Super Mario game for the Odyssey !

 Hi folks! It's been quite a time since the last post. On the "news" side, nothing has changed...i still have a crummy computer and it's very slow since it only has 4 Gig RAM (my son's computer) and one of my friend is giving me a better computer but still waiting for it after two months....sigh.

So don't expect to see an OdySim update soon, even if in May we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Magnavox Odyssey ....yep! Already 50 years! I was supposed to make a 50th anniversary Odyssey poster with all the official games + all the homebrews (physically released) up to now but with the situation that's going on, it's pretty sure that i can't make the 50th anniversary poster before May.

But...don't despair folks, someone by the nickname "WWX-wax" made recently a Super Mario game for the Magnavox Odyssey...no kidding! His game even states: "Super Mario Odyssey...the definitive Mario game to test your patience." So hope that anyone of you who will try it has patience...lol!

You can download all the files (individually or in one zip file) here: https://github.com/WWX-wax/Super-Mario-Magnavox-Odyssey

So have fun with the new game (and patience ;) )

- Sly DC -

The unreleased Odyssey model, the YD7001!

 Hi folks,

As i am in touch with Nicholas Broetzman (long time collector friend) these days, he was telling me that Zack Horton (OdysseyNow) has a better picture of the unreleased "Ski Festival" and will eventually release it in a future pack, but also we were talking about the unreleased Odyssey model, the YD7001.

I don't know if some of you remembers that i did slightly talked about it here on this blog but kept this information for another time, well since i fell awful to suspend the OdySim, it is now finally time to reveal this historical information. I did tell that the picture of this model was already floating around the web for quite some years now (at least 15 years) but NOBODY suspected that this picture was indeed the unknown unreleased YD7001 model:

 Even Mr.Baer himself think he didn't knew about this unreleased model as it is also figured in his book: "Videogames: in the beginning"on page.76 (see fig.68). If he knew, why he haven't talked about it in his book ? Same as David Winter Pong-Story website (https://www.pong-story.com/odypics.htm#ody1), if you check out the link, it's the first picture showed. No mention that it's was the YD7001 model. 

You can also add these websites: 

* https://bamgameonline.com/the-magnavox-odyssey/

* https://thedoteaters.com/?attachement_id=9322

* https://thenvm.org/objects/magnavox-odyssey/

Heck...even the National Videogame Museum which is run by Joe Santulli, John Hardi & Sean Kelly has no mention that the picture is in fact the YD7001. 

Well, even myself didn't know about the YD7001 before 2012 and i have to thanks Nicholas Broetzman has he sent me these pictures:

Yes! You are seeing right! Magnavox was going to sell two models of the Odyssey! The one on the top is the YD7001 which was going to be sold at the price of $69.95 and the one on the bottom is the "Deluxe" version (aka the ITL200) and was going t be sold at the price of $99.95.

The YD7001 itself is the same thing as the ITL200 but instead of white, it was beige and the top of it was brown instead of black. Same as both controllers, they are beige and the cords are about half the length. Also, the YD7001 came with 4 game cards instead of six and came with overlays and accessories for 7 games: Table Tennis, Tennis, Hockey, Submarine, Cat and Mouse, Analogic and Simon Says.

Games available separately for the YD7001 were:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Football (YD7124)                - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 3-4
- Ski Festival (YD7172)            - HAS CART               cart 2 (and 2 diff. overlays)
- Haunted House (YD7173)           - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 4
- Roulette (YD7174)                - HAS CART               cart 6
- States (YD7301)                  - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Baseball (ITL700)                - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 3
- Wipeout! (ITL800)                - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 5
- Fun Zoo (ITL900)                 - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 2
- Interplanetary Voyage (YD7175)   - HAS CART               cart 12
- Brain Wave (YD7176)              - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 3
- W.I.N. (YD7302)                  - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


And games NOT available for the YD7001 were:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Handball (ITL701)                - HAS CART               cart 8     
- Volleyball (ITL702)              - HAS CART               cart 7
- Invasion (ITL801)                - NO CART INCLUDED       cart 4-5-6
- Basketball (YD7123)              - HAS CART               cart 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

So a HUGE thanks goes to Nicholas Broetzman for sending me the 3 pictures of the ad/flyer. It's people like him (as many others) that we are preserving the history of video games! ;)

... game over ?!

 Hi folks,

It is with regrets that i have finally decided to stop any new updates for the OdySim until further notice. With what happened this summer (see previous post) and the damn pandemic that won't quit which affects us all in a way or another, finally has taken it's toll. Due to personal problems (health in the past and now economics), i have now 2 jobs so that i pay up the bills and all and a father of two kids, that doesn't leave me with a lot of spare time.

