Although uncredited, a Chinese studio named "Nice Code" developed these strange NES ports of Atari 2600 and 7800 games. They would later hack up and reskin many of these games to release on various multicarts and Famiclone systems to continue making money off these games long after the work was done. They also did this with with one of the first Intelevision plug & play consoles and did the same bootlegging after the contract ran out. It's pretty funny seeing these games try to emulate the look of the console they were originally on when the NES just doesn't have the same quirks. Case in point, In Yars' Revenge, you don't see the same rainbow effect on the Flashback 1 because the NES can't display as many simultaneous colors as the VCS can, nor does it have as big of a palette. Naturally, the NES has a general advantage over the VCS by having a PPU with dedicated RAM, but the VCS' "racing the beam" approach to graphics made it easier to change colors per scanline than it is on NES. Hence, the force field and explosion effects in Yars' Revenge end up looking like a multi-colored mess instead of a gradient of many colors. Could Nice Code have done a better job with these games? Maybe, but these Chinese bootleg developers weren't known for making quality games too often. Also, they were hamstringed into making these games look like the originals instead of taking advantage of any NES enhancements; a serious port of Yars's Revenge, Asteroids, Crystal Castles, etc. to NES would potentially look better than the originals while playing just as good or close to it. And of course there 's already an NES port of Millipede done by HAL Laboratory, it looks nearly as good as the arcade version, though the screen is a bit smaller.
Right those would be so cool! I was also upset that the Atari 50th flashback didn't include everything from the Atari 50th game release! I just think they'd be surprised how well some of this stuff outside of 2600 would do! Anyway thanks for checking the video out!
I would like to see a atari arcade flashback that has all of thier arcade games. Arcade games like batman, indiana jones and the temple of doom, peter pack rat, super sprint, pit fighter, hydra, primal rage, tempest, the star wars vector games etc.
Unfortunately, I gotta say, “Good luck with that, sincerely.” You might as well build your own, because that would never get made by any company, with 3 Disney-owned properties (the Star Wars ones), 1 Lucas IP (Indiana Jones), and one Warner Bros. IP (Batman). So, I’m afraid that’ll never happen, despite that I’ve wanted to see those games again since the 1980s. Also, you forgot _Road Runner_ (also Warner Bros., while we’re at it, and even better than the SNES game)-pro’lly my favorite of the mid- to late-‘80s style Atari games-as well as Paperboy and RoadBlasters. Those are great on the Lynx, and the Lynx version of Gauntlet (by Epyx, who designed the Lynx console, itself - a major reason it came with California Games) is the best Gauntlet, ever. Your best chance to ever play them, again-besides buying the cabinets, of course 😉-is with AntStream (who’s had the Star Wars raster arcade trio) or another arcade streaming service that can rent the licenses, because even at the very good pace Atari is going, righ’now, it likely wouldn’t ever be a winning proposition to license those games, again, for sale, as much as that would cost... Alien vs. Predator won’t ever be on a Jaguar Mini, or anything else, either, for the same reason. 😢
A perfect vid, thanks for the shout out to The CV. Very sadly missed. The problem with the NES is that it really was not up to the quality of the 7800. I would love a Jag mini. Also the new 2600 plus should have been a Jag plus instead. Atari sold off the rights to the Lynx games, I think Songbird productions has most of the games. Oh, my PP is none other than Trevor McFurr
I did not know that About the lynx, thanks for clearing that up. Even though others have their doubts I think a 7800 flashback or Jaguar Mini would sell well because 1 the originals are becoming prohibitively expensive and 2 people are curious. If they could get a little box with appropriate controllers and 20 or more games for a fair price I bet they would do it. Also CV will be greatly missed. I think more people need to know that people like him, and others kept the community alive for many years thanks to their love and dedication of this stuff. Thanks for watching!
I have a few of the Atari Flashbacks, but my favourite is the Ten/X editions with the SD slot; it means I can put the entire library on there! Some homebrew games (like Space Rocks) work with the Stella emulation inside the box. Thanks for the video, I shall stay clear of the first Flashback 🙂
I heard there's a couple flashbacks that are really good. Of course, being mostly a 7800 guy I was drawn to the first one. It's a shame the games weren't accurate. I wish they would go back to it one day!
The X/Ten Flashback is my go to console; I bought some of the others cheap on Ebay so I'd have some spare controllers, plus some paddles. I find the emulation on Retropie (on a Raspberry Pi) is really good for the 7800; I can't get all the ROMs to work, but the ones that do play really well. And it's pretty cheap to set up, like about 60n UK pounds.@@TheAtariNetwork
I was born in 72 same year as Atari Pong came out in 76 my first home console is the Atari Super Pong and still own it and got every Atari systems from the 2600 to the Jag but I also love the 7800 as well and even help making box art for homebrew games like Keystone Koppers, 2048, Danger Zone and Popeyes and more art I drew to this day.
I'm familiar with all that art! Keystone Koppers was brilliant in its box art and manual. And of course Popeye was spot on. I like how muddy's covers often mimic Activision, which makes sense considering the name he uses on his games (MuddyVision). Your stuff is very well done and if I recall right you get credited as AtariBoy2600 usually don't you?
