Major_Tom_coming_home Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 I was wondering if anyone has tried both the AtarI Flashback Portable 2016 and 2017 models? Is it worth an upgrade? Is the Rom capability any better? How about the screen and form factor? etc. Thanks much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIO2 Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 I did not get a 2016 Atari Flashback Portable. I did get a 2017 Atari Flashback Portable based on the video that I provided the link to. What really sold me on the 2017 was the battery access door. 2016 didn't have that. You know I will have this for 40 years and need to replace the battery dozens of times. Also, the 2017 model has a pac-man game and pac-man on the box. The 2017 screen is supposed to be smaller but not much. If it were twice the size it would still be small to me. I have to say though, I am very happy with the 2017 model and am enjoying it much more than I expected to mainly by playing Spider Fighter from an SD card. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Tom_coming_home Posted November 24, 2017 Author Share Posted November 24, 2017 Thanks, your post + they are going for 34.99 brand new on Ebay right now = what the heck, I ordered one. I also agree with you about the battery door - I HATE electronics that are designed so the batteries cannot be removed by the average Joe Six-pack like myself. I'm sure it is heresy to type these words here but here goes: I've never been a Pac-Man fan for either the home or arcade versions, and I actually like the 2016 Box art with Frogger and Centipede better. Maybe I'll attempt a youtube video to compare them. I've always wanted to do something like that. I did not get a 2016 Atari Flashback Portable. I did get a 2017 Atari Flashback Portable based on the video that I provided the link to. What really sold me on the 2017 was the battery access door. 2016 didn't have that. You know I will have this for 40 years and need to replace the battery dozens of times. Also, the 2017 model has a pac-man game and pac-man on the box. The 2017 screen is supposed to be smaller but not much. If it were twice the size it would still be small to me. I have to say though, I am very happy with the 2017 model and am enjoying it much more than I expected to mainly by playing Spider Fighter from an SD card. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIO2 Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 I'm sure it is heresy to type these words here but here goes: I've never been a Pac-Man fan for either the home or arcade versions, and I actually like the 2016 Box art with Frogger and Centipede better. Yes. I believe that is the definition of heresy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted November 25, 2017 Share Posted November 25, 2017 SAMs has a Special Edition (AV cable included) for under $40.00. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feralstorm Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Between the two, I'd give a mild edge to the 2017 version, but not necessarily a big enough one to get it again if you have the 2016. Hardware: I think the D-pad on 2017 is a bit worse, but neither was very good for my fat thumbs. The 2017 version has the battery accessible behind a screwed-on back panel, rather than buried inside the unit. The stock included selection of games is IMO better on the 2017, with Activision and Namco arcade games. Emulation seems slightly improved for at least some games (games like Galaxian and Pressure Cooker were glitched to heck on the 2016 model, fixed to be included games on the new one. Stargate/Defender II has the landscape graphics messed up now though, where they worked OK on the 2016 model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisP Posted December 12, 2017 Share Posted December 12, 2017 To get the self-test mode on my Flashback Portable 2017, I had to hold down all six round keys (A, R, S,P, L, and T) while powering on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetick1 Posted December 13, 2017 Share Posted December 13, 2017 (edited) To get the self-test mode on my Flashback Portable 2017, I had to hold down all six round keys (A, R, S,P, L, and T) while powering on. Works fine well other then expected failed paddles test. Thanks. Edited December 13, 2017 by thetick1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onmode-ky Posted December 13, 2017 Share Posted December 13, 2017 To get the self-test mode on my Flashback Portable 2017, I had to hold down all six round keys (A, R, S,P, L, and T) while powering on. Hi, could you do me a favor and reconfirm that it takes holding down all six buttons and not just A, R, and S like on the 2016 AFBP? It's definitely worth noting if the key combination has changed. onmode-ky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetick1 Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Hi, could you do me a favor and reconfirm that it takes holding down all six buttons and not just A, R, and S like on the 2016 AFBP? It's definitely worth noting if the key combination has changed. onmode-ky Only holding all six round keys (A, R, S,P, L, and T) broyght up diagnostics on my AFP 2017. Holding A, R, and S just boots as normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisP Posted December 16, 2017 Share Posted December 16, 2017 Hi, could you do me a favor and reconfirm that it takes holding down all six buttons and not just A, R, and S like on the 2016 AFBP? It's definitely worth noting if the key combination has changed. onmode-ky That's exactly what I was saying. A, S, and R did not work. The only combination I could find that did was all six round buttons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onmode-ky Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 Thanks to you both for confirming. I wonder why they made that change--heck, maybe it's as simple as having had two different engineers define the key sequences, and they didn't work together. In any case, I'll record it in my plug-n-play website's hidden modes section, whenever I get around to updating it with all the data from the latter half of this year. onmode-ky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisP Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 SAMs has a Special Edition (AV cable included) for under $40.00. FBP_SAMS.JPG Did you buy one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Did you buy one? No. I have the 2016 version and there weren't enough improvements to warrant an upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StickerPeeler Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Halo 2600 still won't run on it. I found another one that won't, but I can't remember what it was. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arenafoot Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 Halo 2600 still won't run on it. I found another one that won't, but I can't remember what it was. I left it in my ROM pack as a show-off title because most people don't know about it. It still starts up and you can walk around the first 3 rooms - but that's all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toptenmaterial Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 (edited) I just got mine. My opinion as a layman is that it is very poopy. The control sucks, the precision just isn't there at all. In Kaboom and the Astrosmash clone is seems like there are only three places on the screen that you can go, left, right and center. Was that what the originals were like? I was never an Atari kid growing up but the current control scheme renders these games unplayable. The screen is poor too. It's bright and seems to have rich colors, but it's as if it's somehow out of focus. It reminds me of when the EVF in my digital camera is not focus correctly for my eyes At $40 or so, am I asking too much? I think the thing ought to at least be playable. Edited February 10, 2018 by toptenmaterial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Some games are playable, some are not. Anything that was played on the original system with a paddle is not going to work well on the portable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Ok I bought a new one 89.95 taxes in. Cheaper than amazon at 65.00 plus shipping because no free shipping unless you live in a major city. Looks like with the av cable I have at home you can play on tv if you want. The controller is terrible hard to move any direction without going another direction. Screen size way smaller than advertised on the box shows pacman full screen but actually some of the screen is cut off. So how do you use the sd card. Tried a card with bin files on and does not read size type and format anyone? Also an all in one rom pack with homebrews? Almost thinking of returning for the poor controller. It is worse than mcdonalds kids meal lcd game controls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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