Epic Ripoffs


Somehow it is unfair if you see all these obvious clones and nobody was punished for such a hard Design-piracy and often more than this. The Open Pandora Team can't even put a small Bluetooth logo onto the Pandora-Case because it would be illegal if you don't pay phantasy-taxes for it.
Do the big (Console) companies have fear to mess with the "big piracy ones" like China or did they already sued them to death or do they only have fun to sue the small companies that can't defend themself? What is the System behind this?
 
It is almost impossible to find the real people behind these clone devices. If they were found they would just move to another factory.

It's like trying to 'win the war on drugs'.
 
craigix said:
The phantom was released? Is this a joke I don't get?

Well, sort of...


Lapboard
Further information: Phantom Lapboard The Phantom Lapboard was nominated at the 2004 E3 show for the "BEST OF SHOW" category, and has recently been ordered by Alienware for their Media Center PCs, and a manufacturing contract has been signed to fulfil their order with the manufacturer Itron Technology.[sup][citation needed][/sup] On January 3, 2006, Infinium Labs announced that the "Phantom Lapboard" component of the console, which is a keyboard and mouse designed to be held on the lap (for use, for example, seated on a couch in front of a television), was due to be released onto online retailers by the second quarter of 2006.[sup][8][/sup] On April 19, 2006, Infinium Labs announced that the keyboard would not be released in time for Q2 2006, but that the device, manufactured by Itron Technology, would be released in North America and Europe "no later than October" of 2006.[sup][9][/sup] The keyboard was then delayed until November 2006.[sup][10][/sup] On August 22, 2007, Phantom Entertainment signed a deal with ProGames network to provide Lapboards and "Game Service Content" in hotels worldwide.[sup][11][/sup] The keyboard was finally released on June 23 2008,[sup][12][/sup] two years after its originally planned release date.


http://en.wikipedia....tem%29#Lapboard




The Phantom Lapboard is a wireless keyboard by Phantom Entertainment. It was released on June 23, 2008 two years after its originally planned release date.

Originally designed as a component of the The Phantom, it is currently being marketed as an individual purchase for use with PC video games while the console has been cancelled. [sup][1][/sup]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Lapboard



phantom-lapboard.jpg
IMG_7202.jpg

color_red_bikini1.jpg
phantom.jpg
 
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OrR said:
Holy shit, that is awful! Even the boobs fail to rescue it... :blink:

But they did a very good job of trying!
 
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second exodous said:
Man, I wish more systems were cloned, it seems that only the NES is ever cloned.
Uhh.....

There are cart playing clones of these systems too:
- SNES

- Sega Genesis

- Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Advance SP

- Atari 2600 (The Atari Flashback 2 from Atari runs a 2600-on-a-Chip. And has a diagrams silk screened inside the unit by the factory on how to wire a cart slot to it.)
 
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Epic ripoffs, you say? Take a look at this Famiclone, which appears to have a bit of a split personality, and a light-gun that appears to have the potential to get you shot on sight were you to be seen playing with it. :p

SONY said:
Atari Flashback 2 is official, as in Atari approved, right?
Yep (in much the same way that there are a selection of officially-licensed Mega Drive clones - though all of the ones I've gotten to try seem to have horribly-mangled audio).
 
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Prometheus said:
Epic ripoffs, you say? Take a look at this Famiclone, which appears to have a bit of a split personality, and a light-gun that appears to have the potential to get you shot on sight were you to be seen playing with it. :p

SONY said:
Atari Flashback 2 is official, as in Atari approved, right?
Yep (in much the same way that there are a selection of officially-licensed Mega Drive clones - though all of the ones I've gotten to try seem to have horribly-mangled audio).
I love my Atari Flashback 2, but you're correct, the audio is off. From what I understand they came out with a new version of the board so the last ones produced have perfect audio. I wish that they'd release these again, the controllers were the best part, felt authentic, and when you open them up the insides are modern rubber membrane. If they made them right now I'd get a few more just for the controllers, you can use them on original Atari systems and on emulators with an adapter.

For a while there was talk of a portable one with a screen and a cartridge slot but never materialized.
 