I wish I could go this year but maybe next year I'll be able to finally come and meet you guys! I hope you have a good time! And again, good job on the art. It's all very professional and just good looking, I'm a fan!
The Atari 50th absolutely does and I loved it but it didn't seem to transfer over to the other Atari 50th products such as the arcade, mini arcade or the handhelds. I just think more variety in the ancillary products would go a long way.
It is not what is in the collection, it is what is not there. I mean Tower Toppler or the fixed Impossible Mission would be great. Kasumi Ninja on the Jag, I loved it. Or BattleMorph. What no Jag CD games?@@TheAtariNetwork
They'll keep doing it every year. It's not in their business interests to make another emulation console that has all the games anybody could ever want from Atari.@@ViciousAlienKlown
Yes, the Atari 2600 VCS was the mainstay and legacy of the company, but the omission of the other Atari home computer/ home video game systems is absolutely, totally and utterly unfair. We need to have them ALL if there is to be a true Atari collection, other than the Atari Flashbacks honoring the 2600.
I don't understand why they don't just make a Atari with SD slot that Emu all *800, 2600 ,7800 ,Lynx and Jaguar* . Was never that much into Atari but it's 2023 think that be a easy feat too achieve for these plug n play companies
@@joezar33 There is 'THE400MINI' which is a mini ATARI 400 shaped console that emulates all the ATARI 8-bit microcomputer range (400, 800, 600XL, 800XL, 1200XL, 65XE/800XE, and 130XE) as well as the ATARI 5200 console. I think that's probably the most comprehensive one so far.
@joezar33 lynx and jag was a combo of not having a wide enough audience and a small game library that 2/3 the games were liscence from other companies-- the lynx mainly just epyx games otherwise they were liscence from movies, namco/atari arcade/Midway...as crazy as it is while atari produced all the games only about to of the 70 or so games weren't ports or liscence
One HUGE thing to keep in mind. The Atari _2600 sold over 30 _*_million_* units-not counting Sears’ Tele-Games clone or Coleco’s unlicensed adapter, which were both sold at the same time-while the _7800 only sold 150 _*_thousand._* So, for every Atari 7800 out there, there are 200 Atari 2600s out there, representing tens of millions of families’ kids’ nostalgia. So, getting the Atari 50 Collection for whatever system you already own (which should include the 2021 Atari VCS) is likely the best way to get most of those games - _with much better controllers than the 7800’s._ Atari’s older arcade games are also on the Atari Vault Collection(s), and the newest arcade reboot of theirs, _Neo Sprint,_ is on the Atari VCS Store, righ’now - which anyone with a new VCS might wanna get now, while it’s in beta-ish form ($16), before the price goes up, when the game is ready for “full release” there. Help Atari get the funds to make what is a great but incredibly buggy game just plain great. Anyone who digs Atari and doesn’t get a new VCS-and the “Reloaded” games, to boot up-at least when it’s on sale for under $200 for the basic package (which comes with a “Classic Controller” that sells for about $100 by itself on eBay... ), will be kicking themselves sometime down the road... Promise.
The Atari 7800 didn't sell 150000 units, it sold closer to 2 million. Your thinking of the Jaguar, the Jaguar sold 150,000 units. But still I get your point, but after so many versions of 2600 flashbacks and collections it becomes old hat after a while. Even doing something like the Atari gamestation pro where they added about seventeen 5200 and 7800 games helps to change things up and explore more of their history.
I think an Atari 8-bit line would make a better product. The library for Atari Computers, 5200, and Atari XEGS is bigger and has more quality titles than the 7800. However beyond milking the product line, there is no real reason that they can't make a single Atari Console with every game and system from Pong to Lynx. Maybe even Panther prototypes. Good Jaguar emulation would be beyond a legally produced sub $200 console. At least for now.
I bought one when they came out and I was waiting for more from the 7800 games. Actually my unit is not working and maybe it is for the better. I am more an Atari computer person, but I also have the Jaguar and Jaguar CD (I need to verify if they are working). I would like to see a Mini Atari 8-bit or ST, but a MINI Jaguar will be great.
I'm sure a lot of people were excited for the flashback initially! After buying mine I haven't touched it since the review and I doubt I will. I'm going to hold onto it but only because it's another 7800 related product for the collection.
Why can't we get a flashback that just does it all.. -Secure whatever licensing is needed and gets us all of the best games for the arcade, 2600, 5200, and 7800. -Either include scans of the original manuals in the software or a companion book. -Offer HDMI, RCA and the original output so that you can play on a modern TV or a CRT. -Include a cartridge slot to play real carts. -SD card support for homebrew games. -Include bluetooth support for wireless joysticks and paddles as well as slots to plug in the original controllers. -Cosmetically, make it look exactly like the original 2600 - or perhaps a shrunken version like the 2600+ I'd pay $250 for that. Just get everything right and stop half-assing it.
In a perfect world of Atari, we would have a 7800 Pro Gamer Atari Flashback named in your honor! 1. Flashbacks play a good role in retro. An Atari 2600 Flashback I received as a gift really inspired me to get back to playing and years later; I have two 7800s. 2. I had no idea there were so many Flashbacks out there! 3. I signed the petition! 4. Thanks for the review; I was on the fence about getting this Flashback just to have something else related to the 7800, but I really don’t see the need to. Keep up the great work!
