Did the Atari Flashback 2.0 go BACK into production?

[Mugzilla]

I was making crazy ca$h on Amazon.com marketplace selling $30 Atari FB 2.0 s for $61.  People were crazy enough to be paying it too!

Now, all of a sudden, the marketplace is flooded with them, and I am off the gravy train!

Long Amazon.com link shortened by saint

If you haven't picked one up yet, it is worth the $30 just for the two replacement joysticks.  PLUS, you can add a  cartridge slot to it if you so choose to.

[jtfields]

I saw it for sale at Fry's Electronics for $29.99 about a month ago.  They only had two though.  I almost bought it but instead got one of those plug 'n play games that plays Space Invaders, Qix and Phoenix (as well as a couple of others.)  Man, I wish I'd have gotten the Atari Flashback 2.0.  The plug 'n play thing sucks.  Everything is all strectched out to fit on a TV screen.  I hate it.

[Mugzilla]

Like I said, the 2.0 Joysticks DO work with an original 2600.  It is always nice to have a few extras sitting around.  (Nothing worse than having to do the old aluminum foil and scotch tape fix on a 2600 joystick!)

However, they are just a little bit different.  Sort of like generic diet coke.  They work the same, but there is just "Something different."

Check those sellers on amazon.  Plus, there are two on the shelves here at my local Target (North of ft Lauderdale, FL).  Definitely worth picking up.

[jtfields]

Like I said, the 2.0 Joysticks DO work with an original 2600.

I'll definitely pick one up if I see it again.  I have an old Coleco Vision with a 2600 adapter.  I don't have any 2600 controllers though.  I always just used the Coleco Vision controllers.

This question just popped into my head so I should first admit I'm asking this without doing one bit of research so I apologize if there are a million threads or other sources discussing this or if it should be in a separate thread altogether.

Can the 2600 joystick (and paddle controllers for that matter) be made to work on a PC with a 2600 emulater like Stella or MESS?

I'm focused on MAME right now and designing my cabinet so I haven't looked much at console emulators.  I own, as I said, a Coleco Vision (with the 2600 dapter), as well as an Atari 5200, an Intellivision, Genesis and NES.  Once I had my arcade running I was going to start looking into emulators for those systems as well as others that I've never owned.  I wonder how easy (or hard) it would be to get the real controllers for those systems working with the emulators on a PC.  I'm guessing many have done it (or at least tried it.)  I'm also guessing one system's controller is harder to work with than others.

Emulation is awesome.  When I was a kid I always wanted an Odyssey2 for some reason but could only have one system so I got the more popular choice...a 2600 but now throuh emulation my wish can finally be fulfilled!!

[More Cowbell]

jtfields, yes you can get the Atari joysticks working with the emulators. I installed a 9-pin plug on my MAME cabinet and ran the appropriate pins to my IPAC. It works just like it should. Here is a link to the pinouts for the 2600.
http://www.technick.net/public/code/cp_dpage.php?aiocp_dp=pinconjoy_atari_2600

I also did this with an NES controller (using the 9-pin interface). You have to do some soldering to make it work though.

[jtfields]

jtfields, yes you can get the Atari joysticks working with the emulators. I installed a 9-pin plug on my MAME cabinet and ran the appropriate pins to my IPAC. It works just like it should. Here is a link to the pinouts for the 2600.
http://www.technick.net/public/code/cp_dpage.php?aiocp_dp=pinconjoy_atari_2600

I also did this with an NES controller (using the 9-pin interface). You have to do some soldering to make it work though.

That's great to know it's possible.  Ideally it would be nice if there were some sort of USB adapter available or something.  That way you wouldn't need a separate connector for each console you want to run.  But I'll take what I can get. 

Thanks again for the quick feedback.

[Howard_Casto]

There are... try google sometime.....

There are usb adaptors available from retropads, but to be honest they are greatly over-priced. 

The best solution is....

1.  Buy a parallel port connector and a serial port connector (around 2 bucks total). 

2.  Use an interface like direct-pad-pro and solder the two together via the instructions provided. 

3. Plug the parallel port end into your computer and plug the atari controller into the serial port end, install some drivers (available for pretty much every os) and enjoy!

[Howard_Casto]

Man, I wish I'd have gotten the Atari Flashback 2.0.  The plug 'n play thing sucks.  Everything is all strectched out to fit on a TV screen.  I hate it.

Umm I hate to break this to you, but if you are running a 16:9 aspect tv then the games are going to be all stretched on the flashback as well, unless you adjust your tv. 

[jtfields]

There are... try google sometime.....

I will when it comes down to it.  As I said in my original post, my question was kind of a spur of the moment thing and I fully admit I haven't researched it like I should.

Umm I hate to break this to you, but if you are running a 16:9 aspect tv then the games are going to be all stretched on the flashback as well, unless you adjust your tv.

My TV is a good old fashioned 4:3 CRT (32" Sony).  These games were vertical games though and now they are stretched out for a horizontal monitor.  Everything is short and fat (like me. )

[Howard_Casto]

Are these official plug-n-play games or some generic offshoots?  While I'm not impressed with plug-n-play's at all they are usually fairly faithful graphically.  I misunderstood your problem, sorry. 

[jtfields]

Are these official plug-n-play games or some generic offshoots?  While I'm not impressed with plug-n-play's at all they are usually fairly faithful graphically.  I misunderstood your problem, sorry.

It's made by Radica Games.  I looked at their website and it's not mentioned there so it must be out of production.  Here is a link to it at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Radica-74064-Arcade-Legends-Invaders/dp/B0002E7C9G

Overall at Amazon its reviews seem favorable.  Personally I like the controller but something about the gameplay and graphics seems lacking to me.  Everything seems out of proportion to the originals.