Atari Flashback 9 and Flashback-type Systems in General

[Batchman]

So I kind of got tired of doing most of my gaming on the computer with emulators, and finally decided to break down and order an Atari Flashback system online tonight (will arrive in the next couple of days). Looking through lots of stuff, it looked like the 9 Gold would be an excellent system, including wireless controllers, which could be fun, and already having the SD slot for greater ease of adding more games to the already fairly nice list available.

 

But what am I going to have to do with it, once I receive it, to make full use of it? Hacks? Software updates?

 

Are there any inexpensive options to add the paddles (trying to read past posts, it sounds like paddles were never made for the Flashback 9, and that any original Atari paddles would need to be modded to work, but looking around, it looks like even getting a set of the original paddles is just as expensive as the Flashback system, itself, these days) ... so what's the best option to try and get good access to those wonderful paddle games?

 

What other things do I need to know to get the most out of my Flashback?

 

And for the other question, any guesses as to the status of Flashback-type units, overall? Currently on amazon and AtHome or AtGames or whatever the company name is, the only things that are available are the Atari 8-10 models and the Legends models. I've seen info on all the other Flashback systems, but none of them seem to be available anymore. What do you guess are the odds that updated versions will eventually become available? It seems kind of unlikely that the only type that would remain in existence would be the 2600 ones.

 

Just looking for guesses as to whether the NES, SNES, Genesis, etc will someday be available again.

[atarifan88]

The first thing you need to do is add the firmware to the system that will allow you to play games via SD card.  Everything you need to know can be found in this thread: 

 

Then you need to go get some ROMs to put on the card once the firmware is updated.  You can pick and choose the games you want from here: http://www.atarimania.com/rom_collection_archive_atari_2600_roms.html

 

As far as the paddles go, none work well with the FB9 Gold.  That has always been an issue with AT Games.  I finally got fed up and bought a Retron 77 as the firmware it takes is the Stella emulator that allows the use of paddles.  Either way, you should enjoy plenty of Atari action on these systems.  Enjoy!