Back from the Dead: Two Lost Videopac Interviews

I'm very pleased to report that I've managed to restore two "lost" Videopac interviews. Each of these were available on other Web sites that have since gone offline. It's been a few years since either was last available.

The first is an interview I conducted with Jon Shuttleworth, the Philips employee largely responsible for the distribution, design, and even the name of the Videopac G7000. Mr. Shuttleworth reveals several anecdotes, such as how the original 1979 launch of the G7000 was delayed by a power defect, and where he and Dolf van de Paauw thought up the name "Videopac." I conducted this interview back in 2001 for ClassicGaming.com, which at the time was one of the best retrogaming sites around. Sadly, it's now gone. Luckily, I found a backup copy of the interview text and am pleased to make it available once again.

The second is an interview conducted by Maurice "BuckyB" Simon with Gil Williamson, one of the principals at the UK-based Amazon Systems, the software firm that developed Tutankham for the G7000. This interview was conducted before the Tutankham proto was found, when the game was still only a rumor – so, as you can imagine, it was a revelation at the time. It was published, in Portuguese, on the Brazilian site Odyssey Mania, another fine site which has unfortunately evaporated into the electronic ether. However, I had saved a copy of it, so I contacted Maurice, and pieced the original English text back together with the help of his notes and my backup copy. Again, I'm pleased to make this piece of Videopac history available again, and I thank Maurice for his help.

Enjoy!

K.C. Munchkin... Now for Atari 7800!

I've been meaning to post this for a while but somehow kept forgetting to do so. Homebrew developer Robert DeCrescenzo has completed an impressively accurate Atari 7800 port of K.C. Munchkin!. Cartridge copies are currently for sale at the AtariAge Store.

The game faithfully recreates the Odyssey² original, right down to the purple color scheme and blocky O2 score font. K.C. and the Munchers have been given a bit of graphical polish, but otherwise the game is strikingly accurate. You can even enter your name after attaining the high score. Like the O2 version, there are four built-in mazes – including the original's "invisible maze" option. You can also choose to have a random maze selected at the start of each level. The game even supports the "programming mode" of the original, which lets you create your own mazes.

The package for sale at AtariAge includes a cartridge and full-color, four page manual. The price is $30.

Thanks to doug for the news!

Coming Soon: Ralph Baer's Pinball!

2600 Connection, in connection with Good Deal Games Homebrew Heaven, made an exciting announcement today. One hundred numbered, special-edition copies of RALPH BAER'S PINBALL will be produced for Odyssey² and Videopac-compatible machines. Longtime O2 fans will recognize this game. It was produced by Sanders Associates – the then-employer of "Father of Home Video Games" Ralph H. Baer – in 1978, essentially as a tech demo. Sanders had been asked by Magnavox to design Odyssey² games, and they produced this prototype pinball game as a feasibility study. Don McGuiness actually programmed it, but Ralph Baer helped with the design, including suggesting technology that let players manually position the bumpers on the playfield. The prototype was never made into a complete game, and sat forgotten in Baer's basement until 30 signed cartridge copies were produced and sold at Classic Gaming Expo 2000.

Fifteen years later, Michael Thomasson, the owner of Good Deal Games (and a personal friend of Ralph's) is preparing a special NEW edition of Pinball. The cartridge will contain both the original prototype and an enhanced version that is currently in the debugging stage. The package will include a vintage black-and-white replica of the only known photo of Ralph Baer with an Odyssey² game system, a refrigerator magnet, a color Odyssey² vinyl waterproof sticker, a miniature pinball, and an embroidered patch. Each game will include a professional-styled box and manual personally signed and numbered by Ralph Baer earlier in the summer of 2014. More information is available on 2600 Connection's Pinball Page.

I'm sure you're all set to buy a copy, but please note that the game is NOT YET FOR SALE. After all, debugging isn't even complete yet! To reserve your copy, you must contact Michael at service@gooddealgames.com. (The price is not yet finalized, but is projected to be about $100.) Keep an eye on the above link for updates.

This package is shaping up to be a fantastic tribute to Ralph, who sadly passed away on December 6, 2014. I'd like to thank Michael Thomasson, Tim Duarte, Leonard Herman and the others who helped make this release a reality. What great news to start 2015!

Ralph H. Baer, 1922-2014

Video gaming lost one of its luminaries this weekend when Ralph H. Baer passed away on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014, at age 92. I'm sure that anybody reading this site knows that Ralph was the inventor of the first home video game system – the Magnavox Odyssey – forerunner of the Odyssey². He came up with the idea of using a television set to play games all the way back in 1966. This was before Pong, before Atari, before just about everything. True, others had independently been using electronic displays to play games before, but Ralph's vision was the one that stuck, thanks in no small part to his hard work and meticulous focus. His early efforts directly led to the multi-billion-dollar industry we all take for granted these days.

I communicated with Ralph twice, and met him in person once. It still amazes me that the first time we talked, he reached out to me. This was in the late 1990s; The Odyssey² Homepage! had been online for only a couple years at the time. In those days, Ralph's name wasn't as well known as it is now, even among classic game fans. Nolan Bushnell and Atari tended to get most of the limelight. (Not to take anything away from Bushnell – his company established video games as a cultural force and his ability to market them was second-to-none.) Ralph – the technical guy, the engineer – didn't get as much credit back then. There weren't a lot of sites dedicated to video game history yet, and mine was one of the very few that discussed the Odyssey line in any detail. Ralph came across it one day and dropped me a line complimenting my site for reporting accurate information, which he felt was in short supply. It was a surprise and an honor for me, one that still makes me feel proud.

The second time I spoke with Ralph was in person at Classic Gaming Expo 2000. I worked for GameSpy then, and was covering the event for ClassicGaming.com. I had a chance to speak to Ralph shortly before he gave his keynote lecture. He remembered who I was, and was friendly and still whip-smart, despite being in his late 70s at the time. What I remember most about that encounter was that he was looking for some soldering equipment to fix the Brown Box – the legendary Odyssey prototype that's now in the Smithsonian. He was planning to hook up and play the Brown Box as part of his lecture, but a connection had come loose and needed to be repaired. That image always stuck with me. Sure, he's the Father of Video Games, one of the most prolific inventors of our time, but he's also just an engineer looking for some solder. (If you're curious, the Brown Box did get fixed in time for his lecture.)

It's rather breathtaking that in just a few years, the recognition of video game history has gone from a situation where the guy who invented the medium was scrambling for solder at a small convention, to a place in the Smithsonian. Along the way, Ralph went from being a virtual unknown, to being the subject of niche articles and interviews, then to winning the National Medal of Technology in 2006, finally emerging as an international figure, eulogized by many web sites and media outlets over the past couple of days. Today has been a surreal experience, as I've heard several national radio broadcasts dedicated to a man I personally met and talked with, albeit briefly. The credit for "rescuing" Baer's name must go to others – Len Herman, Michael Thomasson and David Winter to name a few – and to Ralph himself, of course. But if my site contributed in even a small way, then I'm happy.

Rest in peace, Ralph. You made this world a more enjoyable place.

If you haven't read Ralph's book Videogames: In the Beginning, I urge you to do so now. You will never read a more informative book on the subject.

Happy Bird Coming in Dec.; Contest Underway Now!

2600 Connection has announced their latest Odyssey² homebrew project, the system's first obligatory Flappy Bird clone: Happy Bird! by Rafael Cardoso. A limited run of 100 numbered, boxed copies will be produced, each with a professionally-styled manual. Happy Bird! is compatible with both Odyssey² and Videopac systems, and displayed enhanced graphics when played on a Videopac+ G7400 console. The price is only $25 plus shipping. More information and screenshots can be found on the official Happy Bird! page.

In an effort to secure donor carts for more homebrew games, 2600 Connection is holding a contest. To enter, mail a used Odyssey² cartridge, working or no, to the contest organizers. Each cartridge you submit counts as a contest entry. On December 15th, one cartridge will be selected at random, and the winner will receive Happy Bird #1 of 100! More information is available in this forum post.

Interview: Videopac Programmer Göran Öhman

A little while ago, a download called VpacApp appeared on the Google Play Store. It was a Videopac emulator for Android. That alone made it interesting, but what really made it stand out was that Philips had given permission for some game ROMs to be distributed with it.

Upon contacting the author, I learned why. Göran Öhman programmed some of those games back in the day. In fact, he could well have been the last original Videopac programmer. As an employee for Intron AB, a small firm based in Stockholm that developed Videopac games for Philips, he programmed Trans-American Rally and Clay Pigeon, which were among the last games released anywhere. He also helped with the Videopac translation of Frogger.

I asked Mr. Öhman a few questions about his time at Intron, which he was kind enough to answer. I have now placed that conversation online. Unfortunately, in the time since then, VpacApp has disappeared from the Google Play Store. I don't know why, but here's hoping it returns soon. In the meantime, please read the interview to learn about the stories behind the final Videopac games.