Also, with Zach Horton and his students (OdysseyNow), how can i compete with a bunch of people, a good budget and a top-notch laboratory with 3d printers and all ? Me vs. them, it's a total knock-out! I have NO budget, almost NO spare time, a simple printer and a 8 years rebuilt old computer. Simple to say, it's like a snack bar vs. McDonald just to make a comparison. So i'll be posting/uploading all my source codes of the OdySim by the end of this year on my Archive Library.

I'm not saying good-bye forever for the OdySim, it's that it's difficult to update/maintain a project when you have almost no time to spare. But for now, let's say the OdySim is on "pause" for many months. Maybe the OdysseyNow team could pick up where i left ? And i could help out from time to time. That would be so nice as i still have a lot of ideas and unreleased games. ;)

So thanks to everybody who supported the OdySim (comments, suggestions, bugs, etc) but it is time to leave it in other capable hands (and of course, imagination).

I will not close this blog as i wanted to post some upgrades, mods and hacks so starting next year, this blog will be hosting "Tweaking the Odyssey" and i can't promise that i will post often but will post whenever i can in between work and life.

So have a Happy Xmas everyone and a great 2022! =)

- Sly DC -

It had to happened...

 Hi folks,

Well this post is gonna be short and sweet as my computer totally crashed (for the ? time) and i mean crashed as before i threw it away by throwing it as far as i can with my right arm (think i may have broken the world records for throwing a desktop computer ** if that exists **) as Sunday my $%"! of computer has tested my patience to it's last drop.

After having so many lags and "not responding" over the last three months, it has displayed 3 times the infamous "blue screen of death" in less than an hour, so i retired it for good (permanently) but not before i pulled out all the hard disks, video card, ram, etc. so the rest of the carcass was good to throw (literally!!....MOUHAHAHAhahahah!!!!!!).

Since i still have a few (old) computer parts, i've built one so i could at least surf (surf ? who the heck says that now ??) on the net.By chance, all the data for the OdySim is preserved but it will take some time before i can retrieve it and re-install all the software so in the meantime, enjoy summer folks! ;)

- Sly -

Go get your U.S. Mint 2021 $1 New Hampshire edition!!

 Hi folks!

Yes i'm still alive, even after 4 months without posting, updates, replies, etc... and what better to announce that the U.S. Mint will be selling their new 2021 American Innovation® $1 Coin Program.

 Errr..what's this have to do with OdySim/Odyssey ? Well because this year, the U.S. Mint is offering a specific state which is New Hampshire and who lived in New Hampshire for many years and is the Godfather of all game consoles ? Well, check this out:

Yup! You are seeing right! Check out the description on the U.S. Mint web site:

"American Innovation – New Hampshire
Designer: Christina Hess
Sculptor-Engraver: Eric David Custer
The New Hampshire $1 Coin recognizes Ralph Baer and his creation of the first home video game console. This design depicts Ralph Baer’s brown box game “Handball” on the right side of the coin. The left side of the coin features “New Hampshire” and “Player 1” on an incused background. “IN HOME VIDEO GAME SYSTEM” and “RALPH BAER” encircle the outside of the coin in a text that is meant to pay homage to Ralph Baer’s Odyssey game. The design of the coin is also symbolic of an arcade token."

You can read all about it "HERE" and check the pictures of the coin "HERE".

Just to say, since i'm not a resident of the U.S., the next best thing was to order 3 of them from Ebay, which will be sold by June 15, 2021 so i you're not an U.S. resident then i strongly advise that either you ask someone in the U.S. to buy one (family, friend(s), etc) or pre-order them. As for me, i have already paid (in pre-order) from an Ebay seller. 

Can't wait to add these in my Magnavox Odyssey collection! 

Until the next post (which will be wwwaayyy sooner), take care folks! =)

--- Sly (was lost in the multiverse) DC ---

Miscellaneous Overlays

 Hi folks!

Before talking and showing misc. overlays, just wanted to say that i'm still working on the new version of OdySim. Since last time, i finally was able to code an Xbox 360 controller (actually, two) to be played either the D-Pad or the left stick for directions and the Y & A buttons for the English. Next is coding the right stick for the English so you can choose either Y/A buttons or the right stick.

Second, i have in my database a Czech Odyssey clone which figured in a magazine in 1977, but when looking at the schematics and block diagrams you see it pretty much based on the Odyssey. I'm still in the process of translating the eight pages and since they are in a low resolution, i can't OCR them so i have to type all the text and translate with the help of Google Translate. More on this later on...

