Atari Flashback Classics Volume 3

On 10/22/2018 at 11:43 PM by KnightDriver

I stumbled across this game the other day and got all excited. Then I couldn't find a physical release anywhere. You can download it on the game's web site but no physical release yet. I checked Gamestop and got a big not yet. Then I saw on Major Nelson's blog that he said it was here and so I checked the Xbox web site. It was not there. So I'm guessing it'll just pop up next month in time for the holidays and I'll pick it up at Gamestop the second it does. It's a $20 game and I have volume 1 and 2 already. I can't miss it. I don't know why they wait to the last minute like this.

As I contemplated the possibility that this might only be available as a download, I got really annoyed. Something like this, a collection of vintage games, I want physical so I always know I can play it. I'm really resitant to buy anything digital full price because I know it's not to own it, just to get the right to play it for as long as the online service is operational. I don't like that. Plus, the value proposition is less to me for digital. I don't think a digital game is worth the same as a physical product. I know it's convenient and all, but it's also throw-away.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I'm not the demographic they are looking for anyway. The majority will pay it for the convenience and forget about it several months or more later for the next big thing. I'll wait for a crazy sale. At least digital games go for very cheap on some sales. Better than Gamestop. But for that essential game, I'm still buying physical. So there.

Cary Woodham

10/23/2018 at 09:37 AM

I don't think the game is out yet. I'm on Atari's press list and I haven't gotten a press released emailed to me about it yet. When I met with them at PAX, there wasn't any indication that it would be download only. I think it'll have a physical copy, too. Another Atari game I'm looking forward to is a remake of Night Driver for mobile devices!

KnightDriver

10/24/2018 at 11:00 PM

That's a relief about the physical copy. I'm expecting some sudden unannounced release now.

They did a good job on vol. 1 and 2. I can't wait to discover something I never played before again. The Save Mary prototype on one of the other collections was a favorite of mine.

Night Driver mobile would be interesting. It's one of my earliest video game memories.

Super Step Contributing Writer

10/23/2018 at 09:46 PM

I still buy physical for big games, cause I like the "big" experience of going out to buy it, but if I'm being honest, with all the shit they have to add through download once the disc is in, they seem to be making the physical disc pretty worthless as well.

10/24/2018 at 10:52 PM

There is that. All that DLC that'll disappear unless you have a complete GotY edition on disc.

I'm considering giving up my 360 but I have so many downloaded games on it that aren't backwards compatible yet. I wonder whether I care anymore about it, though. But I have a lot of games there that would go poof if I gave the system up. Unless any of them got added to backwards compatibility. Then they'd show up in my Xbox One digital library. At least some of them will hang around.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

10/24/2018 at 04:52 AM

what are some of the games on this collection? They must be getting pretty obscure by now.

Yeah, this would be good as a physical release. I do buy digital games, but I enjoy physical releases for sure.

10/24/2018 at 10:43 PM

Here's the game list on their site. There are lots of stuff I haven't heard of before: 5200 games, arcade games, and Frogs and Flies. I like that one. It was a simplified version of Intellivision's Frog Bog and, I think, was more fun. Another Intellivision port included is Sea Battle. I wonder how they pulled that off. Sea Battle was a fairly complicated game for the time.

SanAndreas

10/26/2018 at 02:24 AM

I'm waiting on the Switch Atari Flashback, which will have the combined content of all three of the Atari Flashbacks on the PS4/X1.

10/26/2018 at 08:16 PM

Whah? All on one disc? Or is it a big old 150 game download? I think there are 50 games on each volume.

11/04/2018 at 10:15 PM

I've heard it's all games on one cartridge (the Switch uses cartridges).

11/05/2018 at 11:12 PM

That is super sweet. Wish I had a Switch now.

goaztecs

10/29/2018 at 12:50 PM

For stuff like this I would like to see it available as a physical copy as well. I bought something similar for my old iPad years ago and when I upgraded iPads it wasn't available anymore.

10/29/2018 at 11:31 PM

digital isn't for keeps, it seems. What's the point of building a library if it can disappear one day?

PixlBit