Atari Flashback 9: Pros and Cons
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- Let's go RETRO! The Atari Flashback 9 is now popping up in stores and this new plug and play emulation machine offers some improvements over previous models as well as some setbacks. But with developer AtGames under fire from both companies and consumers alike, is it worth a purchase? The answer might surprise you.
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Hey everybody, regarding the joystick buttons not responding, the units are easy to take apart (screws on bottom). You will find that the units use different contacts than the original Atari Joysticks. The contacts can get gunked up from use or even from corrosion from lack of use . Take a clean pencil eraser and clean all 5 points of contact on the joystick circuit board (this includes the button contact) and this should allow the contact circuits to work again. Hope this helps.
I need to pick one of these up. I’d rather have the wired controllers. This was my childhood. I was born in the 70’s (Elvis was still alive then, died a few years after I was born), but I sure remember the day our dad came home and surprised us with the 2600! We felt like royalty after getting that thing. We had sticks and paddles. Sooooo much of my childhood spent on that system :-)
I can remember the day Elvis died, ... because my cousin and I went to the store, that night, and it was raining, and there were a ton of worms on the ground, like everywhere! As a kid, I wasn't use to that happening. When we got back, to my aunt's place, we tried to tell her about the worms everywhere, but she said, be quite, ... I'm trying to hear the news. Then, on the news, it said that Elvis had died. Didn't know that much about him then,..but that why I remember it, so vividly. Elvis and Atari, who would have thought to see them both in a topic. Cool!
The SD card slot, as you said, is a game changer. I agree with the clunky controller. It feels funny to me, but works well. I had the Kool-Aid and Journey Escape game as well. One of the first games I put on the SD card was E.T. I had the game as a kid and it holds a special place in my heart. Anyone that say that it was the worst Atari game hasn't played enough Atari games.
Dollar general store has the flashback 9
We had a brand new Atari 2600 when it debuted I believe in 1983. The system was great and we really enjoyed it for years.
ATARI has come out with some of the most iconic games of all time. TEMPEST, STAR WARS, BATTLEZONE, BLACK WIDOW, FOOD FIGHT, ASTEROIDS.
Hey, man. I'm slightly older than you. My first console was the Atari 2600. I have great memories of the games and the times. But personally, these games no longer do it for me. I still have great fun with the 16-bit era - I was always a Genesis fan but the SNES still does it for me also. That being said, it pleases me greatly that you are keeping the Atari alive. There were plenty of Pong systems before the Atari, but the Atari 2600 was/is the origin of the home console. You're doing it justice. Well done, and thank you.
I like that this one has hdmi and corded controls. I might actually get one of these finally!
I think it's the best we're probably going to get. If we can get some decent paddle controllers for this thing, we'll be riding high. Having said that, I still want to pick up the Retron 77, which is an actual cartridge system for Atari 2600 games. Hopefully I'll be talking about that on the channel at some point in the near future.
Cereal At Midnight
I’m confused. The version 8 Deluxe appears to have included paddles, but version 9 doesn’t.
Atari Flashback 8 Deluxe with 105 games - 2 Wired controllers and 2 Paddles www.amazon.com/dp/B078KW3FZL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aphkDb5Y6WYDD
@@totallyfrozen I guess the paddles from Flashback 8 will not work. With Flashback 9 they have changed their internal Atari 2600 emulator: From their own application to Stella. I guess they have to patch Stella somehow to get it to read the paddle input.
Good news by the way: Stella is able to run a lot more games.
This is using a home brew emulator?
Did they pay the devs for it? Pretty sure most emulators are not supposed to be just taken and used for profit.
The entire Atari library is about 3 MB lol
yea bui
Sounds about right lol.
Walmart has the AF9 on clearance for $11. I just went to my local Walmart and picked up 5 units for $55. Why and the hell do I need more than one unit you my ask. Well, I now have plenty of replacement parts in terms of controllers, psu's, and control decks. This purchase was a no brainer. The question of the day remains... Have you played ATARI today??? Buckle up and game on!!!
Mark Racer they just went down to $5 😎
The entire Atari on my flash drive is around 8 megs. 500 games or so. I grew up on this later in life I was hooked on Doom and Duke Nukem. But Atari is where my memories of being a 9 yr old are. Love it all!!
I have had one of these since a long time ago. Lost the first one to a divorce. The second one is sitting on my TV stand now. I simply don't play it much but it's cool to have. I was much more into the Intellivision as a kid. But this is pretty cool! I don't think it's the same as yours,but very close.
Ken Massey you need to have other ‘kids’ around the neighborhood who wants to play......
I've owned several of them including 1,2, 3 and 5. They are all crap.
Hi, Never visited your channel before- just wanted to say thank you for this video! Great in-depth review, very helpful.