OK now on the subject: Miscellaneous overlays!

In the past 25 years or so, i have collected a lot of information regarding video game consoles/systems but especially the first and second generations, and today i wanted to talk and show some misc. overlays i have seen over the years. Let's stars with the web site: Classic Videogame Station Odyssey. This Japanese web site is one of the oldest i know that talks about all the game consoles/systems released in Japan which started in 1996 on the web (heck! the same year i started "surfing" on the web) and has the biggest list of all consoles/systems released in Japan.

But if you check out their "Brown Box" section, click on "Game" in the bottom of the page or simply click "HERE". About in the middle of the page there is two overlays that stands-out:

 The first one is "Maze" which was one of the games that was played in earlier version of the Odyssey (TV Games Units: TVG #1 to #8) and the second is "Ski" which the web site made a variation of the released game. I already made a homebrew maze-type game way before started the OdySim project so i think i'll add their maze version with mine in a near future. And i'll also include their Ski version with the new release of Ski which will be pretty soon.

Now the next one:

Now this "Ski" variation was made in 2013 which i find very cool but i don't have the full name of the person who designed it (Christine). You can check out the blog  in about the middle of the page and titled "A Videogame With/out Rules". And i'm also adding this one to the next version of Ski.

Now the magazine "Radiorama" (January 1977 edition) which is a electronic magazine that was published in Italy had this cover:

When i saw this at first, i thought they were going to talk about the GBC Odissea since this clone was released in Italy and the magazine is published in the same country, but no... it's part of a reprint from the magazine "Popular Electronics - April 1976" which has the Pongtronic and Space War TV games to build yourself.

But this is strange as the cover has the "Table Tennis" game with white background, a blue wall and two red spots plus the "Volleyball" overlay with both "boxes" in the upper section and a pink "Roulette" overlay but that was for the DIY electronic roulette game in the magazine. The best is the red "Dogfight" variation as i'll add this one with "Dogfight" in the next release.

And the last variation is one from the book called "Videogames" by Len Buckwalter which is another "Ski" variation called "Olympic Ski Trails" which you can see on page 110:

It shows even how do it yourself this overlay from page 103 to 111 and the best is that they (Len and his wife) uses a Magnavox Odyssey 200 to play with the overlay (lol!)

 Well, that's it for the miscellaneous overlays. If you know other overlay variations, please do let me know but no color variations please (example the Table Tennis above). 

So until next, take care! :)

- Sly -

Happy (late) New Year + first news update of 2021

 Hi folks!

First, let me wish you a late Happy New Year and all the health to you, family and friends! Hoping that this year will be better than the crappy one we just had ;)

Second, i'm still working on the newest version the OdySim with LÖVE (0.11.3) and upgrading some few things and trying to do the games without bugs (yep...trying!) as i'm updating two games at the same time (Tennis & Table Tennis) as both are practically the same.

As now, i have arrange the scoring for Table Tennis as the ball now starts on the right side of the screen instead in the middle of the screen (same for Tennis) and when you press the reset button on Player 1 or 2, it doesn't add a point to the adversary so finally the scoring is fixed.

The AI which is implanted on certain games (Tennis, Hockey, Handball, etc) and wasn't working when i was doing some changes but now, this is also fixed and found that the AI in the previous version (0.10.1) wasn't able to display the ball speed on screen because that specific code was deleted! And nobody (even me) saw this! LOL!!!

 As you can see in the above picture, we can now view the AI speed (when the AI is activated) in the upper-right corner by pressing the button "F3". If you press "F2" then we can view the status of the Ball Speed in the down-right corner.

Now one of the new option is plugging generic USB gamepads or joysticks (also tried out an Xbox 360 controller and it works) and can view how many gamepad/joystick are detected (0, 1 or 2) in the down-left corner. And i have changed the "pause" feature as now says "pause" in bright red in the middle of the screen instead of a full light dark screen.

Oh and i also added a "reset score" by pressing the "backspace" button so no need to reboot the game!

Table Tennis has now also the CRT shader:

 And added a new overlay:

Yep! Game Boy-style! (for different effect and specially for fun!)

And lastly, here's a video to see the boot/splash screen in action!

 It's way better to see it with your own eyes than on video. So that's it for now folks. Now i need to plug an Odyssey to see some interactions (inbox collision, English, verifying Ball Speed (lowest and highest), and more to be able to make a better simulator.

