Magnavox Odyssey²
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| Magnavox Odyssey² | |
|---|---|
| |
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| Basic Information | |
Type(s) |
Home Console |
| Magnavox | |
Predecessor(s) |
Magnavox Odyssey |
Competitor(s) |
Fairchild Channel F and Atari 2600 |
| 2 million | |
| Technical Information | |
| Cartridge | |
| Input(s) | |
| 2 x Magnavox Odyssey 2 Controllers, Cartridge Input, Power Switch, Keyboard | |
| Output(s) | |
| RF Output | |
   North American Release
| |
| 1978 | |
| Awards | Covers | Credits | Help Patches | Reviews | Screenshots | Videos | |
The Magnavox Odyssey², (pronounced Two, not Squared) was a 1978 home video game console developed by Magnavox. The Odyssey² was a rather unique game system in that it featured a built-in flat membrane-style keyboard, similar to that of low-cost computer systems like the Atari 400 and the Timex-Sinclair 1000. This allowed for both educational games and possible strategy games to be developed for the system. The Odyssey² was also referred to as the Philips Videopac G7000 in Europe.
Technical Specifications[edit | edit source]
- CPU
- Intel 8048 8-bit micro-controller running at 1.79 MHz
- Memory:
- Video:
- Intel 8244 custom IC
- 160 × 200 resolution (NTSC)
- 16-color fixed palette; sprites may only use 8 of these colors
- Four 8×8 single-color user-defined sprites; each sprite's color may be set independently
- Twelve 8×8 single-color characters; must be one of the 64 shapes built into the ROM BIOS; can be freely positioned like sprites, but cannot overlap each other; each character's color may be set independently
- Four quad characters; groups of four characters displayed in a row
- 9×8 background grid; dots, lines, or solid blocks
- Audio:
- Intel 8244 custom IC
- Mono
- 24-bit shift register, clockable at 2 frequencies
- Noise generator
- NOTE: There is only one 8244 chip in the system, which performs both audio and video functions.
- Input:
- Two 8-way, one-button, digital joysticks. In the first production runs of the Magnavox Odyssey and the Philips Videopac G7000, these were permanently attached to the console; in later models, they were removable and replaceable.
- QWERTY-layout membrane keyboard
- Output:
- RF Audio/Video connector
- Péritel/SCART connector (France only)
- Media:
- ROM cartridges, typically 2 kB, 4 kB, or 8 kB in size.
- Expansion modules:
- The Voice - provides speech synthesis & enhanced sound effects
- Chess Module - The Odyssey² didn't have enough memory and computing power for a decent implementation of chess on its own, so the C7010 chess module contained a secondary CPU with its own extra memory to run the chess program.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Magnavox Odyssey 2
Magnavox Odyssey 2 Box
Magnavox Odyssey 2 Controller
See also[edit | edit source]