Interview with Odyssey² Legend Ed Averett

As I posted here a few days ago, Ed Averett, who programmed nearly half of the original Odyssey² library, made an extremely rare appearance at Classic Gaming Expo 2014. There, he held the first public presentation he's ever given on the Odyssey². It was an extremely informative hour, filled with stories and details of the early days of our favorite console. Before the talk though, I was able to sit down with Ed for a quick interview. We touched on a number of the same topics that would later be covered in his talk, but some additional details can be found in our conversation. I have now transcribed the interview for all to read.

I'd like to once again thank Ed for appearing at CGE and sparing a few minutes to answer my questions. I could have asked a hundred more if there had been time. Still, I'm grateful for the opportunity to finally speak to the man so responsible for the video game system I grew up playing.

Coleco Pink Panther Programmer Interview

Some months ago, a person with the online handle "retroren" made a wonderful discovery. His next-door neighbor had worked as a salesman for Philips. He still had in his possession a box of materials from circa 1983 – including a prototype Odyssey3 console, voice module and modem; sales displays for the ColecoVision game War Room; prototype versions of War Room, O2 Turtles, O3 Flash Point, and Atari 2600 Power Lords; and more. It was all great and valuable stuff, but stuff that had been previously discovered elsewhere, if sometimes in different versions. However, there was one item nobody had seen before: a prototype of Pink Panther for the ColecoVision.

Retroren went to work, hunting up more information and tracking down a functioning ColecoVision console. When he powered up the game, the title screen read: "The Adventures of the Pink Panther, Written By Randy Green." Suddenly there was a name behind the game. This led to more detective work. Retroren found Randy online and, since I was helping in a small way with the research, graciously put me in contact with him. We talked about Pink Panther and his days at Philips over the phone. It's taken me a while to get the work done, but I've finally written up my notes from that conversation. Randy reveals new details about the end of Philips's video game division as well as the Panther's fate.

I know some people have been waiting for me to publish this for some time and I'd like to apologize for the delay. For whatever reason, I was just unable to sit down and make myself finish it. Writer's block I suppose. However, I have so much content starting to build up now that I can't procrastinate any longer. Due up next, please look for my notes on Ed Averett's talk at CGE 2014. I'm working on them right now. Since it's Pink Panther related, I'll mention it here: I asked Mr. Averett if he actually worked on an Odyssey² version of the game, as is rumored. He did not. He said that Sam Overton worked on it, but he probably just meant that Sam's group was responsible for it – Ed had stopped programming O2 games by that time. Randy did not know if any work on the the O2 version was done. So unfortunately we still don't know anything about that game's status. At least now you can read the Randy Green interview to learn more about the ColecoVision version.

Ed Averett Presents at CGE 2014!

Ed Averett, who programmed nearly half of the original Odyssey² library, made an extremely rare appearance at Classic Gaming Expo over the weekend. On Saturday, he even gave a presentation titled, "Magnavox Odyssey 2 Software History: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly." This was a unique opportunity for O2 fans to meet and ask questions of the man who arguably is the most responsible for the console's success.

I was fortunate enough to be there and meet Mr. Averett in person. I was impressed by how friendly, well-spoken and obviously smart he is. He autographed a copy of Alien Invaders—Plus! I had with me, and even agreed to a quick interview before his presentation. I recorded the interview and will post the contents here once I get a chance to transcribe it.

The crew from Now You're Playing With Podcast was there as well, and they've posted the raw audio from Averett's presentation, which was recorded by William Culver. The talk was filmed by others as well; hopefully the full video will be posted eventually. In the meantime, I urge all O2 fans to listen to the audio from the presentation. It's a treasure trove of info from the man who knows it best... and you won't want to miss the big news concerning the future of our favorite Munchkin!

2600 CONNECTION to Release NICE ICE!

2600 Connection has announced its latest Odyssey² release – Chris Read's NICE ICE:

For more information on the game or the context, please visit the NICE ICE web site.

Return to the Depths in GOSUB 2!

2600 Connection, publisher of several homebrew Odyssey² games, has announced their next release: a sequel to 2012's GOSUB!. Here is the official announcement:

Odyssey² Homebrews in Atari2600Land

In yet another example of how time and the Web have blurred the once-clear lines separating video game consoles, a programmer using the Internet handle Atari2600Land has become a prolific author of Odyssey² games. (You may know Atari2600Land better as Chris Read, author of GOSUB! and the brand-new GOSUB 2.) Retrogaming site hit8b.it has provided a quick roundup of Atari2600Land's new games, including GOSUB 2 and the awesomely-titled The 50 Foot Tall Stalk of Celery. Read it here.

