• Release Date: 1982

Platform Description

Released by Entex in 1982, Adventure Vision is a tabletop videogame console that was available on store shelves for barely a year. Defender was included as a pack-in with the system. Entex produced just three other cartridges (Turtles, Super Cobra and Space Force) before they left their only programmable system an orphan. All four titles are licensed Arcade games. Prior to the release of Adventure Vision, Entex was known primarily as the producer of such handheld games such as Space Invaders, PacMan 2 and Galaxian 2.

The Adventure Vision sits 10-inches high and 8 ½-inches wide. The screen measures 6 ½- by 4 ½-inches, but the playfield area is a bit smaller. A centralized joystick sits at the front of the console with a four-button control panel on either side, allowing for alternating gameplay. An amplified mono speaker in the bottom of the unit produces a surprisingly wide variety of sounds.

To make the gaming experience more personal, players can plug mini-head phones (not included with system) into a jack on the chassis of the console. The right side of the console houses an expansion port that was never used. Other features include an on/off/mute switch, adjustable volume, A/C or battery operation, a skill level switch and a top-loading storage compartment for four games.

To produce its onscreen images, the Adventure Vision uses a vertical row of 40 red LEDs with more than 6000 points of light, enabling the system to create dot matrix-type graphic displays. A whirling mirror inside the unit reflects the images, giving the games an almost 3D look against the black interior of the cabinet.

This mirror produces a flickering, wavering effect that stands in contrast to the solid line-drawn vector graphics of the system's biggest competitor, the Vectrex, which was a more successful tabletop system released the same year. A red filter on the screen helps keep room light from fading the onscreen action. Still, the games are best seen in semi-darkness. Playing in broad daylight is next to impossible.

The Adventure Vision originally sold for $75.00 with cartridges priced around $15.00 to $18.00 each. As a collector's item, the Adventure Vision and its games are in high demand due to their rarity. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide