video games/Odyssey

From: Doug Spence <ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca>
Date: Wed Aug 20 02:48:08 1997

On Tue, 19 Aug 1997, Sam Ismail wrote:

[re: Magnavox Odyssey]

> Oooh, track that sucker down. Mine unfortunately does not have the
> overlays but the guy who sold it to me is still looking. I picked mine
> up for $20. It's in OK shape. The original batteries were still in it
> when I got it which were probably about 20+ years old and leaked out all
> over the battery compartment and corroded the battery spring contacts,
> but it can be cleaned up.

Ouch! The one I picked up is in pristine physical condition, though I
still don't know if it works (haven't bothered to get all those damn 'C'
cells for it yet). Frankly, it hardly looks used so maybe it doesn't work
(that's a guideline I'm starting to develop for the C64 - in great shape =
hardly used BECAUSE IT DIED YOUNG, but I might be wrong. ;) )

> There were other accessories that came with
> it, including poker chips and play money.

The poker chips with mine are still in the plastic, which is cool. I
haven't checked to see if all of the playing cards are there. There were
some dice with it as well.

> Six "carthridges" came with it as well.

If you can really call them cartridges, yeah. I've seen them called
"wafers" which might be more apt. And multiple games use the same wafers,
you just paste up a different overlay and change the rules, and the same
little dots make a new game. :)

> I also came across a lucky find in a thrift store a couple
> months back. I got, in the original box, the Odyssey Shooting Gallery,
> which is basically a light rifle (actually is a plastic toy rifle light
> gun), with some overlays.

Cool!

> UNFORTUNATELY, it did not come with any
> carthridge, which I presume it came with. If someone knows otherwise
> please chime in.

Unfortunately, I don't know. I'm just a happy idiot who happened to walk
into the right place at the right time and pick up a pristine Odyssey
system for $5 (Canadian), including "Instrument Inspection Card" and
"Receive a free ODYSSEY game!" card, with only faint inklings of what it
was. I'm not generally into game systems, but this thing was so weird I
could NOT pass it up. The 1972 date on it helped me bring it home as
well.

Then I went out onto the 'net and found out what I had. :)

I've never seen one of those light rifles, and if I do I'll be sure NOT to
pass it up. I think someone in rec.games.video.classic will know if the
light rifle came with wafers/cartridges or not.

I think I read somewhere that there were 100,000 Odysseys manufactured. I
wonder how many of those are now in landfill. :/

> Sam
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass

Doug Spence
ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca
Received on Wed Aug 20 1997 - 02:48:08 BST