School me on flashbacks

[Atari030]

I have an original FB which probably doesn't get the love it deserves, but with dozens of Atari's lying around it isn't unwarranted. The GLW is getting me a FB portable for Christmas and I am looking forward to sitting that on the coffee table next to the Lynx for some handheld action. I have been going over Wiki and AA to see what is possible with the Flashbacks. Confusing and conflicting seems to about cover it.I also plan to get a newer FB at some point too.

 

So, what is the best FB to get for loading your own games? Are there two versions of the portable? Is there anything that can be done with the original FB? Bear in mind that hacking a unit won't bother me.

[almightytodd]

Original Flashback - Curt Vendel's "proof of concept" NOAC-based plug-and-play to test the waters for interest

Flashback 2 - Curt's "masterpiece"; the only "real" Atari 2600 redo - the printed circuit board has tracings and end-points for adding a cart-slot; mostly compatible with the original VCS, but some cart titles won't work (including some of the recent homebrews).

Flashback 2+ - Like the "2", but with the Activision games removed and replaced with some sports titles

Flashback 3 - 9: Emulation-based units by AtGames - Each iteration adds more games and features. Wired controllers are compatible with original Atari hardware. Wireless controllers on some models. The "Nine" connects to HDMI and has an SD card slot; includes Activision games "Pitfall" and "River Raid".

Edited November 15, 2018 by almightytodd

[youxia]

There are seriously over 10 Atari Flashbacks out there? Wow.

[Flojomojo]

There are seriously over 10 Atari Flashbacks out there? Wow.

Many more than 10, there are minor variations and the last two years had "Gold" HD variants too. Make sure you grab the pack of games on SD for it .... you'll find it on this site, PM me if you need help.

 

I'd get the Atari Flashback 9, either regular (red/white box, wired controllers) or Gold (says Gold on it, wireless controllers) because they let you put extra ROMs on there after you flash it with a firmware update.

 

Also consider the Legends Flashback, which is full of arcade games and also has a custom firmware which allows you to add Sega Genesis ROMs.

[Atari030]

Thanks for the replies. From what I can see the portables looks to be the ducks nuts. SD slot and everything. Am I right in saying there are two versions? HDMI and Composite?

 

As for the normal post ver 2 FB's, version 9 is the hackable model? What about earlier models? None of the others can have ROM's added?

[Flojomojo]

Portable Flashback is analog out. There's an old version and a current version. They're similar. Some people don't like the controls or screens, but they're like $40, so they're good enough for what they are. There's a ROM pack that is repacked and renamed with everything tested and working, a real triumph of the community effort.

 

Flashback 2 has circuit board traces for adding a cartridge slot. You'll need to solder it in and hack a place to mount it.

 

Flashback 8 Gold Activision Edition has a good game lineup. It came out last year but I've seen it in stores recently. It's nice but not expandable.

 

Flashback 9 (standard and Gold) which is new this year has an SD card slot for adding more games. You'll need to update the firmware first (link is in my signature as I wrote this). That's the one I would seek out.

 

The "other" player is the Retronauts 77, which can dump cartridges or play Stella and load ROMs from SDcard. I prefer the AtGames Flashback 9.

[Atari030]

Cheers, that clears it up. FB 9 is next on the list. Do any of them do 5200 or 7800 games? Or all 2600?

 

Pretty sure the portable is the AV version, not fussed as I have retropi and will look at the FB 9 anyway. The portable will be just that.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Cheers, that clears it up. FB 9 is next on the list. Do any of them do 5200 or 7800 games? Or all 2600?

 

Pretty sure the portable is the AV version, not fussed as I have retropi and will look at the FB 9 anyway. The portable will be just that.

2600 only.

[Flojomojo]

Pretty sure the portable is the AV version, not fussed as I have retropi and will look at the FB 9 anyway. The portable will be just that.

All the Atari Flashback portables have analog AV output, and you generally have to bring your own cable (there's a deluxe version at Sams or someplace like it with a packed-in AV cable).

 

Both of the Atari Flashback 9 units are HDMI.

[AtariLeaf]

Cheers, that clears it up. FB 9 is next on the list. Do any of them do 5200 or 7800 games? Or all 2600?

 

Pretty sure the portable is the AV version, not fussed as I have retropi and will look at the FB 9 anyway. The portable will be just that.

 

The original flashback had 7800 games but IIRC they had issues. It would be nice to see one of these things with 5200/XL and 7800 games done with better sound and emulation.

[Flojomojo]

The original flashback had 7800 games but IIRC they had issues. It would be nice to see one of these things with 5200/XL and 7800 games done with better sound and emulation.

 

The first Flashback, the one that looked like a little 7800, had NES-on-a-chip hardware, so all the games were reprogrammed. As I recall, Asteroids and Food Fight came out OK but aren't perfect.

 

If anyone wants a portable 7800, the RS-97 does it decently. It also plays Atari Lynx games. You'll need to perform some minor work to re-flash the firmware and load up the ROMs, but it's not super difficult. Just not out-of-the-box and 100% legally licensed like the AtGames products.