So until next folks, take care! =)

- Sly -

Xmas News updates

 Hi again folks,

I wanted to show & tell some updates/improvements i have made for the new version of Tennis (0.11.3). 

First, the intro splash screen which fades in and out:

 As per suggestion from JDGP030302, i have added a "memory" code so when the ball leaves the screen left or right, it will return at the same "X & Y" position and also added a cleaner "beep" sound (many thanks to JDGP030302 for the cleaned wav!).

Added a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) shader which gives an old TV screen look (by pressing F10):

Added the Videojuel overlay:

 And added two USB gamepads but for now you need to plug two USB gamepads to play with them because if only one is connected it won't work (to why, i don't know...). Because at first, when i was plugging only one USB gamepad, the game worked but freezed when no gamepad was connected. At least now we can use both keyboard and two gamepads but not the keyboard and one gamepad. 

I'll check that out later as there is more improvements to add like a reset button for resetting the score and make two kinds of score for Tennis : regular (as the one it has already (by default)) or the real one: 0-15-30-40-etc... (like in real Tennis). Better ball speed as the one coded in OdySim is way to slow (when at speed 05) or way to fast (speed 1000). Add joystick "sticks" for near-real controller simulation (just got the D-pad and buttons coded for now), etc...

So in the meantime, enjoy the little gift in the previous post and take care folks! :)

- Sly -

Merry Christmas to everyone! =)

 Hi and Merry Christmas folks!

Hoping that you will have a great day with your young one(s), wife or husband, partner, family and friends! We all need a great day especially with a miserable year we had and it will get brighter in the following months to come. 

So today, it's a day to celebrate with family and friends, and opening presents if you were not naughty (lol!). So here's a picture (err...more an icon or thumbnail since the real picture is 39 Megs) of my little present for all of you folks:

An Magnavox Odyssey Poster! Click HERE to download it. :)

It's not a fancy present and once you print it, it won't be small! This is the project i was working on this summer as i wanted to print and sell some (like 20). One of my friends had made it print (the prototype poster before this final version) to see what the quality looked like and damn(!) it looks great!

So instead of asking a store to print it, buy some tubes and ship it (as shipping now costs a lot, even more outside Canada - something like $30 from province Quebec to California state) and this is the main reason not wanting to sell/ship it so instead of paying for printing the poster (says $20-30 depending the size you want it, shipping tube (about $5) and shipping price (with insurance and tracking) which is $20 minimum within Canada and at least $30-40 depending the state you live in the U.S. so the minimum cost would be about $65!! ($45 minimum for Canadians)

Now, just download the PNG file and put it on a USB stick and print it to a local printing shop and it should cost you around $20-25 depending the size you want because the printing shop i asked to print it say that the file is so big that it can be like 26x23 inches (that's the size of the prototype) to the size of a billboard! No kidding! (That should cost an arm and a leg!). And don't forget  once the poster printed, cut both grey section with an exacto (sharp knife) or leave them (your choice).

So this is my little Christmas present to you folks! You can resize it and make it a desktop wallpaper, make a mouse pad or t-shirt (see further), etc... the only thing i ask is not use the PNG file to make money out of it. This file is free of use/distribution as long anyone is not trying to make profits out of it. 

Wanna know the story behind it ? OK then, here's it is:

I wanted to do a special project for the Odyssey community (everyone that loves, collects and supports the Magnavox Odyssey) and i notice that the Odyssey never had a poster of it's own, only ads and flyers. So since the pandemic was raging during summer, i've started working on the Odyssey poster and here's the sketch/draft of it:

I glued a can of Coca-Cola to show you the size i wanted it to be which was 33½" by 30". After i made small change as the "The electric game center by Magnavox" which sounded very ancient, i replaced it with "The electronic game of the future" which sounds much better:

While working with Paint Shop Pro 6 (yup still using old software), i have changed the pattern of the games as the upper games were the 12 pack-in, after was the extras (72-73) and at last the rifle games. I didn't liked it so i changed the pattern of the games from A to Z (Analogic to Wipeout actually) and added a picture of the rifle gun on each shooting gallery games. So the printed prototype looks like this:

 

Notice that it still says "The electric game center by Magnavox" ? When i saw the result, this is when i decided to changed it to "The electronic game of the future" which now features on the final version. Also notice that the border is very thin and doesn't look professional so i enlarge the boder which is also featured in the final version. Think i have made more than 25 changes from the first sketch to the final version. So the poster you see (the upper one of this text) is the only printed prototype and i "may" give it to someone as a special contest winner in the future.