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second exodous said:
I love my Atari Flashback 2, but you're correct, the audio is off.
Unfortunately, I haven't heard a Flashback 2 - they weren't made available in the UK. :( That's interesting to know, though - the most I knew before was about the cartridge slot modification being feasible.

When I mentioned audio, I was referring to the audio of the more recent* AtGames licensed Mega Drive clone units. They're very interesting to listen to (I really need to record some tunes from one, since some games sound quite interesting). Unfortunately, they also have big graphical problems with some titles (mostly well-known and common ones) - such as Strider, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Rocket Knight Adventures, for example. All of the reviews out there that say how perfect they are strike me as more than a bit odd, for this reason.

*Don't get me started on the horribleness of the Radica clones from a few years ago. They sound AWFUL.

I wish that they'd release these again, the controllers were the best part, felt authentic, and when you open them up the insides are modern rubber membrane. If they made them right now I'd get a few more just for the controllers, you can use them on original Atari systems and on emulators with an adapter.
Have you seen these? They're made by the same people.

For a while there was talk of a portable one with a screen and a cartridge slot but never materialized.
I remember hearing about that! It's such a shame that they never showed up, I certainly would have bought one.

I also seem to recall reading here that those licensed Atari joystick and paddle keychains were originally meant to have guts based on the Flashback 2 (ultimately, they contained a so-called "NES-on-a-Chip", though).

Getting myself a bit more on-topic, speaking of Atari stuff, I was just reminded of the Systema TV Boy. It had no cartridge slot, but was a notable ripoff because it was sold in Argos (a very well-known store chain here) between 1996 and 1997, and was filled with unlicensed games. :p
 
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Prometheus said:
second exodous said:
I love my Atari Flashback 2, but you're correct, the audio is off.
Unfortunately, I haven't heard a Flashback 2 - they weren't made available in the UK. :( That's interesting to know, though - the most I knew before was about the cartridge slot modification being feasible.

When I mentioned audio, I was referring to the audio of the more recent* AtGames licensed Mega Drive clone units. They're very interesting to listen to (I really need to record some tunes from one, since some games sound quite interesting). Unfortunately, they also have big graphical problems with some titles (mostly well-known and common ones) - such as Strider, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 and Rocket Knight Adventures, for example. All of the reviews out there that say how perfect they are strike me as more than a bit odd, for this reason.

*Don't get me started on the horribleness of the Radica clones from a few years ago. They sound AWFUL.

I wish that they'd release these again, the controllers were the best part, felt authentic, and when you open them up the insides are modern rubber membrane. If they made them right now I'd get a few more just for the controllers, you can use them on original Atari systems and on emulators with an adapter.
Have you seen these? They're made by the same people.

For a while there was talk of a portable one with a screen and a cartridge slot but never materialized.
I remember hearing about that! It's such a shame that they never showed up, I certainly would have bought one.

I also seem to recall reading here that those licensed Atari joystick and paddle keychains were originally meant to have guts based on the Flashback 2 (ultimately, they contained a so-called "NES-on-a-Chip", though).

Getting myself a bit more on-topic, speaking of Atari stuff, I was just reminded of the Systema TV Boy. It had no cartridge slot, but was a notable ripoff because it was sold in Argos (a very well-known store chain here) between 1996 and 1997, and was filled with unlicensed games. :p
Yeah, every other Atari system remake uses other systems, NES on a chip and others, but the Flashback 2 were like the C64 system on a chip but a Atari on a chip obviously. The Atari FB2 wasn't perfect though, but much much much much much much much much better than anything that came before it.

The portable might come out, one of the guys was talking about it a little over a year ago on one of those Atari forums. If it comes out it will be a fan project like the C64 clones originally were.

Those joypads got me excited, buying one of those seems pretty expensive but when you look into buying an adapter they usually cost that much anyway. I'd like to see them opened just to see if they are the quality of the FB2 pads.
 
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Ok, how about the Gamekids/

game_kids.jpg


Looks quite cool, no?

No.

The screen is 2inch Game & Watch style.

If you connected it to the tv, you could play famicom games, but they were mostly copies of each other with different names. I remember the Mario game had only the first level.

I spent £20 on this shit!

gkadvance.jpg


Mine only came with the unit and the cartridge (which sticks out twice the amount of a gbc cart in a gba)
 
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