With a small number of red LEDs, a few buttons, and one built-in game, these things were the greatest technological marvel most middle schoolers had ever held in their hands.
A little game history: This was released in June of 1977 as the second game released by Mattel (Auto Race was the first) and sold through Sears. After less than 100,000 were made, Sears (using a computer model based on initial sales figures) determined that the games would not be big sellers, and most of the production for Football and Auto Race was stopped. Within 6 months, it became obvious to Sears that their prediction was wrong, and production was started up again and reached previously unknown levels! (Reaching as many as 500,000 units a week by mid-February, 1978). Check out the Mattel trivia section for several more interesting stories about this and other Mattel games (like why the playing field only has 9 yards… :) Thanks to Howard Cohen (ex-Mattel employee) for these great stories!
If I knew how to attach pictures to comments there would be a picture here of my shelf that has one if these games sitting on it.
on the Voyager interface, the far left icon in the reply window is a picture-uploader-dealie.
Thank you!
Same
What kind of hardware is used in the games?: The early models were all programmed at Rockwell Microelectronics Division using modified MOS-FET (Field Effect Transistor) handheld calculator chips. Basically a calculator chip was modified to make it output the necessary signals to drive the game display appropriately. Part of the reason that the little blips on these games are dashes is becuase they are basically the little segments of the number 8 on a calculator display.
I didn’t have one, but I did have this: Merlin which was awesome with six! games.
Has anyone got these working in emulators? Apparently some have been converted to work in emulators but I haven’t been able to actually find them. The Internet archive link doesn’t work.
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/31429/are-mattel-electronics-hand-held-games-supported-yet/2
I can smell this picture
Find daylight