 

Oh and my friend who arranged to print out the prototype (he used the wrong file as i have sent him the final before printing) made me a little surprise by also making these:

 

 

An Odyssey Mouse Pad and a T-Shirt, very cool! (even if it's has the old inscription). When i saw the Mouse Pad, this is when i did the last change on the poster with a bigger border as this looks much nicer.

I hope that you like the little Xmas present (and the story). So all the health and celebrate with loved ones on this "Holy Day". Until next time, take care folks! =)

--- Sylvain (Sly DC) De Chantal ---

OdySim update as December 21, 2020

 Hi folks!

After an awful news regarding Don Emry, there is a good news as i am welcoming back Nicholas Broetzman after a long departure of the Odyssey collectors community. He was the one who helped me out at the beginning of this adventure (the project was called "LOVEOdyssey" back then) and after he got married, he sold out all his magnificent Odyssey collection, but now he's back and recollecting all Odyssey stuff! 

Stuart Feldhamer sent me an email about 2 weeks ago saying that he and others are looking forward for new OdySim updates. Well here's one now Stuart ...LOL!!! Sorry, wanted to tease you a bit! ;)

I wrote to him that i was thinking of updating the version of LÖVE before releasing/updating any games as i am still using LÖVE version 0.10.1 (aka Super Toaster) as this version was released in February 2016 and the latest version: LÖVE 0.11.3 (aka Mysterious Mysteries) was released in October 2019.

So i'll start with Tennis first and update it to 0.11.3 and also i'll add x2 USB gamepad to be used so it will be more faithful to the Odyssey analog controllers and add a CRT shader (for the "retro" fun of it). Maybe by updating to a newer version i'll be able to correct  the resolution problem as by an old request ?! OH and also a proper/cleaned "beep" sound thanks to JDGP030302! ;)

During 2021, i'll begin to start posting some mods/hacks/add-ons for the Magnavox Odyssey like adding sound, composite video output, power LED, etc.. as this is more my cup of tea (electronics) than programming. So stay "tuned" in 2021!

And on Christmas day (in 4 days), i'll have a surprise for you all. It is a project that i worked during summer. For now, you'll all have to wait until Xmas morning. :)

Until then, take care folks! =)

- Sly -

In Memoriam - Donald Charles Emry

 Hi folks,

It's been 3 and a half months now since the last i have posted something and i am coming back with an awful news. Donald Charles Emry or Don Emry has passed away on November 22, 2020. Just about one month ago as i have discovered this bad news just 3 hours ago when writing this post.

Obituary - Donald Charles Emry

 

For those who doesn't know who was Don, he's the guy who did the last four Magnavox Odyssey games in 1973, which was : 

 

 

These are the best designed boxes in the entire legacy Odyssey library, don't you think folks ? There was also 4 others games he started some work but these were never finished. Only one of the unfinished games is now known: Ski Festival - only the overlay is known to exist and was supposed to be bundled with "Ski" for the Odyssey "Deluxe model". 

So all my condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of Donald...Our thoughts and prayers are with you Don!

OdySim update as September 2020

 Hi again folks!

Even if i've dissapeared for almost 4 months, i still worked on my OdySim project on some rainy days during summer. I have made a special project for the Magnvox Odyssey which should be revealed very soon so stay "tuned" on that. ;) 

During the past 4 months, i have received ManCaveArcade's Hunting Adventure" and "Zombie Outbreak" plus the box for "Space War" (from Mikebloke). Amazing quality!! So be sure i will make reviews in the following days to come.

Also, i have received from Vibrant Media Labs their "OdysseyNow Game Pack #2" which i will also make a review after both games from MCA. I still haven't ordered OdysseyNow Game Pack #3 as there is one original new game (Et Tu, Brute) which looks like a type of Parker Brothers "Clue's" but at the age of Julius Cesar. The other games are: Haunting of '72, a redone version of Haunting House and Interplanetary Voyage which is a re-edition (exact copy) with all the accessories and game cart #12.

This is why i hesitate to buy the Game Pack #3 has Haunting of '72 is a redone version of today (instead of the 70's) and when you have an Odyssey, you already have the original game (Haunted House).  And if you already have an original Interplanetary Voyage, then you get a copy. At least you can preserve the original game when playing the new copy. 

Mikebloke has made available/released Ben Spenger's Odyssey Multicart and also released a new homebrew called "Puck-Man" for the 40th anniversary of Pac-Man (man....Pac-Man is now 40, geeez it makes me fell so old!). Reviews of those as well will be done very soon.

