Atari Flashback Portable!

[Bill Loguidice]

That's really cool. As much as this excites me, I already have a CFW PSP, but I don't have a VCS emulator on it (I prefer buying carts because they're mostly cheap as chips). If the Flashback 7 has an SD slot on it, that's a Day 1 purchase for me and I'm putting my AV modded Jr and carts up for sale.

 

The Flashback 7 does not have an SD card slot, but the Flashback Portable does. You'll still want to hold onto your AV modded Jr anyway because that will be more compatible with everything. You can't really beat original hardware in that regard.

[Inky]

Whatever shortcomings this device has will not stop me from getting one. The next version will surely address any issues,. It's V1 of the atari handheld for crying out loud.

As for people saying they can play them on a smart phone, a touch screen will never work well for a system that used physical controllers.

[Dr Manhattan]

I am genuinely excited for this product. I can't believe it's finally happening. I'm looking forward to picking one up as soon as it's available.

 

I'm also very curious to see how the whole SD card slot thing works out. It was pretty straight forward on the Genesis portable.

[Atariboy]

A couple of reviews for this firm's past Sega handhelds makes the tv/out functionality sound pretty finicky with the video/audio-out cable making poor contact with the handheld, resulting in things like momentary picture loss from time to time.

 

Not too big of a problem were it just a console, but this isn't too desirable when the system is a portable and thus also doubles as its own controller that has to be held in the player's hands. Not to mention wear & tear every time you remove or insert that cable as you go between handheld and tv use that logically means it will only grow worse in time.

 

Any ideas if improvements have been made on that front (Or if it's even a widespread complaint; I only saw it mentioned by two reviewers after all)?

Edited July 25, 2016 by Atariboy

[Bill Loguidice]

A couple of reviews for this firm's past Sega handhelds makes the tv/out functionality sound pretty finicky with the video/audio-out cable making poor contact with the handheld, resulting in things like momentary picture loss from time to time.

 

Not too big of a problem were it just a console, but this isn't too desirable when the system is a portable and thus also doubles as its own controller that has to be held in the player's hands. Not to mention wear & tear every time you remove or insert that cable as you go between handheld and tv use that logically means it will only grow worse in time.

 

Any ideas if improvements have been made on that front (Or if it's even a widespread complaint; I only saw it mentioned by two reviewers after all)?

 

I'm not aware of any issues. In any case, the Flashback Portable works the same way. Honestly, without second player support, there's probably very little need to play it outside of the portable screen. It's nice enough quality anyway to not want to bother and I'm not a particular fan of the AtGames composite output on modern displays.

[+orpheuswaking]

As a strictly a8 user and never having delved into the 2600 world I've never picked up a Flashback. This however is on my must buy list

[Atariboy]

I appreciate tv/out on my handhelds, but I agree that it's not a key issue one way or another. Particularly when most of us around here including myself have the real hardware (and multicarts for anything we don't already own).

 

In the rare instances though when I'll take advantage of this feature, I'd certainly never plug it into anything but my Trinitron. Anything outputting in composite pretty much never gets connected to my HDTV.

Edited July 25, 2016 by Atariboy

[FifthPlayer]

I'm kinda surprised it has video out in the first place. It's not essential, and it seems like an easy way to cut costs by eliminating it.

 

I appreciate that it's there, but I'll likely never use it.

Edited July 26, 2016 by FifthPlayer

[Inky]

I appreciate that it's there, but I'll likely never use it.

I've used it a few times, and it does work well.

[RangerG]

This is great news and I am looking forward to buying one.

[Shawn]

 

It's not a SOAC and it's not the same as the Genesis handheld. It's actually unique internal hardware, basically a newer generation of what's been in the regular Flashbacks. The only major similarities it shares with the Genesis handheld are the case, battery, screen, and general button layout. Even the buttons are molded differently.

 

That is all good news.

[Byron's Reviews]

Whatever shortcomings this device has will not stop me from getting one. The next version will surely address any issues,. It's V1 of the atari handheld for crying out loud.

 

As for people saying they can play them on a smart phone, a touch screen will never work well for a system that used physical controllers.

 

Wow. I never even thought about the possibility of newer versions of the handheld in the future! I don't know why because the standard flashbacks have followed this trend so I don't see why this would be any different. It's kind of obvious now I think about it and that just makes all of this more exciting!

[Bill Loguidice]

 

Wow. I never even thought about the possibility of newer versions of the handheld in the future! I don't know why because the standard flashbacks have followed this trend so I don't see why this would be any different. It's kind of obvious now I think about it and that just makes all of this more exciting!

 

I will say that unlike all the other products in the line-up for 2016, I have a hard time envisioning notable updates for the Atari Flashback Portable in 2017. The 2016 version is already on a next gen hardware platform, replicates six switch functionality, and has an SD card slot. At the moment, the only real possibility I can see is a case redesign, but even that's not exactly likely.