**Finds out about the SD card**
**Immediately gets E.T.**
Be careful, there are reports starting to come in from people buying these at places besides Walmart and they're seeing units that don't have an HDMI port and are hardwired for AV cables. Some shady crap AtGames is pulling.
Well shit
Too late
Is yours on the up and up? Or did you order online? If you got it from Walmart, I think you're good.
*......I got it from Family Dollar*
Ah, crap. Keep us posted.
Got one at a pawn shop today for $20.00!
How does it work ?
@@marcpatihk it works fine. Sorry for long wait on the reply.
I would like one! Where can I buy? Thanks so much!
I find myself playing your video over and over.... The Atari Flashback 9 is an incredible piece of hardware history!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I lived pretty much the same life as you did, I was born in 1980 so Atari was before my time and my first system was the NES (in the 90s) but my relatives had an Atari collecting dust in their cupboard so I came to know the good ol 2600 through them and you definitely need a paddle for breakout. I'm Australian and this system is available currently at our K Mart for 89 Australian dollars but without an available paddle I am thinking twice about it really. Ive already had second thoughts about the NES mini because that controller cord is too short, some of these companies really don't think about problems too well.
A very informative video... Well done... :) Well I for sure know which Atari flashback version I am buying now... Thanks...
Love the name ,cereal at midnight 👍
Nintendo claims they're the last of the Mohicans it would be nice to see over a hundred games on an SNES and NES classic redux!!
Perfect video bro! I almost bought the Atari classics for Xbox one and then I saw the flashback 9. You are right,the sd card slot is a game changer. The paddles will come in time i believe.
Great informative video! I currently have the first 2 Atari Flashback and It seem I want to get them all now!
I bought the retron 77 thinking it was going to run all my cartridges, wrong. All these systems run on rom emulators. Its been around for decades. The only different is that you can use original joystick controllers and the hdmi is built on the unit. Used to play emulators on my psp, pc, and phone but a painful experience.
I just got one for Christmas, are you telling me with the SD thingy, I can run atari 7800 games on this thing?
I am only interested in this one because of the SD card slot... The ability to add more games makes it worth it. I did buy the Flashback 8 but hardly use it. Then again I still play on my original Atari 2600 and 400.
sd card and at games ? would not even trust their compatibility at all as it just stinks,just buy a retron 77 as i run the complete 2600 rom set with no real issues.
Yeah! I have heard some great things about the Retron77!
The killer app would be Warlords in 4 player mode paddles.
I've had a couple of these Flashbacks, and they are nice. But, the 9 seems great, with the SD card addition.
If we get paddle controllers, we’ll be set. I’m not sure if the older wired paddle controllers from previous Flashbacks will work on this or not.
Thanks for the honest (and calm!) review. So glad Solaris is on it. I was so disappointed it was not on PS4 Flashback volume 1, 2 and 3. Unfortunately, the Dutch shop that has it, does not mention HDMI and/or SD card in the description, although the box they show, does at least list HDMI. So will order it anyway.
At this point, if you haven't already ordered this, I would hold off. At Games has STILL not manufactured working paddle controllers for this, and are apparently already working on the Flashback 10. I would at least wait to see what all will be on the next model. I kind of wish I had.
My favorite is one you don't hear about very often: "Tunnel Runner." It's a 3D maze game running on the 2600! It uses a special chip that allows for advanced graphics. Lots of fun, too. There's even a mode that randomizes the mazes every time, so every game is a different experience.
Very cool! I will have to see if the ROM works on the Flashback 9. If not, I'll hunt down the cartridge!
I'm waiting for the Atari flashback 5200! lol
Bryan G I had that too. Good times.
im waiting for at games to give it up as they just suck.
I think a Retron 5200 would be better
And it would have a krappy controller too, just like the 5200. Lol
All my cousins had a 2600 my brother and I had the 5200 when we were kids I like the 5200 better
The Empire Strikes Back and James Bond 007 by Parker Bros for the Atari 2600 were some of my favorites. I grew up with the system and games were hard to come by back then. $50+ purchase and you played them for hours on end (if you were lucky enough to have your own tv in your room).
I've never played James Bond 007! I'll have to check that one out! And isn't it amazing that Atari games cost 50 dollars or more forty years ago and video games still cost 50-60 dollars today? But that 50 dollars in 1979, for example, was a much bigger investment than today. Thanks for the comment!
@@CerealAtMidnight Yes indeed. I remember having Yars Revenge and my good friend down the street had Space Invaders. Another friend had Donkey Kong and so on. We would spend an hour here and an hour there playing some games. Then we would ride our bikes around the neighborhood. It was certainly a different time back then.