Thanks as always! I was on the fence about releasing this video because I was feeling a little burnout after the last two but I figured I put the work in it so might as well. I'm glad people seem to be getting something out of it. I got the flashback because I too was wanting something 7800. But this definitely isn't the way to get your fix. Hopefully we'll get something worthwhile soon!
If you already have a 7800 and the cartridges you want, the picture quality and tv compatibility you want; then why get anything else? You already have the best.@@TheAtariNetwork
Oh yeah I have everything I could ever want honestly. But sometimes curiosity gets the better of me. I knew of the flashbacks but I wasn't aware any of them had anything other than 2600 games. And if there's a way for more people to experience my favorite console I want to report on it. But this clearly isn't the way...
Good question I didn't go on playing long enough to find out. No matter what it's not true to the original, plus the hit boxes are enormous. It's just really bad.
wasn't the VCS suppost to cover ALL Atari ? that would be the way to go. meanwhile , if i find this used (like , under 10$ at a yard sale) i'd gut it & put a Pi in it. just needs a decent DB-9 connectored Controller ... maybe Atari could make a new Euro-Pad ? (with extra buttons)
The VCS has so many issues though and it's still missing a lot of stuff. Currently I'm dealing with Zip Code issues on the VCS. My point is they've released and continue to release plug in play flashbacks for the 2600, I wish they would just release one for a different era or console. Also the case would be awesome for a pi!
I think the "My Arcade"is it? Evercade And Atari system may put an end to Flashbacks totally so the quality of Atgames products will be a thing of the past.The Flashback 1 i always thought was a 20th anniversary for the 7800 1984-2004 i think if you read the opening screen it says something about that when you click "classic game console" Recently i picked up a 1984 El Paso 7800 #293 made i just registered it on Atari Age
You could be right. Still I think the flashback was maybe intended to originally cover more than just the 2600 but that's where they got hung up. And most people have nostalgia for that console so it makes sense. I don't know if the flashbacks are done but I've had the my arcade gamestation pro for a week. Video coming soon.
Eff the emulation. Please just give us an FPGA console! _Thats_ what we really need and would sell like hotcakes! There's already enough lame software emulation boxes out there, so instead of more of the same ol', some actual hardware would be a nice change of pace and real godsend at this point. There's no reason why they can't produce something like the RetroUSB AVS, or Analogue SuperNT, Mega SG, but as an Atari system, say a 7800, which can play actual 7800 & 2600 carts, and maybe a 5200 core as a bonus, which titles can be played via SD card. 👍
If there is a last iteration of those atari flashbacks ,they they should make an atari flashback sega edition with both atari 2600 and 5200 versions of sega games on it along with sega’s brand name on it,and they should make a atari flashback nintendo edition as well with all nintendo games from both the atari 2600,5200 and 7800 on it along with nintendo’s brand name on it, Off course there should be also atari’s top games of both mentioned editions of it, Sure it will require license deals with both sega & nintendo to do so but i GARANTEE. It will sell into millions by both sega & nintendo fans, Now i also want to see an atari XE flashback with all those sega,nintendo and atari’s own games on it along with nintendo and sega’s brand name on the pakage, And lastly if i want to see atari move forware,please do us a favor resurrect scrapyard dog and turn it into merchandises,cartoon series and a movie, And if i want to see a new homebrew game for the 7800, then i want to see pac land getting ported to the 7800 because it really deserves it.
Pac land would be cool on the 7800. At Games is sort of doing what you're talking about with the Flashback Blast series. So far they've done Namco, Activision, and Atari I believe. I'm sure Sega would have no issue licensing stuff as they do it all the time now. Nintendo is always a crap shoot, but they can surprise us sometimes. I just think that the 2600 stuff has been done to death. I know the casual appeal is probably limited but there is a market for flashback style products for 5200, 7800, Jaguar and more. Heck, still throw in 2600 stuff if they're worried about limited appeal. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...
We never had a 2600. All my Atari gaming was done in the arcades and on my Atari 800. I got the Flashback Mini 7800, hoping to have better graphics than I remembered on my 800 since the 7800 came out later. I was unimpressed. Most of the games are awkward to play, and the graphics don't impress. I rarely use it and mostly depend on the Atari 800 emulator on my computer.
chng.it/gvPCnrR4jj The link the petition for the Atari to stop focusing on the 2600 and give us more 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx and Computer products! Sign if you agree, don't if you don't! This video wasn't meant to be in depth at all but rather a quick overview and brief history of the original Flashback. If you want something more in depth, FrameRater did a great video looking at all the games on the unit! Check it out here: ruclips.net/video/pHKZFTKmoJA/видео.htmlsi=6_k-A9q2JDZ51sQx
I actually have the 7800 flashback and have to agree, it sucks. I'm an Atari fan. I have original Woody, 800, 800XL, 65XE, Lynx. 1040ST. Also cassette decks and floppy drives. I bought the Flash back 2600 3, but fed up seeing these. Got the game station pro and the 400 mini. I actually use an Nvidia Shield to play Atari these days. I would have liked to have seen an Atari XEGS, that had an SD card slot and was more like the game Station. Maybe it would be worth trying to find a case to install my own emulator. Anyway Atari please no more 2600. 8 Bit is my favourite class of games, I guess it was all so new.
