History of video games/Platforms/Microvision

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  A Microvision handheld game console. The device is rather large compared to later handhelds.

History

Development

Milton Bradley was founded in 1860 to make board games, making it one of the oldest companies to have a major impact in the video game industry.

Jay Smith designed the Microvision and would later design the Vectrex.

Launch

Microvision logotype.

The 1979 release of the Microvision was the first major portable console to use swappable cartridges, allowing a single system to play multiple games.

The Microvision is seen in the 1981 movie Friday the 13th Part 2, a significant early appearance of a handheld game console in popular culture.

Legacy

The Microvision was discontinued in 1981, though one game saw a Europe only release in 1982. The failings of the Microvision design were lessons for Nintendo employees during the design of Game and Watch and Game Boy consoles.

Technology

Depending on the model, the Microvision took one or two 9-volt batteries, such as the one shown here.

Unlike most modern consoles but similar to many other consoles at the time, the Microvision contained processing elements on each game cartridge, not the console itself, though the clock speed used was always at 100 kilohertz (0.1 megahertz). Cartridges either used an Intel 8021 CPU or a Texas Instruments TMS1100 CPU.

The Microvision had a grey and black LCD with a resolution of 16 pixels by 16 pixels, and a size of 2 inches. The screen ages poorly, and is prone to damage from screen rot.

Cartridges were known to be quite fragile and especially vulnrable to electrostatic discharge.

Early Microvision consoles required two 9 volt batteries, though later models only required a single 9 volt battery.

Notable games

A screenshot of Blockbuster for the Microvision running in an emulator.

1979

• Block Buster
• Bowling
• Baseball
• Connect Four
• Mindbuster
• Pinball
• Star Trek: Phaser Strike
• Vegas Slots

1980

• Baseball
• Sea Duel

1981

• Alien Raders
• Cosmic Hunter

1982

• Super Block Buster

Gallery

Microvision Console

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  Microvision
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  The back view of the Microvision. A Made in USA label is molded into the plastic.
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  A Microvision console, with an additional game plate visible.
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  A Microvision with no game inserted.
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  Microvision console and game boxes on display at E3 2011.

Microvision Games

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  A Microvision game.
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  The back of a Microvision game.

Internals

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  The bottom of a Microvision Motherboard, featuring a single chip, three capacitors, and two resistors can be seen.
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  The top of a Microvision Motherboard, showing the screen.
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  The motherboard top with LCD cover installed.
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  Microvision rear casing.
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  Microvision front casing.
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  A disassembled Microvision, showing the internals.
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  Casing with Motherboard installed
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  Microvision cartridge partially disassembled.
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  A Microvision cartridge circuit board. Unlike most consoles, the CPU resided on the individual game cartridge.

External Resources

• Computer History Museum - Microvision page.
• Centre for Computing History - Microvision page.
• Video Game Kraken - Microvision page.
• Handheld Museum - Microvision page.