The wonderfulness that is Microvision!

[Rev. Rob]

Hi, My name is Rob...

 

...and I am the proud owner of a 1979 Milton Bradley Microvision, and a game complete collection.

 

For those of you who don't know, Microvision was the world's first handheld portable game console - that is, the first to be "reprogrammable." To my knowledge, it would take ten years for a successor, the touted Nintendo Game Boy.

 

Microvision was and is incredibly innovative and unique. Due to the limited technology of the late 70's and early 80's, this system did not have a color screen. It was a primitive form of LCD. Unfortunately, the screen is very sensitive to heat and other elements, and is prone to a phenomenon known as "Screen Rot." Fortunately, my unit is very minty and the screen works exceptionally well.

 

Here are some example of Microvision screenshots:

 

Sea Duel (Screenshot taking from my unit with a digital cam)

 



Blockbuster (the pack-in game)

 



Bowling

 

To view all Microvision games, click here.

 

 

So, as you can see, many Microvision games used screen overlays to supplement the lack of graphical capabilities.

 

Here is a pic of the US unit:

 

 

One thing that is interesting is that the cartridge is the entire face of the unit. Each cart has custom "buttons" built in, in order to optimize a control scheme for each game.

 

Also, the "processor" for each game is on the cart its self, optimizing efficiency for the core unit. (This is why there is no Microvision emulation.)

 

Note: The "paddle" (knob) is built in to the unit, and many games are designed to take advantage of it.

 

Powered by a 12-volt battery, it has exceptional battery life.

 

Games

 

A total of thirteen games were released for the console. I just acquired the 12th game, Super Blockbuster on eBay. Super Blockbuster is the only non-US released game for this system and also the last released for the system. It should also be noted that the European packaging is far superior to that in the US. I also just landed the 13th game (finally), it's called Cosmic Hunter, it was the last US release for the system. It's really a toss-up as to which is more rare. They both command about the same amount of money and show up rarely on eBay. A 14th game, Barriage, was promoted by was never released an no prototypes are known to exist, sadly.

 

Out of all of them, I personally feel that Sea Duel is the most innovative. The gameplay still shines today. Of course, many other titles have held up well over the years, such as Bowling and Blockbuster.

 

This handheld game console is a unique piece of history and I would recommend that anyone pick it up. It can be found complete on eBay for usually around $20, sometimes less. Just make sure that your unit has a working screen.

 

I truly love the unit that I own. Last week I took it out of the box to play it for a while and show it off to a friend, and it didn't work... no power. I was very sad, because I thought that I now had to by a new unit. So, I took it apart and put it back together, and it powered on just fine. Sometimes the pin connectors come loose in the unit. If the unit does not detect a cart, it will not power on. Just realigning the pin connectors can save many Microvisions!

Edited June 20, 2007 by Rev. Rob

[AtticGamer]

It suprises me it even has a functioning screen after all these years, good buy the Microvision is a piece of videogame history.

[Rev. Rob]

It suprises me it even has a functioning screen after all these years, good buy the Microvision is a piece of videogame history.

 

They're on eBay pretty much all of the time, usually for very little money. I think the screen rot thing might be a little over played. Most of the ones that are sold work fine.

 

You can see in my Blockbuster screenshot that I have some faded pixels, but all in all, it's a real trooper. It even holds up well in this 110 degree Phoenix heat!

Edited June 20, 2007 by Rev. Rob

[+5-11under]

The one I had used 2 standard 9V batteries... .

5-11under

[jboypacman]

There are two versions of the MircoVision.Early versions have two battery compartments,while later models had only one single battery compartment and a empty bay labeled "battery storage".I am to assume that the MircoVision could run just as well on one battery as it did with two batteries.

[Video]

It might be that the screen processor or whatever controlls the LED (or the LED's themselves) were updated and no longer required higher voltage to run. Or may be as you say, it could have run fine on 9v the whole time and the extra was for battery life, or some other.

 

Microvision is indeed cool, the only games I have is Connect four and one of the breakout types though. Cool system, especially considering it being a late 70 early 80's system.

 

And yes, the Bitrot is probably over hyped quiet a bit. Even the original DMG's screen (which is admitedly poor, if you use it a lot) could useually be dissassimbled and cleaned and brought back to life. And that really is the most unreliable screen that I know of in a handheld system.

Edited June 20, 2007 by Video

[ewing92]

@Rev. Rob-Thanks for the info, i basically knew nothing of this system until now.

 

Are the games okay, as in playable?

 

What does the unit look like without a cartridge on it?

Edited June 20, 2007 by ewing92

[Rev. Rob]

@Rev. Rob-Thanks for the info, i basically knew nothing of this system until now.

 

Are the games okay, as in playable?