And finally, i have wrote to the Museo Informatica Icatec, the museum which has the Videojuel lended by Ricardo, if they can took some pictures of the game console and especially the overlays. They did replied back the next day saying that they will take pictures but until the pandemic is over as the museum is closed during this period. Well a week after, i have found pictures of the Videojuel overlays but Ricardo is missing the overlay for "Persecucioniel Gato y el Raton" (Cat & Mouse in English).

Here's the list of all the Videojuel games with overlay and game cartridge:

01- Tenis de Mesa (Ping-Pong) - cart #1 - no overlay

02- Esqui (Ski) - cart #2 - has overlay

03- "Mama Dice" (Simon Says) - cart #2 - has overlay

04- Futbol (Soccer) - Cart #3 - has overlay

05- Tenis (add an "N") - cart #3 - has overlay

06- Carrera Espicial (Analogic) - cart #3 - has overlay 

07- Hockey (humm....) - cart #3 - has overlay

08- Persecucioniel Gato y el Raton" (Cat & Mouse) - cart #4 - has overlay

09- Ataque Submarino (Submarine) - cart #5 - has overlay

10- Para la Paleta a Peleta (handball) - cart #6 - no overlay

11- Voley (Volleyball) - cart #7 - no overlay

12- Tiro al Blanco (Target Shoot) - cart #8 - no overlay

13- Tiro al Blanco en Movimiento (Targer Shoot in Motion) - cart #9 - no overlay

And Stuart has sent me a new video he made during summer which i will link on the blog very soon. Plus JDGP030302 sent me a ton of suggestions and bugs for the OdySim, so many i think i'll take again a few months off....LOL!!! NAH!! Already had a long vacation but he really did sent so many suggestions and bugs that it will take some time to go thru all.

So thought that summer had nothing new for the OdySim and the Magnavox Odyssey ? HA!

-- Sly (summer is over) DC ---

The G.B.C Odissea manual is now available!

 Hi folks!

After almost 4 months after my last post, i'm back to resume my OdySim project. Sorry for the long delay but since summer here is not very long (3 to 4 months), me and my kids tried to enjoy the summer for all it can give (sunlight, warm temperature, beautiful days, etc). 

I have finished scanning the G.B.C. Odissea manual yesturday and already uploaded it to archive.org. 

 I was a lucky S.O.B to get my hand on this very rare manual of the G.B.C. Odissea and as for now, it is the only copy known until other copie(s) surface. But the weirdest thing is no one has the game console either for sale or in the hands of a collector. Hopefully one will surface as i wonder if some accessories (money, cards, etc) will be in Italian only or not.

So now the manual has been preserved digitally and is available HERE.

Or check out my "Magnavox Odyssey Archive" to either download/view anything related to the Magnavox Odyssey and clones (archive still not finished).

Enjoy!

New Ski & Submarine video

Hi folks,

Stuart Feldhamer and his wife made another new video of Ski & Submarine, you can watch it here:

It's so fun to see a couple playing the OdySim! ;)

Also, i have recently updated many files on my Archive account, especially the "Magnavox Odyssey Archive". You can check out anything i have put there and download what you want or all in one file.

Just click on the link: https://archive.org/details/odyssey-archive

I have uploaded all what is contained in the Odyssey box (manual, cards, tokens, paperworks, etc) and also "free" games, some extra games like Soccer and Percepts, the Shooting gallery manual (thanks to ManCaveArcade), patents, many clones manuals (missing only the GBC Odissea and Kanal 34), Odyssey box scan, Apex Blue Card and manuals...and the Videojuel instruction manual.

Still haven't finished scanning so check it out from time to time for updates.

I will do a review very soon of "Hunting Adventure" as i received the game a few days ago and later on (once i received it), a review of Game Pack #2 from Vibrant Media Labs.

I have received many issues (mostly small issues) concerning a lot of games and some suggestions from Stuart and JDGP030302 that it will take some time before i can go thru all of them. I was scanning like a madman during a few days and i'm trying to finish my game room setup in the meantime and also, trying to repair an tabletop arcade called "Golden Poker Double Up" as all the letters and some sprites are reversed (that's another story for my MAME/MESS blog).

So until next, take care folks! :)

- Sly -

www.magnavox-odyssey.com is no more....

Hi folks,

This is with regrets that i inform you that the web site "magnavox-odyssey.com" or  the "Online Odyssey Museum" of Ulf Svensson has gone into oblivion a few days ago.

