Microvision
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2023) |
RAM, 2K ROM | |
Display | 16 × 16 pixels resolution |
---|---|
Power | 1 × 9V battery (TMS1100 processors), 2 × 9V battery (Intel 8021 processors) |
The Microvision (aka Milton Bradley Microvision or MB Microvision) is the first
equivalent to $212.00 in 2023.The Microvision was designed by Jay Smith, the engineer who would later design the
Production
Unlike most later consoles, the Microvision did not contain an onboard processor (CPU). Instead, each game included its own processor contained within the removable cartridge.[9][10][11] This meant that the console itself effectively consisted of the controls, LCD panel and LCD controller.[9][11]
The processors for the first Microvision cartridges were made with both
Problems
Microvision units and cartridges are now somewhat rare.[12][13] Those that are still in existence are susceptible to three main problems: "screen rot," ESD damage, and keypad destruction.
Screen rot
The manufacturing process used to create the Microvision's
ESD damage
A major design problem on early units involves the fact that the
Keypad destruction
The Microvision unit had a twelve-button keypad, with the switches buried under a thick layer of flexible plastic. To align the user's fingers with the hidden buttons, the cartridges had cutouts in their bottom (over the keypad). As different games required different button functions, the cutouts were covered with a thin printed piece of plastic, which identified the buttons' functions in that game. The problem with this design is that pressing on the buttons stretched the printed plastic, resulting in the thin material stretching and eventually tearing. Having long fingernails exacerbated the condition. Many of the initial games were programmed to give feedback of the keypress when the key was released instead of when the key was pressed. As a result, users may press on the keypad harder because they are not being provided with any feedback that the key has been pressed. This resulted from a keypad used for prototyping being different from the production keypad; the prototyping keypad had tactile feedback upon key pressing that the production units lacked.[citation needed]
Technical specifications
This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2020) |
- Intel 8021/TI TMS1100(on cartridge)
- Screen type and resolution: 16 × 16 pixel LCD[2][6]
- Register width: 4 bit (TMS1100), 8 bit (8021)
- Processor speed: 100 kHz
- RAM (integrated into CPU): 64 bytes
- ROM: 2K (TMS100), 1K (8021)
- Cartridge ROM: 2K (TMS 1100), 1K (8021) masked (integrated into CPU; each game's CPU was different)
- Video Display Processor: LCD Custom Driver (made by Hughes)
- Sound: Piezo beeper
- Input: Twelve button keypad, one paddle
- Power requirements: One or two 9 volt batteries on earlier Microvision consoles, one 9 volt battery on later Microvision consoles
- Power Dissipation: 110 mW (TMS 1100), 1 W (8021)
Games
While the game cartridge plastic cases were beige colored in the USA, in Europe they came in a variety of different colors, and the games were numbered on the Box. The age range in Europe for the console and its games was from 8 to 80 years old or 8 to Adult.
There were 12 titles known to have been released.
- Background shading indicates canceled games.
# | US title | Overseas titles | Game number (EU) | Release date | Microprocessor/s[15] | PCB Revision(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Block Buster
4952 |
Block Buster Block Buster Block Buster Block Buster Casse Brique |
1 1 1 1 1 |
November 1979 | TI MP3450A | 4952 REV A |
2 | Bowling
4972 |
Bowling Bowling Bowling Bowling Bowling |
2 2 2 2 2 |
November 1979 | TI MP3475NLL | 4952 REV A |
3 | Connect Four
4971 |
Connect 4 4 Gewinnt Vier Op'n Rij Forza 4 Puissance 4 |
5 5 5 5 5 |
November 1979 | Signetics Intel 8021
TI MP3481NLL |
4971 REV C |
4 | Pinball
4974 |
Pinball Pinball Flipper Flipper Flipper |
4 4 4 4 4 |
November 1979 | TI MP3455NLL | 4952 REV A |
5 | Mindbuster
4976 |
N/A | N/A | 1979 | TI MP3457NLL | 4952 REV A |
6 | Star Trek: Phaser Strike (later just Phaser Strike) 4973 |
Shooting Star Shooting Star Shooting Star Shooting Star Shooting Star |
3 3 3 3 3 |
1979 | TI MP3454NLL | 4952 REV A |
7 | Vegas Slots
4975 |
N/A | N/A | 1979 | TI MP3474-NLL | 4952-56 REV - |
8 | Baseball
4974 |
N/A | N/A | 1980 | TI MP3479-N1NLL | 4952-56 REV - |
9 | Sea Duel
4064 |
Sea Duel See-Duell Duel Duello Sul Mare Bataille Navale (Battleship) |
6 6 6 6 6 |
1980 | TI MP3496-N1 | 4952-56 REV - |
10 | Alien Raiders
4176 |
Space Blitz Blitz Blitz Blitz Blitz |
7 7 7 7 7 |
1981 | TI M34009-N1 | 4952-79 REV B |
11 | Cosmic Hunter
4177 |
N/A | N/A | 1981 | TI M34007-N1 | 4952-79 REV B |
12 | N/A | Super Block Buster Super Blockbuster DE 611497800 |
8 8 8 8 |
1982 | TI M34047-N2LL | 7924952D02 Rev B |
13 | Barrage | ? | ? | Unreleased (supposed to be released in 1982) |
? |
In popular culture
The Microvision was featured in Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981).[5]
Reviews
- 1980 Games 100 in Games[16]
- 1981 Games 100 in Games
See also
References
- ^ Sfetcu, Nicolae (2014-05-04). Game Preview. Nicolae Sfetcu.
- ^ Imagine Media. April 1998. p. 25.
- ^ a b Vinciguerra, Robert (November 25, 2007). "Milton Bradley Microvision: The World's First Handheld Game Console". The Rev. Rob Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^ www.lookingtodraw.com, MICHAEL J. BARNES, ILTD DESIGN SERVICES. "PC Timeline. The Freeman PC Museum... Largest Collection of Vintage Computers On The Web". Retrieved 22 January 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Milton Bradley Microvision – Pop Culture Maven". 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- ^ a b "Microvision by Milton Bradley – The Video Game Kraken". Retrieved 2020-08-06.
- ^ Donald Melanson, March 3, 2006, A Brief History of Handheld Video Games Engadget
- ^ Barder, Ollie (December 31, 2016). "New Interview With Satoru Okada Delves Into The Hidden History Behind Nintendo's Gaming Handhelds". Forbes.com. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Milton Bradley Microvision (U.S.)". Handheld Museum. Archived from the original on 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
the console itself is nothing more than controls, LCD panel and a controller chip for the LCD panel. Each cartridge contains the microprocessor, which happens to have a small amount of ROM space on it that MB loaded the game code onto.
- ^ "MB Microvision Handheld Games Console". Simply Eighties. Archived from the original on 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
In fact, it was the cartridge itself that contained the CPU, and just to confuse everyone two different ones were used.
- ^ a b "Milton Bradley Microvison (1979 – 1981)". Museum of Obsolete Media. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
The main unit was little more than a housing for the display, batteries, switches and controller, while the brains of each game was a combined microprocessor/memory chip inside the clip-on cartridge.
- ^ Brown, Jason (2022-01-14). "12 Best Microvision Games Of 2022". RetroDodo. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ^ Lester, John "Gamester81" (2013-04-28). "History of Consoles-Microvision (1979)". Gamester81.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ISBN 978-0-307-39598-6.
- ^ "Dan B's Atari Microvision Tech Page".
- ^ "GAMES Magazine #20". November 1980.