Bally Professional Arcade (1978)

the Bally Professional Arcade released in 1978, was a video game maker Bally's only entry into the home console market, complete with typical late 1970's woodland grain. The little console from the 70's. it enjoyed some rebirths analogous to the Fairchild VES Channel F and significant home brew/customer following.

In 1972, Bally missed an early item into video games, by telling one Mr. Nolan Bushnell they were not interested in his Pong game. With Pong early the video game arcade revolution, by 1975 Bally decided to make a video game division named Midway (termed Bally/Midway) for the intent of entering this market.

It was decided to base the new console around the Zilog Z-80 microprocessor. A processor making its way into an arcade games and becoming the choosen processor of wealth in the still developement microcomputer progress. The graphics system was to have an advanced display system that known as bit mapped graphics. In pixel on the screen mapped to a corresponding memory.

Coleco Telstar Arcade (1978)

The Telstar Arcade is maybe the most interesting systems made by Coleco, and the most superior PONG system that ever released in America, while it played non-PONG games. Made in a triangular case, the Telstar Arcade could play 3 types of games, each being played on one of the three sides of the case. Obviously, the 1st side allowed playing PONG games, and the 2nd side allowable playing target shooting games. Not very different with most other systems, except the gun storeroom. The 3rd faced was the most interesting: it allowable to car racing games. Very few systems gift that type of games were released at this time, and the games were only played using rotating controllers or some joysticks.

Coleco worn a very uncommon cartridge structure: a silver traingle case which connects on the top of the console. Nothing in common with the other black cartridges with plug vertically. Coleco only released 4 cartridges. The 1st one was sold with the system and the others were sold separately for $25. Two flyers came with the system to order cartridges #2 and #3.

Coleco Telstar Colortron (1978)

Released in 1978, The Telstar Colortron is one of the only systems based on the AY-3-8510 chip, a derivation of the AY-3-8500. This system offers four games instead of six, but the picture is in colour, which is much better that the older. Sound is not unpleasant like on most of the other systems, since it comes from a little piezo beeper which produces a discreet sound.

The game selection is done with a push button rather than a switch (easier to use and more strong). Curiously, the Telstar Colortron requires two 9V batteries: one for the "video", and the another one for the "sound"

Magnavox Odyssey 4000 (1977)

The Magnavox Odyssey 4000 is the last PONG system released by Magnavox. The Magnavox Odyssey 4000 is included with 8 games in full color. and also featured with real joysticks like other console models.

After the Magnavox Odyssey 4000, Magnavox release a completely different system that also known as the Odyssey 2, and also known as Videopac in Europe. and was designed to compete with Atari and Colecovision cartridge video game consoles.

Magnavox Odyssey 3000 (1977)

The Magnavox Odyssey 3000 is other example of the Magnavox Odyssey line for 1977. It is have some similarity to the Magnavox Odyssey 2000 and offering the same games in a newly styled and more modern case. The Magnavox Odyssey 3000 also featured a detachable controllers which allowed more comfort when playing. And this was not a feature on the Magnavox Odyssey 2000 model.

Magnavox really lead the PONG craze with its Magnavox Odyssey line consoles. In 3 years, the Magnavox technology had changed the technology of PONG universe.

Magnavox Odyssey 2000 (1977)

While not the 1st electronic game, the initial form of an electronic ping-pong game dates back as a game played on an oscilloscope, by William A. Higinbotham at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1958. His game was named "Tennis for Two".

In 1977, the Magnavox Odyssey line of PONG games represents the cutting edge of dedicated technology of console. The Magnavox Odyssey 2000, 3000 and 4000 were arguably the most later fanatical PONG console systems of the 1970's.

Coleco Telstar Alpha (1977)

Coleco managed to grab a gigantic portion of the early home video game market partially through good marketing (their first Telstar console was half the worth of Atari's Pong) and fairly through good luck (Coleco was the company that got their shipment of the common microchip that each worn to manufacture their home Pong systems in late 1976).

The Telstar Alpha (sort 6030) was released in 1977. a classic video game from Coleco, and uses the AY-3-8500 game chip. The Telstar Alpha plays 4 games in 3 difficulty levels. It is the successor of the three recently models (Telstar, Telstar Classic and Telstar Ranger), and only differs by its case and fourth game (JAI-ALAI, or also known as SQUASH).

Like the 1st Telstar, this system was sold in large quantities and it was cheap. It was also released in Europe named the "Telstar Alpha Europa."

