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 Atari Flashback 8, released in 2017 | |
| Developer | |
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| Manufacturer |
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| Type | Dedicated console |
| Release date | November 2004 |
| Units sold | 1 million+ |
| System on a chip | NES-on-a-chip (original Flashback) Atari 2600-on-a-chip (Flashback 2 and 2+) |
| Online services | Firmware updates (Flashback 9, 9 Gold, X, X Deluxe, 50th Gold and 12 Gold only) |
| Website | https://www.atgames.us/ |
The Atari Flashback series is a line of dedicated video game consoles designed, produced, published and marketed by AtGames under license from Atari SA. The Flashback consoles are "plug-and-play" versions of the Atari 2600 console. They contain built-in games rather than using the ROM cartridges utilized by the 2600. Most of the games are classics that were previously released for the 2600, although some Flashback consoles include previously unreleased prototype games as well.
The series began in November 2004, with the release of the original Atari Flashback, designed by Legacy Engineering Group. It features 20 games, including 15 that were originally released for the Atari 2600 and five that were released for the Atari 7800. The Flashback was designed to resemble a smaller version of the 7800. Each subsequent home console in the series is modeled after the 2600, and the original Flashback is the only one that includes games from the 7800 library.
The Atari Flashback 2 was released in 2005, and includes 40 built-in games. The Flashback 3 was released in 2011, and was the first in the series to be manufactured by AtGames. Additional Flashback models have since been released by the company. The Flashback 7 debuted in 2016, and includes the same games as its predecessor, but features Frogger as an additional game. AtGames also introduced a handheld console, the Atari Flashback Portable, in 2016.
Several variations of the Flashback 8 were released in 2017, including the Gold edition, which introduces scan line filtering, a gameplay rewind feature, and HDMI output. The latest home console, the Flashback 12 Gold, was released by AtGames in 2023.
A video game was also released under the Atari Flashback brand in 2016.