Atari Again !

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Thought this would be worth noting for some...

Atari Has Another Flashback

Atari announced today that they are launching the Atari Flashback 2.0 this
Summer. This is "in response to consumer and retailer demands" after the
success of the first Atari Flashback Classic Game Console. The Atari
Flashback 2.0 will feature more than 40 classic games including Asteroids,
Centipede, Millipede, Lunar Lander, Breakout, Missile Command, and Combat.
The two joysticks and wood grain paneling design of the Atari Flashback 2.0
will mimic that of the Atari 2600.

"The Atari Flashback series harkens back to the early days of video games
where the simplicity of design and the addictive game mechanics connected
instantly with audiences of all ages. Even in this day of advanced and more
complex gameplay, these legacy games continue to elicit fantastic reactions
via the on-screen action, and again, to a wide and broad audience," said Wim
Stocks, Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Licensing and
Distribution. "Now, on the 30th anniversary of Pong -- the grandfather of
all video games -- it is fitting that we begin to commemorate this milestone
with the launch of Atari Flashback 2.0."

The Atari Flashback 2.0 will be available early Summer 2005 for around $30.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

"Dane L. Galden" <chigroup(at)ix.netcom.comCHANGE(at)TO@> wrote in message
news:lnqce.1457$7F4.1247@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Thought this would be worth noting for some...
>
> Atari Has Another Flashback
>
> Atari announced today that they are launching the Atari Flashback 2.0 this
> Summer. This is "in response to consumer and retailer demands" after the
> success of the first Atari Flashback Classic Game Console.

Really? It was a success? My local Target and Wal-Marts have pallets of
these things, and they don't seem to be selling very well even after
reducing the price multiple times. I think the size of the unit and the
need to plug it in (not to mention the selection of games) have hurt it
compared to the TV Games joysticks.

> The Atari Flashback 2.0 will feature more than 40 classic games including
Asteroids,
> Centipede, Millipede, Lunar Lander, Breakout, Missile Command, and Combat.
> The two joysticks and wood grain paneling design of the Atari Flashback
2.0
> will mimic that of the Atari 2600.

I like the woodgrain design, but Asteroids, Centipede, and Breakout were
already on the first Flashback. Are they talking about the coin-op versions
or something?

> "The Atari Flashback series harkens back to the early days of video games
> where the simplicity of design and the addictive game mechanics connected
> instantly with audiences of all ages. Even in this day of advanced and
more
> complex gameplay, these legacy games continue to elicit fantastic
reactions
> via the on-screen action, and again, to a wide and broad audience," said
Wim
> Stocks, Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Licensing and
> Distribution. "Now, on the 30th anniversary of Pong -- the grandfather of
> all video games -- it is fitting that we begin to commemorate this
milestone
> with the launch of Atari Flashback 2.0."

Someone may want to tell this "suit" that the 30th anniversary of Pong was
three years ago...

> The Atari Flashback 2.0 will be available early Summer 2005 for around
$30.
>
> Thursday, April 28, 2005

I'll probably end up buying it as a collector, since the mini-woodgrain unit
will look cool, but if it is anything like the last Flashback, I'm not
expecting to have any fun playing it. The TV Games paddles and joystick are
a better buy.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Android wrote:

[snip!]
>
>> The Atari Flashback 2.0 will feature more than 40 classic games including
> Asteroids,
>> Centipede, Millipede, Lunar Lander, Breakout, Missile Command, and
>> Combat. The two joysticks and wood grain paneling design of the Atari
>> Flashback
> 2.0
>> will mimic that of the Atari 2600.
>
> I like the woodgrain design, but Asteroids, Centipede, and Breakout were
> already on the first Flashback. Are they talking about the coin-op
> versions or something?

I Don't believe there was a Lunar Lander for the 2600, was there???

[snip!]
>
>> The Atari Flashback 2.0 will be available early Summer 2005 for around
> $30.
>>
>> Thursday, April 28, 2005
>
> I'll probably end up buying it as a collector, since the mini-woodgrain
> unit will look cool, but if it is anything like the last Flashback, I'm
> not
> expecting to have any fun playing it. The TV Games paddles and joystick
> are a better buy.

Maybe it will offer real emulation this time?
--
01000011 01001100 01000001 01010011 01010011 01001001 01000011
Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (209) 754-1363 300-14.4k
Set your 8-bit rigs to sail for http/www.portcommodore.com/
01010001 01010101 01000001 01001100 01001001 01010100 01011001

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

It would be nice to see a cartridge port on this one, but that wouldn't
be cost effective .

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

"I Don't believe there was a Lunar Lander for the 2600, was there??? "

Nope...unless the "Lunar Lander" part of Star Ship (aka Outer Space)
counts.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Darth Chaos wrote:

> "I Don't believe there was a Lunar Lander for the 2600, was there??? "
>
> Nope...unless the "Lunar Lander" part of Star Ship (aka Outer Space)
> counts.

--shudder-- I forgot about that one! ;-) I don't think *that* lunar
lander would go over very well.