Yes James Bond 007 was great! and hard as hell! The Parker Brothers games were always a bit more polished than some of the other brands. I had Star Wars, Empire Strikes back, Return of the Jedi (You flew the Falcon). Spiderman , James Bond. Lots of great games. As far as licensed games I recall also having, ET, Indiana Jones, MASH, Porkys, probably some others, not sure what else off hand. My younger brother lost them along time ago.
@@dreamwarrior3d I will have to do a video on my Atari carts.I have a pretty large bin full packed away. I break it out now and then and play, but not often. Yea I remember Return of the Jedi where you had to blow up the Death Star and then dodge the fireballs. So many memories.
I love Atari the only complaint for me about this system is that there’s no real sports boxing I loved that game
Retard Stupid
I didn’t look really hard through it, but I don’t think I saw the boxing game. I was hoping to. I used to play that one as a kid.
My XBOX died many years ago. But my Intelevision still works. Gonna have to check this out.
Got one for the family for Christmas. 2 days later, its rocking 1001 games lol
Back in 2013 I got my first console ever, it was the first atari flashback but I don’t have it anymore
I think E.T.'s respawn screen is still burned into my retinas from when I was a kid!
Actually you can plug a sega genesis controller into both an original Atari and Atari flashblack 2-9 plus 64 but not the first one and it works just fine.
My Atari Flashback isn't reading the sd card it says on the Box it's model number is AR3230
I liked your video. I have the Atari Flashback 8 Gold I bought it because I found it on Ebay for $20.00. It has lots of the games I like. I had an Atari 2600 as a kid I got one Christmas of 1980 I was 10. That was when Atari was selling their systems like crazy. Some of my favorite games I had were Space Invaders, River Raid, Pitfall, Gorf, Frogger. I enjoy the flashback 8 I enjoy the old retro gaming. Not much into the newer systems
20 dollars is a great deal for a Flashback 8! Love your game favorites, too!
It was the last one they had and was able to get the NES and SNES classic
11:20 Pitfall! Berzerk!, Atlantis, Robot Tank, Space Masters X-7
The only problem I had with the Flashback consoles is that the joysticks don't work for paddle controller games. Other than that they're a blast.
The lack of paddle controllers really bugs me. When I made this video, AtGames was saying paddle controllers were coming soon. That was 8 months ago, and we still don't have them.
@@CerealAtMidnight Yeah, that's what I heard also. I purchased the Flashback 8 2+ years ago so they're long overdue. Development in the controllers has definitely lagged far behind the game emulation to the point where many of them are unplayable. Especially paddle games, trackball, driving games, and spinner controller games. The games themselves are emulated really well now we just need the controllers to play them.
Id love them to make a mini atari lynx
They made an Atari Flashback portable, I don’t know what games it plays though
I kind of want to get one, to see the reaction of my son on the graphics. He said the graphics on Playststion Classic were so bad. It might also look nice next to my NES Classic, SNES Classic and Playstation Classic.
Trying ti play my flashback 9 on old tv and some games are not clear and show NTSC. Why? Anyone?
I have a lot of fond memories of Atari from my childhood as my best friend growing up had one and he was literally the only kid I knew who had one. Chopper command was probably the game I remember the best. I had a St Patrick's day party in high school and my friend forgot his 2600 at my house as we were in a rush to clear everyone out that morning before my parents came home. My dad noticed it in the basement along with some green bowler hats and said "You guys must have had a lot of fun last night"
What a great story! That could actually be a commercial for Atari. Your dad could say "You guys must have had a lot of fun last night" and then you look at the camera and make a surprised face, then the Atari logo comes up and they play the "have you played Atari today" jingle.
That would be a good commercial. I remember Missile Command being "The game" I kept the system until the end of the school year too. Do you have any certain Atari game you're a fan of from that era?
Miss the best game Bounty Bob strikes back & 2049er
Activision's Spider Fighter. Imagic's Demon Attack.
Okay so I'm a fan of Atari from back when I was a kid! Anyhoo my son bought me one as a gift which got me so excited and could hardly wait to play, but i need help trying to set it up!!! "UGH!!"
If you want to play a pretty darn difficult game, try Raiders of the Lost Ark. Me and my brother spent many hours playing that game and it was before players guides existed. Also the paddle is mandatory because my favorite game Kaboom is impossible to play with the joystick. Great video, I may end up picking up this machine. It will take me back to being a kid growing up in the 70s.
Hey, Logan Five! If I were you, I would wait to buy one of these until AtGames makes the paddle controllers. Original Atari paddles won't work on their Flashback 9 system (clever, AtGames...clever) and they still have yet to make ones that WILL work, even though it's been months and some of these games are basically impossible to play without them. But that's just my two cents. By the way, I LOVE your avatar and screen name. Let's hope we all avoid Carousel just a little bit longer!