I'm guessing part of the issue with the 7800 games is that the architecture of the 7800 & the NES are rather different. The 7800 could push far more sprites on screen & per scan line than the NES. So trying to get an NES on a chip to replicate what the 7800 could do just doesn't seem like a winning strategy.
I have the first one, just the first one. From when it was first released... I never got another one! I do have a real ATARI 2600 and the ATARI 2600+ though, which I think is fantastic.
I guess the same reason as having them before. You have to have cartridges for the 2600+ a plug and play is an all in one unit. Some of the games are expensive but with flashback consoles they could include scrapyard dog, basketbrawl and other expensive 7800 games. Some people don't want to mess with the cartridges anymore but might not want to mess with mame or emulation. Some people might not care unless they see a product that is reasonably priced to peak their interest. And after 20 some odd flashback and plug and play units, well somebody's buying them.
Yes I'm aware of the 2600+ but I haven't seen anywhere it is reported to be compatible with most 7800 carts. The 2600 compatibility doesn't seem to be any better than the retron77 thanks to the emulator their using. But it's to my understanding that the 7800 side uses a completely different emulator so I'm cautiously optimistic. I have mine pre-ordered and will be testing over 100 original and homebrew 7800 carts so look for that video one day after the release...
50th anniversary? Strange... The Atari VCS (aka Atari 2600) came out September 1977. I was born July 1974 & I'm 49. This means the Atari 2600 can't be 50 yet; it's 46 & 1 month as of October 2023. Atari Corp as founded June 27, 1972; 51 years ago. But the console hit last year so it would have ern 50. But why the company anniversary & not 5he consoles? I guess 50 sounded cooler? Strange thought
I think a lot of people impulse buy them. Like, their looking for Christmas presents and see them at Walmart and think "oh my grandson likes games and this has 40 Atari games. I know what Atari is." And then other people who haven't thought of videogames in 40 years see it and buy it to play once. It's probably not a product meant for most of us. Then again us collectors will buy anything lol
Yeah, I love my 7800, but if I had a company wanting to make an modern Atari retro unit to play older games.... No way it would have looked like a 7800.... You make it look like the 2600... Obviously... Using the 7800 Proline controllers? Some of the worst controllers ever??? And then it's a NES on a chip? I agree... I'm surprised it did well enough to spawn all the rest of the Flashback line... And RIP Curt... That said, I could be wrong but I don't see Jag, 5200, or Lynx Flashback type devices as being successful... Just not sure there's enough of a market there.. Maybe, but...
You could be right. There might not be a market for it. Maybe adding a few of those games in addition to the 2600 games would be the way to go. I just think it's a shame after all these flashback iterations we haven't got anything but 2600 stuff. I'm sure people would enjoy toying around with Atari Karts, Countermeasure or Ninja Golf...
That first Flashback was pretty awful. I really don't know what they were thinking with it, especially with recreating the Painline controllers. I'd prefer they not make another Flashback device. Re-release the old consoles but updated with HDMI output, and have digital downloads for the VCS. And from comments I've seen by Atari reps on AA, it appears they're interested in all of the Atari systems, not just the 2600, so I really don't think the petition is necessary.
The controllers was the biggest question mark--I guess combination of curt being one of the few to like them and needing some sort of 2 button controller but why not the euro controllers I have never understood atari sticking us with those awful controllers in the 1st place
Although uncredited, a Chinese studio named "Nice Code" developed these strange NES ports of Atari 2600 and 7800 games. They would later hack up and reskin many of these games to release on various multicarts and Famiclone systems to continue making money off these games long after the work was done. They also did this with with one of the first Intelevision plug & play consoles and did the same bootlegging after the contract ran out.
It's pretty funny seeing these games try to emulate the look of the console they were originally on when the NES just doesn't have the same quirks. Case in point, In Yars' Revenge, you don't see the same rainbow effect on the Flashback 1 because the NES can't display as many simultaneous colors as the VCS can, nor does it have as big of a palette. Naturally, the NES has a general advantage over the VCS by having a PPU with dedicated RAM, but the VCS' "racing the beam" approach to graphics made it easier to change colors per scanline than it is on NES. Hence, the force field and explosion effects in Yars' Revenge end up looking like a multi-colored mess instead of a gradient of many colors.
Could Nice Code have done a better job with these games? Maybe, but these Chinese bootleg developers weren't known for making quality games too often. Also, they were hamstringed into making these games look like the originals instead of taking advantage of any NES enhancements; a serious port of Yars's Revenge, Asteroids, Crystal Castles, etc. to NES would potentially look better than the originals while playing just as good or close to it. And of course there 's already an NES port of Millipede done by HAL Laboratory, it looks nearly as good as the arcade version, though the screen is a bit smaller.
Oh wow I didn't see that anywhere, that's very interesting! It makes sense though! Nice Code is such a Chinese pirate name lol!
