" there's one problem with the Atari Flashback 2, it's how many Atari Flashbacks (1) are still out there ...because by all accounts this is what fans have been waiting for: "

---from the review

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Atari Flashback 2

Order link is "iffy" at the moment, though you might find a bin of these at your favorite local shopping mart.

Review by Steve

If there's one problem with the Atari Flashback 2, it's how many Atari Flashbacks (1) are still out there. That prior system was such a mistake, that it may bring bad press towards the Flashback 2. This is a shame because by all accounts this is what fans have been waiting for: the most outrageously enjoyable salute to retro Atari classics of all time.

However; it cannot be stressed enough to not buy the Flashback "1" by mistake. The box for the Flashback 2 is included here for reference; this is the box to look for it you can't (or won't) buy it online. What's the difference? To make a long story short the first "Flashback" unit wasn't much of a flashback at all. The system resembled an old Atari 7800: arguably the least memorable "classic" game console of all time. To make matters worse, the supposed "flashbacks" of 20 classic games didn't sound or feel like the originals. We covered this in the review at the time, so let's just move on.

Let's first praise the Flashback 2's improved look and feel. The unit is made to resemble a smaller scale Atari 2600; the game unit that started it all. Talk about attention to detail; even the original wood finish on the front of the system is saluted. The only change is the modern memory chip inside which holds all the games, with no cartridge shuffling required. That's to be expected because with 40 games to choose from, making cartridges for each of them would've cost too much in production.

Here's one of those added features that just makes the whole thing even cooler. The controllers are identical to the classic Atari joysticks. In fact; they're built to scale. You want added perks for this system...? It's been said that this system is fully compatible with all classic Atari peripherals, including third-party controllers, as well as the original "paddle wheels," which will work on various included games on the Flashback 2, like Pong. Now that's "retro"...!

Of course, you came for the games, of which there are 40. There's the original Adventure, and Yar's Revenge, and Haunted House. There's Outlaw! and yes, even Pong. The Atari team was even a bit humble in offering two classic games from Activision's catalog: Pitfall and River Raid. Each game is an exact replica of the original, right down to the music and graphics (unlike the most glaring error for the prior "Flashback"). Yes, it helps that this is all seen with the crystal clarity of the system's modern-day audio/video jacks, and not the often-snowy reception of those archaic 1980's RF antenna switches. In some cases this might be the first time gamers have been able to play the games with the clarity they were meant to be seen.

If there's a singular, half-star to remove from this system's grade, it's how not all games in this list of "40" are true flashbacks. Some supposed "sequels" were never actually released for the 2600, and seem more like a game design team's way of saying "look what we fiddled with to make these games look different." Yar's Return has the enemy base in center-screen, with a whole circular shield around it. Adventure 2 is just like Adventure but with more screens and larger mazes. Likewise for the return to Haunted House. Not that sequels are a bad thing, but for all the space used on these so-so sequels I would've preferred a "museum" option instead, with the original game manuals and/or original sales art.

Speaking of original manuals: I hope you remember how to play these games, because while they're relatively straightforward, there is little told about them in the included manual. This is particularly glaring when playing a rarely-seen 1980's Atari computer title like Save Mary, which will leave you scratching your head for awhile until you figure out exactly what "bridge" is supposed to be made to save "Mary." Turns out you're supposed to slowly stack the bridge pieces as she jumps and dodges the falling pieces, until she's high enough for you to grab her by the crane. I don't want to scare you away from an otherwise superior product though so let's forget about "Mary" and remember the other 39 games.

The truth is that this is still a great salute to classic Atari. Regardless of the limited manual and so-so "sequels" this is exactly what the original Flashback should've been, in every way. The downside; this is one hard to find little system! Due to the original Flashback barely selling at all, there aren't enough Flashback 2 units to make demand. I got mine at Wal-Mart and as for online retailers, most of them are bumping the release date until they get enough units to make a sales link worth it. If you can get it, it's just what fans wanted.

---Steve