New from Revival Studios: Down! and Mage 3

Revival Studios, producer of numerous Odyssey² and Videopac homebrew games, has several exciting offers for O2 fans.

First up (pardon the pun) is Down!, Revival's latest homebrew game. In this twitch game, you must maneuver your character through gaps in a vertically-scrolling maze with split-second timing. Here is more information about Down! from Revival's official announcement:

Next is Revival's announcement of the third and final game in the Mage trilogy: Mage 3: The Final Journey. Help Wizzy find his father in this large world, which is four times the size of the original game!

Revival is also celebrating the release of Mage 3 by offering the first two Mage games at a discount rate. Mage: The Enchanted Crystals and Mage 2: The Dark Mirror (both the "light" and "dark" editions) are available for 35 euros each. S&H is 6 euro worldwide. You will also get a FREE plastic Videopac case for the first game you order.

Important note: for some reason, Revival Studios' web site is inaccessible from many ISPs based in the United States. If you are unable to see the site, try their Facebook page instead.

Explore the Dark Dungeon!

Videopac homebrew publisher Videopac Is @live has announced their latest release. The newest title is another exploration game by prolific homebrew author Rafael Cardoso: DARK DUNGEON. Here is more information from the official announcement:

jo2emLauncher 1.2.1 Released

Version 1.2.1 of jo2emLauncher, the Java-based O2EM frontend, has just been released. The main new feature of this release is integrated PDF viewer for manuals. Also the "getting started" section of the readme file has been enhanced. Go to the jo2emLauncher SourceForge page to get it.

Go Wild for WILDLIFE!

WILDLIFE!, the newest Odyssey² homebrew game, is now available! You won't want to miss this "jungle adventure" game, inspired by the Atari classics Pitfall! and Adventure. Here is the announcement:

For more information, please visit the official web site.

Restoring Old, Scratched Videopac Boxes

As most Odyssey and Videopac collectors know, the hinged plastic boxes used to distribute games in Europe, Brazil and Canada are extremely susceptible to scuffing and scratching. Now, some 30 years after they were manufactured, it's tough to find boxes that aren't covered with hundreds of tiny surface scratches, making them appear cloudy or dirty. Unfortunately, normal cleaning methods don't help much.

It may not seem like plastic can be polished, but it turns out that suitable compounds do exist. NOVUS Plastic Polish is perhaps the gold standard of such products, and it's capable of cleaning everything from CDs to motorcycle windscreens. But how well does it perform on the notorious Videopac boxes? To find out, I tried a little experiment. You can read about my results here. My conclusion in brief: NOVUS produces a noticeable improvement, but won't completely restore your boxes, and using it takes some effort. Read the article and view some before-and-after photos to decide whether it's worth using for your Videopac collection.

jo2emLauncher 1.0 Released

Version 1.0 of jo2emLauncher, the Java-based O2EM frontend which can run under Linux, is available. This version includes:

• Cover display
• Screenshot display
• O2EM parameter
• O2EM launch
• Joystick calibration
• i18n

The release was announced in this blog entry.

Version 1.2 is coming soon, and will include PDF manual display integrated in the launcher, a full icon set, and more internal enhancements.

Version 1.0 can be downloaded at the jo2emLauncher SourceForge site.

Interpol – Now for Odyssey²!

Odyssey² and Videopac homebrew publisher Videopac.is@live has announced their latest release, and this time it's not a homebrew. It is a re-issue of Interpol, an original prototype from the 1980s that was not released at the time, which remained unknown until 1999. One year later, Interpol was the first Videopac prototype to receive a reproduction cartridge release. However, only 50 copies were produced, and the game didn't work in NTSC, so many O2 fans missed out. Now, Videopac.is@live aims to rectify that with a special new issue compatible with PAL and NTSC! Here is the press release:

Visit Videopac.is@live for more.

High DPI, My Dear Watson

Some years ago, I interviewed Ron Bradford, the principal artist and designer of Odyssey² box art. At the time, Mr. Bradford sent me color photocopies of the nearly-finished concept artwork for the unreleased Sherlock Holmes game – including art that would have been used for the game's box and Master Strategy game board. I scanned the copies and posted them in a small gallery of his work.

I have a better scanner now, and download speeds have improved a lot since then. I've been meaning to re-scan these pieces for some time and have finally gotten around to it. Full-size, 600 DPI versions of both Sherlock Holmes pieces are now available for download via DropBox.