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Gaming in 1985 - An Overview, Part II
Nintendo Advanced Video System (AVS)
After a positive reaction to its unveiling at the Winter CES, Nintendo firmly believed that the USA was ready for the AVS. What made it stand out against the other home arcades at the time is that it blurred the line between home computer and home arcade - the AVS contained a control deck, two controllers, a joystick, a keyboard, a cassette data recorder, and a light gun. Nintendo has officially stated that it can serve as both. The system launched in September of 1985 in New York City, planning to launch it nationwide the next year. Games like Ice Climber and Duck Hunt proved to be favorites within the home arcade's lineup of launch titles, but everyone knew the real reason why the AVS proved to be a massive hit.
This was the main reason every kid in New York wanted this thing. This was nothing like what America had seen before - it was more complex than games like Pitfall!, but its new mechanics proved to be enticing with customers of all ages.
Vectrex (battery-operated model)
As soon as Hasbro bought the rights to the Vectrex, their idea for the product's next iteration would be developed immediately. Issued in the summer of 1985, the new Vectrex had a noticeably smaller screen, but ran on 6 AA batteries and can therefore be played on the go. Hitting Hasbro with surprise was incredibly high sales by the end of the year thanks to its new portability. As a result, Hasbro now plans on making more games for the Vectrex gamed on some of their other properties.
After a positive reaction to its unveiling at the Winter CES, Nintendo firmly believed that the USA was ready for the AVS. What made it stand out against the other home arcades at the time is that it blurred the line between home computer and home arcade - the AVS contained a control deck, two controllers, a joystick, a keyboard, a cassette data recorder, and a light gun. Nintendo has officially stated that it can serve as both. The system launched in September of 1985 in New York City, planning to launch it nationwide the next year. Games like Ice Climber and Duck Hunt proved to be favorites within the home arcade's lineup of launch titles, but everyone knew the real reason why the AVS proved to be a massive hit.
This was the main reason every kid in New York wanted this thing. This was nothing like what America had seen before - it was more complex than games like Pitfall!, but its new mechanics proved to be enticing with customers of all ages.
Vectrex (battery-operated model)
As soon as Hasbro bought the rights to the Vectrex, their idea for the product's next iteration would be developed immediately. Issued in the summer of 1985, the new Vectrex had a noticeably smaller screen, but ran on 6 AA batteries and can therefore be played on the go. Hitting Hasbro with surprise was incredibly high sales by the end of the year thanks to its new portability. As a result, Hasbro now plans on making more games for the Vectrex gamed on some of their other properties.
- StomperYoshi
- Word Count: 270