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| Vintage Video Games |
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| The Golden Era |
VINTAGE VIDEO GAMES: AN INTRODUCTION
Frequent visitors to flea markets and toy collector's shows are noticing that vintage home video games have recently become
hot properties. On the internet, cartridges, systems, overlays, instruction booklets, and general lore are being traded back
and forth by nostalgic collectors. Vendors are popping up across the country, selling ancient systems and the game cartridges
that go with them.
Games from some of the best old systems are being put together on compact discs for a whole new generation of players.
It's about time.
Home video game systems hit the American marketplace in force during the late 1970s, about five years after the appearance
of the earliest arcade video game, Pong. The new games were part of an electronics revolution based on tiny, flat, wafer-like
silicon intergrated circuits, or "chips" as they are now called.
These technological marvels sparked the invention of machines that display, respond to, and remember information. Gaming
was one of the first applications for computer systems, and some theorists believe video games have been largely responsible
for educating the American public about computers.
The beat goes on. Eventually, machines that are programmed to think independently may become commonplace in our post-industrial
society.
Semi-intelligent robots who will perform routine chores like housework and laundry probably aren't too far off either.
Not to be overlooked, the entertainment aspects of video computers are becoming ever more sophisticated. Every few years,
a new generation takes with it memories of the home video games they played as kids. For people interested in toys, some of
these games have strong potential as collectibles.
In time, the early home video games of the 1970s and 1980s will probably be regarded much as we today regard the wind-ups,
dolls, and tin toys of previous eras. They will be part of our popular culture and colorful collectibles to boot.
What's more, these games were very often elegantly written pieces of software, meaning that they usually got a lot out
of the simple computer chips they were designed around. One typical game system chip was the Z-80 microprocessor, a basic
though versatile workhorse.
Let's turn the clock back briefly to examine home video games from the original "Golden Age" period of their
development, the years 1976-1983, and see what we find.
THE FIRST GAMES
Like the popular hand-held systems available today, the first commercially successful home video games were systems designed
to play a single game. Most of these games were grouped around the ball and paddle concept. Usually the system allowed for
a few variations on the same theme. Examples of this type of system are the Entex Tele-Pong and the Coleco Telstar.
Such games are called DEDICATED systems, meaning that they played one or at the most, two different games. These dedicated
systems had memory circuits that kept the game instructions ready to play when the electricity came on. Later, dedicated systems
gave way to CARTRIDGE systems, which allowed any number of games to be played on the same unit, using a memory circuit embedded
inside a cartridge.
After Entex and Telstar, some of the more popular dedicated systems were manufactured by Conic, Odyssey, Quadronics, Video
Sports, RCA, Fantasia, and Intercon. A few of the later dedicated systems came with internal games on board but also had slots
for optional cartridges, such as RCA's Studio II system.
VINTAGE CARDRIDGE SYSTEMS
Home systems using interchangeable cartridges were the next innovation in video game technology. With cartridges, game
systems could play any number of different games, instead of just one or two. The major systems during 1976-1983 included
Intellivision, Odyssey, Astrocade, Fairchild Channel F, Emerson, Atari 2600, and Colecovision. Some other companies produced
video carts for a variety of game machines, but the seven listed above were the most commercially successful.
FAIRCHILD CHANNEL F
The Fairchild Channel F system has the distinction of being the first widely available game system to use interchangeable
cartridges. The Fairchild Channel F system came with two built-in games as well, hockey and tennis. In general, the Fairchild
system exhibited a high level of quality, featuring a solid-looking console and a wide variety of clever carts. Of particular
interest is Fairchild's slot machine game and challenging VIDEO WHIZBALL game, a wild and woolly form of air hockey.
EMERSON ARCADIA 2001
The Emerson Arcadia was a wonderful system that received nowhere near the attention it deserved. The graphics were top
notch and the game play was smooth, especially because Emerson used an Intellivision-style keypad with a joystick. Collectors
of Arcadia machines and carts are the rarest of vintage video game enthusiasts, as this system had only a small following.
ODYSSEY
The Odyssey 2 video game system evolved from a series of dedicated game machines made by Magnavox in the late 1970s. Although
the Odyssey 2 system was Magnavox's first entry in the video cart business, several of the games rate high for player interest.
Of special note was Odyssey 2's COMPUTER INTRO cart and excellent instruction booklet. Plainly written computer information
for average readers is rare even now. Clear documentation was almost unheard of in the late 1970s.
Odyssey also produced a number of excellent sports games, speed games, and shoot 'em ups. More than a few of the Odyssey
carts still hold their own as games today, especially UFO, FOOTBALL, and the strategy game QUEST FOR THE RINGS.
