5200 Flashback?

[LynxVGL]

With the Inty and CV Flashbacks about to be unleashed on the public, could we be far from a 5200 Flashback? If this would be the case, with a modern redesign of the joystick, what features and software would HAVE to be on the unit? The Inty and CV are clocking in with roughly 60+/- titles on board, which 5200 titles would be necessary for a Flashback?

[jerry32]

i would be the first in lin for one

[Rybags]

Technically possible - yes. There are modern-day FPGA incarnations of the custom chips which provide enough accuracy to run most software.

 

Commercially viable - who knows? The brand identification of legacy Atari seems to be with the 2600 and the high-profile arcade games, and everything else seems to be lost in obscurity with the modern buying public.

 

For such a Flashback to be attractive to me it'd need to be 8-bit computer oriented and to be programmable/moddable in some useful sense.

The chances of that happening? I'd say slim at best.

 

The "dream" system would be one that takes SD cards and is configurable as computer or 5200 and has plenty of RAM and multiple OSes selectable. As well as being able to run legacy peripherals - joysticks, paddles, SIO devices at the least. And at reasonable cost.

 

But the hardcore base of maybe a couple of thousand computer and console owners, couple of thousand more fans, few thousand more curious buyers - probably nowhere near enough to make it a reality.

[7800]

Another few things to consider, would the controller be digital?

Would it have a numeric key pad... or would it be built into the console?

Should the console have a built in Trak Ball for games that are better suited for one?

[Agent X]

Technically possible - yes. There are modern-day FPGA incarnations of the custom chips which provide enough accuracy to run most software.

 

Commercially viable - who knows? The brand identification of legacy Atari seems to be with the 2600 and the high-profile arcade games, and everything else seems to be lost in obscurity with the modern buying public.

 

While I agree that the brand identification among the casual public would be mostly with the 2600, I wouldn't take the concept of a "5200 Flashback" out of consideration. If they can make modern self-contained Intellivision and Colecovision systems and market, then why not the 5200 too?

 

The marketability would be virtually the same. These systems tend to hit two separate audiences:

 

1. Older gamers who fondly remember the original systems from years past, and want another opportunity to relive the games of their youth.

 

2. Younger or casual gamers who never experienced these systems (which likely were released before they were even born) and want to play these classics for the first time.

 

Group #1 would know what an Intellivision or ColecoVision were, since they lived through that era. They would almost certainly recognize an Atari 5200 as well.

 

Group #2 might not know much about any of these systems, other than what they read in books or saw on the Web. To them, any of these systems would be a "new" experience. A 5200-based system would be about equally attractive to them as one based on Intellivision or ColecoVision.

 

I can't see a situation where a company would approve a system based on Intellivision/ColecoVision but not Atari 5200 based on past familiarity and/or brand recognition. They're all practically on the same level. It's like having someone who was intimately familiar with an Atari 7800 saying he never heard of a Sega Master System, or someone who was intimately familiar with TurboGrafx-16 saying he never heard of a Neo-Geo. None of them were the dominant system of their day, or even close to it. It's most likely that you have either heard of all of these systems, or none of them.

[LynxVGL]

Technically possible - yes. There are modern-day FPGA incarnations of the custom chips which provide enough accuracy to run most software.

 

Commercially viable - who knows? The brand identification of legacy Atari seems to be with the 2600 and the high-profile arcade games, and everything else seems to be lost in obscurity with the modern buying public.

 

For such a Flashback to be attractive to me it'd need to be 8-bit computer oriented and to be programmable/moddable in some useful sense.

The chances of that happening? I'd say slim at best.

 

The "dream" system would be one that takes SD cards and is configurable as computer or 5200 and has plenty of RAM and multiple OSes selectable. As well as being able to run legacy peripherals - joysticks, paddles, SIO devices at the least. And at reasonable cost.

 

But the hardcore base of maybe a couple of thousand computer and console owners, couple of thousand more fans, few thousand more curious buyers - probably nowhere near enough to make it a reality.

My point is more of a "What If?" scenario. I think that the Inty and CV are pretty much on an equal footing with the 5200 as a niche product. Licensing would be an issue on some games, but the 5200 Library is deep enough to have a great all in one product.

[atari5200dude82]

I would love to see the 5200 flashback, to come to reality sometime. I am happy for the Intv and colecovision. I am getting those too

[wolfy62]

If the controllers work well, an Atari 5200 Flashback would be an ideal plug and play system.

 

It could have all the best Atari arcade hits ever and without a doubt the 5200 graphics were twice as good as the 2600........2600 x 2! I loved my 5200!

 

So glad one was made for all the other systems too!

[Seethransom]

It is hard to flashback on what few remember. I would love to see that happen, expensive to redesign controllers.

