The Atari 2600 is often considered to be the pioneer of video gaming, even though it is the second home console to be released to the world. Nevertheless, due to the appeal that retro gaming has on niche markets all over the world, Atari released the Atari Flashback series, which is a retro gaming console that is similar to the original Atari consoles but with a few changes and improvements. In 2015 and 2016 respectively, the Atari Flashback 6 and 7 were released. But what makes the Atari Flashback 6 and 7 different from one another?
There aren’t many differences between the Atari Flashback 6 and 7. That’s because the Atari Flashback 7 is generally the same as the 6, but the only difference here is that it added Frogger to its roster of games. As such, the total number of games in the Flashback 7 increased from 100 to 101.
As you can see, the difference between Flashback 6 and 7 is actually so minuscule that you will hardly tell that there are differences between the two consoles at all. That means that buying the Flashback 7 is similar to buying the Flashback 6 but with only one additional game. You are technically paying more for Frogger. But, for you to understand more about the consoles, let’s discuss the things we need to know about the Atari Flashback 6 and 7.
Atari Flashback 6: Overview
The Atari Flashback was released on September 15, 2015, and is the sixth main version of the original Atari Flashback, which was released back in 2004. It is the fourth console to be manufactured by AtGames. Meanwhile, as to its improvements, it is generally the same as the Flashback 5 but the difference is that the Flashback 6 comes with 8 more games to bring the grand total up to 100.
Like all of the other Flashback consoles since the Atari Flashback 3, the Flashback 6 actually uses emulation to play all of the games that it has on its roster. As such, unlike the original Flashback and the Flashback 2, the Flashback 6 cannot be modified to play the original Atari 2600 games.
Meanwhile, the Flashback 6 is also the third Atari Flashback to feature wireless infrared joysticks, which were first featured in the Flashback 4. This means that you are not hampered by the wires anymore and can enjoy a little more freedom of movement, albeit at a close distance to the console due to the limitations of the infrared wireless connection.
So, essentially, it is the same as the Atari Flashback 5 but with 8 additional games that made it more unique for those who actually want to have those extra 8 games in the roster of their Atari gaming library.
What games do you get with the Atari Flashback 6?
The full list of games you get with the Flashback 6 are :
- 3D Tic-Tac-Toe
- Adventure
- Adventure II
- Air Raiders
- Air·Sea Battle
- Aquaventure
- Armor Ambush
- Asteroids
- Astroblast
- Atari Climber
- Backgammon
- Basketball
- Black Jack
- Bowling
- Breakout
- Canyon Bomber
- Centipede
- Championship Soccer
- Chase It
- Circus Atari
- Combat
- Combat Two
- Crystal Castles
- Dark Cavern (Night Stalker)
- Demons to Diamonds
- Desert Falcon
- Dodge ‘Em
- Double Dunk
- Escape It
- Fatal Run
- Flag Capture
- Football
- Frog Pond
- Frogs and Flies
- Front Line
- Fun with Numbers
- Golf
- Gravitar
- Hangman
- Haunted House
- Home Run
- Human Cannonball
- Indy 500
- International Soccer
- Jungle Hunt
- Maze Craze
- Millipede
- Miniature Golf
- Miss It
- Missile Command
- MotoRodeo
- Night Driver
- Off-the-Wall
- Outlaw
- Polaris
- Pong (Video Olympics)
- Radar Lock
- Realsports Baseball
- Realsports Basketball
- Realsports Soccer
- Realsports Volleyball
- Return to Haunted House
- Saboteur
- Save Mary
- Sea Battle
- Secret Quest
- Shield Shifter
- Sky Diver
- Slot Machine
- Slot Racers
- Solaris
- Space Attack
- Space Invaders
- Space War
- Sprintmaster
- Star Ship
- Star Strike
- Steeplechase
- Stellar Track
- Street Racer
- Strip Off
- Submarine Commander
- Super Baseball
- Super Breakout
- Super Challenge Baseball
- Super Challenge Football (NFL Football)
- Super Football
- Surround
- Sword Fight
- Swordquest: Earthworld
- Swordquest: Fireworld
- Swordquest: Waterworld
- Tempest
- Video Checkers
- Video Chess
- Video Pinball
- Warlords
- Wizard
- Yars’ Return
- Yars’ Revenge
Atari Flashback 7: Overview
Now that you know more about the Atari Flashback 6, let’s look at its successor, which is the Atari Flashback 7. The Flashback 7 was released only about a year and a month following the release of the Flashback 6. It was officially released on October 1, 2016.
However, even though the Atari Flashback 7 is a newer console version, it comes with only one extra game from the Flashback 6. That game is the classic and beloved Frogger game, which pushed the roster of the Flashback 7 to a total of 101 games from the previous total of 100.
Aside from that, it is basically the same as the Atari Flashback 6, which is also basically the same as its previous three iterations. That means that the Atari Flashback 7 uses emulation to play its games and has infrared wireless joystick controllers.
However, there is also the Flashback 7 Deluxe edition that comes with two wired paddle controllers on top of the wireless infrared controllers that the standard edition comes with. The paddle controllers allow players to enjoy wired gaming without the limitations that come with the infrared wireless technology that its wireless controllers use.
Essentially, the Atari Flashback 7 is, again, simply the same as its previous version in the sense that there is only one additional game that was added to it while carrying all of the features of the Atari Flashback 6.
What games do you get with the Atari Flashback 7?
As mentioned above, the list is the same as for the Atari Flashback 6 plus “Frogger”!
What are the main differences between Atari Flashback 6 and 7?
At the end of the day, when you look at how the Atari Flashback series is constructed, the difference between one version and another tends to be very small especially when you are talking about the Flashback 4 to 7 as probably the only main differences that these editions have are the additional games that were programmed into the newer versions of the Flashback.
In that regard, what we can say for sure is that the Atari Flashback 6 and 7 have the smallest differences out of any of the Flashback consoles because, lo and behold, the only difference between the two consoles is the addition of Frogger in the Atari Flashback 7. This means that the Flashback 7 comes with 101 games in comparison to the 100 that can be seen in Flashback 6.
Another difference that you won’t be able to see in the standard version of the Flashback 7 is that the Flashback 7 Deluxe comes with two wired paddle controllers, which the Flashback 6 doesn’t have.
So, aside from the addition of Frogger in the standard edition and the additional paddle controllers in the Deluxe Edition, the Flashback 7 is just the same as the Flashback 6. There are no other differences.
Which Atari Flashback should you buy?
Now that you know that the differences between the Atari Flashback 6 and 7 tend to be so minuscule, you might be wondering which between the two versions is the better choice for you or your family.
For one, the Flashback 6 comes with a cheaper price tag even though it isn’t available for retail anymore but may be available in eBay and other specialty stores. So, if you want to save a few dollars and if you aren’t a fan of Frogger, the Flashback 6 should be a good choice.
On the other hand, if you specifically want to play Frogger and if you can get your hands on a Deluxe version, then the Atari Flashback 7 might be a good choice for you, even though you would have to spend a few extra dollars more for just one more game in its roster.
