Atari Flashback 11 Confirmed

[SJD69]

AtGames replied to my inquiry of Atari Flashback X availability by telling me they've got an Atari Flashback 11 in the pipeline for later this year (2022).

 

With the chip shortages, hopefully they can pull it off, and it will be even better than Atari Flashback X.

 

Their email:

Thank you for reaching out to us. 

We are currently working on our Atari Flashback 11 that should be available in stores in Q4 2022. Please consider joining our social media channels for the latest news and updates. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtGamesGaming/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atgamesgaming

 

Best regards, 

AtGames Customer Support 

 

________________

Scottie John, CEO

Misamis Gaming Corporation

Austin, TX

Edited March 18, 2022 by SJD69
Added info.

[4ever2600]

Geez, hope they don't make you crack this one open to insert an SD card.  Sticking with my 9 Gold.

[+Atari_Warlord]

They should really go after the Retron 77 market with an actual working cartridge slot and compatibility with all carts and devices.  An actual HDMI 2600 is really all we're missing today.  If it isn't right for AtGames, hopefully some company will see potential.

[Mockduck]

These things feel like an energy drink can to me, disposable and generally poor quality for a cheap price. I appreciate the work that has been generated thanks to this clearance rack commercial effort, and the entire Atari scene has benefited tremendously from it, but I would never consider buying an actual Flashback myself; you get what you pay for, and you are paying for cheap big box retail electronic landfill trash. 

[+fdr4prez]

7 minutes ago, Mockduck said:

These things feel like an energy drink can to me, disposable and generally poor quality for a cheap price. I appreciate the work that has been generated thanks to this clearance rack commercial effort, and the entire Atari scene has benefited tremendously from it, but I would never consider buying an actual Flashback myself; you get what you pay for, and you are paying for cheap big box retail electronic landfill trash. 

Yeah, these are just cases for Raspberry Pis 

[4ever2600]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:52 AM, fdr4prez said:

Yeah, these are just cases for Raspberry Pis 

?

[Mockduck]

On 3/21/2022 at 12:52 PM, fdr4prez said:

Yeah, these are just cases for Raspberry Pis 

I've long felt they should lean more into it; the Flashback only kinda looks like a VCS; more like a Sorny version of a Sony product. I get maybe they can't for whatever reason, but I bet they could get closer to looking like the real thing.

[CapitanClassic]

@Mockduck, are they really that different? Sure, it’s smaller  (intentionally), the switches aren’t the same, and the switch labels are painted…but overall pretty close. Much closer than the older AFB 2-9 models.

 

[Rodney Hester]

@CapitanClassic I assumed he was referring to the previous Flashbacks, not the mini.

[Mockduck]

19 hours ago, CapitanClassic said:

@Mockduck, are they really that different? Sure, it’s smaller  (intentionally), the switches aren’t the same, and the switch labels are painted…but overall pretty close. Much closer than the older AFB 2-9 models.

 

Guess I am out of date on this one, I thought they were still going with the big orange buttons and such. 

[Leatherrebel5150]

IS there anywhere still selling the Flashback X? I almost always saw every previous version in a dollar general or walmart or somewhere but the X seems to have disappeared into the ether. I was planning on this being my last flashback but never saw one.

[+fdr4prez]

I got mine from Dollar General a couple years ago 

[rocketfan]

This is exciting news.  IMO they did a great job with the Flashback X being a true "2600 Mini", so I wonder what they will be doing with the design of the case, but also what route they will take with support for add-on games.  My main wish would be to just expand back into games for consoles beyond the VCS.  A 7800 or 5200 flashback model with modern emulation would be a must-buy for me. An Atari 8bit computer mini would be my ultimate, but previously atGames said not enough market to justify that.

 

Anyway, glad to hear they are thinking about these products again.

 

[MrMaddog]

If they can put in an SD card slot (maybe where the cart slot is) then I'll get one.  Otherwise I'll stick with my current Flashback X, and FB 9 which does have an SD slot.

 

[BIGHMW]

I also, own a Flashback 9, two of them in fact, mainly because of the SD card slot, but, I also have the 2600 adapter for my 5200 as well, so I can play all of the ARM-based games on her that Champ Games puts out for her, since the FB 9 does not recognize them.

 

.....and ditto on either a 5200 or XL/XE/XEGS Flashback as well. However, an XL/XE/XEGS FB would be impossible without there being a port for a keyboard for her, since it would be emulating the computers. However, the 5200 Flashback, provided she have the same 15-pin controller inputs (for full compatibility with all existing 5200 controllers including the Trak-Ball) and an HDMI output would definitely be a top sell IMO, because eventually (I hate to but have to say it) our units will fail without proper maintenance. That and with retrogaming becoming a bigger and bigger phenomenon every year, and with prices going through the roof on all fronts of the OG 1970s-80s consoles we may all someday have a very tough decision to make, and, might possibly, if it came down to $$$, have to downgrade (???) to a FB 9 and put up with just playing 2600 games just to get our weekend gaming fix.

[+Stephen]

How many of these different models do we need?  How many times can we play the same set of games over and over and over again?

[BIGHMW]

42 minutes ago, Stephen said:

How many of these different models do we need?  How many times can we play the same set of games over and over and over again?

