First console game to feature voice acting?

[Swamperon]

The earliest I can think of is Altered Beast 1989(?) but surely there must be an earlier one than that?

[Ryaan1234]

I would guess Sinistar (arcade) in 1982. There might be one before that but I'm not sure.

oops I didn't realize you said "console game". Maybe Gauntlet for the NES? It was released in 1987. I think it had voice acting.

[skaar]

Wait, voice acting or digital voice samples?

Samples would probably have been that Intellivion Game Voice module?

[Baloo]

Wait, voice acting or digital voice samples?

Samples would probably have been that Intellivion Game Voice module?

Yeah, I was thinking of that myself, the Intellivision voice Module probably had the first voice in a video game.

Second could've been Tommy Lasorda Baseball or Altered Beast.

[Ryaan1234]

Wait, voice acting or digital voice samples?

Samples would probably have been that Intellivion Game Voice module?

I thought he meant digitally sampled voice, which is why I guessed Gauntlet. If he meant actual synthesized voice then I'm not sure.

[Daria]

"Red Warrior shot the food."

[The 1 2 P]

Definitely not Ninja Gaiden, although voice overs would have worked quite well with the cinematic cut scenes.

[chrisbid]

the intellivoice games were sampled voices from human actors

[Sonicwolf]

When it comes to samples I would say Star Wars from 1980ish.

[Ryaan1234]

"Red Warrior shot the food."
Red Warrior's such a douche >_<

[BHvrd]

"Red Warrior shot the food."


Red Warrior's such a douche >_<

Usually you see the phrase "needs food badly" quoted. This made me lulz.

[Daria]

Usually you see the phrase "needs food badly" quoted. This made me lulz.

I think I was just a dick when I played with my friends.

[c0ldb33r]

According to wikipedia:

Intellivision was the first game console to provide real-time human and robot voices in the middle of gameplay, courtesy of the IntelliVoice module.

[tomaitheous]

Voice acting would be like a narration or dialog of/between characters. For home console, that would probably be one of the early PCE CD games? For arcade, probably Dragon's Lair.

For voice samples, I'm sure that goes way back for arcade or home console.

[CDiablo]

I believe the Angy Videogame Nerd used the intellevoice that c0ldb33r refers to in this intellivision review. Otherwis I would say Ghostbusters for NES. "Goost-BUSTAS!"

[Baloo]

He actually does, he plays "BEEEEE-SEVENTEEN BAWMBER!" with it.

[tom]

I believe the Angy Videogame Nerd used the intellevoice that c0ldb33r refers to in this intellivision review. Otherwis I would say Ghostbusters for NES. "Goost-BUSTAS!"

I think Ghostbusters on C64 was earlier, also incl. speech.

What about Quadrun (VCS), I think I read that was a real voice, or Berzerk (5200).

[j_factor]

Voice acting would be like a narration or dialog of/between characters. For home console, that would probably be one of the early PCE CD games? For arcade, probably Dragon's Lair.

For voice samples, I'm sure that goes way back for arcade or home console.

You have the right idea here. Voice acting isn't the same as voice samples. The first console game with voice acting was probably Thayer's Quest for the Halcyon. It was probably also the first game (for any platform) with both voice acting and voice synthesis.

The Intellivoice was voice synthesis, rather than samples. The difference is that voice synthesis is procedurally generated, whereas a voice sample is pre-recorded. Berzerk may have been the first arcade game (and first game overall) with voice synthesis, and its Atari 5200 port may have been the first console game with voice samples. Not sure though.

[Ed Oscuro]

I would guess Sinistar (arcade) in 1982.
I thought that was 1981, same year as Stratovox, which is sitting in pieces in my basement, heh

[jb143]

It would probally be Space Spartans for the Intellivision if you count the Intellivoice. I believe the Intellivoice did use samples but only for a few short phrases, numbers etc...the rest was phonemes(the smallest unique sounds of a language) that the games would combine to create other words.

Edit--
OK, I looked it up and it looks like the Intellivoice didn't use phonemes but instead a collection of generic words to make simple sentences out of.

