Best Flashback Console

[jukingeo]

Hello All,

 

It has been a while since I been to the AtariAge forum and usually when something comes up in my life that is Atari related, I come back. I finally got time to see the short movie Atari: Game Over in which they confirmed the urban legend that E.T. (among other cartridges) were buried in a Texas landfill. The game's creator was in the film among many other notaries. This lead to me to break out my Flashback 2 console and I was playing around with it a bit.

 

I have heard they made a Flashback 3 and I was looking into it, but when I went on-line, I was amazed to see that they are now up to a Flashback 6 with 100 games loaded on to it. This of course is piquing my interest, but it also has me wondering how good are the new Flashback consoles. From what I understand, the version I have (2) can be hacked to add a cartridge slot to it since it has the exact architechture of the original Atari 2600 consoles.

 

So that leads me to the next question:

 

Which of the Flashback consoles is (or are) considered 'the best' to buy?

 

Also, by now has someone created a modern equivalent to the 2600 in which it will directly play the old 2600 cartridges?

 

From what I understand many of the old cartridges are still playable, but the Atari consoles themselves are now aging over 30 years since the last ones were produced and getting parts for them isn't so easy anymore. Furthermore the Atari consoles require an antenna input and that wouldn't work with today's modern digital TV's.

 

Thank You,

 

Geo

[Flojomojo]

Flashback 1 is a recreation using NES-on-a-chip hardware. Avoid.

 

Flashback 2 is the Atari-on-a-chip version and is the most accurate. There are solder points in the board for you to mod in your own cartridge slot. It doesn't play cartridges out of the box and the modification seems somewhat difficult to me.

 

The other Flashback units (3 Thru 6 so far) are from AtGames and use their "Titan" board to emulate the old games. They're all pretty much identical technically, the main difference is the number of games supported. The latest one seems to have the most games but you might be able to find the 5 for a little less money.

[Bill Loguidice]

What Flojomojo said. I'll also add to one of your other points, jukingeo, it's easy enough to get a modded 2600 or 7800 that outputs everything from composite to SVIDEO to RGB, so using it on a modern display is less of an issue. Also, if you want to go with emulation, it's also easy enough to get a USB to DB-9 adapter that supports Atari controllers, even paddles (not that some adapters don't, you'll want the ones that do). So there are indeed a way range of options depending upon your interest level.

[Oldschool80skid]

Flashback 1 is a recreation using NES-on-a-chip hardware. Avoid.

 

Flashback 2 is the Atari-on-a-chip version and is the most accurate. There are solder points in the board for you to mod in your own cartridge slot. It doesn't play cartridges out of the box and the modification seems somewhat difficult to me.

 

The other Flashback units (3 Thru 6 so far) are from AtGames and use their "Titan" board to emulate the old games. They're all pretty much identical technically, the main difference is the number of games supported. The latest one seems to have the most games but you might be able to find the 5 for a little less money.

You can purchase original new condition atari 2600 parts at best electronics.

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/2600_Tech_Tips.htm#based

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

I only have the model 2 version and it is obviously my choice. My favorite game for that one is Caverns of Mars. I heard the first version is not very good. I never really cared for picking any of them up.

[AtarinDave]

As far as exact emulation, the FB2 and/or FB2+ is the best. My favorite Flashback, however, would have to be the FB5(I want to get the FB6). Any game you play CAN be paused in the FB4 and FB5. I find that to be pretty neat. I'd go for the 5 personally.

Edited October 27, 2015 by AtarinDave

[TrekkiELO]

Hello All,

 

It has been a while since I been to the AtariAge forum and usually when something comes up in my life that is Atari related, I come back. I finally got time to see the short movie Atari: Game Over in which they confirmed the urban legend that E.T. (among other cartridges) were buried in a Texas landfill.

 

That infamous landfill where Atari buried overstock was actually around Alamogordo, New Mexico, their plant was in El Paso, Texas!