By N. Ezell
The last fifteen years have seen a huge resurgence in the popularity of old consoles and vintage video games. Cashing in on this surge of popularity is the "plug and play" console market, where interested players without the funds or time to invest in the original hardware or tracking down classic cartridges can indulge their hunger for retro games.
Today we will be covering one of the systems that have been released with this mindset: the Colecovision Flashback console from AtGames.
Before we start, though, a quick lesson on the Colecovision is, perhaps, in order.
Released by the Connecticut Leather Company in 1982, the Colecovision was a powerhouse console for its time. Featuring a processor with a clock speed comparable to the much-later SNES, the Colecovision was the console you wanted if you were looking for accurate arcade ports. The Colecovision's expansion port even allowed for some unprecedented extensions on the system's capabilities, including such features as an arcade-style racing wheel and even an Atari 2600 expansion unit, giving it access to most of the library of its leading competitor. Sadly, the Colecovision was one of the many victims of the great game crash of 1983, and despite its relatively high power and solid ports, the console is mostly forgotten by modern audiences.
That is, until now.
HARDWARE: Colecovision Flashback
PRODUCED BY: AtGames
AVAILABILITY: Various Retailers (Dollar General release reviewed)
PRICE: Variable by Retailer ($40 at Dollar General, $80+ through Finger Hut/Other)
Enter the Colecovision Flashback console. The unit shares many similarities with AtGames' other major releases, namely the Intellivision and Atari 2600 Flashback units, with a design echoing the aesthetics of the original console. The console foregoes cartridge access in favor of internal storage, and boasts a whopping 61 titles available.
So, how does the Colecovision fare in its conversion to plug and play? Surprisingly well, actually.
For game players who remember the original Colecovision, there are a few immediately obvious differences between the original and the Flashback unit. In addition to the removal of the cartridge slot, the Flashback unit is smaller, and significantly lighter, as is typical of these kinds of units. Likewise, two other significant alterations have been made to the design: the removal of the original's storage bay (used to hold the controllers in the top of the unit,) as well as the removal of the original's expansion slot. Neither of these features is a significant drawback to the unit, however: removal of the storage slot is necessary due to the more modern unit's smaller size, and with the necessity of moving the controller ports to the front rather than top of the unit the expansion port would have been not only useless to include, but impractical ti implement as well.
Construction is far more lightweight than the original. Gone is the ten-pound brick of a power supply as well, replaced with a sleek cell-phone-styled unit, and both the console and controllers have been constructed with a textured black plastic. The materials feel cheap and unimpressive when compared to the original, but overall construction is quite solid, with both the unit and its controllers having a light but relatively sturdy feel to them.
The controllers have been downsized somewhat, much like the unit itself, and here the unit starts to show some of the signs of its second-tier status. While the controller is responsive enough for most games, it takes some time to really get the controllers broken in, with controls being somewhat unresponsive until you do. After two hours of continuous play the unit begins to show its strengths, and what limitations the controller has begin to fade away, but the immediate response one might expect is not there out of the box. For modern gamers, the controller can also feel somewhat clunky as well: no changes have been made to the ergonomics of the unit beyond its slightly smaller size, and as a result hand fatigue can be a definite issue.
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| Controller (left) with 3DS (right) for size comparison. |
Overall, first appearances for the unit are quite nice for a plug and play style console. The packaging the unit itself comes in is eye-catching and does a good job of holding the electronics within secure, meaning that damage due to mishandling of the unit's packaging is unlikely. The lines and design of the unit and its controllers is clean and functional, and everything feels good for its price point.
Now comes the most important part: how well the console plays.
The Colecovision, like the Bally AstroCade, was best known for its arcade ports, and the Colecovision Flashback doesn't disappoint, with a good selection of classic arcade games making the transition, including Frenzy, Choplifter, and even Jungle Hunt, among a handful of others. The non-arcade ports featured are great as well, with Gateway to Apshai being a stand-out title that showcases how well even early consoles could handle role-playing games. The games run well for the most part (Choplifter, ironically, is probably the most crash-prone title on the unit,) and once the controller's initial stiffness is overcome they are typically responsive and fun to play.
If the Colecovision Flashback has one drawback, it is the lack of inclusion of insert cards for the controller for some games. While the box advertises "limited edition overlays inside," the included inserts are only for about five of the sixty games in the package, quite a few of which -- Gateway to Apshai, for instance -- could have benefitted from having inserts available. Those included are decently made, but a punch-out sheet of cheaper inserts, or even a sheet of paper with the inserts ready to be cut out, would have been of more benefit.
The real surprise of the Colecovision Flashback are the handful of more modern games on the console. Mecha-8 alone, a vertically scrolling mech shooter, is a surprisingly fun inclusion that showcases what the Colecovision could have been capable of if it had only not fallen victim to the crash of the games market, and Princess Quest offers a solid side-scrolling action title for the collection, too. Not every more modern game is a good one -- Shunting Puzzle and Monster Masher being the best to emphasize this -- but given AtGames' tendency to include a number of highly questionable filler titles in their collections to help flesh out the total game count, the games available on the Colecovision Flashback hold a good level of quality almost across the board.
Anyone who is familiar with AtGames' other retro reproduction consoles -- such as the line of Genesis consoles they have produced with the aid of Fireaxis -- will know that they have a tendency to underperform in terms of audio output compared to the consoles they are based on. The Colecovision Flashback, luckily, manages to avoid this pitfall. The console outputs via composite for a crisp video experience and has good-quality mono audio output as well, helping the experience of playing the games stay true to the experience of the original console.
Final Rating: 8 out of 10
For its price point (our review copy was obtained for a mere $30 on sale,) the Colecovision Flashback offers an impressive amount of entertainment and an above-average level of quality in terms of construction and aesthetics. With a solid collection of games, good design, and a smart eye for what features were beneficial to include and what could be safely removed, the unit makes playing Colecovision games an absolute joy. Even for serious collectors, the Colecovision Flashback offers an attactive alternative to keeping your original Colecovision out and hooked up, and the unit is highly recommended for anyone looking to experience an often forgotten corner of console history.
Good job, AtGames. Good job.
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| Shortly after finishing this article, the author's television was eaten by Evil Otto. |