Thanks for sharing!
I had the Flashback 1 and it was a mess. Id like a 7800 Flashback as well as a Jaguar one.
Right those would be so cool! I was also upset that the Atari 50th flashback didn't include everything from the Atari 50th game release! I just think they'd be surprised how well some of this stuff outside of 2600 would do!
Anyway thanks for checking the video out!
I would like to see a atari arcade flashback that has all of thier arcade games.
Arcade games like batman, indiana jones and the temple of doom, peter pack rat, super sprint, pit fighter, hydra, primal rage, tempest, the star wars vector games etc.
That's a brilliant idea too! Heck their arcade stuff is better than most of the rest! Good thought!
Unfortunately, I gotta say, “Good luck with that, sincerely.” You might as well build your own, because that would never get made by any company, with 3 Disney-owned properties (the Star Wars ones), 1 Lucas IP (Indiana Jones), and one Warner Bros. IP (Batman). So, I’m afraid that’ll never happen, despite that I’ve wanted to see those games again since the 1980s.
Also, you forgot _Road Runner_ (also Warner Bros., while we’re at it, and even better than the SNES game)-pro’lly my favorite of the mid- to late-‘80s style Atari games-as well as Paperboy and RoadBlasters. Those are great on the Lynx, and the Lynx version of Gauntlet (by Epyx, who designed the Lynx console, itself - a major reason it came with California Games) is the best Gauntlet, ever. Your best chance to ever play them, again-besides buying the cabinets, of course 😉-is with AntStream (who’s had the Star Wars raster arcade trio) or another arcade streaming service that can rent the licenses, because even at the very good pace Atari is going, righ’now, it likely wouldn’t ever be a winning proposition to license those games, again, for sale, as much as that would cost...
Alien vs. Predator won’t ever be on a Jaguar Mini, or anything else, either, for the same reason. 😢
A perfect vid, thanks for the shout out to The CV. Very sadly missed. The problem with the NES is that it really was not up to the quality of the 7800. I would love a Jag mini. Also the new 2600 plus should have been a Jag plus instead. Atari sold off the rights to the Lynx games, I think Songbird productions has most of the games. Oh, my PP is none other than Trevor McFurr
I did not know that About the lynx, thanks for clearing that up. Even though others have their doubts I think a 7800 flashback or Jaguar Mini would sell well because 1 the originals are becoming prohibitively expensive and 2 people are curious. If they could get a little box with appropriate controllers and 20 or more games for a fair price I bet they would do it.
Also CV will be greatly missed. I think more people need to know that people like him, and others kept the community alive for many years thanks to their love and dedication of this stuff.
Thanks for watching!
I have a few of the Atari Flashbacks, but my favourite is the Ten/X editions with the SD slot; it means I can put the entire library on there! Some homebrew games (like Space Rocks) work with the Stella emulation inside the box. Thanks for the video, I shall stay clear of the first Flashback 🙂
I heard there's a couple flashbacks that are really good. Of course, being mostly a 7800 guy I was drawn to the first one. It's a shame the games weren't accurate. I wish they would go back to it one day!
The X/Ten Flashback is my go to console; I bought some of the others cheap on Ebay so I'd have some spare controllers, plus some paddles. I find the emulation on Retropie (on a Raspberry Pi) is really good for the 7800; I can't get all the ROMs to work, but the ones that do play really well. And it's pretty cheap to set up, like about 60n UK pounds.@@TheAtariNetwork
Hell you can't beat that raspberry pi. The console itself costs more than that. Not a bad route to go really, thanks for sharing
I was born in 72 same year as Atari Pong came out in 76 my first home console is the Atari Super Pong and still own it and got every Atari systems from the 2600 to the Jag but I also love the 7800 as well and even help making box art for homebrew games like Keystone Koppers, 2048, Danger Zone and Popeyes and more art I drew to this day.
I'm familiar with all that art! Keystone Koppers was brilliant in its box art and manual. And of course Popeye was spot on. I like how muddy's covers often mimic Activision, which makes sense considering the name he uses on his games (MuddyVision). Your stuff is very well done and if I recall right you get credited as AtariBoy2600 usually don't you?
Ill be at Ataiage booth at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo this Oct for the first time^_^
I wish I could go this year but maybe next year I'll be able to finally come and meet you guys! I hope you have a good time! And again, good job on the art. It's all very professional and just good looking, I'm a fan!
50th Anniversary does have a small amount of games from the 5200, 7800, Lynx and Jaguar...at least.
The Atari 50th absolutely does and I loved it but it didn't seem to transfer over to the other Atari 50th products such as the arcade, mini arcade or the handhelds. I just think more variety in the ancillary products would go a long way.
@@TheAtariNetwork Yeah, I'm tired of new packaging, same 2600 games.
It is not what is in the collection, it is what is not there. I mean Tower Toppler or the fixed Impossible Mission would be great. Kasumi Ninja on the Jag, I loved it. Or BattleMorph. What no Jag CD games?@@TheAtariNetwork
They'll keep doing it every year. It's not in their business interests to make another emulation console that has all the games anybody could ever want from Atari.@@ViciousAlienKlown
@@daleb4148 sad thing is, your right...