This was a pioneer web site for the past 15 years or so anything related to the Magnavox Odyssey and clones. Even if it was out of date as it wasn't updated for at least 5 years, it was "THE" web site reference to any collectors and curious about the "Holy Grail" of all game consoles/systems.

At least, most of the web site has been preserved on archive.org and can access it with their Wayback machine web site here: https://web.archive.org/web/*/www.magnavox-odyssey.com

I wrote "most" of it's web site because all the big files are never kept on Wayback, only small files as they are keeping millions of web sites on their server from recent sites to long forgotten ones.

Hopefully that Ulf will upload his web site one day but until then, just click in the previous link if you need to browse it. :)

- Sly -

The G.B.C. Italiana Odissea

Hi again folks,

Third post today...i'm on fire!! LOL!! Do some of you knows or heard about the G.B.C. Italiana Odissea ? This one is an Magnavox Odyssey clone released in Italy in 1975 but this is the second release in Italy as the Magnavox Odyssey (export) was available in 1974 in Italy.

Even after all these years, not one Italian or worldwide collector has one or showed (in pictures or video) the G.B.C. Italiana Odissea except for a minor review in the magazine "Sperimentare" (in English: Experiment) dated October 1975 on page 863:

You can see that in the middle of the first photo is a TV displaying "Ping-Pong" (aka Table Tennis) and on the left is a Rifle Gun. On the second photo (which is closer), now we can see a "dude" playing with the Odyssey (i think that's the representative of G.B.C. Italiana) and under the TV is written: Il nuovo gioco elettronico (which translate to: The new electronic game).

But...i don't get it...if G.B.C. Italiana called it the "Odissea", so why it plainly says "Odyssey" ?! The only thing i can think of is that they rename it to "Odissea" a few days afterwards before they announced it in the next Sperimentare (Novembre 1975) in the back of the cover:

A full page advertisement in color! Now we see the name "Odissea" and not "Odyssey" and shows all twelve games we all know with a weird acception taht Ping-Pong (Table Tennis) has a blue background screen and a red spots ?!??!!

And just above the color game images, we can read: "* Un fucile elettronico, fornito a richiesta, permette di realizzare altri 4 giochi." (translated: * An electronic rifle, supplied on request, allows you to create 4 more games."). So they also offer the Rifle Gun to play for more games, as we saw the same Rifle Gun in the first picture posted above.

And then, the month after, they re-plublished the same advertisement (slightly modified) in the Sperimentare December 1975 on the back cover but in black & white:

And after that, nothing more...because by then, there was another game console which been more popular and was the first game console made in Italy...yep, you guessed it, the Zanussi/Seleco Ping-O-Tronic:

And guess what appeared in the Sperimentare January and February 1976 ?

A Do-It-Yourself "Ping-Pong Elettronico"! So looks like the "Odissea" sales has been screwed.

So that's still leaves the big question: Has the G.B.C. Italiana Odissea has been sold (at all) ??

Well, before i reveal the response, i can tell for sure that the instruction manual of the Odissea has 36 pages and it features 16 games! Yes...16 games! Here's the list of the games:

* Ping-Pong (aka Table Tennis)
* Tennis (hope i don't need to translate this one ?! lol!)
* Football Americano (aka Football)
* Hockey
* SCI (aka Ski)
* Il Sotto Marino (Submarine) (is called: Battaglia Navale in the advert)
* Il Gatto E Il Toppo (Cat and Mouse)
* La Casa Degli Spettri (Haunted House)
* Il Gioco Analogico (Analogic)
* La Roulette (Roulette...pretty obvious...lol!)
* Gli Stati Uniti (States)
* Simone Dice (Simon Says)

Ok, but there's 4 games missing, and they are:

* Il Safari Preistorico (Prehistoric Safari)
* Combattimento Aereo (Dogfight)
* Arrivano i Nostri (Shootout)
* Tiro Al Bersaglio (Shooting Gallery)

The same four games for the Rifle Gun, so no exclusive games (like Soccer). But how the %?%?& that i know the names of the games ?! Well because i'm waiting for this from Italy:

Your not seeing a mirage or day dreaming, it is the instruction manual of the "Odissea" so for now, this is the only proof that G.B.C. Italiana sold the Odissea and once i have received it, i'm gonna tear it and use it to make confettis....HELL NO!!! LOL!!!

What i'll really do is scan the whole manual and put it as a PDF file in the Magnavox Odyssey Archive (on Archive.org) so anyone can read the manual and especially, to preserve it digitally.

So until then, take care folks!