Coleco Telstar Combat (1977)

The Coleco Telstar Combat was released in 1977 as a post-Pong video game console. not like Coleco's former home Pong clones based on the General Instrument AY-3-8500 chip, it worn a AY-3-8700 chip. The console was a success but due to having too many same dedicated console product, Coleco almost went bankrupt in 1980.

Telstar Combat was Coleco's attempts to break away from the Pong-clone video game rut. It's certainly special, there is no company manufactured a dedicatedl console with such elaborate controls. This consoles play 4 variations of a tank battle game, same to the Atari 2600 Combat match cartridge.

Atari VCS 2600 (1977)

The Atari 2600 was released in 1977, an is the 1st successful video game console that use plug-in cartridges rather than having one or more built in games. originally known as the Atari VCS 2600, for Video Computer System, and the name "Atari 2600" (full from the element's Atari part number, CX2600) was first worn in 1982, after the release of the more advanced Atari 5200.

The early price was $199 with an library of 9 titles. In a play to compete briefly with the Channel F, Atari named the order the Video Computer System (or VCS for sharp), as the Channel F was at that thing known as the VES (Video Entertainment System). When Fairchild learned how Atari's naming their product quickly changed the name of their system to become the Channel F.

Atari expanded the 2600 family with two another compatible consoles. The Atari 2700, a wireless style of the console was never released due to design flaws. The Sleek Atari 2800 released to the Japanese in 1983 suffered from competition from the newly-released Nintendo Famicom.

Atari Stunt Cycle (1977)

All the thrills stunt motorcycle riding right in your living room, so much fun Evil Knievel must have had one!. Stunt Cycle originally was an Atari arcade coin-op, then made into a video game console shown here.

The initial coin-op had been released in 1975 to take benefit of the popular motorcycle stunt man Evil Knievel. Originally a motorcycle salesclerk who began doing stunts to draw attention to his store, by the early 70's, he was a household name. Atari's coin-op attempted to capture the feel and fun of the stunt jumping Evel Knievel was famous for, and was a success.

Stunt Cycle gave the player a 1st person felt of riding a motorcycle, even although the image on screen was not 1st person. You could leap over the cars and buses, if you played with the control just right you could flinch right off the screens, much fun!

Atari Video Pinball (1977)

In 1977, Atari Video Pinball appeared as another Atari coin-op to stand-alone home video game console translation by transfer the Breakout game to home players. released in the 1970's Atari "1st edition release" standard wood grain (also to be utilised on the Atari 2600) and then the 2nd edition white plastic model. bumper controllers on the sides or a dial on the front were used to control the games depending on the choosen game. There were three selection of game (Pinball, Basketball, and Breakout).

Interestingly enough, Atari did be found up with an actual video Pinball coin-op, 2 years after the release of their home video game console. It was a special mixture between video game and pinball technology that still has not been duplicated to this year. While some before, and after trying using the video game as a game within the game or simple to display some unique animations (such as Baby Pacman, or the recent Star Wars pinball hologram effect model).

RCA Studio II (1976)

RCA couldn't accept the truth that they let the Odyssey mistake through their fingers (Ralph Baer the designer of Odyssey approached RCA with the deal 1st), and into the hands of their TV rival Magnavox. The RCA Studio II is their answer for the Magnavox Odyssey. Releasing in 1976 a few months after the release of the Fairchild Channel F, it may have been the first programmable video game system (Fairchild beat them to the release gate).

The console was doomed from the start. The lack of a color and command paddles made this unit old and dated. With only 8 games, the Studio II suffered the same destiny as Channel F. Overshadowing and rendered obsolete by the Atari VCS / 2600

The RCA Studio II should have been an colour console, a few games were intended for color, but the video output of the console was black & white. A Studio II clone released in the UK called The Sheen M1200 released in 1978, and produced PAL colour with RCA Studio II games and was a more success unit.

Fairchild Channel F (1976)

The Channel F is the first programmable video game system, including plug-in cartridges containing ROM and microprocessor code slightly than dedicated circuits. Not a very general or entertaining method, it was nonetheless important at the time for having several previous features which were imitated by later more successful video game systems.

Fairchild released 26 different cartridges for this video game system, with up to four games being on each cartridge. The games included sports (Hockey, Tennis and Baseball, educational, such as Maths Quiz, board games, such as Checkers, and shooting games, such as Space War). The cartridges had labels that enclosed the game instructions on them and each were given a sequential number. Fairchild ongoing a trend in tiresome to boost game sales by numbering them and so appealing to consumers who wanted to collect their collection.