Besides paddle controllers, you'll also need driving controllers for Indy 500. There might be some homebrew games that use them as well. They look like paddles, but they spin 360 degrees.
Then there's the keyboard controllers, AKA Video Touch Pad, which was used for Star Raiders and a few other games such as Code Breaker.
Depending on how complete the emulation is, you may not or may not be able to play the Starpath games as they originally came on cassettes and needed to be loaded into the Supercharger. Emulators for computers usually load them, but I don't know about the Flashback. Games like Phaser Patrol, Fireball, Communist Mutants from Space, Dragon Stomper, Escape from the Mindmaster, etc.
It also might have problems with the CBS RAM Plus games, Tunnel Runner, Mountain King and Omega Race due to the fact that the carts had extra RAM in them. Again, software emulators handle them just fine, so it depends on how complete the Flashback emulation is. Tunnel Runner and Mountain King are great. Omega Race is well done, but requires the "Booster Grip", which goes over the standard Atari stick and has a passthrough for the joystick connector. It adds a second button and you can't play the game without it. It's annoying because out of all the games on the Atari that could have used a second button, Omega Race would have been just fine with one. In fact, I would have preferred it that way.
There are definitely some compatibility issues with some games as far as SD card emulation. The Atari Flashback 9 uses Stella 3 as the emulator, and there's a compatibility list on Atari Age as to what games will and won't play. But still, this is a huge step forward for a mass-marketed Atari emulation machine.
Strange that they didn't use a more updated version. I know there's a bit of a lead time between making a product and getting it into production, but even so, version 3 is years old now.
I agree that it's a nice step forward though. Although the average consumer isn't going to know how to find the games and put them on an SD card. Trust me, I know people who don't even know how to find the files they downloaded and then don't know what to do with them when they do manage to stumble across them. I once spent two hours on the phone futilely trying to talk someone through downloading a Zipped attachment from Hotmail and unzipping it so that they could play the game.
I wouldn't be surprised if you saw fully loaded SD cards pop up on eBay.
I bought the Sam's Club edition of the Atari Flashback 8 Deluxe which came with wired controllers as well as paddles, (that was the only reason I paid extra for the Sam's Club edition was for the paddles). So I get ready to play Breakout (one of my favorite games) and the paddles don't center. They stop short of going all the way to the left of the screen. So I tried it with other games and it does the same thing with Pong, Atari Circus, and every other game I tried. So I tried contacting Sam's Club and they said since that's the old model that there's nothing they can do. So I tried contacting AtGames and they said there was nothing they could do because they didn't have any replacements and they were "too busy focusing on the Atari Flashback X" and that I should try tracking down some original paddles because they would work. To me, that seems like bad costumer service.
You ain't kidding about bad customer service. So they told you they're too busy focusing on Atari Flashback X when they still haven't bothered to manufacture paddle controllers that work with the Atari Flashback 9?! I won't be supporting AtGames in the future. They seem only interested in short term profits, not their reputation or repeat customers.
That's the same impression I got. I'm still kind of surprised by it.
My only question is do the already existing atgames paddles work on it?????
Probably, but I can't verify. I've been trying to get wired At Games paddles since this plug-and-play console came out, but they've stopped all production on them. And the original Atari paddle controllers are locked out.
It’s amazing that you’re old enough to remember the original Atari 2600. You must be around 50 years old and you look about 25. Good for you. 👍🏻
I bought this system because I remember spending HOURS at my friend, Kenny’s, house playing Space Invaders and Missile Command.
Now that I’ve played this, I realize that 8-bit graphics don’t amuse me anymore. I’m just not enjoying the primitive look of the games. So...I’m returning it and getting the AtGames Sega Genesis console instead. Although I’m old enough to have played the original 2600 back in 1980, I guess I’m more nostalgic for the 16-bit games.
I personally wouldn't buy anything else from At Games. There's no paddle support for these games and they've locked out the original paddle hardware so that you can ONLY use their own paddles, which are currently not even on the market. If you want Sega, I would wait until September for the big, deluxe official Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive) Mini, which is made by Sega themselves and is going to be absolutely killer. If you think I look 25, then God bless you. I'll take it! If you're interested, we've also reviewed the Sega Genesis Flashback from At Games here: www.cerealatmidnight.com/2018/03/dont-buy-sega-genesis-flashback-hd-from.html#more
Cereal At Midnight
Thanks for the link. I think AtGames has introduced a newer, improved version of the Genesis. The 2018 model adds an SD slot for firmware updates and game ROMs along with a few other improvements. Just including a couple of links for additional information for other viewers.
ua-cam.com/video/WOVaRKU-muk/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/c1u0cE3_qao/v-deo.html
@@totallyfrozen They did add SD card support to the most recent model, but it's still buggy and has low frame rates. If one just wants to play ROMs, I'd go with a Raspberry Pi. I will be supporting Sega and their official release that includes games that have NEVER before been released in the US. genesismini.sega.com/
I have the Flashback 8 which unfortunately doesn't have the SD slot. I've thought of upgrading to the 9 even though I rarely play the 8.