Yes, the Atari 2600 VCS was the mainstay and legacy of the company, but the omission of the other Atari home computer/ home video game systems is absolutely, totally and utterly unfair. We need to have them ALL if there is to be a true Atari collection, other than the Atari Flashbacks honoring the 2600.
Very well said!
I don't understand why they don't just make a Atari with SD slot that Emu all *800, 2600 ,7800 ,Lynx and Jaguar* . Was never that much into Atari but it's 2023 think that be a easy feat too achieve for these plug n play companies
@@joezar33 There is 'THE400MINI' which is a mini ATARI 400 shaped console that emulates all the ATARI 8-bit microcomputer range (400, 800, 600XL, 800XL, 1200XL, 65XE/800XE, and 130XE) as well as the ATARI 5200 console. I think that's probably the most comprehensive one so far.
@joezar33 lynx and jag was a combo of not having a wide enough audience and a small game library that 2/3 the games were liscence from other companies-- the lynx mainly just epyx games otherwise they were liscence from movies, namco/atari arcade/Midway...as crazy as it is while atari produced all the games only about to of the 70 or so games weren't ports or liscence
One HUGE thing to keep in mind. The Atari _2600 sold over 30 _*_million_* units-not counting Sears’ Tele-Games clone or Coleco’s unlicensed adapter, which were both sold at the same time-while the _7800 only sold 150 _*_thousand._* So, for every Atari 7800 out there, there are 200 Atari 2600s out there, representing tens of millions of families’ kids’ nostalgia.
So, getting the Atari 50 Collection for whatever system you already own (which should include the 2021 Atari VCS) is likely the best way to get most of those games - _with much better controllers than the 7800’s._ Atari’s older arcade games are also on the Atari Vault Collection(s), and the newest arcade reboot of theirs, _Neo Sprint,_ is on the Atari VCS Store, righ’now - which anyone with a new VCS might wanna get now, while it’s in beta-ish form ($16), before the price goes up, when the game is ready for “full release” there. Help Atari get the funds to make what is a great but incredibly buggy game just plain great. Anyone who digs Atari and doesn’t get a new VCS-and the “Reloaded” games, to boot up-at least when it’s on sale for under $200 for the basic package (which comes with a “Classic Controller” that sells for about $100 by itself on eBay... ), will be kicking themselves sometime down the road... Promise.
The Atari 7800 didn't sell 150000 units, it sold closer to 2 million. Your thinking of the Jaguar, the Jaguar sold 150,000 units. But still I get your point, but after so many versions of 2600 flashbacks and collections it becomes old hat after a while. Even doing something like the Atari gamestation pro where they added about seventeen 5200 and 7800 games helps to change things up and explore more of their history.
I think an Atari 8-bit line would make a better product. The library for Atari Computers, 5200, and Atari XEGS is bigger and has more quality titles than the 7800. However beyond milking the product line, there is no real reason that they can't make a single Atari Console with every game and system from Pong to Lynx. Maybe even Panther prototypes. Good Jaguar emulation would be beyond a legally produced sub $200 console. At least for now.
Yeah that would be cool too. After twenty five 2600 flashbacks we are overdue for something different!
You should also make a video about having a modded Atari Flashback 2 that takes real 2600 cartridges.
I bought one when they came out and I was waiting for more from the 7800 games. Actually my unit is not working and maybe it is for the better. I am more an Atari computer person, but I also have the Jaguar and Jaguar CD (I need to verify if they are working). I would like to see a Mini Atari 8-bit or ST, but a MINI Jaguar will be great.
I'm sure a lot of people were excited for the flashback initially! After buying mine I haven't touched it since the review and I doubt I will. I'm going to hold onto it but only because it's another 7800 related product for the collection.
Why can't we get a flashback that just does it all..
-Secure whatever licensing is needed and gets us all of the best games for the arcade, 2600, 5200, and 7800.
-Either include scans of the original manuals in the software or a companion book.
-Offer HDMI, RCA and the original output so that you can play on a modern TV or a CRT.
-Include a cartridge slot to play real carts.
-SD card support for homebrew games.
-Include bluetooth support for wireless joysticks and paddles as well as slots to plug in the original controllers.
-Cosmetically, make it look exactly like the original 2600 - or perhaps a shrunken version like the 2600+
I'd pay $250 for that. Just get everything right and stop half-assing it.
In a perfect world of Atari, we would have a 7800 Pro Gamer Atari Flashback named in your honor! 1. Flashbacks play a good role in retro. An Atari 2600 Flashback I received as a gift really inspired me to get back to playing and years later; I have two 7800s. 2. I had no idea there were so many Flashbacks out there! 3. I signed the petition!
4. Thanks for the review; I was on the fence about getting this Flashback just to have something else related to the 7800, but I really don’t see the need to. Keep up the great work!
Thanks as always! I was on the fence about releasing this video because I was feeling a little burnout after the last two but I figured I put the work in it so might as well. I'm glad people seem to be getting something out of it.
I got the flashback because I too was wanting something 7800. But this definitely isn't the way to get your fix. Hopefully we'll get something worthwhile soon!
