Epoch Cassette Vision
Encyclopedia
The was a video game console made by Epoch and released in Japan
on July 30, 1981.
Despite the name, the console used cartridges, not cassettes, and it has the distinction of being the first successful programmable console video game system to be made in Japan. The system retailed for 13,500 yen, with games going for 4,000. It is believed, though not confirmed, that Sega
and/or SNK
made games for the Cassette Vision. Its graphics were less refined than the Atari 2600
, and the only controls were four knobs (two to a player, one for horizontal movement, one for vertical) built into the console itself, along with two fire buttons to a player. Though the Cassette Vision was not a fantastic seller, it managed to spawn off a smaller, cheaper version called the Cassette Vision Jr. and a successor called the Super Cassette Vision. The latter was released in 1984, and was sold in Europe, with little success.
Except for their failed Game Pocket Computer
handheld system, Epoch never had another system released.
Cassette Vision
Cassette Vision Jr.
Cassette Vision hardware has only the controllers and power supply circuit.
Other components including 1chip CPU, Memory and Video Processor are on the cartridge circuit board.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on July 30, 1981.
Despite the name, the console used cartridges, not cassettes, and it has the distinction of being the first successful programmable console video game system to be made in Japan. The system retailed for 13,500 yen, with games going for 4,000. It is believed, though not confirmed, that Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
and/or SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
made games for the Cassette Vision. Its graphics were less refined than the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, and the only controls were four knobs (two to a player, one for horizontal movement, one for vertical) built into the console itself, along with two fire buttons to a player. Though the Cassette Vision was not a fantastic seller, it managed to spawn off a smaller, cheaper version called the Cassette Vision Jr. and a successor called the Super Cassette Vision. The latter was released in 1984, and was sold in Europe, with little success.
Except for their failed Game Pocket Computer
Epoch Game Pocket Computer
The Epoch Game Pocket Computer is a handheld game console released by Epoch in Japan in 1984. It was one of the very few truly handheld systems to be released in the early 1980s, preceding the Game Boy by 5 years. The Game Pocket Computer used an LCD screen with a 75 × 64 resolution, and could...
handheld system, Epoch never had another system released.
Games
- Astro Command - Astro Command was and is an Action game released by Epoch for the Cassette Vision in 1983.
- Baseball - Baseball was and is a Baseball game released by Epoch for the Cassette Vision 1981.
- Battle Vader - Battle Vader was and is a Shoot 'em up released by Epoch for the Cassette Vision in 1982.
- Big Sports 12 - Big Sports 12 was and is a Sports game released by Epoch for the Cassette Vision in 1981.
- Elevator Panic
- GalaxianGalaxianis an arcade game developed by Namco in 1979. It was published by Namco in Japan and was imported to North America by Midway in 1980. A fixed shooter-style game in which the player controls a spaceship at the bottom of the screen and shoots enemies descending in various directions, it was designed...
- Grand Champion
- Kikori no Yosaku
- Monster Block
- Monster Mansion (Donkey KongDonkey Kongis a fictional gorilla in the Donkey Kong and Mario series. He is roughly twice the size of a normal gorilla, weighing approximately 800 pounds. Donkey Kong first appeared in Nintendo's popular 1981 video game of the same name. Since then he has appeared in over 20 games in his own series, as well...
clone) - New Baseball
- PakPak MonsterPac-Man clonesIn computer gaming, Pac-Man clones are unauthorized versions of Namco's popular arcade game Pac-Man.-Arcade clones:Hangly-Man was one of the most notable Pac-man clones, a variant of which was Caterpillar Pac-Man made in 1981 by Phi...
Specifications
Cassette Vision's controllers are integrated into the body.Cassette Vision
- 2 x 2-directional lever switches
- 4 x Push buttons
- 4 x Revolving dials
- 1 x Course switch
- 1 x Select button
- 1 x Start button
- 1 x AUX. button
Cassette Vision Jr.
- 1 x 2-directional lever switch
- 4 x Push buttons
- 1 x Select button
- 1 x Start button
Cassette Vision hardware has only the controllers and power supply circuit.
Other components including 1chip CPU, Memory and Video Processor are on the cartridge circuit board.
Games
- Astro Wars
- Astro Wars II - Battle in Galaxy
- BASICBASICBASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
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- Comic Circus
- Doraemon
- Dragon Ball: Dragon Daihikyō
- Dragon Slayer
- Elevator Fight
- Lupin III
- MappyMappyis a 1983 arcade game by Namco. In the United States, it was manufactured and distributed by Bally/Midway. Mappy is a side-scrolling platformer that features cartoon-like characters, primarily cats and mice. The game's main character itself is a mouse. Mappy runs on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware,...
- Milky Princess
- Miner 2049erMiner 2049erMiner 2049er is a video game created by Bill Hogue that was released in 1982 by Big Five Software. The game was licensed in conjunction with International Computer Group . At the time of its release, Miner 2049'er was notable for having ten different screens, which was a large number for a platform...
- Nebula
- Nekketsu Kung-Fu Load
- Pole Position IIPole Position IIPole Position II is a racing arcade game that was released by Namco in 1983 as the sequel to Pole Position, which was released the previous year. As with the original, Namco licensed Pole Position II to Atari for US manufacture and distribution...
- Pop and Chips
- Punch Boy
- Rantou Pro-WrestlingProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
- ShogiShogi, also known as Japanese chess, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan...
Nyuumon - Sky KidSky Kidis a horizontal scrolling shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in Dragon Buster. It is also the first game from Namco to allow 2 players to play simultaneously...
- Star Speeder
- Super Base Ball
- Giants Hara TatsunoriTatsunori Harais the current manager for the Yomiuri Giants baseball team in Nippon Professional Baseball. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants during his professional baseball career from to . Hara led the Japan national baseball team to victory in the final of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.- External links :...
no Super Base Ball
- Giants Hara Tatsunori
- Super GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Super MahjongMahjongMahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
- Super SansuElementary mathematicsElementary mathematics consists of mathematics topics frequently taught at the primary or secondary school levels. The most basic topics in elementary mathematics are arithmetic and geometry...
-Puter - Super Soccer
- TonTon Ball
- WaiWai(Y2) Monster Land
- Wheelie Racer
Specifications
- CPU: µPD7801G microcontroller (Z80 compatible core)
- RAM: 128 bytes (internal to CPU)
- ROM: 4KB (internal to CPU)
- Video Processor: EPOCH TV-1
- VRAM: 4KB (2 × µPD4016C-2) + 2KB (EPOCH TV-1 internal)
- Colour: 16
- Sprites: 128
- Display: 256×256
- Sound Processor: µPD1771C
- Sound: 1 channel (Tone, Noise or 1bit PCM)
- Controllers: 2 × hard-wired joysticks
External links
- Epoch's official website
- EPOCH Super Cassette Vision Emulator for Win32
- EPOCH Super Cassette Vision hardware info (in Japanese)
- Epoch Cassette Vision hardware information (in Japanese)
- Yeno & Epoch Super Cassette Vision
- http://dempa.jp/rgb/heaven/g_scv.html (in Japanese)