The Channel F console's famous lowered when the Atari released their VCS in 1977 because the VCS had much better games, graphics and sound.

Magnavox Odyssey 500 (1976)

The Magnavox Odyssey 500 was released in 1976, and was very advanced in that time because of the technology. It was in statement the only system of its kind. As a trouble of detail, the white paddles representing players replaced by simple graphics: two tennis players with their rackets (TENNIS game), two squash players (SQUASH), or two hockey players holding their sticks (HOCKEY).

Magnavox released Magnavox Odyssey 2000, 3000 and 4000 in 1977. Magnavox Odyssey 5000 was intended but never released. It was intended to have 24 games (7 different types) for two or four players. The Odyssey 4000 was the last PONG video game system released by Magnavox.

Magnavox Odyssey 400 (1976)

Still in 1976, Magnavox released the Magnavox Odyssey 400.and have same games with Magnavox Odyssey 200 and worn the additional Texas Instruments chips to pose digital on-screen scoring (it was the first analog Magnavox Odyssey system to display digital on-screen scoring). On-screen scoring was rather well designed. the fact is the scores were large and were only shown when the balls was lost, and a large 'W' letter was displayed on the winner's section when the games is over.

Like the Magnavox Odyssey 100 and 200, the Magnavox Odyssey 400 worn the same three knobs to move the bats and control the "English" effect on the ball.

Magnavox Odyssey 300 (1976)

Magnavox worn several Texas Instruments chips, each having a unique function (overlap detection, on-screen scoring, and many more). Atari had the gain of with the first chips often called "PONG in a chip," but the chips were not available to other manufacturers. Each different Atari system used a unique chip. Of course, a few discreet components interfaced the chip to the system (video modulator, player controls, etc). These chips replaced most of the numerous components used in analog and digital systems. Although Atari chips were a smart purpose, the idea of integrating complex circuits into a track piece was a mutual idea at that time, and other video game manufacturers would soon release their video game chips.

Magnavox continued with the Odyssey 300 in 1976, which was one of the first video game system to use a single game chip containing the major circuit of a PONG (after the 1975 Atari PONG video game system).

Coleco Telstar Classic (1976)

The Telstar video game system produced by Coleco first went on sale in 1976. It was a video tennis clone similar to Pong. With an estimate of $50, budget minded clients loved it. Coleco sold over 1,000,000 units in 1976.

Releasing the same year as the previous Telstar, the Telstar Classic section was essentially the same as the Telstar. It purely added a classic 1970's lumber grain container to it. This unit have 3 games (Tennis, Hockey, Handball) and 3 different difficulty levels.

In the Christmas term of 1977, nine new designs of the Telstar were released, each of the liability virtually the same thing. It was labeled "Video Sports" with four different games, all of them PONG clones. During it's life span, Coleco had produced about nine different variations of their engine and tossed about one million 'obsolete' machine.

Coleco Telstar (1976)

Telstar, Coleco's was released in 1976 and played only three games with three difficulty levels. It was the first video game system to use GI's AY-3-8500 chip and was a real success because over a million units were sold.

The AY-3-8500 chip played six games with more addition difficulty levels, and the games would also be played in colour. It was obvious that Coleco would release more systems. At least 15 different games were released in two years with the only differences between the "pong" systems being the number of games, the way the difficulty levels were worn, and the kind of pictured.

An amazing design is the way Coleco packed their video game systems, they were sold somewhat assembled. The systems were electronically immediate to play, but the users had to put on the knobs and stick the decorative stickers on the plastic case. only Coleco is known to have released their systems this way. They thought that this was done to save the assembling costs budget.

Wonder Wizard 7702 (1976)

The Wonder Wizard 7702 was sold in 1976 and have a Magnavox Odyssey 300 circuit board housed into a derivate of the 1972 Magnavox Odyssey case. The bottom part of the case is same, only the top differs and was made in two versions: one with silver knobs and woodgrain only in the segment containing the "Wonder Wizard" name, and one (as pictured) with black knobs and woodgrain everywhere.

Like Odyssey 300, this video game system used a 3-posture switch to show one of three predefined combinations of difficulties, avoiding the change of the ball speed, ball angle and bat size. Few systems used this devise.