If you already have a 7800 and the cartridges you want, the picture quality and tv compatibility you want; then why get anything else? You already have the best.@@TheAtariNetwork
Oh yeah I have everything I could ever want honestly. But sometimes curiosity gets the better of me. I knew of the flashbacks but I wasn't aware any of them had anything other than 2600 games. And if there's a way for more people to experience my favorite console I want to report on it. But this clearly isn't the way...
Another Flashback release and still no 5200' Space Dungeon. Come on Atari. Please!
Cherish this If you have it in your collection. generations from now we discover this.
So, the chefs don’t even throw food if you select intermediate difficulty or higher in Food Fight on the Flashback 1?
Good question I didn't go on playing long enough to find out. No matter what it's not true to the original, plus the hit boxes are enormous. It's just really bad.
I am still waiting for Jaguar stuff. Driving me mad i cant play Battlemorph. Also id love to see a portable 7800 unit, that i have not seen yet.
There's no nostalgia to see a mini-jag. Almost nobody bought it the first time around.
Put Midnight Mutants on a 7800 flashback 😊
wasn't the VCS suppost to cover ALL Atari ?
that would be the way to go.
meanwhile , if i find this used (like , under 10$ at a yard sale)
i'd gut it & put a Pi in it.
just needs a decent DB-9 connectored Controller ...
maybe Atari could make a new Euro-Pad ?
(with extra buttons)
The VCS has so many issues though and it's still missing a lot of stuff. Currently I'm dealing with Zip Code issues on the VCS. My point is they've released and continue to release plug in play flashbacks for the 2600, I wish they would just release one for a different era or console.
Also the case would be awesome for a pi!
I think the "My Arcade"is it? Evercade And Atari system may put an end to Flashbacks totally so the quality of Atgames products will be a thing of the past.The Flashback 1 i always thought was a 20th anniversary for the 7800 1984-2004 i think if you read the opening screen it says something about that when you click "classic game console" Recently i picked up a 1984 El Paso 7800 #293 made i just registered it on Atari Age
You could be right. Still I think the flashback was maybe intended to originally cover more than just the 2600 but that's where they got hung up. And most people have nostalgia for that console so it makes sense.
I don't know if the flashbacks are done but I've had the my arcade gamestation pro for a week. Video coming soon.
Eff the emulation. Please just give us an FPGA console! _Thats_ what we really need and would sell like hotcakes! There's already enough lame software emulation boxes out there, so instead of more of the same ol', some actual hardware would be a nice change of pace and real godsend at this point.
There's no reason why they can't produce something like the RetroUSB AVS, or Analogue SuperNT, Mega SG, but as an Atari system, say a 7800, which can play actual 7800 & 2600 carts, and maybe a 5200 core as a bonus, which titles can be played via SD card. 👍
I’m loving the new Atari!
I think their heads and shoulder better than they've been in a long time.
I have the first 2.....2 was a wayyyy better flashbacks...remember the first was one of the first flashbacks....so everyone got excited and bought it.
Not having Ballblazer on a 7800 emulator or 7800 Flashback, should be a crime.
If there is a last iteration of those atari flashbacks ,they they should make an atari flashback sega edition with both atari 2600 and 5200 versions of sega games on it along with sega’s brand name on it,and they should make a atari flashback nintendo edition as well with all nintendo games from both the atari 2600,5200 and 7800 on it along with nintendo’s brand name on it,
Off course there should be also atari’s top games of both mentioned editions of it,
Sure it will require license deals with both sega & nintendo to do so but i GARANTEE. It will sell into millions by both sega & nintendo fans,
Now i also want to see an atari XE flashback with all those sega,nintendo and atari’s own games on it along with nintendo and sega’s brand name on the pakage,
And lastly if i want to see atari move forware,please do us a favor resurrect scrapyard dog and turn it into merchandises,cartoon series and a movie,
And if i want to see a new homebrew game for the 7800, then i want to see pac land getting ported to the 7800 because it really deserves it.
Pac land would be cool on the 7800. At Games is sort of doing what you're talking about with the Flashback Blast series. So far they've done Namco, Activision, and Atari I believe. I'm sure Sega would have no issue licensing stuff as they do it all the time now. Nintendo is always a crap shoot, but they can surprise us sometimes.
I just think that the 2600 stuff has been done to death. I know the casual appeal is probably limited but there is a market for flashback style products for 5200, 7800, Jaguar and more. Heck, still throw in 2600 stuff if they're worried about limited appeal. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...
We never had a 2600. All my Atari gaming was done in the arcades and on my Atari 800.
I got the Flashback Mini 7800, hoping to have better graphics than I remembered on my 800 since the 7800 came out later.
I was unimpressed. Most of the games are awkward to play, and the graphics don't impress. I rarely use it and mostly depend on the Atari 800 emulator on my computer.
chng.it/gvPCnrR4jj The link the petition for the Atari to stop focusing on the 2600 and give us more 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx and Computer products! Sign if you agree, don't if you don't!