 

What does the unit look like without a cartridge on it?

 

As for are the games playable... I do have plans to write an article that includes mini-reviews on all of the games. Some are better than others, but some are really fantastic.

 

Sea Duel, for example, is worth lots and lots of fun. A true classic in every sense. You also can't really go wrong with Blockbuster, a compitent Breakout clone. Bowling is another gem.

 

A lot of the rest of the games are just so-so ports of exiting Atari games. Some are real stinkers. For example, the ultra-rare Super Breakout. I just don't get it.

 

As for a naked console, this page has a picture as well as excellent information.

[AtticGamer]

Is Phaser Strike a good game?

[FastRobPlus]

Just one thing to add about the battery bays. Some that need only 1 battery have the second bay as just a blank hole, and nothing to indicate "battery storage." So it can look exactly like a battery bay that had it's wires ripped out.

 

I love Microvosion. My second favorite handheld next to the Epoch Pocket Computer.

[Quadhorn]

Thinking of the thread about systems with no homebrews, is there any technical data available for it? And how far would someone be allowed to go to homebrew something for it? Given you need to add a processor, would a modern Flash-based PIC or 8051 be cheating or about right?

[Rev. Rob]

Is Phaser Strike a good game?

 

 

Sure... if you like Air-Sea Battle. I am not a big fan of either game.

 

However, "Phaser Strike" is pretty rare. Here's the story:

 

In 1979, Milton Bradley licensed the name "Star Trek" and marketed the game as "Star Trek Phaser Strike." In 1892 the licensing agreement ran out, and MB decided not to renew, and continued to sell it as simply "Phaser Strike." Since the market crash would kill the system within a year and because it had already fallen out of popularity, few copies of "Phaser Strike" without the Star Trek branding were ever sold. On eBay they go for pretty high if collectors catch wind of the auction.

[BigO]

I picked up a boxed Microvision from an ebay auction recently for 5.83 + 7.00 shipping. It was missing the battery cover and the power switch was messed up and the cartridge contacts were kinda bad. I had another unit with a bad LCD that supplied the battery cover. I found a way to keep the switch in its proper place and replaced the contacts with those from my other unit. Cleaned up the paddle potentiometer and it's off and running. The switch is still flaky, but that should be easy to fix.

 

It came with complete boxed unit with Blockbuster, Phaser Strike, 2 Bowling w/1 instructions, 2 Connect Four, Vegas Slots w/instructions and boxed Pinball w/instructions.

 

Pretty good deal, I think for $5.83 + $7.00 shipping.

[Goochman]

I begged for one of these way back and got one with a few games - cant remember what happened to it as my mom prob threw it out when I went to college.

 

Was a great piece for its time. Bowling and Breakout were fun

[Uzumaki]

I picked up a boxed Microvision from an ebay auction recently for 5.83 + 7.00 shipping. It was missing the battery cover and the power switch was messed up and the cartridge contacts were kinda bad. I had another unit with a bad LCD that supplied the battery cover. I found a way to keep the switch in its proper place and replaced the contacts with those from my other unit. Cleaned up the paddle potentiometer and it's off and running. The switch is still flaky, but that should be easy to fix.

 

It came with complete boxed unit with Blockbuster, Phaser Strike, 2 Bowling w/1 instructions, 2 Connect Four, Vegas Slots w/instructions and boxed Pinball w/instructions.

 

Pretty good deal, I think for $5.83 + $7.00 shipping.

 

That auction sound familiar. You buy it from Michigan, oh about 3 weeks ago?

[BigO]

I picked up a boxed Microvision from an ebay auction recently for 5.83 + 7.00 shipping. It was missing the battery cover and the power switch was messed up and the cartridge contacts were kinda bad. I had another unit with a bad LCD that supplied the battery cover. I found a way to keep the switch in its proper place and replaced the contacts with those from my other unit. Cleaned up the paddle potentiometer and it's off and running. The switch is still flaky, but that should be easy to fix.

 

It came with complete boxed unit with Blockbuster, Phaser Strike, 2 Bowling w/1 instructions, 2 Connect Four, Vegas Slots w/instructions and boxed Pinball w/instructions.

 

Pretty good deal, I think for $5.83 + $7.00 shipping.

 

That auction sound familiar. You buy it from Michigan, oh about 3 weeks ago?

 

Was that yours? If so, thanks again. I'm determined to get it fully functional and I'm fairly close. I have to do a bit more observation and analysis on the contacts. I think I may re-flow the solder on the main board contacts to try to eliminate some flaky cartridge behavior. If that doesn't work, I'll make up something else to try.

 

(It now occurs to me that I probably still owe feedback on that deal.)