Seeing as how At Games still hasn't made any compatible paddle controllers, I would avoid it altogether. My review was enthusiastic because of the SD card slot, but without paddles so many Atari games are nearly impossible to control.
Bizzare, that paddles don't work, they do on my Flashback 8. Agree, the SD card option makes the unit very desirable, I take it the wired controller s don't require batteries to work?
Just picked one up today. We don't get to play it until the tree comes down.
montezumas revenge, coconuts and congo bongo!
How does the version 9 compare to the previous models ,8 and 8 gold ?
I can't tell you specifics because I don't know. The version I review in this video is the only one I own, and I don't recommend it since At Games never did make paddle controllers for this unit and also locked out the original Atari paddle controllers so they can't be used either. I believe in most cases, the revision was just a matter of different games. I think the Version 9 was the first revision to offer HDMI support, but I could be wrong. Again, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, because games like Breakout, Circus Atari, etc, all need paddle controllers, which aren't available.
Does flashback 9 non gold have the wireless antenna also or only the gold version.
Bugs!!!!! I loved my Bugs and would stay up past midnight at 12-13 playing it in the 80's. :)
how noticeable is the input latency?
I got the Activision version of the flashback and the games play just how I remember. Plus, unlike new VCS, it’s a real product!
The Atari 2600 was my first system and I still have a decent amount of the games. Dragonsfire, Combat, Yar's Revenge and Moon Patrol were sweet as butter on a lady's bottom cakes.
That's interesting, the Atari flashback 9 that I just purchased at family Dollar (for $32) came with prewired AV cables. Everything else was identical.
There’s someone in Australia who was taking about his having AV cables instead of HDMI too! His cane from K-Mart. I think that’s really frustrating and clearly AtGames is distributing inferior models of their products to different stores.
@@CerealAtMidnight I bought mine from 7th Avenue around Christmas for my son, and when he FINALLY unsealed it today, we discovered the lovely yellow and white plugs dangling down from it. TG I had a N64 to HDMI adapter already. I am interested in figuring out the SD card thing though--there were a few a games that weren't on here that I miss terribly. I've been trying to recall a space-pilot game that you flew through squares but I cannot remember the name of the game. It's drove me batty for almost a decade! Watching my 14 year old and his best friend play Pong, then Combat, then Warlords, then Centipede and then Space Invaders was hilarious. (I suggested that order to them on purpose. I was forced to use the first two before I could find the fun games. Might as well let them feel the same thing too! Combat came with the blasted 80's version I got in Junior high!) They're so used to playing xbox, ps2, Game boy, and other new games that these older ones were tricky for them! :) Great video. Glad I found you from doing a Google search on the Flashback 9 today. You popped up as the first video on top of the other text websites even!
So you can get galaga?
Great video man...!!! Yes, I did grow up with a atari 2600 when it first came out... Great childhood memories so, yea I will be getting all the games I can for it... and another thing if you really like Red Dead II get the PC version, its way better then any of the console versions... :)
What makes the PC version of Red Dead better than the consoles? My biggest issue with that game is all the chatting. It's just too much for me.
A lot of the younger generation loves the retro games I grew up with its great! merry x-mas everyone!!
We cannot seem to find Frogger or Space Invaders on this console. It is shown on the box but we've searched the list and cannot find it. Is it preinstalled or do you have to download it?
Pre-installed on mine. That's weird!
For the start with Red Dead Redemption II and the Flashback are somehow similar! Red Dead was on Atari!
I got it
Capt'n Ron. Hey Capt. Ron I was given one as a gift for Xmas and I'm having a hell of a time just trying to get it set up!! I followed the instructions & at the risk of sounding really dumb, I can't get it done so if you get a min HELP!!!😥😥😥 I just don't know what else to do
Enjoyed the video, thanks! I wonder if these games play the same as the original 2600 ones. My brother and I were experts at Atari Pac Man, and even figured out a winning pattern. When I dug out our old 2600 a few years ago, he and I tried to re-learn the pattern. It took a few tries, but we got it, LOL.
Wonder if the Atari Pac Man now has the same pattern?
Also, there was a trick on the 2600 Space Invaders where you could flip the on/off switch just right and the thing would fire two shots for every button press. I wonder if that feature (malfunction?) is there still, but maybe as a cheat?
