REVIEW OVERVIEW
Overall
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Design - 69%
69%
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Performance - 73%
73%
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Graphics - 76%
76%
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Value for Money - 79%
79%
The Atari Flashback consoles are a series of dedicated video game consoles designed, produced, and published by AtGames under Atari’s licence name.
The Flashback version of the console is simply plugged and played with in-built games, unlike the earlier version of the consoles like the Atari 2600 that uses ROM cartridges.
The First flashback series was released in November 2004, then subsequent years after Atari have released an improved version of the Original Flashback console.
More than a decade after the first Atari Flashback console was released, a true next-generation console update with the Atari Flashback 8 was released in November 2017 with multiple variations. One of which is the Atari Flashback 8 Gold Edition.
The Atari Flashback 8 Gold game console presents unique features to the gaming experience with game rewind, scan line filtering, and HDMI output features, just to mention a few.
Pros
- The console is lightweight and portable.
- It consists of 120 games beautifully arranged in a menu system.
- The game console supports pause, rewind, save and load game features.
- The hardware controller is very easy to navigate and control.
- The game console is quite affordable amongst gaming consoles.
Cons
- The graphics are not so great compared to Xbox, Nintendo and other new generation consoles.
- The material used in the manufacture of the console looks very cheap.
- It doesn’t come with wired paddles like the Gold Deluxe.
Atari Flashback 8 Gold: Design
The Atari Flashback 8 Gold game console box consists of the console itself, two wireless controllers, HDMI cable, AC power adapter and an instruction manual.
The console is designed with an HDMI port on its left side, while the right-rear end has the AC power port and the front has two wired controller ports which can be used for either paddles or joysticks.
Though the Atari Flashback 8 Gold Console’s design is slightly similar to the original Atari VCS console in look, it is much lighter, smaller and has colourful buttons (and not switches). The buttons on the console include the power button, Start button, Select buttons, Right Difficulty and Left Difficulty.
As for the joystick, though it is modelled after the originals its movements are significantly slacker and easier to control, unlike previous designs that were stiff.
The First player joystick has the start, reset, replay and select buttons, while the second joystick is a wireless controller with a single button. Another thing about the Joysticks is that each requires two AAA batteries (not included in the box).
Graphics
The visuals of most of the in-built games that I tried out in the Atari Flashback 8 Gold is very lovely and high quality with a 720p screen resolution but then the graphic quality can’t be compared to the likes of the Xbox series.
Performance
The performance of the Flashback 8 Gold game console is quite impressive with the 2.5GHz modern wireless controller that is guaranteed to offer a stimulating gaming experience to any user.
The wireless controllers are very light to handle and highly responsive, with additional features for rewinding and saving games that make the performance worthwhile.
The user interface is quite easy to navigate using the wireless controller; from the menu list, you can browse through the built-in games alphabetically; even your favourite games and recently played games are displayed.
Features
I have put together below key features of the Atari Flashback 8 Gold Console that makes it stand out compared to several other common consoles:
- The console has the ability to rewind for a few seconds and resume back at a stipulated point.
- It has a save feature that allows you to save up to 10 slots in each game, and you can always resume back to anytime.
- You will also enjoy the ability to add scanlines to games through the pop-up menu.
- Atari Flashback 8 Gold Console consist of 120 in-built games.
- The console has an HDMI video output feature.
- It has two high-performance wireless joysticks with integrated 2.4GHz radios.
- Flashback 8 Gold game console also has an SD card slot.
Specifications
The key specifications for the Atari Flashback 8 Gold game consoles have been summarized below:
Wi-Fi Connectivity: No
USB Port: No
Ethernet Connectivity: No
HDMI port: Yes
VGA Outputs: No
Joystick Controllers: Yes (2)
Supported Video Format: 720p
Product colour: Black with Gold
Product Dimension: 15.8 X 5.5 X 11.6 inches
Buying Guide
If you are thinking of getting the Flashback 8 Gold Game console, you first need to know that you will only enjoy this game console if you are a classic game lover.
Another more important thing to note about this gaming console is that though the material used in its manufacture is cheap, the console is light and portable compared to previous Atari consoles that it shares many similarities with.
The Atari Flashback 8 Gold console Box consists of the Console, two wireless joystick controllers, an AC power adapter, HDMI cable and an instruction manual with about 120 in-built classic games for a fantastic gaming experience.
Available Series
The Atari Flashback 8 game console has different variations when it was released in 2018; the basic model which is the Flashback 8 classics that have two wired controllers and featured 105 games, then there is the Flashback 8 Deluxe which is somewhat identical to the Classic edition except for the additional set of paddle controllers.
The Atari Flashback 8 Gold game console is an addition in the series, which consists of 120 featured games, wireless controllers, and optional ports for the 2600 controllers. And it also has other features like the scan line filtering, saves and pauses feature, rewind by a number of seconds, SD card slot and more.
Other additions to the Flashback 8 Gold series are the Gold Deluxe with 120 games, two wireless joysticks and extra two wired paddles, and the Flashback 8 Gold Activision Edition with 130 games (quite a few from Activision).
Atari Flashback 8 Gold Game Console Price
The Atari Flashback 8 Gold Game Console price is $99.99/£99. The console is still one of the popular low-cost consoles in the market.
If you are interested in buying the console at a bargain, you can find it cheaper on marketplaces like eBay.
Is Atari Flashback 8 Gold Game Console Worth Buying?
If you want value for your money, you are better off buying the Flashback 8 Deluxe edition instead of The Flashback 8 Gold Edition. It is a better option because of the additional wired paddle controllers in its box, unlike the Flashback 8 Gold edition package.
Conclusion
The Flashback 8 Gold console doesn’t match the likes of gaming consoles like Xbox or PS4, even though the game developer has provided an excellent upgrade to the Atari console at an affordable rate.
As we know, the original Atari 2600 console was produced in the early 80s. The Atari Flashback 8 Gold game console, which features the Atari 2600 favourite’s 120 games, is a splendid way to re-experience the classics with an enjoyable selection of blockbuster Activision games like Pitfall, River Raid and many others.
I can expressly say that I enjoyed the time spent playing the games on the Flash 8 Gold game console live through the timeless classics.
If you like retro gaming just like me, then the Atari Flashback 8 console is worth playing, but if you are not a fan of retro games, then the Flashback 8 Gold console is not for you.
If you are interested in more advanced gaming consoles, I suggest reading our gaming consoles review.
FAQ – Atari Flashback 8 Gold Game Console Review
How many games does the Atari Flashback 8 Gold Console have?
The edition of this Atari Flashback 8 Console has 120 games.
How do I pair the wireless Controllers with the Atari Console?
The easiest way to connect the controllers is by holding down the fire button and holding up the joystick while the controller is turned on.
What is the difference between Flashback 8 Gold and Flashback 8 Gold Deluxe?
The Flashback 8 Gold has two joysticks, while the Flashback 8 Gold Deluxe has two joysticks and also two Paddle controllers.
Are the Flashback 8 Gold controllers wireless?
YES! The game controllers are wireless. The Flashback 8 Gold console comes with two 2.4GHz wireless controllers.
Atari Flashback 8 Gold Game Console Photos