[BigO]

Just picked up a boxed, non-functional MV at the post office. I primarily bought it for the boxed Baseball cartridge.

 

I was curious to see how they pulled off a Baseball game with such a limited system. Fairly well, as it turns out, at least the one part I was most curious about. I really like the way they implemented the bat using the potentiometer/paddle control.

 

The bat appears on the screen as two pixels. One remains fixed as a center point. As the paddle control is turned, the pixels straight above, above right, straight across, below right and directly below are activated in turn to match the position of the paddle, so the bat is represented in 5 different angles of rotation.

 

When the ball is pitched, you rotate the paddle counterclockwise to swing the bat. The ball comes off the bat according to the position of the bat when the ball contacts it. After swinging, rotate the paddle clockwise to reset the bat to be pointing downward (what would be toward the catcher/backstop). The bat rotating completely back to this extreme downward position signals the computer that you're ready for the next pitch.

 

I haven't played with it enough to know whether it tracks how fast you swing the bat.

 

I think it's kind of a slick interface for a minimalist system. I can see an Atari 2600 homebrew/hack baseball game using the paddle controller in a similar manner. Maybe it would be better to use the driving controller and require spinning it to control the speed of the runners. Not too sure how well you could play defense with such a scheme since you'd lose a dimension of movement. Maybe a joystick in the "Defense" port and the driving controller in the "Offense" port: switch controllers according to whether your team is up or not.

[thomasholzer]

Baseball stil one of those games i need:

and these: Bowling, Cosmic Hunter, Alien Raiders, Vegas Slots

[BigO]

Baseball stil one of those games i need:

and these: Bowling, Cosmic Hunter, Alien Raiders, Vegas Slots

 

So far, I have:

Block Buster (x4)

Bowling (x2)

Connect Four (x2)

Star Trek Phaser Strike

Vegas Slots

 

So, I guess I'm still looking for:

Alien Raiders

Cosmic Hunter

Mindbuster

Sea Duel

Pinball (The one I have changes paddle size & number of balls, but won't change speed or (most unfortunately) "Go". It appears one of the inputs to the CPU is dead.)

 

 

 

I predict that someday homebrew games for the Microvision will be a reality. It's way down my project list, but I think fairly often about working on it.

Edited January 10, 2008 by BigO

[Atarifever]

A little off topic, where the heck has Rev. Rob gone? I was enjoying these little write ups.

[thomasholzer]

Baseball stil one of those games i need:

and these: Bowling, Cosmic Hunter, Alien Raiders, Vegas Slots

 

So far, I have:

Block Buster (x4)

Bowling (x2)

Connect Four (x2)

Star Trek Phaser Strike

Vegas Slots

 

So, I guess I'm still looking for:

Alien Raiders

Cosmic Hunter

Mindbuster

Sea Duel

Pinball (The one I have changes paddle size & number of balls, but won't change speed or (most unfortunately) "Go". It appears one of the inputs to the CPU is dead.)

 

 

 

I predict that someday homebrew games for the Microvision will be a reality. It's way down my project list, but I think fairly often about working on it.

 

And you might wanna hunt down this one, Europe game only (game on the right):

[BigO]

And you might wanna hunt down this one, Europe game only (game on the right):

 

I've seen a few reference to that, but haven't ever seen one in person.

I assume you must have that one. How "Super" is it? How does it compare to Block Buster?

[thomasholzer]

Yes, it's mine. It's a Breakout with bricks on the top and on the bottom screen to get rid of

[Rev. Rob]

And you might wanna hunt down this one, Europe game only (game on the right):

 

I've seen a few reference to that, but haven't ever seen one in person.

I assume you must have that one. How "Super" is it? How does it compare to Block Buster?

 

 

That's a good question. Here's an answer:

 

Super Blockbuster is the same as Blockbuster except for two differences.

 

1. There is a single row of bricks along to the bottom of the screen in addition to the bricks at the top of the screen.

2. It's impossible to lose your ball. Seriously, it just bounces back from areas that should be "out."

 

Number two really takes the fun right out of it. That being said, the European cases and cart design kick major ass compared to what we got in the USA.

 

For starters, the "back" of the box for the EU games are not detachable, so they are never lost as is the case with the vast majority of Microvision boxes in the US.

 

In place of flimsy Styrofoam inserts, there is a plastic felt bold that the cart sits in nicely.

 

The biggest and best difference is the button design on the carts themselves. In the US, we just have a thin plastic film that can be depressed. It works, but in a lot of used Microvision games these "buttons" are worn and dimpled.

 

The European versions feature heavy duty hard plastic buttons that are suspended on a plastic spring. They look better, react better, and don't wear.

 

I wish I knew why Milton Bradley took such different approaches to the US and EU markets.