Arcade Ultimate

Arcade Ultimate
Manufacturer: AtGames
Distributor: AtGames, Blaze Europe (UK), Argos (UK), H&B (France), Tectoy (Brazil), Hyperkin (USA)
Built-in games: 20 / 80
Release Date RRP Code

The Arcade Ultimate is a handheld Sega Mega Drive console on a chip created by AtGames. It is an enhanced version of the Arcade Portable, with the addition of a 6-button control pad (instead of 3), an SD card slot and a built-in lithium battery with USB charger.

Although the console can make use of SD cards, it does not support saving, making RPGs difficult to finish as they must be played through in one sitting. Also, like its predecessors, the actual name of this console is disputed - AtGames call it the Arcade Ultimate on their website, but most packaging designs call the system the Gopher. Other names include the Sega Mega Drive Arcade Ultimate Portable, Sega Genesis Firecore Portable Player and Sega Mega Drive Firecore Portable Player. In Brazil the system is known as the MD Play.

The console uses the same "console-on-a-chip" technology as its predecessor, and has an identical selection of games. However, the SD card input should allow most Mega Drive games to be played, emulation permitting. It also has a TV output connection, so that games can be played on a large screen, though it will only produce a NTSC signal.

Three different versions of the unit exist, though have very similar aesthetics.The second model (GP2628R), sometimes known as the Gopher Wireless, are able to interact with AtGames' brand of wireless controllers, which are both sold separately and bundled with some other AtGames consoles. The first model (GP2628) and third model (GP2628-80) are the most common with 20 or 80 built-in games respectively. In Russia, black/green and black/blue models exist along with the standard black/orange.

List of Built-in Games (AtGames 20 Games version)

• Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle
• Alien Storm
• Altered Beast
• Arrow Flash
• Columns III
• Crack Down
• Decap Attack
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
• E-Swat: City Under Siege
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Ecco Jr.
• Flicky
• Gain Ground
• Golden Axe
• Jewel Master
• Kid Chameleon
• Ristar
• Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
• Sonic & Knuckles
• The Revenge of Shinobi II

List of Built-in Games (Argos/Blaze 20 Games version)

• Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle
• Alien Storm
• Altered Beast
• Arrow Flash
• Columns III
• Crack Down
• Decap Attack
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
• E-Swat: City Under Siege
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Ecco Jr.
• Shinobi III
• Flicky
• Gain Ground
• Golden Axe
• Jewel Master
• Kid Chameleon
• Sonic Spinball
• Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
• Sonic & Knuckles

List of Built-in Games (AtGames 80 Games version)

• Alex Kidd and the Enchanted Castle
• Alien Storm
• Altered Beast
• Arrow Flash
• Bonanza Bros'
• Chakan: The Forever Man'
• Columns
• Columns III
• Comix Zone
• Crack Down
• Decap Attack
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Ecco Jr.
• Ecco 2: The Tides of Time
• E-Swat: City Under Siege
• Eternal Champions
• Fatal Labyrinth
• Flicky
• Gain Ground
• Golden Axe
• Golden Axe II
• Golden Axe III
• Jewel Master
• Kid Chameleon
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
• Mega Man: The Wily Wars
• Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
• Shinobi III
• Sonic & Knuckles
• Sonic Spinball
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2
• Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition
• Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
• Streets of Rage
• Streets of Rage 2
• Streets of Rage 3
• The Ooze
• Vectorman
• Vectorman 2

The 80 Games version only includes 40 Mega Drive/Genesis games, however it also has 40 "Arcade" games to bring the total up to the stated 80. These games are: Cross the road, Jack's Pea, Jewel Magic, Curling 2010, Fish Story, Mahjong, Warehouse Keeper, Chess, Memory, Snake , Air Hockey, Spider, Naval Power, Mr. Balls, Cannon, Fight or Lose, Bottle Taps Race, Bomber, Checker, Hexagonos, Reaction Match, Whack-A-Wolf, Mirror Mirror, Memory Match, Tresure Hunt, Fire Fly Glow, Panic Lift, Black Sheep, Space Hunter, UFO Sighting, Flash Memory, Table Magic, Color Puzzle, Brain Switch, Mega Brain Switch, Bulls and Cows, Logic Dial, Match Eleven, Formula Challenge and Sudoku Quiz.

Using an SD card

Sega Mega Drive/Genesis ROMs should be placed inside a folder called "GAME" at the root of the SD card. ROMs can be either .bin or .smd and all regions are compatible. There is not 100% compatibility, if you find that a particular ROM doesn't work; try to use verified dumps [!] and if a certain region doesn't work, try another. The games will be listed in the order they were added to the card, you can use a tool called folder_sort to force this order into alphabetical order.

MDB.DAT

Images can be displayed for custom games on the SD card, in the same way as the built-in games, by the use of an MDB.DAT file. Without the presence of this file all games on the SD card will display a blank place-holder image. There are at least two tools that can edit or create an MDB.DAT file: ScreenGopher and MDB_Edit Using either tool you need to create an entry for each ROM and assign a picture (120x112). The name you enter in the MDB.DAT must match the filename exactly (excluding the extension). You cannot use a period "." in the name and a space is automatically inserted before a Capitalized word, so if you put a space in yourself you will see a double-space on the device's menu.

For example "Sonic theHedgehog 2" in the MDB.DAT would give you "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" on your device.

You can read more about the structure of the MDB.DAT file in the ScreenGopher Manual. The application is currently unavailable but the PDF is filled with useful information.

Digital manuals

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  PDF manual for the AtGames Arcade Ultimate (Model Numbers GP2628 and GP2628R)

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  PDF manual for the AtGames Arcade Ultimate (Model Number GP2628-80)

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  ScreenGopher user manual

Gallery

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  Tectoy model

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  H&B model

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  Russian model (blue)

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  Russian model (green)

Packaging

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  US box (front)

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  EU box (front)

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  UK box (front)

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  RU box (orange) (front)

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  RU box (blue) (front)