[Bill Loguidice]

If you're talking about one from AtGames, it's not going to happen. You're much more likely to see an Atari Generations type product that has different games from different home systems and the arcade than something based on the Atari 5200. In fact, you're more likely to see an Atari 8-bit Flashback simply because you don't have to mess around with the - let's face it - weird joystick/control issues you'll be presented with with some games (and certainly just XEGS-specific games would require less effort than 5200 stuff and probably provide a similar spectrum of games). The main issue is that outside of the harder core Atari fans, the Atari 5200 and Atari 8-bit lines, much like the 7800, are far less remembered by the target general public. That's obviously due in large part to being overshadowed by the first home videogame cultural icon, the Atari 2600. That's also why systems like the Mattel Intellivision and Coleco ColecoVision were prioritized--there was little to compete with the nostalgic specific to those platforms.

 

For the forseeable future, i.e., 2015, the only physical products we'll get from AtGames will be the same types of Atari 2600, Intellivision, ColecoVision, and Sega items. It's also possible the Atari Flashback itself will accommodate more arcade authentic games, a la what it has now with Space Invaders, but that's also limited by the one button controller.

 

In short, if you want an Atari 5200 Flashback-alike, it won't be coming from AtGames, and whoever may do it will be presented with serious challenges both in terms of the controller and getting sufficient games to license. It's probably best as a smaller scale, higher-priced homebrew project that people can put their own games on.

[0078265317]

Provided its not too expensive I'd love to see a 5200 FB.

[+DamonicFury]

While the general public may not much remember the later Atari systems, they certainly remember the classic Atari games (Centipede, Missile Command, etc.) And after 5 iterations of the the 2600 Flashback, perhaps it's a time for the nice looking 8-bit versions of these games to be presented. I agree with Bill that there's no reason to bring back anything remotely like the 5200 controller, but perhaps a mini version of the stylish 5200 console could be done with a name like "Atari Generations" as he suggested, packed with the standard 2600 controllers. And I agree that games should be drawn from the larger 8-bit library, allowing for some of the great games from companies like Epyx, Broderbund, Synapse, Datasoft, etc. to be licensed.

[0078265317]

Or come to think of it I would just be happy with replacement controllers for my 5200. I love my geni pad with masterplay clone adapter. But some originals with keypad would be nice just to see how it should of been from the beginning. They should sell flashbacks. But also replacement controllers online for the flashbacks. So you don't have to buy the whole flashback. Just pick up some spare controllers for your flashbacks or original console.

[Greg2600]

I'd think a TG-16 flashback would be a better approach.

[Andromeda Stardust]

One issue with the 5200 Flashback, is there was like what, 69 games total? And how many of those games are not tied up in legal limbo? How many exclusives? A flashback with 60+ games might be very difficult to pull off. Intellivision and Colecovision are niche enough but both had some pretty good exclusives that weren't available on Atari. Also there have been a handful of 7800 titles that got released on the Atari flashbacks. 5200 would require a lot of trickery and new controller interface, and not enough games would be available.

[Bill Loguidice]

I'd think a TG-16 flashback would be a better approach.

 

Out of curiosity, why? Regular systems are plentiful (particularly if you snag one of the better Japanese options), if a bit expensive, and there likely wouldn't be enough software to license. Name recognition is also nil outside of those in the community. That's another one that's for the "digital only" pile rather than a physical product. [by the way, I was an original owner back in the day (still have it), and have since expanded my multi-region collection dramatically, so it's not like I'm not a fan--it's one of the great "specialty" platforms]

[Bill Loguidice]

One issue with the 5200 Flashback, is there was like what, 69 games total? And how many of those games are not tied up in legal limbo? How many exclusives? A flashback with 60+ games might be very difficult to pull off. Intellivision and Colecovision are niche enough but both had some pretty good exclusives that weren't available on Atari. Also there have been a handful of 7800 titles that got released on the Atari flashbacks. 5200 would require a lot of trickery and new controller interface, and not enough games would be available.

 

Putting aside all of the other issues with the idea, I think available games to license is the biggest issue since rights are held all over the place. That's why if anything were to happen, it would be with the Atari 8-bit side, since you're talking more or less exactly the same thing just with fewer technical issues and almost certainly more software to choose from.

 

From a mainstream standpoint, if an AtGames were to do another physical product in the series, it would almost certainly be something like the Commodore 64 and even Amiga before another Atari platform. Both of those have good nostalgic value along with large selections of licenseable games (there are a few relatively generous collections already accounted for in terms of a single rights holder).

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Putting aside all of the other issues with the idea, I think available games to license is the biggest issue since rights are held all over the place. That's why if anything were to happen, it would be with the Atari 8-bit side, since you're talking more or less exactly the same thing just with fewer technical issues and almost certainly more software to choose from.

 

From a mainstream standpoint, if an AtGames were to do another physical product in the series, it would almost certainly be something like the Commodore 64 and even Amiga before another Atari platform. Both of those have good nostalgic value along with large selections of licenseable games (there are a few relatively generous collections already accounted for in terms of a single rights holder).

Commodore/Amiga would be pretty cool. But many games would be difficult to port if they relied at any point on keyboard input (menu selction, etc), even if actual gameplay was with a joystick.