Atari Super PONG (1976)

Atari's sales of the Home PONG console were phenomenal. Atari would persist to cash in of the PONG franchise by releasing yet another home side of one of its arcade game assets. This timed it would be Atari Super PONG. Now home players could decide for 4 different selections of PONG games to entertain them for hours.

Meanwhile abundant hammer-off PONG-type consoles were hitting the market. However, because of Atari's now well known presence in the coin-op marketing, its name recognition helped it to stand. Also Atari's unique Pedestal design helped Atari stand out in the Sears Retail Stores as well as other stores who were now shipping Atari goods.

When compared to the excess of ordinary and boxy "Me-Too" consoles by so many other companies, the Atari PONG line of consoles minimally stood out. Atari's consoles had eye catching rainbow colours and a sonorous and ear catching PONG sound from their built in speaker. Most other consoles were still far behind playing grab up with B&W displays, awkward controllers and some even without speakers.

Magnavox Odyssey 200

Still in 1975, Magnavox appear with bigger improved version of the Magnavox Odyssey 100: the Magnavox Odyssey 200. It was same as the Magnavox Odyssey 100 but with two added chips from Texas Instruments, with addition of a third game: SMASH and some on-screen scoring. The Magnavox Odyssey 200 could be played by 2 or 4 players (first video game system to offer this), and displayed actual basic on-screen scoring using tiny rectangles (it still had the two artificial cursors to store the scores). Each time a player marked a point, his white rectangle would about-face on the right. The champ was obiviously the first whose rectangle would reach the rightmost position on the screen. Although the scores were not yet digital, the Magnavox Odyssey 200 remained added advanced than the last home version of Atari PONG because it played three alternate games for two or four players.

1975 marked as a starting of a continued history. Both Atari and Magnavox release their video games systems,

Magnavox Odyssey 100 (1975)

The Odyssey 100 was an analog video games system which used four Texas Instruments chips. It did not use cartridges and played just two games: TENNIS and HOCKEY. this video games was powered by six batteries, or by AC adaptor.

The Odyssey 100 is a very basic system and don't have the features of the million-sellerPONG systems of the next years. The knobs were fixed: there were no detached controllersyet. There was no digital scoring: the players mark their scores via two little plastic cursors on the system. The serve couldn't be changed: it is automatic. This could looks strange compared to the last Atari PONG systems which already had digital on-screen scoring. In fact, this was aloof a question of technology. On-screen scoring would require appropriate added components, which would require addition of the cost of the system. Nevertheless, on-screen scoring was added in latest systems although the last attempts to use ancient graphics. The last Magnavox video game system to offer digital on-screen was the Odyssey 300 in 1976.

Atari Pong (1975)

In 1973, afterwards the success of the PONG coin-op, an Atari architect, Harold Lee came up with the new idea of a home PONG unit. Since the PONG coin-op that Alan Alcorn advised was nothing than the game board connected to an absolute television set, he thought it would be accessible to scale it bottomward a bit and modify it for use at home. This would be a new direction for the apprentice Atari customer electronics. If they could pull it off, they would be one of the ancestors of application high tech custom chip circuits in the customer industry.

In 1975 it is decided Sears would sell PONG beneath it's own specially created Tele-Games label, and productionj was initially projected at 50,000 units. This was soon aloft to 150,000 for the 1975 Christmas season. Atari agreed to give Sears absolute rights for the afterward year, and would continue to accomplish custom Tele-Games versions for any future new consoles. This was the starting of a long relation amid Atari and Sears, which would continue even afterwards Nolan Bushnellsold Atari to Warner.

Magnavox Odyssey (1972)

The Magnavox Odyssey is the ancestor of home video game console, predating the Atari PONG home consoles by 3 years. The Odyssey was advised by Ralph Baer, who had the prototype accomplished by 1968. This Magnavox Prototype is affectionately accepted as the "Brown Box" to classical video game hobbyists. Clashing best video games consoles, Magnavox Odyssey is analog rather than digital, which makes its invention all amazing in spite of its rather awkward graphics and controller response. Also, unlike any conventional console, this system was powered by battery. The Odyssey and its variants lacks of sound. that means this console is silent console, which was not uncommon in PONG systems of that era.

The Odyssey was appear in May 1972. While it did not accomplish badly, it did not booty continued afore it succumbed to poor business by Magnavox retail chains. One of their blunders was misleading consumers into believing that the Odyssey would work alone on Magnavox televisions.