Atari Flashback Version Question

Hey all,



I normally host bi-weekly retro gaming tournaments at my workplace. For the next game, I thought that I would change things up and hold a PONG tournament.



I figured that the best way to do this is to use the Atari Flashback consoles, but it is critical that each console plays the same way.



My parents have the 2nd version of the console and someone on CL is offering the 5th version for $15.



Does anyone know if the Pong game (or any other game for that matter) differs from each Atari Flashback system. I would think that being such a primitive game, they would all play the same way but since I've never played on a Flashback system I have no idea if they add any stupid variations to their games.



Thanks.

Comments

  • The Flashback 1,3-5 emulate the 2600 with differences to the original console being color and sound accuracy. The Flashback 2 is the only version that runs on same hardware the original 2600 ran on. For a workplace tournament, any Flashback console should suffice.
  • Flashback 1 is a nes on a chip. Flashback 2 is a Atari on a chip design, flashback 3 has an arm cpu running an Atari emulator.
  • Originally posted by: Ozzy_98



    Flashback 1 is a nes on a chip. 

    Am i misunderstanding what that implies, or is there a set of "Atari" ROMs floating around from that device that would work on an NES?



     
  • Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

     
    Originally posted by: Ozzy_98



    Flashback 1 is a nes on a chip. 

    Am i misunderstanding what that implies, or is there a set of "Atari" ROMs floating around from that device that would work on an NES?



     

    I wouldn't say they're floating around, since I don't think anyone has pulled them off the Flashback 1 (that I know of), but yeah, they're basically NES ports.



     
  • Originally posted by: Tulpa

     
    Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

     
    Originally posted by: Ozzy_98



    Flashback 1 is a nes on a chip. 

    Am i misunderstanding what that implies, or is there a set of "Atari" ROMs floating around from that device that would work on an NES?



     

    I wouldn't say they're floating around, since I don't think anyone has pulled them off the Flashback 1 (that I know of), but yeah, they're basically NES ports.



     

    I'd be genuinely interested in having a copy of those, for novelty's sake.



     
  • Can be yours for $17 and whatever equipment you need to pull the programs off.



    http://www.ebay.com/itm/ATARI-Flashback-Mini-7800-Classic-GAME-CONSOLE-20-Built-In-Games-/111724782790?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1a0350e4c6



    Some of the other plug and plays supposedly use NOAC, like the Intellivision 25-in-1.
  • Originally posted by: Tulpa





    Some of the other plug and plays supposedly use NOAC, like the Intellivision 25-in-1.



    Again, there is some serious novelty in having non-NES games on my PowerPak to play on an actual NES.



    My question was more directed at "has anyone actually done that" (or do they use some esoteric pirate mapper, for instance)
  • I honestly don't know if anyone has ever tried or not. You'd think they would turn up on some ROM site somewhere in the last eleven years its been out. I see threads on NESdev and Atariage talking about them, but no definitive answer.



    I know the Flashback 2 has been hacked to add a 2600 cartridge slot, since it uses an Atari-on-a-chip.



    edit: Googling Atari Flashback ROMs brought this link:



    https://sites.google.com/site/maxellsfiles/home/atari-flashback-1-roms



    I'm on a work computer, so I can't really check the link on the site.
  • Originally posted by: arch_8ngel

     
    Originally posted by: Tulpa





    Some of the other plug and plays supposedly use NOAC, like the Intellivision 25-in-1.



    Again, there is some serious novelty in having non-NES games on my PowerPak to play on an actual NES.



    My question was more directed at "has anyone actually done that" (or do they use some esoteric pirate mapper, for instance)



    Bunnyboy has said he dumped one of the Intellivision plug n plays and had Astrosmash running on real hardware. He hasn't shared the roms afaik, probably for obvious reasons. I bought one of the units with the hope of dumping it but I'm not sure I have the hardware to pull it off myself. 



    Nobody has claimed to have dumped the Atari FB1 that I've ever seen.



    I've never seen either set available anywhere publicly accessible.
  • Originally posted by: Tulpa



    I honestly don't know if anyone has ever tried or not. You'd think they would turn up on some ROM site somewhere in the last eleven years its been out. I see threads on NESdev and Atariage talking about them, but no definitive answer.



    I know the Flashback 2 has been hacked to add a 2600 cartridge slot, since it uses an Atari-on-a-chip.



    edit: Googling Atari Flashback ROMs brought this link:



    https://sites.google.com/site/max...



    I'm on a work computer, so I can't really check the link on the site.





    Neat.  Not everything seems to work but some of them do. (in FCEUX, at least)



    That is pretty crazy to see, since I thought Atari games did drawn graphics rather than tile.

    Seems like the conversion would have taken some trickery.
  • Originally posted by: zombi

    I would think that being such a primitive game, they would all play the same way but since I've never played on a Flashback system I have no idea if they add any stupid variations to their games.

    To answer your question, I've never seen a Pong game on a plug and play that played any different from any run of the mill Pong console.



    Video Olympics for the 2600 is also Pong, like 50 variations. Quadrapong is hella fun for four players.
  • Did anyone download the ROMs from https://sites.google.com/site/maxellsfiles/home/atari-flashback-1-roms? It seems the site has been taken down, and with no caching of it on archive.org, Google, or Bing, I fear it may be lost for good :/ If anyone has the ROMs, please send me a message!
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