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August 15 2005 - I've picked up my first Flashback 2 at Walmart this weekend! I've started to take it apart and make some comparisons to the original, as well as playing it, of course, for the purposes of a full review of the system, which I should have up this week.
The circuit board is very small, and there's tons of space in the case - it could be a viable portable case... except it just doesn't feel quite right. I think an all original case will be the right answer, but I'm still looking at it.
More to come soon!
July 7 2005 - I've been thinking about and working on new case design, as I've now decided to use the FlashBack 2.0 (FB2) as the core of the CE.
There are really two options at hand: 1) Use the design I've developed already, modified slightly, or 2) Modify the FB2 case to have a screen, cart connector, and controls.
Here's a quick photoshop mockup of what I have in mind for a modified case:
I'm not sure which to go with at this point, I think I'll have a much better idea as soon as I get an FB2 in my hands (Which I believe will be available the first week of August).
June 20 2005 - Okay, so that was a long week. First thing to
do is for you to read this article on the new
Atari Flashback 2.0. When I first heard about this, I was excited that
the games wouldn't be emulated on a Nintendo-on-a-chip, and that it came with
REAL 2600 controllers. I am ecstatic that it uses a 2600-on-a-chip, and the
hardware, in theory, sill supprt cartridges! Needless to say, I'll be picking
one up as soon as they ship, and pulling it apart to see how quickly I can
engineer it to be the new core of the CE. The energy and time I took to
understand and redesign the original 2600 PCB for the CE may seem wasted, but
it's not - here's why:
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I can use that knowledge to very easily interface a cart connector
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Using a Flashback 2.0 as the core will be less expensive then a custom PCB
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The Flashback 2.0 will come with 40 built in games and two beautiful
controllers
- Atari will be directly profiting from the 2600 CE, which is a good thing
- The Flashback 2.0 may make a great case, or at least the beginnings of one
So I'll be working on a new case design in the interim (look for the new designs soon), and sourcing low power LCD panels. Talk to you all soon!
May 24 2005 - It has been too long. I am back! I'm not
certain when I'll get to the next step of the 2600CE - which is to get the PCBs
run in a prototype quantity and built to verify complete functionality - but
I'm getting this boulder rolling again. I'm also going to redesign the
case; design aesthetics have changed a little in the last couple of years, and
so have battery capabilities. I hope to make it much smaller and lighter
than the original designs, and to use a built in high quality, small battery,
like those used in modern cameras, the Nintendo GameBoy SP / DS and the
PSP. I think the wait will prove to be worthwhile not only for size and
wait, but also cost - LCD screens are far cheaper (and better) then ever.
I expect to be updating again in about a week - see you then!
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