can insert additional credits, save their game, or access the scanline feature. 

Press “Start” and “Down” as a shortcut to insert additional credits. 

Press “Start” and “Right” simultaneously to bring up the key configuration menu to remap your controller. 

2) What should I do if the screen freezes?Power off the console and then restart. 

3) Why isn’t an HDMI cable included with my console?Because of the abundance of HDMI cables in most households, we have decided not to include an HDMI cable with this year’s console. 

4) What should I do if there no picture on my TV (all black/all blue/“no signal”)?Unplug the HDMI cable and plug it in again.  Make sure all connections are securely made and your TV is set to the proper HDMI input.  In rare instances, the TV may be incorrectly performing the HDMI handshake, a problem which may be cleared by turning off the TV, unplugging the TV power cable from the wall outlet, plugging it back in, and turning on the TV again. 

5) Why doesn't the game screen picture go all the way to the left and right sides of my TV screen?  Doesn't this mean the game isn't HD? 

The games in the Flashback were originally designed to be played on screens with a 4:3 aspect ratio.  In order to preserve the proper, intended shapes of onscreen objects, rather than having everything stretched to be “fat,” the Flashback positions the original 4:3 game picture in the center of the screen and fills in the remaining left and right spaces of the widescreen display with stand-in visuals.  The 4:3 game picture is still HD, meaning it is a sharper picture, made up of more individual pixels, than the game’s presentation on its original game console. 

6) What should I do if the game has no audio?Go back to the main menu and restart the game. 

7) What is the purpose of the SD card slot?The SD card slot is used for firmware updates that will be released periodically as well for additional save file storage.  For alternative uses, please refer to online forums and future news releases from AtGames. 

8) What are possible causes for slower response times in a game?That has to do with some TVs and image processing features they use to upgrade picture quality.  You may need to enable your television’s “Game Mode” or equivalent to turn off such features, shortening image processing time and improving performance. 

9) What other controllers can be used with the two controller ports on the console?Users can use most original Sega or Atari controllers with our products. 

10) What should I do if my wired controllers are not working?If you only have a controller plugged into the P2 socket, turn off your console and connect the controller to the P1 (left) controller port.  Then, turn on the console and try again.  Note: Please make sure the controllers are plugged into the console when the console is turned off.  Otherwise, the controllers may not work as expected. 

11) What is Overdrive Mode?Overdrive Mode helps to process games with multiple sprites on screen.  Overdrive mode will reduce flickering caused by multiple sprites. 

Atari Portable

1) Why is my SD card not working on my Portable?The SD card you have could be SDHC or SDXC, which are incompatible with our Portables.  Please use a standard SD card (8GB or smaller). 

2) My Portable doesn't recognize the card!  What can I do to fix it?Make sure it's formatted properly.  Customers have found that the SD Association's Card Formatter utility produces better results than the built-in utilities in Windows or Mac OS. 

3) My Portable screen is scratched, right out of the box!The Portables are shipped with a firmly affixed screen protector.  Make sure to peel it off! 

4) I want to play my Portable on my television.  How do I do that?There is an AV-out mini-jack port on the top of the unit.  You can use that and the appropriate wire to connect your Portable to the AV jacks on your television. 

5) Which AV cable should I purchase to hook the Portable up to my TV?The AV cable should be 1 to 2.  Two connectors (white, yellow, 3.5mm RCA jack) go to TV and one connector goes to the Portable.  Please see the below image for reference. 

Ultimate Portable Game Player

1) Why is my SD card not working on my Portable?The SD card you have could be SDHC or SDXC, which are incompatible with our Portables.  Please use a standard SD card (8GB or smaller). 

2) My Portable doesn't recognize the card!  What can I do to fix it?Make sure it's formatted properly.  Customers have found that the SD Association's Card Formatter utility produces better results than the built-in utilities in Windows or Mac OS. 

3) My Portable screen is scratched, right out of the box!The Portables are shipped with a firmly affixed screen protector.  Make sure to peel it off! 

4) I want to play my Portable on my television.  How do I do that?There is an AV-out mini-jack port on the top of the unit.  You can use that and the appropriate wire to connect your Portable to the AV jacks on your television. 

5) Which AV cable should I purchase to hook the Portable up to my TV?The AV cable should be 1 to 2.  Two connectors (white, yellow, 3.5mm RCA jack) go to TV and one connector goes to the Portable.  Please see the below image for reference.