Batman
Not all those who wander are lost...
So I have a bit of a console conundrum for you guys. My Magnavox Odyssey 200 doesn’t want to download games from the Internet and I’m not exactly sure why. The first thing I noticed is that it doesn’t seem to have any kind of access port that will allow me to connect a landline phone cable to the console, so I’m assuming it’s Wi-Fi only. Anyway, no matter what I do I can’t seem to connect my Odyssey to the internet (I have Wi-Fi of course). I realize the 200 is an older model but there is no reason why it shouldn’t be connecting considering its apparent ability to connect to the ARPANE…I mean the Internet in the post 2003 wireless era.
Could it be my modem? I have a 56 kps modem so I’m thinking the problem could be that my speed is just too slow and the modem outdated. Would you recommend that I upgrade to DSL to fix the issue?
Anyway, I haven’t played my Odyssey in a long time but I found it in my closet a few days ago and I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. I have 9 card boards and thus all the games available through them. You wouldn’t believe how fun Volleyball and Hockey are even though they’re so retro in design, lol. The only game that I don’t like is Ski which is surprisingly broken overall. Most of the games I’d give a decent 3 out of 5 stars, but Hockey and Volleyball are solid 5 out of 5. Tennis is a solid 4 out of 5. Also, the “Smash” bonus for the 200 models is SICK. Anyway, I’d like to download some more games from the Internet as gameplay has been getting a little old with the games I’m currently playing. The 400 and later models had several new games made for them which I assume are part of an online store, and I’d also like to download the update that allows you to see the digital scoring features actually on-screen – which I assume is still being offered through Magnavox’s website of course.
Anyway, my specs are below in case that is helpful for this diagnosis (maybe I’ll have to interface my Odyssey with my computer?). And just as an update, I decided to start using my Gateway again and not the new iMac. I just couldn’t get used to the colorwheel. It’s still slow when I run Windows Clock, but it’s better than having to stare at the colorwheel ad infinitum, lol.
Console:
Magnavox Odyssey 200
Release Year: 1975
Generation: First Gen
Design: Digital console with analog circuitry for video output. Games and logic are implemented in DTL using discrete transistors and diodes. Game knobs on the console control binary unit selecting features. It came with some old sort of Texas Instruments multi-chip components but was later hacked by my grandfather a few decades ago to incorporate AY-3-8500 (single IC chip) technology.
Games: Removable printed circuit board game cards that insert into a slot similar to a ROM cartridge slot; these do not contain any components but have a series of jumpers between pins of the card connector. The jumpers interconnect different logic and signal generators to produce the desired game logic and screen output components respectively.
Power: 6 C batteries
Sound: None
Controller: Comes with console-embedded knobs, but my grandfather also hacked it so that he could use the more comfortable Phillips Odyssey analog game controller (a clone of the original Magnavox Odyssey’s controller), and I have a “light gun” periphery*** as well. Also comes with a pad and pen to keep score.
Computer:
1996 Gateway laptop PC.
It has 256 MB of DDR-400. Finally got around to upgrading from 4 MB of RAM.
It has a 512 MB IDE hard drive.
It has a 16-bit accelerated AMD video card.
It has an awesome '97 RCA wavetable synthesis sound card. Creative Sound Blaster 16 (bit).
It has a 1985 Intel i386 12 MHz processor.
I have a 56 kb/s modem. I tend to use Netscape over IE 2.
I just bought a brand new IDE (8x) CD-ROM (off Ebay) to replace my floppy drive.
It has an 800 x 600, 8-bit resolution screen.
It runs on Windows 3.1 OS.
***Speaking of this, every time I point my light gun at the light bulb in my room the console registers a “hit”. Any ideas on how to stop that from happening?