These games are emulation and some of them are new (slightly different) versions of the originals, Be you can put your own ROMs on it to make sure you’re playing the version you prefer. I don’t think that malfunction works on these flashback units. I believe the Retron 77, a different unit, does have a “fry” button, though, which recreates the crazy glitch caused by flicking the switch rapidly. Man, Atari is still so much fun.
I'm interested in getting this. I might add the Kool-Aid game.
I love Atari 2600 I like moon patrol I think that's the name of it Pac-Man asteroid space invader got to me I like to list us this just few of them. I got Atari 2600 Junior it works on one of my flatscreen TVs but the picture jumps over once while. I just saw the Walgreens and they wanted $70 for it
I'm glad that AtGames finally included a SD slot. I wonder how it compares to the Retron 77 in video quality and what homebrews it can play.
I believe I read on Atari Age that the Retron 77 has better compatibility with homebrews that push the system. That being said, I’ve played a couple on the flashback without issue, and they support the rewind and save state functions.
No comparison,sd cards are junk but hyperkin did it better while at games uses their ali express 10 cent hardware lol.
Thank you for not making a “resolder and retrobright” video!
I have no idea what that is, but you're welcome!
The older I get (42) the less time I have for video games. My PC is my primary console of choice, but I have recently found that I much prefer the pick up and playability of some of the older retro consoles like the Atari 2600/5200/7800 and the NES. I don't have to devote an hour + to a single gaming session; I can just fire up the 2600 with Yar's Revenge, Berzerk, Space Invaders, Wizard of Wor, Demon Attack, Phoenix, Dragonfire, Q Bert, Cosmic Ark, Asteroids, Frogger, Vanguard, Empire Strikes Back, etc...
Or if I want a short adventure game I can play Haunted House, Indiana Jones (which I still have yet to solve!), Adventure, Swordquest Earth World/Fire World, Superman (which is still one of my all time favorite Superman video games), ET (it really isn't the worst game ever made), Pitfall!, Pitfall! 2, HERO (a game I only discovered in the last 5 years or so thanks to Metal Jesus), Riddle of the Sphinx.
There are also a number of 2 player co-op or direct head to head games that are a ton of fun to play with/against friends...Boxing (Activision's overhead version), Breakout, Video Chess, 3D Tic Tac Toe, Wizard of Wor (yeah, I listed it twice), Warlords (one of the funnest 4 player games of all time), Space Invaders (Yeah, this one gets a 2nd shout out, as well), Combat, Video Olympics, Casino, Joust...
One of the best things about being a modern Atari 2600/5200/7800 collector is the fact that there are still people developing games for the systems, and a lot of these games are graphically superior to the original run of games. There are versions of Pacman for all 3 consoles that are all graphically superior to their original releases. Tempest was finally finished by Keithen Hayenga and released for the 5200 by Atari Age. There is a version of Warlords for the 2600 called Medieval Mayhem that adds new gameplay elements. Halo was released on the 2600! Falldown is a fun competitive game.
Anyway, the Atari 2600 was my first console, and it was the only one I had from 1983-1989 when I finally got a NES. I would pull it out of the attic every summer and have for with it for a little while, and then I would put it back in storage until the next summer. If you aren't completely superficial and can look past the graphics then I think almost anyone can find something to like/love about the Atari 2600.
One more thing about the 2600...I'm old enough to remember the box art and label art, and how they made it look amazing and exciting. New games were always mysterious...the art on the box made it look like it was going to be a thrilling space adventure. Of course, when you fired the game up you were always met with the blocky graphics, but they did a really good job marketing the games with the box art alone.
Atari required that you use your imagination and I kind of love that about it. Especially when we have games that can show you everything, but aren't very much fun to play. Speaking of great Atari art, I would highly recommend the book "The Art of Atari." Just came out a couple of years ago and it is an INCREDIBLE visual history of Atari and those painted cartridge labels.
I just bought a crapload of factory sealed Atari 2600 and Intellivision games from some Ebay seller. I got most for around 6 bucks each.
They were a pre-order from GameStop
My wired controller that came with it won’t work it randomly pauses and stuff and I can’t quit the game unless I power it off also sometimes I can’t use the fire button
I was wondering if anyone experiences any input lag from the wireless controllers on the Atari Flashback 9 Gold?
Boulder Dash!!! 😍😍😍
Is E.T on that console? I can't handle the graphics compared to Fallout 4 which i am still playing. Have you ever dragged someone from behind on your horse on Red Demption II?
I remember growing up with these games. hours of fun. Some great ones. but no Defender! Pfft! Don't really have time these days for playing all these new games. although they do look awesome. But saying that I did pick up a cheap portable Saga Mega Drive (I think it's called Genesis in the US?) from @ Games. Which i do play from time to time for some old school retro fun. But this looks like a good set.