This video wasn't meant to be in depth at all but rather a quick overview and brief history of the original Flashback. If you want something more in depth, FrameRater did a great video looking at all the games on the unit! Check it out here:
ruclips.net/video/pHKZFTKmoJA/видео.htmlsi=6_k-A9q2JDZ51sQx
I actually have the 7800 flashback and have to agree, it sucks.
I'm an Atari fan. I have original Woody, 800, 800XL, 65XE, Lynx. 1040ST.
Also cassette decks and floppy drives.
I bought the Flash back 2600 3, but fed up seeing these.
Got the game station pro and the 400 mini.
I actually use an Nvidia Shield to play Atari these days.
I would have liked to have seen an Atari XEGS, that had an SD card slot and was more like the game Station.
Maybe it would be worth trying to find a case to install my own emulator.
Anyway Atari please no more 2600.
8 Bit is my favourite class of games, I guess it was all so new.
I'm guessing part of the issue with the 7800 games is that the architecture of the 7800 & the NES are rather different. The 7800 could push far more sprites on screen & per scan line than the NES. So trying to get an NES on a chip to replicate what the 7800 could do just doesn't seem like a winning strategy.
Absolutely right!
I have the first one, just the first one. From when it was first released... I never got another one!
I do have a real ATARI 2600 and the ATARI 2600+ though, which I think is fantastic.
So the 2600+ will work with 7800 games.. why plug and plays..?
I guess the same reason as having them before. You have to have cartridges for the 2600+ a plug and play is an all in one unit. Some of the games are expensive but with flashback consoles they could include scrapyard dog, basketbrawl and other expensive 7800 games.
Some people don't want to mess with the cartridges anymore but might not want to mess with mame or emulation. Some people might not care unless they see a product that is reasonably priced to peak their interest. And after 20 some odd flashback and plug and play units, well somebody's buying them.
Hehe... I looked into this 7800 Flashback before buying my real 7800..
And I thought..
Oh hell no.. 😅
The 7800 games are messed up pretty bad.
You made the right choice lol
@@TheAtariNetwork 💙
I just got one of these for $5! I played it and yes it sucks, it will look nice next to the rest of my mini classic consoles.
You know the 2600+ will play 7800 games right? You need the carts, but it's reported to be compatible with most of the library.
Yes I'm aware of the 2600+ but I haven't seen anywhere it is reported to be compatible with most 7800 carts. The 2600 compatibility doesn't seem to be any better than the retron77 thanks to the emulator their using. But it's to my understanding that the 7800 side uses a completely different emulator so I'm cautiously optimistic.
I have mine pre-ordered and will be testing over 100 original and homebrew 7800 carts so look for that video one day after the release...
50th anniversary? Strange...
The Atari VCS (aka Atari 2600) came out September 1977.
I was born July 1974 & I'm 49.
This means the Atari 2600 can't be 50 yet; it's 46 & 1 month as of October 2023.
Atari Corp as founded June 27, 1972; 51 years ago. But the console hit last year so it would have ern 50.
But why the company anniversary & not 5he consoles? I guess 50 sounded cooler?
Strange thought
I pre-ordered a 2600+
People must keep buying those dumb Flashback consoles. Like, how many devices do you really require that can play Pitfall?
I think a lot of people impulse buy them. Like, their looking for Christmas presents and see them at Walmart and think "oh my grandson likes games and this has 40 Atari games. I know what Atari is." And then other people who haven't thought of videogames in 40 years see it and buy it to play once. It's probably not a product meant for most of us.
Then again us collectors will buy anything lol
Yeah, I love my 7800, but if I had a company wanting to make an modern Atari retro unit to play older games....
No way it would have looked like a 7800....
You make it look like the 2600... Obviously...
Using the 7800 Proline controllers? Some of the worst controllers ever???
And then it's a NES on a chip?
I agree... I'm surprised it did well enough to spawn all the rest of the Flashback line...
And RIP Curt...
That said, I could be wrong but I don't see Jag, 5200, or Lynx Flashback type devices as being successful...
Just not sure there's enough of a market there.. Maybe, but...
You could be right. There might not be a market for it. Maybe adding a few of those games in addition to the 2600 games would be the way to go. I just think it's a shame after all these flashback iterations we haven't got anything but 2600 stuff. I'm sure people would enjoy toying around with Atari Karts, Countermeasure or Ninja Golf...
Cool thanks
That first Flashback was pretty awful. I really don't know what they were thinking with it, especially with recreating the Painline controllers. I'd prefer they not make another Flashback device. Re-release the old consoles but updated with HDMI output, and have digital downloads for the VCS. And from comments I've seen by Atari reps on AA, it appears they're interested in all of the Atari systems, not just the 2600, so I really don't think the petition is necessary.
Good point. I'll be glad if it isn't necessary. I hope we start to see more stuff roll out soon for the other consoles!
The controllers was the biggest question mark--I guess combination of curt being one of the few to like them and needing some sort of 2 button controller but why not the euro controllers I have never understood atari sticking us with those awful controllers in the 1st place
I had the best Flashback, the Flashback 2!
what about 2600+?
What about it? It's great, but it's a completely different product from the Flashback line.
Is there a way to hack it?
i got this it sux for 7800 2600 not that great. i have the 2600 pnp atari joystick version also the sounds and stuff are wrong