--- Sly DC ---

OdySim update May 2020

Hi again folks,

As a few weeks ago, i had 6 original Odyssey game to do for the OdySim and recently, i have released Interplanetary Voyage and W.I.N. so that's leaves these: Baseball, Wipeout, Invasion and Brain Wave, but seems that while coding the last two i made a few "rules" mistake as i wanted to
release the last 6 remaining so bad that i haven't implied all the game rules for each games properly.

So as today (May 08, 2020), all the 4 games remaining plus the last two official released are suspended for the time being as i have to recheck and read carefully each game rules so that they apply for each proper game. Just Interplanetary Voyage has some rules not implied but the game cartridge is not properly simulated (as i don't have a copy of the cart#12) so i assumed that it's playing like i have coded it (BIG mistake) and also the homebrew port of Gosub is suspended as it is the second game to use the cartridge #12.

So since i don't have a cartridge #12, i've decide to make (temporary) my own cart#12 with a cart#4 plus two jumpers really soon and to watch how the game cart behaves so i can simulate properly cartridge #12 (cannot do something without the proper tools & know-how).

I will release Donkey Kong from the Arcade Pak #1 real soon as this brew is almost done (just need to finished the game cards) and i've already done another homebrew game but this one is "on hold" until further notice from the author himself. At least it's totally approved and tested by the author! :)

Stuart Feldhamer sent me a new report of almost 2 pages(!) of issues related to Football as it's has many minor issues but some "rules" are not implied as i never thought someone would play this game fully by the rules (my fault!) and a very minor issue for Hockey which i already have corrected (but not uploaded yet). I know i'm not perfect, even very far from perfect and i'm not afraid to admit it and to admit my mistakes but we are all human...n'est-ce pas ? ;)

And also JDGP030302 sent me some issues for W.I.N., Percepts and Interplanetary Voyage but especially the "English" control. I did told him (and now all of you) that the English in the OdySim is intended to be auto-centering itself as many people doesn't know how to play or never played with a real Odyssey. But JDGP030302 told me that in Brain Wave, the ball needs to "curve" and not go strait once you let go of the English buttons in OdySim.

Humm...i wanted to add later on the "true" English option in OdySim but looks like i'll have to do it as soon as possible. So once that is done, people will be able to choose between "auto-centering" (novice) or "true" (pro) English, but that may take quite a while (hopefully not) so that's one of the reason i'm suspending the release of the four original games remaining.

Or...what i could do for starters i'll make the necessary corrections to the games that have issues, finish/release Baseball, Wipeout and Invasion and keep Brain Wave for last and do some homebrews in the meantime. Sometime you need to take one or two steps back to better move forward, and this is the case.

Until next, take care folks! :)

--- Sly DC ---

Hunting Adventure, Zombie Outbreak, Space War and Multicard!

Hi folks,

Even with the pandemic still going on worldwide (all my sympathies to all who lost a loved one/member of family/friend), the Magnavox Odyssey community (collectors/homebrewers) has been quite active during this period as many of us have more time while being confined at home.

ManCaveArcade (Odyssey Evil) who's made a comeback in the community after a few years, is now releasing not one but 5 new games and on those 5, Hunting Adventure (which at this very moment i'm writing this post has three games left to sell. If you want a copy, go HERE and reserve one before they all go bye-bye) which is a shooting game made for the Rifle Gun (the 1st homebrew for the Rifle Gun). You can read all about it on this AtariAge forum.

He (ManCaveArcade) is already working and taking orders for his third game: Zombie Outbreak. This is another shooting game for the Rifle Gun BUT it will use a totally new game cartridge for the Rifle Gun and this game is only for 1 player. Click on the previous link to read (or order) about this game. For the 3 others homebrews that ManCaveArcade will release, we have to wait and see.

Now, another homebrewer "Mikebloke" which has released freely his first homebrew game called "Space War Demake" is a port of the Space War from the Fairchild Channel F. You can print your own overlay and instruction on the previous link and also, read all about the game.

Now Mikebloke is offering a multicard for the Magnavox Odyssey which replaces all the game cartridges from #01 to #12, so if you are missing one or some game cartridges, this is the opportunity to get an "all-in-one" cartridge for about $25 USD/20 Euros. You can read/order HERE.

(not the final product BTW)

And this is a news at the last minute as i received an email while writing this post, that ManCaveArcade is offering to print boxes for "FREE" Odyssey homebrew games and the first game to be offered a box (and also an overlay & instruction) is "Space War" demake. 

 

You can read all about it HERE. Even homebrewers is collaborating with each other...i love this community! 

Thinks that wraps it up so until next, take care folks! :)

--- Sly DC ---