All versions of the AtGames Sega Mega Drive have some serious issues, but I'm glad yours has been treating you well. Sega should be releasing their own official version in 2019 and I expect it to blow all the AtGames versions out of the water. And yeah, I can't believe no Defender. One of the things I love about these retro games is I can pick up a controller and play for 20 minutes and be completely satisfied with my experience.
Just got one for myself for my man cave. I have a smart TV, but also an old 13" color tube TV that I like to use for stuff like this (adds to the nostalgic factor). Therefore, I might be the only one who would have liked an RCA connector (but didn't want earlier Flashback units..... gotta put every game on the SD card!). I'm using an RCA/HDMI adapter, but occasionally when going into a game or coming out of one, the display gets all wonky (hard to describe... looks like someone messed with the vertical or horizontal hold on an ancient TV). Resetting a game or starting a new one from the controller makes the picture normal again. Is it because I'm using an adapter, or does this also happen occasionally when using an actual HDMI input TV?
I haven't had that issue you describe with my unit, so it could be the adapter.
ROBOTRON 2084 AND DEFENDER WERE THE BEST GAMES IN THE ARCADE BESIDES THE PAC-MAN SERIES IMO 😃. I CAN’T FIND ROBOTRON ON PACKS OR SETS IN FULL ARCADE VERSION EXPERIENCE BUT I DO SEE THE ACTUAL ARCADE CONSOLES FOR AROUND $3000 (FULLY RESTORED).
ROBOTRON GAME PLAY IS UNMATCHED FOR SUCH A SIMPLISTIC GAMING PROGRAM BUT YOU’LL NEVER FIND IT FOR iPHONE, UNFORTUNATELY. I DID FIND DEFENDER IN ATARI FOR iPHONE BUT THE GAMEPLAY IS NOT QUITE THE SAME AS THE ARCADE VERSION THAT I USED TO PLAY FOR HOURS! 😅😜👀
You can get the arcade version Robotron 2084 as part of Midway Arcade Origins for PS3 and Xbox 360. The 360 version runs on Xbox One.
r g THANKS 😃👌✅
on the subject of the paddle controllers, i've noticed that since this video was posted, i've seen a set that was like $20 or $30 which has paddle games only, released independently of the FB9....which is kinda unfair...on a side note: Wal Mart is carrying it..
don't know how new or old it is.. Btw,just looked it up it's officially called the Atari Paddle Plug N Play..
Yes, the Paddle plug and play came out around the same time as this Flashback 9 and I believe is a Walmart exclusive. The unfortunate thing about it is that those paddles are wireless and are not compatible with the Flashback 9. I'm starting to wonder if we will ever get paddles for this thing. They really screwed things up by not making original Atari paddles compatible with this system.
@@CerealAtMidnight i grew up with all the games on one system and still have my paddle controllers, sticks and darth vader edition 2600. That said? not to big a deal to just get it modded with hdmi output. Or is it? (im spoiled by crisp, clear pictures)
lol On a side note: they (AT Games) expect us to buy another unit, just to play Breakout games, not to mention having no AC adapters and requiring slews of double AA's..talk about greedy...almost seemingly as bad as Sega (back in the day, for a point of reference)
I have a working Vader unit with the paddles too and it still works great! The bummer about this Flashback 9 is that it was so close to being a slam dunk. I never would have suspected it would take so long for them to release paddle controllers for this unit, or that they would have locked out original Atari hardware. Such a stupid decision that will only hurt their credibility.
Really informed you are.
I just want to throw this in here, for those who haven't paid attention to the homebrew scene for the 2600. With the internals of the 2600 made public and laid bare and the advanced tools we have today to, *in real time*, program a 2600; the most amazing games have come out. Example of the tools I'm talking about: 8bitworkshop.com/v3.2.0/?platform=vcs&file=examples%2Fvsync
Check out the new ports of Star Castle, Super Cobra Arcade, Scramble, 8K PacMan, Juno First, Donkey Kong (there's actually TWO terrific recent ports of this!), Space Rocks (Asteroids clone that looks/plays AMAZING), Draconian (port of Bosconian), BoulderDash, as well as excellent originals like Blinky, Jump, Thrust!, Climber 5, This Planet Sucks, and my favorite: Go Fish!
All of these are up on AtariAge - highly recommended. You will not believe what a stock 2600 is capable of.
There are some great homebrews out there for the 2600, and Atari Age is the place to be.
thanks for nice review
I can't play mine,its unplayable, it responds very slow,Try and play Breakout you can't. The joysticks were weird and move not like a Atari joystick,they might look like them but they are not.