--
01000011 01001100 01000001 01010011 01010011 01001001 01000011
Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (209) 754-1363 300-14.4k
Set your 8-bit rigs to sail for http/www.portcommodore.com/
01010001 01010101 01000001 01001100 01001001 01010100 01011001

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

I don't think Star Ship/Outer Space went over AT ALL.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

I think the main gripe about the Flashback 1.0 is that the "NES on a
chip" which resulted in less-than-perfect emulation, but the Flashback
2.0 is supposed to use the "Atari 2600 on a chip" technology which
should allow for authentic gameplay. Hopefully the controller jacks are
the standard Atari 2600 9-pin jacks which would allow you to hook up
your older controllers such as the paddles and the Video Touch Pad (if
Star Raiders is on there). And hopefully there will be a way to add a
cartridge port to the system (if one isn't included). That's one way
Atari could avoid copyright issues with Namco over Pac-Man and Ms.
Pac-Man by including a cartridge port and allowing anybody who already
owns a Pac-Man cart, Ms. Pac-Man cart, or a Jr. Pac-Man cart to use
their own carts and Atari wouldn't have to pay Namco royalties. If
Atari uses standard 9-pin ports and includes a cart slot, then the
Flashback 2.0 will be a must-have for any retro gamer (or anybody who
has any Atari 2600 carts around the house).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

On 4 May 2005 14:06:22 -0700, "Darth Chaos" <anticorpoutlaw@msn.com>
wrote:

>If
>Atari uses standard 9-pin ports and includes a cart slot, then the
>Flashback 2.0 will be a must-have for any retro gamer (or anybody who
>has any Atari 2600 carts around the house).

It does use the standard 9-pin jacks and supposidly it has leads
inside soi that a cart port can be hacked (sort of like the C64dtv has
the ability to add keyboard and drive) this one is a winner.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

>supposed to use the "Atari 2600 on a chip" technology

Hate to burst your bubble, but the new unit also uses the NES-on-a-chip
approach. There was a recent article on Gamasutra.com about a 24-hour
programming contest held in NYC to design a game for the unit (well,
the entries would be CONSIDERED for inclusion in the console), and the
writer confirmed the unit was an NES derivaitve rather than a 2600
clone.

The article is a very interesting read, you should check it out. Here's
the article (jump to the 4:00 PM entry for the NES reference):

http/www.gamasutra.com/features/20050419/hawkins_pfv.shtml

Granted, the teams did not have direct access to Flashback 2 hardware,
but the design software they were using on the PC was clearly capable
of far more than a 2600 (notice the multi-colored sprites in the
screenshot).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

> Hate to burst your bubble, but the new unit also uses the NES-on-a-chip
> approach. There was a recent article on Gamasutra.com about a 24-hour
> programming contest held in NYC to design a game for the unit (well,
> the entries would be CONSIDERED for inclusion in the console), and the
> writer confirmed the unit was an NES derivaitve rather than a 2600
> clone.


Uhhh no. It is definitely 2600 hardware.

The only thing that was said is that it's possible that the Flashback would
contain the winner of the Retro Redux competition, held in early April. Yes
the games on that contest were done in Flash in the competition, and the
guidelines were to write games with the limits of 2600 hardware. Some people
went outside the lines however. That doesn't necessarily mean the games
written would be in the Flashback 2.0 however.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

>The only thing that was said is that it's possible that the Flashback
>would contain the winner of the Retro Redux competition, held in
>early April.

Well, in all fairness, that's not the only thing that was said. The
author stated rather clearly that the unit used an NES-on-a-chip
architecture. (I am guessing that you only read the press release
announcing the contest, and not the article describing the event
itself.) However, I was mistaken to assume that because he was
associated with this contest that he would also be privy to the
hardware spec of the new Flashback.

I recently received an e-mail from someone I consider to be a reliable
source in such matters, and he assures me that the new unit is indeed a
2600-on-a-chip. So I am happy to retract my previous statements about
the system's design and declare my source inaccurate (even though it is
still an entertaining read).

 

[crackers]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

"Dan Mazurowski" <kingsmedley@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1115553546.531224.22250@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

> I recently received an e-mail from someone I consider to be a reliable
> source in such matters, and he assures me that the new unit is indeed a
> 2600-on-a-chip. So I am happy to retract my previous statements about
> the system's design and declare my source inaccurate (even though it is
> still an entertaining read).

Hot diggety! I hope this time they don't screw it up. Pleeeeease use
standard 2600 controllers!
Pleeeeeeeease have a cartridge slot!

Crackers


--
Ghastly's Ghastly Comic
http/ghastlycomic.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

I'm not sure if this is a photoshop incarnation of all of our dreams
for the Flashback 2.0, but this one looks like it has a cartridge port
on it.

http/lnk.to/flashback2

Ed

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Curt says it uses all old standard 2600 controllers though i seen on
Atariage that you have to do work for the cart slot.
Thanks,
Mike

Crackers wrote:

>"Dan Mazurowski" <kingsmedley@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:1115553546.531224.22250@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>>I recently received an e-mail from someone I consider to be a reliable
>>source in such matters, and he assures me that the new unit is indeed a
>>2600-on-a-chip. So I am happy to retract my previous statements about
>>the system's design and declare my source inaccurate (even though it is
>>still an entertaining read).
>>
>>
>
>Hot diggety! I hope this time they don't screw it up. Pleeeeease use
>standard 2600 controllers!
>Pleeeeeeeease have a cartridge slot!
>
>Crackers
>
>
>
>

 

[crackers]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

<edburns@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1115822334.386500.22760@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I'm not sure if this is a photoshop incarnation of all of our dreams
> for the Flashback 2.0, but this one looks like it has a cartridge port
> on it.
>
> http/lnk.to/flashback2

It appears to be one button shy of complete comparability. They've probably
axed the Colour/B&W switch since not too many people use B&W TVs anymore.
Maybe that can be hacked in too but I don't think there are too many games
that actually use that switch as a control.

I wonder if that cartridge port is real or just cosmetic. Oh PLEASE be real!

Crackers


--
Ghastly's Ghastly Comic
http/ghastlycomic.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.video.classic (More info?)

Sorry Crackers, but from what I've heard, it's there just for cosmetic
purposes.

I think the actual Flashback 2.0 console is as wide as two Atari CX-40
joysticks placed together side by side. There was a picture on the
Atari Age forums comparing the size of the FB2 to an actual 2600
woodgrain console.