Atari Flashback 6

[AtarinDave]

Good news to you all. Toys R Us are now, once again selling a new Atari Flashback console. There isn't much info about it right now, here's the link.

 

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=62142276&cagpspn=plat_21094222&camp=PLAPPCG-_-PID21094222:TRUS&eESource=CAPLA_DF:62142276:TRUS

 

 

I hope you're as excited as me, I am pumped. I have all the Atari, Coleco, and Intellivision Flashbacks looks like it's time or another one in the collection.

 

-Dave

[Atariboy]

More wireless junk?

 

Better have a lot of worthwhile additions to the game lineup, assuming everything else remains the same. 100 games listed versus 93 for the Flashback 5.

 

And I hope that Sam's Club again gets a special paddle edition like last year, but this time, with two wired joysticks instead of the wireless versions. Wal-Mart got wired joysticks with the FB5, but sadly, the Sam's Club paddle edition didn't.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Atariboy

[+DrVenkman]

More emulators, I'm sure. I'm sure glad I got my Flashback 2 when they were new.

 

Personally I'd tell someone to go install Stella or just buy a real VCS/2600 and a Harmony Cart.

[AtarinDave]

Personally I collect these for the sake of collecting them.

I don't play them very often, but I'm a hardcore Atari fan, what can I say?

[Shawn]

For $50 I'd just buy a real 2600 and whatever games that are on it that I liked.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

The only flashback I have is the second. I like Yars Return, Return to Haunted House, and Cavern of Mars for it. I prefer playing 2600 games on a real system instead of a mini console with a chip. I will also play it on my emulator as well. It has all the games, but for hacks and homebrews is the main reason.

[+swlovinist]

The flashback has not been made for most fans that visit this site(since the flashback 2+). For someone who does not want to mess with playing carts, homebrews, and the original, the system is fine. While I dream of one day having a replacement console with modern inputs that would play 2600 carts, I feel that the flashback console is not that system. It is not a bad system for what it provides, but I just want it to do more than provide a casual retread down memory lane.

Edited July 5, 2015 by swlovinist

[Atariboy]

I think most fans such as myself that buy these, enjoy them for curiosities sake. We like to see what the game lineup is, the quality of the overall product, etc.

 

The vast majority buying something like last year's round of Flashbacks around here, weren't doing so because they don't have access to real hardware or virtually perfect emulation options on the PC, but because it's fun to be checking out a brand new commercial release containing games that we love.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Atariboy

[+DamonicFury]

I found this interesting in the description:

 

"Features Atari 2600 HOME and ARCADE Hits: Asteroids, Battlezone, Centipede, Millipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, Tempest, Warlords"

 

Probably it just means the same 2600 arcade adaptations are included that we've seen over and over... but just maybe could it mean the actual Atari arcade games could be included as well? It would be nice to see those, especially if track-ball support was included. :-)

[Greg2600]

Personally I collect these for the sake of collecting them.

I don't play them very often, but I'm a hardcore Atari fan, what can I say?

 

Understandable, but this won't be measurably different from the 5.

[bikeguychicago]

Am I the only one or does the Space Invaders screenshot look like Bob D's version for the 7800?

[PacManPlus]

I noticed that immediately as well

 

The dead giveaway is the 'LEVEL 01' at the bottom right of the screen in place of the CREDITS display. I don't think that anyone else did that before my version.

[onmode-ky]

The FB6 will most likely still be using the same recreation of arcade Space Invaders as AtGames previously used in the FB4, FB64, and FB5. We talked about it a bit back in 2012, how it had those 7800 similarities. But in the end, it's just a screenshot for a product which probably hadn't actually been finalized yet at the time when ToysRUs.com put the product entry on their website. There is a small, tiny chance that the 2600 Space Invaders might be in the FB6 instead--slightly higher than the chance of seeing Halo 2600 in it. And there's also the chance that Taito properties weren't licensed for the FB6 at all. Outside of the company, it's all conjecture for now. We'll see in about a month.