Agreed. The Flashback 9 was the ultimate Flashback iMO, should've just stopped R & D on these bullshit "replacements" and successors and just still belt out FB 9's. The SD card slot definitely sells this unit for herself. It did me. All she needed was a firmware upgrade in order to run those fantastic ARM-based games like what Champ Games is belting out, in fact that is the only reason why I still own both a 2600 adapter for my 5200 and a Harmony Encore. Coming out with a Flashback X (and now FB 11) was a bit somewhat of a downgrade as AtGames went backwards and never thought of incorporating an SD slot in her, despite the face-lift she got to make her look like a Heavy/Light Sixer, disappointing. I'll stick with my setup as it is.

Edited April 4, 2022 by BIGHMW

[jjw]

7 hours ago, MrMaddog said:

If they can put in an SD card slot (maybe where the cart slot is) then I'll get one. 

That would be a nice addition.  @Games could make a proprietary SD card interface cartridge to go into the cart slot and sell it for an extra $20.  It would be win-win, a cool way for fans to add games and an extra add-on for @Games to sell.  If they are releasing a new generation I hope they consider improving the controllers.  That is a weak point in the ones I own. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by jjw

[BIGHMW]

3 hours ago, Stephen said:

How many of these different models do we need?  How many times can we play the same set of games over and over and over again?

 

.....and, since I'm quoting you, that, is also the reason why I got myself a ColecoVision to go along with my 5200 instead of "gutting it out" through my debt and growing financial problems and just kept my 2600, 7800, and XEGS, because basically, with a few exceptions when it comes mostly to homebrews, those other three units play pretty much the same games (sans superior/inferior graphics) as Big Sexy does. ColecoVision, on the other hand has TONS of exclusive titles that are not available on ANY Atari system. Now I ask you, how many versions of Pac-Man, Asteroids or Centipede, for instance, do we need??? Meanwhile, along with my 5200 and all of her great titles, Coleco offer titles like Mouse Trap, Cosmic Avenger, Ladybug, Omega Race, Space Fury, and even Pepper II, and many exclusive, original homebrews, like Deep Space Swarm, Light Grid Racing (in which emulates the light cycles sequence from TRON), and Bomb Jack, in which is a terrific homebrew of the hit 1985 arcade game on the same name, in which you can NEVER find on any Atari system. I doesn't matter what console you own. One SuperSystem can take care of me as well as having its once-adversary-now-ally from BITD alongside.

 

....and while we're at it, you won't believe how many of these titles are exclusive to its own unit (for each) she was designed for, in fact, if it had to be either C-V, Intellivision or Sega as a unit to compliment Big Sexy, it came down to ColecoVision. I have BOTH Atarimax Ultimate SD multicarts for them and almost 1,000 different titles combined between the two, and while yes there are but a few of the same variations of maybe, at the most 15 titles that mirror each other, there are just so many original titles on each, ones you won't find on any other systems, no matter who makes them.

[+wongojack]

Isn't there also a problem with paddle support on the FB X (or is it FB9)?

 

Put the SD cart slot back, don't F up the paddles and then freeze it in place forever until you are ready to add a real cart slot.

[TwoShedsWilson]

I'm fine getting a re-do of the X with an SD card slot. I'd really be into a 7800 or 5200. Please, please, please do a 5200. I'd even settle for "decent" controllers as I know better than to expect terrific and that's fine.

 

Give me a 5200 with decent controllers, and an SD slot and I'll order 4 right now and more after my wife finishes beating me.

[+jgkspsx]

For what it’s worth, Atari Flashback Collection on Switch/Xbox/PS and Atari Vault 2 for NuVCS do have all the 5200 games they have licenses for. Alas, you can’t add games to them.

 

I really want a handheld 2600 that doesn’t suck. Throw a Microvision-sized paddle on there and I would never put it down.

[Mockduck]

IMO the Atari Flashback Classics collection on Switch (the one that includes both Vaults) is the best thing AtGames has done to date. Unsure what the worst is, probably that Pong Blast! thing that barely functioned out of the box.  I guess I'd say they do good software, and the hardware is what you should expect given the price.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Mockduck

[+Intellivision Master]

On 4/1/2022 at 9:05 AM, rocketfan said:

A 7800 or 5200 flashback model with modern emulation would be a must-buy for me.

This would be great.  Hopefully it happens.  They've done the 2600 to death.  It's time for a change.

[rocketfan]

On 3/26/2022 at 12:55 PM, Leatherrebel5150 said:

IS there anywhere still selling the Flashback X?

As far as I know, no real legit retailer is selling the Flashback X anymore.  Occasionally in say the last 6 months some "new in box" lots have shown up on e-bay for reasonable prices like $50/per.  Right now on e-bay I only see one X and it is priced $125 - to me that is robbery.  A whole lot of these were sold at Sam's Club and Menards (the last major retailers who had them) at $40 each.  I assume occasionally some regular reasonable Joe/Jane non-scalpers will sell theirs for reasonable money if you keep an eye out on the used places like e-bay.  I'm a big Flashback X fan, and I would not want to pay over $60 or so, which is the stated "list price" from AtGames.