RCA Studio 2.

[Aswald]

Is there anyone here who actually owns one of these- working- at this time?

I remember playing it at the Radio Shack at the now-dead Baldwin Place Mall (poisoning of the immediate ground water, from what I heard). This was back around 1977. Since programable home video was still very recent back then, it was interesting, but we already knew about the Fairchild system and the Atari 2600.

Games like Tetris were likely possible, along with simple action games, and possibly some primitive RPGs, but beyond that, I doubt much more. It was really outdated when it came out, even by the standards of those days.

[s1lence]

I have one that works, never play it though because its really terrible to play. They also have a strange switch box that has the power supply input which is annoying.

[PsychedelicShaman]

at least it doesn't spark like the 5200:) I have one, it's not very enjoyable, but an interesting piece. Baseball is a vague representation at best. Roughly half the titles are learning/application rather than games.

[blue lander]

I have one, but it never gets used for obvious reasons. Games on the Fairchild Channel F might be bad, but some of them are still playable. But the Studio II simply doesn't have anything going for it.

Mine came without the power supply or RF switch, so I built my own. Turns out it works with the same one the 5200 uses.

[Steve W]

Didn't someone homebrew a Tetris clone for the Studio II? I thought I read that somewhere. Maybe it was for the Channel F.

So, if the machine's called the RCA Studio II, whatever happened to the Studio 1? And how bad did it suck that RCA bypassed it and went for the Studio II?

[icbrkr]

I've got one and words cannot describe the horribleness that is the RCA Studio II. It can't even play *pong* properly and that's pretty sad for 1976/77. Tetris? I'm sure it's possible though the playability would be questionable.

[Aswald]

Didn't someone homebrew a Tetris clone for the Studio II? I thought I read that somewhere. Maybe it was for the Channel F.

So, if the machine's called the RCA Studio II, whatever happened to the Studio 1? And how bad did it suck that RCA bypassed it and went for the Studio II?


Well, I did review a ColecoVision game called "Pepper 2"...was there ever a "Pepper?"

A "peppy" little CV game...

[DarthKur]

I've got one and words cannot describe the horribleness that is the RCA Studio II. It can't even play *pong* properly and that's pretty sad for 1976/77. Tetris? I'm sure it's possible though the playability would be questionable.


Hey, if you hate it so bad I'll take it off your hands. Mine doesn't work at all.

[ubersaurus]

I like the Studio II BECAUSE it sucks. It's like the machine is taunting you, asking "come on, how bad can it get?"

And it gets awful, especially the cryptic series of button presses you have to do to actually start playing. But that's part of it's charm :P

[PapaStu]

I've got one and words cannot describe the horribleness that is the RCA Studio II. It can't even play *pong* properly and that's pretty sad for 1976/77. Tetris? I'm sure it's possible though the playability would be questionable.

I told you not to buy it at CGE, but did you listen to me? NOOOOOOOOOOO.....

[Aswald]

He probably bought it as a collector's item, which it is. It did seem nifty enough to us back in the 1970s...

[y-bot]

I told you not to buy it at CGE, but did you listen to me? NOOOOOOOOOOO.....

I told him to buy it because it's rad. I think the bowling game and the one where you shoot missiles are totally fun for like 5 minutes. I rarely play any games for longer than that anyway.

y-bot

[SRGilbert]

I have one, but it never gets used for obvious reasons. Games on the Fairchild Channel F might be bad, but some of them are still playable. But the Studio II simply doesn't have anything going for it.

Mine came without the power supply or RF switch, so I built my own. Turns out it works with the same one the 5200 uses.I just picked up a Studio II, are you saying you can just plug it into a 5200 switchbox?

[blue lander]

I can't say that for certain, but I do know that I found online instructions on how to build a 5200 switch box and after I built it, it worked with the Studio II. You may have to plug a different kind of power supply into it, though.

[SRGilbert]

I can't say that for certain, but I do know that I found online instructions on how to build a 5200 switch box and after I built it, it worked with the Studio II. You may have to plug a different kind of power supply into it, though.Yeah, it looks like the Studio II has a 9v power supply while the 5200 is 11.5v.

[vintagegamecrazy]

I have a console and every boxed game but Bingo, it was fun to collect but not to play. I want to find some import games for my collection. Did you guys know that the console was in color in every other country and had removable controllers, RCA really shafted us as most games on other consoles are probably at least playable.

[y-bot]

I have a console and every boxed game but Bingo, it was fun to collect but not to play. I want to find some import games for my collection. Did you guys know that the console was in color in every other country and had removable controllers, RCA really shafted us as most games on other consoles are probably at least playable.

Any websites that show these import consoles? I've only seen the names in the DP guide.

y-bot

[vintagegamecrazy]

Darkwatcher has a few, otherwise just search by name and you'll find plenty of pics.

[icbrkr]

I told you not to buy it at CGE, but did you listen to me? NOOOOOOOOOOO.....

Aw but you know me - it's like Pokemon.. I gotta get em all! :)