 

onmode-ky

[Bill Loguidice]

Although I've only done limited work for AtGames this year, I can guarantee that they aren't including any 7800 games. As onmode-ky said, it's almost certainly the same custom Space Invaders targeted to the extra features of the base hardware they've been including for the past several revisions.

[garyd97]

It would be nice to see wired controllers and Battlezone back.

[S1500]

Someday in the future, thrift stores will be full of Flashback 1-??s just like GameStops were full of annual EA sports titles.

[doctorclu]

I see the Flashback 1 from time to time at Thirft Stores.

 

I will admit I regret somewhat giving away my Flashback 2 as a graduation gift.

Then again, maybe I can trade them a Flackback 6 and get the Flashback 2 back.

 

Always wanted to do that cart port hack.

[PacManPlus]

Although I've only done limited work for AtGames this year, I can guarantee that they aren't including any 7800 games. As onmode-ky said, it's almost certainly the same custom Space Invaders targeted to the extra features of the base hardware they've been including for the past several revisions.

I don't think anyone in this thread asked/said that they would. bikeguychicacgo made an observation that the screenshot they used looked like my version for the 7800, and I agreed... Which actually I noticed back on the Flashback 5 when they first included it. It's an amazing coincidence, as I don't believe they actually played (or even saw) my port for the 7800, nor do I think anyone else's port put the 'LEVEL 01' text where the credits were.

 

Just funny, that's all

 

The whole '*true* 7800 Flashback' thing has been beaten to death. Any hopes of ever getting one of my homebrews on a Flashback unit are nil, as I believe they will never go in that direction. That's been made very clear.

 

Bob

[Bill Loguidice]

The whole '*true* 7800 Flashback' thing has been beaten to death. Any hopes of ever getting one of my homebrews on a Flashback unit are nil, as I believe they will never go in that direction. That's been made very clear.

 

Bob

 

Depending on how their digital initiatives go (as far as I know, they're not advertising them, but most are active), that will open more possibilities for second or third tier platforms like the 7800. As long as the homebrew is original and isn't based wholly off of someone else's IP or license, I'm sure they'd consider negotiating for its inclusion.

 

As for them ever using Atari 7800 hardware or software, I'm not aware of them ever having any in-house, though I can't know for sure.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Bill Loguidice

[+orpheuswaking]

Someday in the future, thrift stores will be full of Flashback 1-??s just like GameStops were full of annual EA sports titles.

it will be right alongside three dusty copies of the original Trivial Pursuit game in the blue box (that's how I tell the quality of a Thrift store)

[toiletunes]

it will be right alongside three dusty copies of the original Trivial Pursuit game in the blue box (that's how I tell the quality of a Thrift store)

...and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

[Emehr]

...and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

 

...and Twister on VHS...

[Atariboy]

The whole '*true* 7800 Flashback' thing has been beaten to death.

 

They'd surely never bother to release one branded in such a way.

 

But note how what they're selling aren't branded as the "Atari 2600 Flashback", it's just titled the Atari Flashback. Sure, it's primarily Atari 2600 memories that they're targeting, but if their hardware is capable and they were to make the investment in programming an emulator, Atari 8 bit computer games and Atari 7800 games could blend in pretty seamlessly here.

 

There's nothing here that has to bind them to just 2600 titles (As evidenced by Space Invaders), and the CX40 lookalike would be perfectly capable for 8 bit titles and most 7800 games.

 

Too bad that almost all of the best 1st party 7800 titles (And the majority of the excellent homebrews from people like yourself), would require outside licensing from publishers like Namco. More than even the 7800's lack of success, I think this dooms this platform from ever being emulated for a commercial project.

 

There's just not that pool of decent titles that carry a known name and are fully owned by the current rights holders to most of Atari Corp's legacy, to ever justify that investment. With very few exceptions like the Food Fight port, the addition of virtually every game worth adding from this library to something like the lineup for Atari Flashback 6, would require a significant investment on top of just the cost of emulating this platform.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Atariboy

[jetset]

There was a four and a five?

[Mord]

I can't say I even remember the third. I got my Flashback 2 and called it good.