An especially rare and highly desirable cartridge was Odyssey's K. C. MUNCHKIN, the target of a lawsuit filed by Atari.
Odyssey was forbidden to sell it after Atari got the courts to agree that K. C. MUNCHKIN infringed on Atari's copyright for
its PAC MAN game.
ATARI
The Atari VCS 2600 system and its game cartridges set the standard for home video in the early 1980s. Bolstered by an
aggressive marketing campaign, Atari sold literally millions of the home systems despite graphics that were a cut below average.
But Atari had the broadest selection of available games, including some that were major winners with the public. Some
examples are MAZE CRAZE, ASTEROIDS, MISSLE COMMAND, BREAKOUT, PAC-MAN, ADVENTURE, and VIDEO PINBALL. But in the main the Atari
games lacked the eye appeal of competitors like Coleco and Intellivision. Atari joysticks had only fair response. Play was
greatly improved by the use of the third party joysticks made especially for the system, such as Wico's bat handle joystick.
ASTROCADE
The Astrocade system was introduced by Bally in 1978 and picked up later by another company. A relatively small group
of people owned the Astrocade system, but those who did were loyal to it. Probably the most popular game to emerge from the
Astrocade venture was YAR'S REVENGE, although GALACTIC INVASION, BALLY PIN, and PANZER ATTACK also deserve mention.
Fine control of the on-screen image was made possible by Astrocade's gun grip controller, which was a combination button,
steering, and joystick device. Montgomery Ward, the major retailer for the Astrocade system, marked down its Astrocade inventory
for clearance in the early spring of 1983. After that, Astrocade was never again seen in stores.
INTELLIVISION
Mattel's Intellivision system was hawked on television by author George Plimpton during Intellivision's short heyday as
"the thinking person's choice in video systems." Intellivision carts on the whole make you suspect Plimpton was
right.
Intellivision games boasted superior graphics and challenging concepts, making it a top contender in the home market.
Many of the most successful Intellivision carts were knock-offs of arcade games popular in that era. Intellivision was also
exceptionally good at producing high interest sports games like golf, boxing, bowling, and NFL football. The Intellivision
boxing cartridge is considered by many to be a classic video game.
Several of the Intellivision entries are exceptionally faithful renditions of the arcade originals, notably LOCK N CHASE,
LADYBUG, and BURGERTIME. Intellivision also made a superb version of PAC-MAN, complete with intermission cartoons. About the
only negative to the Intellivision system was the disc controller. In fairness, some players really loved using the 12 directional
controller. But most didn't. It was tricky to master and never allowed players a full and complete sense of control.
COLECO
Easily the best of the seven major home systems, Coleco was rightly proud of graphics and game play equal to or better
than any other system. Coleco's motto was: "Plays Like The Real Arcade Game," and the company didn't stint on efforts
to make it true.
Coleco was the final player to join the home video game competition during the 1976-1983 "Golden Age" of home
systems.
Using the Z-80 microchip as its main processing unit, the Coleco system was the only one of the five that could be converted
into a business quality CPM computer. Noteworthy Coleco games reflect the most popular arcade games of the time: VENTURE,
MR. DO!, ZAXXON, DONKEY KONG, and FRONTLINE.
Almost across the board, Coleco games played, sounded, and looked like the real thing. Coleco also had the best controller,
a keypad-button-joystick combination that easily fit the hand.
SUMMARY
Home video game systems and cartridges are becoming coveted collectibles as our society advances deeper into the computer
age.
Already vintage video games are beginning to attract substantial attention from enthusiasts in the field. By the year
2010, the historic nature of this early application of chip technology may be more fully appreciated. Today, fans of currently
popular home systems can attest to the hold video games have on players, young and old alike. It has been this way from the
beginning.
Back in the 1976-1983 Golden Age period, arcade video games were the recipients of billions of quarters. More millions
were spent on home video game systems. Unlike the short-lived arcade games, vintage home video games still exist, often tucked
away in grandma's closet, forgotten. Two decades later, people are taking another look at the old games to see what all the
fuss was about.
THE END
Mike Bonner has written about sports and sports collectibles for a variety of publications, including Sports Collectors
Digest, Sports Map, and Sports Cards Gazette. This article is the first in a series on vintage video games and cartridges.
In December, 1999, iUniverse published Mike's book, COLLECTING BASKETBALL CARDS: A Complete Guide With Prices.
| The Coleco catalog |
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| Spring, 1984 |
| An assortment of collectible games. |
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| Note: "Communist Mutants" game. |
| Treasures of Tarmin 1983 |
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| A great video game |
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