If there were to be an Atari Flashback 3

[etschuetz]

Ok, so I would love to see an Atari Flashback system dedicated to the atari 5200. Yes, it would be awesome. How would it be designed? How about first answering the wishes of all of use that had/have a 5200. If they made an Atari Flashback 3 that gave us the 5200, this is what I would like to see...

 

1. Smaller overall size
   
2. An actual cartridge input to play my own games (make it at the least a 2600 slot)
   
3. The entire list of the 5200's library, if not most of them.
   
4. Much more solid feeling controllers
   
5. Self Centering Analog/Digital Controllers
   
6. Don't ditch the keypad
   
7. Make the flashback controller look more like the original, rather than slimming it down like the Flashback 1's controller was
   
8. Make the sticks backwards compatible with the original 5200
   
9. A/V cables
   
10. Finish the prototypes.
    
11. Get the rights to publish 3rd party games on the unit (i.e. Rescue on Fractulas and Ballblazer)
    

 

This may seem like a lot, but honestly, this is a fairly small list of expectations. I would wager that most of these would make any 5200 fan more than happy to see. Just the self centering sticks would make most of us happy. Making them backwards compatible to work with our original machine would probably be the real major selling point even.

[Scihorror]

What if it were based on the 5200 Trak-Ball rather than the console itself? Since it would have the games and all the neccessary control buttons already built into the unit, it would easily solve the size issue. And rather than using controls based on the 5200's, you could use 7800 controls...

[Math You]

What if it were based on the 5200 Trak-Ball rather than the console itself?

This was mentioned in another thread. Sounds like a great idea

 

Personally, I'd love to see an sd card or usb slot, MP3 playback and the ability to display jpeg/gif images behind the 5200/800's graphics. It might encourage some new games to be written for it.

[etschuetz]

The SD support would really top off the machine to support adding additional games not on the machine, if there were issues with getting the licensing rights for third party games. With MP3 support, I don't know if that would really be all that "great". Granted, you could play your favorite games with your own "soundtrack", but since the flashback would be built around 5200/400 hardware, I don't think it would turn out very well. Also, how would the OS be handled? Would it be emulated, like the first flashback, or perhaps something like the 2600 on a Chip?

 

With the 5200, I don't know if it is feasible to pack all of that machine into a single chip. Is it feasible?

[Texasmame]

The SD support would really top off the machine to support adding additional games not on the machine, if there were issues with getting the licensing rights for third party games. With MP3 support, I don't know if that would really be all that "great". Granted, you could play your favorite games with your own "soundtrack", but since the flashback would be built around 5200/400 hardware, I don't think it would turn out very well. Also, how would the OS be handled? Would it be emulated, like the first flashback, or perhaps something like the 2600 on a Chip?

 

With the 5200, I don't know if it is feasible to pack all of that machine into a single chip. Is it feasible?

 

 

Don't really think the market would be there for this sort of thing.

 

Great idea, tho.

 

If I can win $4 million after taxes, I'll look into doing it.