Magnavox Odyssey²
The Magnavox Odyssey² and its two hard-wired controllers
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| Manufacturer | Magnavox, Philips |
|---|---|
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Second generation |
| Release date | |
| Retail availability | 1978–1984 |
| Introductory price | US$179 (equivalent to $657.28 in 2016) |
| Discontinued | March 20, 1984 |
| Units sold | 2 Million |
| CPU | Intel 8048 |
| Memory | 64 bytes RAM, 1024 bytes ROM |
| Removable storage | ROM cartridge |
| Controller input | Joystick |
| Predecessor | Magnavox Odyssey |
| Successor | Philips Videopac + G7400 |
The Magnavox Odyssey², known in Europe as the Philips Videopac G7000, in Brazil as the Philips Odyssey, in the United States and Canada as the Magnavox Odyssey² and the Philips Odyssey², and also by many other names, is a home video game console released in 1978.
In the early 1970s, Magnavox was an innovator in the home video game industry. They succeeded in bringing the first home video game system to market, the Odyssey, which was quickly followed by a number of later models, each with a few technological improvements (Magnavox Odyssey series). In 1978, Magnavox, now a subsidiary of North American Philips, released the Odyssey², its new second-generation video game console.
In 2009, the video game website IGN named the Odyssey² the 21st greatest video game console, out of its list of 25.
The original Odyssey had a number of removable circuit cards that switched between the built-in games. With the Odyssey², each game could be a completely unique experience, with its own background graphics, foreground graphics, gameplay, scoring, and music. The potential was enormous, as an unlimited number of games could be individually purchased; a game player could purchase a library of video games tailored to his or her own interest. Unlike any other system at that time, the Odyssey² included a full alphanumeric membrane keyboard, which was to be used for educational games, selecting options, or programming (Magnavox released a cartridge called Computer Intro! with the intent of teaching simple computer programming).
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