Magnavox Odyssey2
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The Magnavox Odyssey² and its two hard-wired controllers
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| Manufacturer | Magnavox, Philips |
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| 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, also known as Philips Odyssey² is a second generation home video game console released in 1978. It was sold in Europe as the Philips Videopac G7000, in Brazil as the Philips Odyssey and in Japan as Odyssey2 (オデッセイ2 odessei2). Odyssey² was one of the major three home consoles prior to the 1983 video game market crash, along with Atari 2600 and IntelliVision.
In the early 1970s, Magnavox pioneered the home video game industry by successfully bringing the first home console to market, the Odyssey, which was quickly followed by a number of later models, each with a few technological improvements (see Magnavox Odyssey series). In 1978, Magnavox, now a subsidiary of North American Philips, decided to release an all-new successor, Odyssey².
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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