I think there’s no quality control.
This convenience store I shop at has had this sitting behind the counter for some time. I got tired of seeing it sitting there so I bought it.
I can not get the firmware to update, nothing happens. I tried several times. tried renaming the file before, after transfer.
I heard you say 16 gig sd card. I'm using 64 gig. I also downloaded to my android.
Is that the problem?
Did you have any problems with it?
I didn't have any problems with the update. Did you check the Atari Age forums to see if they had troubleshooting tips? I'm including a link to the original firmware post, and there's a separate troubleshooting link in the first post there.
atariage.com/forums/topic/284357-atari-flashback-9-firmware-for-adding-games-to-sd-card/
I believe it was the Atari flashbacks five or six that included paddles
I bought the first version that came out and the images were so pixelated on a big screen TV (65 inch) that it was a real distraction and made the game a pain. Are the later versions better and less pixelated?
This version is not pixelated at all. 720 HD through an HDMI. The only thing I would warn against buying this is that they never did make paddle controllers for this unit, which is a deal breaker for some games like Breakout.
How long are the joystick cables?
Im not going to sit on the floor infront of me tv anymore
I don't recommend this console. One year later, At games still hasn't made compatible paddle controllers, making all the paddle games unplayable. It wouldn't be an issue if they hadn't locked out the original paddle controllers.
@@CerealAtMidnight its also pretty exspensive more then 100 euro's
Would love to have Return of the Jedi for Atari
Hello! Great video!
Mine has the AV cables and not an HDMI cable slot. I can't get it to work! Please help.
Same here! I feel ripped off. My TV supports the AV cables but the picture is crap.
Where did you guys buy these?
@@CerealAtMidnight At a Menards in Northwest Indiana.
Definitely seems like AtGames has inferior versions of this system for different stores. Sorry about the terrible quality. If you aren’t happy, I would absolutely consider getting a refund.
We got one too and it won’t play right either.
Can you use a standard brick adapter like the nes mini has don't want to break this cheap thang
Not sure, it looks like the power source that comes with the Flashback 9 runs on only 5 volts.
3:19 shows HDMI on back...10:17 says "No HDMI." Which is it?
I'm referring to no HDMI cable included at the end of the video. Clearly there's a port. You saw it. HOWEVER...one of the many downfalls of this unit (don't buy it) is that some retailers got a version that didn't have HDMI output and only standard a/v output. Lots of people bought this unit after seeing my review and didn't get the version I reviewed. Add to that, it's years later and still no paddle controllers from these guys.
@@CerealAtMidnight thanks for the reply and the heads-up on the paddle situation. That's a shame. I will pass then. Breakout and other games are not the same without a paddle.
Right on. It's truly almost impossible to play Breakout and other paddle games with the joystick and not paddle controllers. I don't know what these guys are thinking. If they'd make those paddle controllers or if original paddles could be connected, it would be an easy unit to recommend, but without that, it's kind of a hassle.
The Atari Flashback 8 Deluxe (The Sam's Club exclusive) came with paddle controllers & wired controllers.
That's cool! If we could just get them to release wired joystick and paddle controllers AND that SD card slot, we'll be in business.
@@CerealAtMidnight - agreed. I know eventually that the Flashback 9 that you got will have paddle controllers released for them. Maybe not with additional new units but sold separately (it would be silly not to because they'd lose money there).
Now that I think of it. Would a Flashback 8 paddles (that were made for the unit) work on a Flashback 9 console? After all it is made by the same exact company now (AT games & not the old Atari). I am curious to find out if they do....🤔
I can't say for a fact because I don't have Flashback 8 paddles, but I have heard that all of AtGames old Atari paddles will not work. Again, I can't verify that, but it's what I've heard. The original paddles don't work, either, which is just bonkers to me. Also, it's been a couple of months now since this product started to make its way into stores and there is STILL no word on new paddle controllers. Like you, I can't imagine they'd leave money on the table, but I'm starting to wonder...
Yeah AT games hasn't been making the best of business decisions lately. SMH 😖
I guess I probably also find out eventually because I plan to pick the Flashback 9 for my birthday in January. So I'll know by then at least (the good thing for me anyway, is that 98% of the games on the Flashback 8 are also on the Flashback 9. After looking on the game list, there doesn't appear to be new paddle games added onto the 9 - not sure about the new home brew games added though, that weren't already on the 8. So I guess worse case scenario for me is that I keep the Flashback 8 as well because of the paddles to play the paddle games & play the Flashback 9 for all the other regular games 😁).
How well do the Paddle controllers work? I plugged in my old paddle controllers into the Dollar General version, and they kinda work, just not very good...
ua-cam.com/video/UlgmtUDozdU/v-deo.html