Edited November 12, 2014 by stardust4ever

[Greg2600]

 

Out of curiosity, why? Regular systems are plentiful (particularly if you snag one of the better Japanese options), if a bit expensive, and there likely wouldn't be enough software to license. Name recognition is also nil outside of those in the community. That's another one that's for the "digital only" pile rather than a physical product. [by the way, I was an original owner back in the day (still have it), and have since expanded my multi-region collection dramatically, so it's not like I'm not a fan--it's one of the great "specialty" platforms]

 

I don't think we "need" a TG-16 FB, but if they were looking at a new system to do, that would be my suggestion. Nintendo will never happen, we all know that. Atari has been done, as has Sega, and those were the two big names sans Nintendo. TG sold a bit less than INTV and CV did, but it also came out more recently. TG has a strong fan base, and a good nostalgic factor. I'm not sure what the license fees would be, although Hudson is now merged with Konami, so they would represent a good chuck of the PCE/TG games. The other being NAMCO.

 

Others have mentioned the old computer systems, but I think TG would be more popular.

[Bill Loguidice]

 

I don't think we "need" a TG-16 FB, but if they were looking at a new system to do, that would be my suggestion. Nintendo will never happen, we all know that. Atari has been done, as has Sega, and those were the two big names sans Nintendo. TG sold a bit less than INTV and CV did, but it also came out more recently. TG has a strong fan base, and a good nostalgic factor. I'm not sure what the license fees would be, although Hudson is now merged with Konami, so they would represent a good chuck of the PCE/TG games. The other being NAMCO.

 

Others have mentioned the old computer systems, but I think TG would be more popular.

 

I just don't know. I don't really know anyone who knows the platform outside of people like us. It has a passionate community, but then there are lots of passionate communities out there for platforms without wider recognition. Again, the main issue I see is having enough games with enough recognition for people to take notice. With something like a Commodore 64 Flashback, you not only have access to more software, but the platform itself already has built-in name recognition. I really think you need one (platform name recognition) or the other (several high profile game names) to make a mass market product a success.

[ledzep]

While the general public may not much remember the later Atari systems, they certainly remember the classic Atari games (Centipede, Missile Command, etc.) And after 5 iterations of the the 2600 Flashback, perhaps it's a time for the nice looking 8-bit versions of these games to be presented. I agree with Bill that there's no reason to bring back anything remotely like the 5200 controller, but perhaps a mini version of the stylish 5200 console could be done with a name like "Atari Generations" as he suggested, packed with the standard 2600 controllers. And I agree that games should be drawn from the larger 8-bit library, allowing for some of the great games from companies like Epyx, Broderbund, Synapse, Datasoft, etc. to be licensed.

 

Agreed. Certainly anyone who has seen/played the Atari 2600 Flashback games would recognize and probably welcome the much better looking versions of the games that they already like and accept (Defender, Missile Command, Centipede, etc.) even if they never owned a 5200.

 

Didn't the 2600 versions have a few homebrew games or games coded specifically for the Flashbacks? Why not do the same for the 5200? Adventure II would be great, so would Tempest, Millipede, Blaster, etc.

 

If they ever do this, they absolutely must do new controllers. And by that I mean replacement controllers. Make the controllers removable with the same 15-pin plugs as the originals. They should have the keypads on them, same/similar layout (for the overlays), but new fire buttons and self-centering analog sticks. That cannot be that hard, most gamepads have analog thumb sticks that self-center, don't they? The 5200 games are expecting analog inputs, anyway, so it would be ideal. Digital sticks would be nice if they were removable and could be used on original 5200 consoles. Otherwise don't bother because digital sticks would ruin Missile Command, Centipede, Star Raiders, etc. If they made the Flashback right then original Trak-Balls would be able to plug into them and be used, too. Pipe dream, I know, but it wouldn't be that hard, the less that the original coding has to be modified (to accommodate newer controls), the better. And the side benefit would be 5200 running to stores to buy the new systems simply for the new controllers. They could sell extra controllers separately, too, if they made the Flashback into a 4-player console that comes with only 2 controllers. At the very least if the controllers weren't removable then they should at least be wired the same way so that we can cut them off and add our own plugs to them so that we can use them for our 5200s.

[Greg2600]

To be honest, I think AtGames could make a profit JUST by selling true replacement 5200 controllers which self-center and have solid buttons that aren't squishy.

[Bill Loguidice]

To be honest, I think AtGames could make a profit JUST by selling true replacement 5200 controllers which self-center and have solid buttons that aren't squishy.

 

Honestly, how many would they sell? 250? 500? 1000? The market is just too small.

[cybercylon]

All of this are pipe dreams for many issues mentioned. As much as I would like to see it with controllers done correctly, etc, I might as well learn how to solder and learn to read circuit diagrams... not going to happen either.

[Flojomojo]

Virtual TG-16? Buy a Wii! They have tons of games on the Virtual Console, and they're well emulated. Many of these games are also on the PS3/PSP, though not as many as on the Wii VC or the Japanese PSN store. There was also an iOS TG-16 emulator, but the developer didn't keep up with the OS changes and it's no longer in the store.

 

Atari 5200 Flashback? Not for me, but I would like to play some of its games, like Rescue on Fractalus. Maybe Disney could make that happen.

 

I would like to see more portables like the Sega Genesis portable. Til then, there's Android handheld emulators.