Adventure Vision is a video game console that uses game cartridges. It was made by Entex Industries and released around August or October 1982. The system cost $79.95 when it first came out. It includes a monitor, game controls, and computer parts all in one portable unit. The monitor uses LED technology and can only show red colors. Four games were released for the system, and all of them were based on games originally made for arcade machines. About 10,000 units were made.
Adventure Vision was Entex's second system in a series. The first system, called Entex Select-A-Game, was introduced in 1981, a year before Adventure Vision.
Description
The controller is operated using a single joystick that can be moved into multiple positions, along with two sets of four buttons. One set is located on each side of the joystick, making it easy for both left-handed and right-handed players to use. Instead of using an LCD screen or an external television, the Adventure Vision uses a single vertical line of 40 red LEDs combined with a spinning mirror inside the device. This setup creates a screen resolution of 150 × 40 pixels. The motor that moves the mirror uses a lot of power from the batteries. This can be avoided by using the built-in AC adapter.
Games
Entex made four Adventure Vision games, all based on arcade games that came before:
- Defender, created by Williams Electronics
- Super Cobra, created by Konami
- Turtles, created by Konami
- Space Force, created by Venture Line (similar to the game Asteroids)
Technical specifications
- Central Processing Unit (CPU): Intel 8048 running at 733 kilohertz
- Sound: National Semiconductor COP411L chip running at 52.6 kilohertz, with a headphone jack for audio output
- Random Access Memory (RAM): 64 bytes (built into the 8048 chip), 1 kilobyte (on the main circuit board)
- Read-Only Memory (ROM): 1 kilobyte (built into the 8048 chip), 512 bytes (built into the COP411L chip), 4 kilobytes (in the cartridge)
- Input: A four-direction joystick with four buttons, each duplicated on both sides of the joystick
- Graphics: A display showing 150 by 40 monochrome red pixels
- Expansion port: A port for connecting additional devices
- Dimensions: Measures 13.25 inches by 10 inches by 9 inches (337 mm × 254 mm × 229 mm)
Legacy
In 1995, Nintendo used a display method that combined red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a moving mirror in the Virtual Boy.
Due to the moving parts in the system, many units no longer function. It is estimated that about 100 units are still working today.
On March 31, 2013, at the Revision demoparty, MEGA – Museum of Electronic Games & Art demonstrated the first custom game/demo program for the Virtual Boy. MEGA also shared the source code for the demo and all tools used to create it.
The Virtual Boy system is compatible with the MESS emulator and AdViEmulator.