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A Better (and Hackable)
1Retro Atari
Atari Flashback 2 $30
atari.com
· The first Atari Flashback retro game unit was a Command, and Yar’s Revenge, a few Activision titles,
disappointment. Worst of all, its processor was and brand-new games made specifically for it.
similar to (blasphemy!) the Nintendo Entertain- The Flashback 2 was even purposely designed to
ment System’s. Thank the gaming gods, the Atari tempt one to hack it. Though it doesn’t come with a
Flashback 2 gets it right. Not only does it look like cartridge slot, plans detailing how to add one have
a smaller version of the 2600, its internals recreate been released on the web along with some other
the 2600 processor, and its classic joysticks actu- hacks by an engineer who developed the hardware
ally work better than the originals (using modern- (atarimuseum. com/fb2hacks). The fact that you
day circuitry). can mod the Flashback 2 to reuse your old Atari
The Flashback 2 comes with 40 built-in games, 2600 cartridges is its coolest feature of all.
including old-time favorites Adventure, Missile —Howard Wen
