[ Retro Scan of the Week ] Sega Saturn Manual Cover

Monday, June 9th, 2014

Sega Saturn Instruction Manual Cover - 1995The Saturn: No Connectors Required

Why am I showing you the cover of the Sega Saturn manual but not the manual itself? Because I can — ha ha ha!

Such power.

That, and I like the photo.

[ From Sega Saturn Instruction Manual, 1995, cover]

Discussion Topic of the Week: What’s the best Saturn-exclusive title?

[ Retro Scan of the Week ] TRS-80 Color Computer 2

Monday, August 27th, 2012

TRS-80 Color Computer Operation Manual Cover - 1983Every instance of those 16 TRS-80 logos is trademarked, so hands off!

See also: Hot CoCo (2) for Christmas (2007)

[ From TRS-80 Color Computer 2 Operation Manual, 1983, cover]

Discussion Topic of the Week: Have you owned a TRS-80 Color Computer (any model)? Tell us about it.

[ Retro Scan of the Week ] The Odyssey Manual

Monday, May 28th, 2012

Magnavox Odyssey Manual Cover Scan - 1972“We’ve got a lot of space here, Fred, and I’m tired.” [stamps 7 times] “Fixed.”

Forty years ago, Magnavox lifted the veil on the world’s first commercial video game console, the Odyssey. Designed to work with a home TV set, the Odyssey blazed a trail that every game console follows today.

While the Odyssey had first been revealed to the press in April 1972, the Odyssey reached the market at $99.99 (about $548 in today’s dollars) in August of that year.

Magnavox’s console relied on technology originally developed by Ralph Baer, Bill Harrison, and Bill Rusch at Sanders Associates in the mid- to late 1960s. Baer’s invention, together with Atari’s work during the same period, founded an industry.

Even though I’ve been writing about the work of Ralph Baer for over five years now, I still am amazed that the commercial video game console is now 40 years old. But 40 years is a long time in technology, and it’s easy to see how we’ve come so far if you keep that time scale in mind.

By the way — in honor of this anniversary, I recently took apart an Odyssey console for PC World. You can read about that adventure in another post.

[ From Odyssey Installation and Game Rules, circa 1972, cover ]

Discussion Topic of the Week: Have you ever played an original Magnavox Odyssey console? Describe how you felt about the experience.