[Flojomojo]

I will say that unlike all the other products in the line-up for 2016, I have a hard time envisioning notable updates for the Atari Flashback Portable in 2017. The 2016 version is already on a next gen hardware platform, replicates six switch functionality, and has an SD card slot. At the moment, the only real possibility I can see is a case redesign, but even that's not exactly likely.

How about a nice walnut case for it?

[barnieg]

Interesting example, the custom Neo Geo market certainly has its niche. Real wood based Atari VCS deluxe anyone? Just need some to design a new motherboard with built in Harmony Cart!!

 

 

How about a nice walnut case for it?

[Bill Loguidice]

There's always a chance to use the Atari Lynx case design, but I'm not sure anyone outside of the Atari faithful even knows what that is. It's something to think about, but I'd rather have the most comfortable and usable design than something that's nostalgic for nostalgia's sake.

[barnieg]

There's always a chance to use the Atari Lynx case design, but I'm not sure anyone outside of the Atari faithful even knows what that is. It's something to think about, but I'd rather have the most comfortable and usable design than something that's nostalgic for nostalgia's sake.

 

I think in its a sensible move to keep costs down, maybe they could consider a limited edition case at a higher price.

 

A slightly off tangent question for you Bill: Presumbly "Flashback" is not a brand on its own? Considering the Colecovision & Intellivision models its not exclusive to Atari based products or for that matter Atgames?

 

Barnie

[Bill Loguidice]

A slightly off tangent question for you Bill: Presumbly "Flashback" is not a brand on its own? Considering the Colecovision & Intellivision models its not exclusive to Atari based products or for that matter Atgames?

 

It is AtGames branding. AtGames Flashback Zone (AFZ), Flashback Classics, Flashback, etc. I'm trying to get them to change the Sega branding for next year to that as well.

[barnieg]

 

It is AtGames branding. AtGames Flashback Zone (AFZ), Flashback Classics, Flashback, etc. I'm trying to get them to change the Sega branding for next year to that as well.

 

Wasnt the Flashback originally Curt & Co's idea or was it Atari that came up with the name. Either way did Atgames need to make a license agreement with Atari: Who manufactured the first 2 flashbacks for Atari?

 

Barnie

[Bill Loguidice]

 

Wasnt the Flashback originally Curt & Co's idea or was it Atari that came up with the name. Either way did Atgames need to make a license agreement with Atari: Who manufactured the first 2 flashbacks for Atari?

 

Barnie

 

I don't know whose original idea it was or who manufactured the first two Flashbacks. All I know is that since the Flashback 3, AtGames has the rights. How that came to be exactly, I don't know. I know there is some bad blood there between the original parties, but from what I've seen it's nothing that AtGames has specifically done to cause it.

[Inky]

In the image, I'm assuming the red button is the fire button. In the tiny image we have, it's hard to tell the placement of theconsole buttons. My concern is that you'd be playing, and accidently hit Game Select or Reset. What is the layout?

[Bill Loguidice]

In the image, I'm assuming the red button is the fire button. In the tiny image we have, it's hard to tell the placement of theconsole buttons. My concern is that you'd be playing, and accidently hit Game Select or Reset. What is the layout?

 

It's really a non-issue. It works the same as it does on the Genesis handheld or any other controller really. You'd have to go out of your way to push something other than the main action button.

 

I don't want to trump AtGames marketing so I'll just say that the button to the immediate left is the TV TYPE button. Any "danger" buttons are far away. Like I said before, I'm very happy with the button layout. I worked directly with AtGames on that and I can't imagine a more logical or "safe" layout for this particularly configuration.

[barnieg]

 

I don't know whose original idea it was or who manufactured the first two Flashbacks. All I know is that since the Flashback 3, AtGames has the rights. How that came to be exactly, I don't know. I know there is some bad blood there between the original parties, but from what I've seen it's nothing that AtGames has specifically done to cause it.

 

It did seem to be (at least publically) another nail in the coffin in how the current ip holder of the Atari brand does business. Curt certainly pushed the concept and a lot of hardwork was put into the flashback 2 particularly. AtGames are certainly benefitting from this work.

[barnieg]

 

It's really a non-issue. It works the same as it does on the Genesis handheld or any other controller really. You'd have to go out of your way to push something other than the main action button.

 

I don't want to trump AtGames marketing so I'll just say that the button to the immediate left is the TV TYPE button. Any "danger" buttons are far away. Like I said before, I'm very happy with the button layout. I worked directly with AtGames on that and I can't imagine a more logical or "safe" layout for this particularly configuration.

 

 

I think the button layout is actually quite clever, any other solution would have ended up quite clunky and impractical i think.

 

Barnie

[Bill Loguidice]

 

It did seem to be (at least publically) another nail in the coffin in how the current ip holder of the Atari brand does business. Curt certainly pushed the concept and a lot of hardwork was put into the flashback 2 particularly. AtGames are certainly benefitting from this work.

 

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "AtGames are certainly benefitting from this work."? They started over from scratch with the Flashback 3. If you mean they benefited from two prior Atari Flashbacks, then I suppose you could make that argument, i.e., it validated the market and established the product line. That was a decade ago, though. It's probably time to move on.