[Rob2600]

The earliest I can think of is Altered Beast 1989(?) but surely there must be an earlier one than that?

Many NES games featured digitized voice before Altered Beast came out on the Genesis:

The Adventures of Bayou Billy
Bases Loaded
Blades of Steel
Double Dribble
Gauntlet
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road
Karate Champ
Side Pocket
Tecmo Bowl
Track & Field II

[Haoie]

Hardly voice acting, is it? For the real thing, it wasn't until the 32B era.

[mezrabad]

What came first, the Voice for the Odyssey^2 or the Intellivoice for the Intellivision?

[Ed Oscuro]

What came first, the Voice for the Odyssey^2 or the Intellivoice for the Intellivision?
Or the TI-99/4a's Speech Synthesizer, for that matter. I see the Intellivoice was released around 1982, and Parsec for the TI-99/4a in the same year. Sort of a multi-year match.

I'd note a difference between synthesis and actual voice samples though (which takes us back to the NES, which had games on it with voice using both techniques).

[Rob2600]

Which NES games featured synthesized voice (if any)? All of the NES voices I've ever heard were digitized.

[tom]

Of course, Atari 800 educational software featured real voice on tape (Convertional French and whatnot)

[Ed Oscuro]

Which NES games featured synthesized voice (if any)? All of the NES voices I've ever heard were digitized.
Don't remember the name but I believe it's an early Sunsoft RPG on the FC (1985? I think it's out about the same time as Ikki, aka Farmer's Rebellion) about a nobleman who liked to travel, and I recall the synth routines were licensed from an American company. Definitely synth-sounding but clear enough.

[alexkidd2000]

I remember some Vectrex game had alot of voice in it. Only word I can remember right now is Spike. Cannot rememeber what the game was called.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Many NES games featured digitized voice before Altered Beast came out on the Genesis:

The Adventures of Bayou Billy
Bases Loaded
Blades of Steel
Double Dribble
Gauntlet
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road
Karate Champ
Side Pocket
Tecmo Bowl
Track & Field II

While not released before Altered Beast, I've always been amused by the awful digitized speech found in Dirty Harry for NES.

Nothing like hearing "Make My Day!" the moment you turn on your NES.

[Ryaan1234]

Many NES games featured digitized voice before Altered Beast came out on the Genesis:

The Adventures of Bayou Billy
Bases Loaded
Blades of Steel
Double Dribble
Gauntlet
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road
Karate Champ
Side Pocket
Tecmo Bowl
Track & Field II
Don't forget the wonderful digitized voice in Action 52. :)


I thought that was 1981, same year as Stratovox, which is sitting in pieces in my basement, heh
My bad, I looked it up real quick on Wikipedia. Sinistar is the first game that comes to mind when I think of old games with voice.

On a side note, Berzerk came out in 1980 and it had synthesized voice. (That's just another game with voice that I thought of.)

[houstonlibrarian]

B-17 Bomber anyone? "Target in sight"

[Greg2600]

I recently played Sinistar in an arcade a month ago, and I was actually stunned by how good the voice was. In any case, I would have to say the earliest true voice acting was Dragon's Lair.

[jb143]

I agree, even though, aside from the attract mode narration, the in-game dialogue in Dragon's Lair is primarily emotive expressions.

I think Daphne has several lines of dialog once (if you ever)you get to her doesn't she?



B-17 Bomber anyone? "Target in sight"

Space Spartans was first.

[Eightbit Allstar]

Don't forget the wonderful digitized voice in Action 52. :)

Anyone remembers S.C.A.T. /Action In New York for NES?

"YOU MUST DESTROY THEM! THE EARTH
IS COUNTING ON YOU! GOOD LUCK!"

Also Hi-Tech's Sesame Street games.

"AH-AH-AH, FIIIIIIND SEVEN!"

[grolt]

Space Harrier had voice samples on the Master System in early 1987 ("Get ready!"). Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars in 1988 also had a memorable bit ("Find the miracle ball!"). For the NES, I'll always remember the "Blades...of Steel!" intro.