retrospective

Game Consoles

• • »Odyssey«, 1972 by Magnavox, Ralph H. Baer
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  • The Magnavox »Odyssey« was the first video game console ever released. The prototype was developed by Ralph H. Baer back in 1968.

• • »Hockey Pong C-121«, 1976 by Atari Inc.
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  • »Hockey Pong« is one of many Pong consoles, which flooded the market in the 1970s.

• • »Las Vegas ES 2218«, 1977 by Philips
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  • The »Las Vegas ES 2218« is a Pong-console with eight game modes. In contrast to the ES 2207 it is able to represent color.

• • »Travemünde ES 2207«, 1977 by Philips
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  • The »Travermünde« is a Pong-console. It is not able to represent color and sound and was advertised as a game for the small purse.

• • »Video Computer System (VCS) / 2600«, 1977 by Atari Inc.
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  • With about 30 million sold devices, the Atari VCS is the most successful game console of its time and shaped this generation.

• • »Videoplay«, 1977 by Saba
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  • The »Videoplay« is a licensed replica of the Fairchild Channel F, the first console with changeable ROM cartridges.

• • »Intellivision«, 1979 by Mattel
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  • The »Intellivision« is the first 16-bit console, including an online service.  However, Mattel was not able to compete with Atari.

• • »Microvision Blockbuster«, 1979 by Milton Bradley
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  • »Microvision« is the first handheld console with changeable game ROM cartridges.

• • »Game & Watch POPEYE«, 1980 by Nintendo
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  • Nintendo's »Game & Watch« series served as a template for the Game Boy, which was launched in 1989.

• • »Bildschirmspiel 01«, 1980 by VEB Halbleiterwerken Frankfurt an der Oder
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  • The »Bildschirmspiel 01« is the only console fo the GDR and a replica of an Pong console.

• • »Vectrex«, 1982 by General Consumer Electric
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  • The »Vectrex« is a console with an integrated vector screen. The games where displayed with an overlay for the screen.

• • »Defender Tabletop«, 1982 by Entex
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  • The LCD game is a simplified version of the arcade classic »Defender« (1981)

• • »Nintendo Entertainment System«, 1985 by Nintendo
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  • The »Nintendo Entertainment System« is a 8-bit videogame console. It was initially released in Japan in 1983 as the Family Computer (Famicom).

• • »Master System«, 1986 by Sega
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  • The »Master System« competed with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Despite better hardware it could not assert itself on the market.

• • »Mega Drive«, 1988 by Sega
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  • The 16-bit console was famous for it’s mascot Sonic. The first gameI if the Sonic the Hedgehog  series was released 1991.

• • »Lynx II«, 1989 by Atari Corperation
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  • The Lynx system is the world's first handheld console with a color LCD screen. It was originally developed by Epyx under the name »Handy Game«. 

• • »Game Boy«, 1989 by Nintendo
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  • The »Game Boy« was the world's most successful console until the release of the »Nintendo DS« in 2004. It was sold bundled with the game Tetris. 

• • »Game Gear«, 1990 by Sega
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  • The handheld console was Sega's answer to the »Game Boy«. However, it was twice as expensive, a shorter battery life, and offered fewer games. 

• • »Neo Geo AES«, 1990 by SNK
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  • The hardware of the »Neo Geo AES« was extremly powerful and iis dentical to the arcade machines by SNK.

• • »Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)«, 1990 by Nintendo
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  • The »SNES« was Nintendo's answer to Sega's »Mega Drive«.  It allowed for the display of 3D effects.

• • »Mega Drive II mit Mega-CD II«, 1991/1993 by SEGA
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  • The »Mega CD-II« was an CD drive addon to the »Mega Drive II«.

• • »Jaguar«, 1993 by Atari Corperation
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  • The »Jaguar« is the last console of the once famouse Atari company.

• • »Saturn«, 1994 by SEGA
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  • The »Saturn« was a very powerful 32-bit console. However, the multicore architecture proved to be extremely difficult to code for.

• • »PlayStation«, 1994 by Sony
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  • The PlayStation origins date back to 1988 to an originally a joint project between Nintendo and Sony.

• • »Nintendo 64«, 1996 by Nintendo
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  • The »N64« is the last console with ROM cartridges as storage medium. The gamepad was formative for navigating in 3D games.

• • »Dreamcast«, 1998 by SEGA
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  • The »Dreamcast« marked the beginning of the sixth console generation and the end of Sega as a console manufacturer.

• • »Playstation 2«, 2000 by Sony
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  • With over 155 million units sold, »Playstation 2« is the best-selling video game console of all time.

• • »GameCube«, 2001 by Nintendo
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  • »GameCube« runs a MiniDVD like format.It had more storage capacity than ROM cartridges and also worked as a physical copy protection.

• • »Xbox«, 2001 by Microsoft
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  • The »Xbox« was Microsofts entry to the console market. In contrast to other consoles the »Xbox« was based on conventional PC hardware