 

People dump on AtGames for cutting corners, but they do their homework with licensing everything they publish. they have amazing distribution (seriously -- they're in DRUGSTORES), and their prices are low. I like them.

[Atari030]

Awesome, got it. I will have to plug ye olde FB1 in and check it out. I've not plugged it in for a few years. Now I just have to wait 6 weeks for the FB portable.

[CapitanClassic]

Since the FB1 is a Nintendo on a chip, could it be hacked to play NES games. I am guessing no, but am not sure if the Nintendo PPU is integrated into the NOAC.

[Flojomojo]

Since the FB1 is a Nintendo on a chip, could it be hacked to play NES games. I am guessing no, but am not sure if the Nintendo PPU is integrated into the NOAC.

No, the chip is under a blob of epoxy with no way to program anything inside. I think there might be ROMs of the Atari Flashback 1 games floating around, though.

[Tanooki]

There are in fact ROMS dumped from the FB1 online, they're just very hard to find unfortunately.

 

The Bridge Direct mini arcade cabinets even uses one of them, Centipede, it's the 7800 NOAC hacked version of it. They hacked a hack and added their own IP info on the title and popped that onto a chip for their walmart only mini cabinet. Millipede and Asteroids for the 7800 was another on that device among a few others. Adventure, Battlezone, Desert Falcon, Saboteur, Planet Smashers, Warlords, and Canyon Bomber are in the compressed file I have so it's not a complete list. I'm not sure if this was all that person at the time could dump or all that was capable of being copied but it is what there is. Most of them won't even run in an NES emulator anyway, at all or are just straight up broken. Centipede though does work, side by side looks and plays just like the BD mini cabinet including no diagonals.

 

Truth be told I actually have the dump of it. I went digging for it around 6mo ago and hit a road block until I found someone willing to share it as it's not just up on the web anywhere like all those freely thrown around NES games for the last 20+ years.

[Flojomojo]

I might have that file too ... but if I recall, you can't just toss it into an NES emulator and expect it to work. I can't say for sure because I have the real games and haven't messed with this much.

 

The FB1 wasn't great, but having Solaris, 7800 Asteroids, and Food Fight in one unit was kinda neat.

 

If you got me this 3-pack with Flashback 1, pinball, and spongebob, I would keep and play it.

[Tanooki]

Not a bad deal I guess, oh and oddly enough that pinball handheld is very good (I have one.) I rarely keep TV games stuff around anymore and just have that one and the bandai 8bit pacman body one that is basically arcade accurate.

 

You're right the FB1 had a nice unique setup going for it.

 

I preferred the FB2 though as it was more of a real Atari basically right down to those etched on bits to add a cart slot. I thought the FB2+ removed that though. At one point I was considering having someone mod a FB2 for me given the hardware is far newer than the old 70s machines. I never was big on the 2600 yet there are a few nice licensed games on there that were amusing which would put that cart slot to good enough use.

[Atari030]

FB 9 is only $89au? Wow. My Wife will be stoked......

[Hwlngmad]

I agree. I know people love to hate on AtGames, but I think they do a pretty solid job. I loved the Intellivision FB and am strongly considering picking up a 2018 Atari FB handheld as the PSP I have plays some 2600 games really good, but others are real finicky (for me at least).

People dump on AtGames for cutting corners, but they do their homework with licensing everything they publish. they have amazing distribution (seriously -- they're in DRUGSTORES), and their prices are low. I like them.

[Tanooki]

I'll give them another chance when they decide to stop neglecting the Genesis handheld. When that one comes around to the android core using genesis gx as the emulator I'm all in on that. They did a nice job rebranding the SMS/GG handheld which I've held onto, so I know it's within them to do something right when the choice is made.

[+MrBlackCat]

I have been searching for the differences between the FB9 standard, and FB9 Gold...

1. So far it looks like the FB9 Gold comes with an HDMI cable...

2. FB9 Gold shares all games (but two listed below) with the standard edition except FB9 Gold has these...

Atari Video Cube

Burger Time

Burnin’ Rubber

Chase It!

Chopper Command

Escape It!

Freeway

Lock ‘n Chase

Miss It!

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns

Shield Shifter

Space Raid

Strip Off

3. FB9 Standard Edition has Fishing Derby and Oink! that FB9 Gold does not.

4. FB9 Standard Edition has wired controllers. (I prefer wired controllers)

 

Did I miss anything? I am just not seeing the Gold being worth that much more unless I am missing something.

 

Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

MrBlackCat

[Atari030]

Wireless controllers too.

[AtariLeaf]

The regular flashback 9 is on for $50 Canadian on the walmart site. I probably still won't buy one though. I saw another review today and I wasn't impressed (neither was the reviewer)

[wolfy62]

Is the Genesis handheld unit with 85 games any good? I am on the fence about getting one.

[Flojomojo]

Is the Genesis handheld unit with 85 games any good? I am on the fence about getting one.

It's fairly compatible, comes with a bunch of decent games, and the units from the past few years can save progress in role playing games. You can add lots of extra games, the controls are fine and the screen is OK for the price. The sound, especially melodic music, is really off to the point of being super annoying.

 

So yeah, it's fun and easy, but sometimes you will want to play with sound off.