Power Player, Power Joy, TV Boy, TV Games, etc, etc....

[TNTPLUST]

Does anyone else collect these things? I bought a few so that my kids (5 & 10) would leave my Classic systems alone. This week I noticed that Toys R Us was selling them for 19.99 so I picked up a SpongeBob TV Game. The games are pretty good. Were any of these Spongebob games ever released on any other system?

My Collection so far of these is:

Handy Boy 10 in 1
Atari 10 in 1
Power Joy
Power Player
Activision 10 in 1
Intellevision 25 in 1
Video Maxx 25 in 1
Spongebob 5 in 1

I picked most of these up at the local Goodwill for $5-$7

I'm aware of the TV BOY but not ready to invest in it. Does anyone else know of any others?

[Ed Oscuro]

The legality of the Power Joy systems is questionable...and it's on QVC...overall I'd say those are a waste of space. Who knows, maybe they'll be worth something someday. I like the Jakk's TV Games better :)

[Nz17]

I don't collect the things, but I did get my little sister what is called the VS-Maxx. It contains fifteen original games that must be based off an NES or similiar chipset as the graphics and sound are extremely similiar to an NES. In fact, I'd even say, based on the countless hours I've spent with my Nintendo Entertainment System, that it is the same chipset. Nothing sounds that similiar and isn't, and the graphics have the same palette.

Anyway, the games are a blast to play. They are all original, like I said, but are based off the classic genres. Shooters, puzzles, Space Invaders, racing, GP racing, capture-the-flag, etc. There are even some that seem entirely original, such as the butterfly catching game and the game where the player must balance a pelican (or crane) on a stick. The bird makes the stick teeter back and forth, and you must use left and right to balance it. Making things more difficult is that you must catch its eggs but avoid its stool. Rack up the points from eggs, avoid the poop, and whatever you do, don't let that foul hit the ground or it's game over baby.

I highly recommend it to anyone with wee'uns or a gamer that isn't too dedicated.

For example, my mom loves Columns and has been playing the bits out of the VS-Maxx. Why? The Columns clone is great fun for her. Though she might not be dedicated in the sense of buying systems and games, she'll kick anyone's ass ten times over in that game. Back when she'd play my Game Gear version she'd sit for hours at night, shifting her weight when he body got sore, playing Columns all night long. She never rolled the score counter, but she'd played so long at the top level one night she'd filled all the digits will high numbers.

My little sister, now of the age of five, loves playing all the little games. The games on the VS-Maxx are not very challenging, so she can play them for a decent amount of time without losing all her lives or whatnot. Later, when she gets better at them, she will start to acheive the objective of the games and get to higher levels and different stages. So as she grows, the game grows. The learning curve for most of the games is nice and gentle, so I'd say the the VS-Maxx is definity kid-tested, mother-approved.

The unit itself just plugs into the A/V ports of an entertainment system and runs off four AA batteries. In comes in a variety of colors, but the only two I've see are yellow and purple. Originally made in China, these units are being distributed here in America by a company in the Midwest. I don't know where the instruction book ran off to or I would post all about the company and provide a link if I could. The manual is a fun read by the way.

[TNTPLUST]

I recently had a debate about the Power Joy and Power Player units myself. I'll be the first to tell you I don't support pirating of anothers work. Obviously these units are in violation of copyright law. That being said from a collectors point a view is it important to preserve examples of the seedier side of the video game industry? I would imagine most people are not intrested but I think that may change in 10 or 20 years.

Of course removing those two from the equation the others are legal and valid systems. THe Maxx systems do appear to be original systems. I'm curious where the games in them came from. As in my earlier post I wonder where the five games in the Spongebob unit came from. Talking with the Toys R Us staff I was told that these TV game units are one of their hottest selling products. It makes me wonder about what these self contained units have in store for us in the future.

[Querjek]

Do you have the Namco 5-in-1? It's got 5 arcade games: Pacman, Digdug, Bosconian, something, and something else.

[crashdummycow01]

Pac-man, dig-dug, bosconian, galaxian,... rally-x ? think thats the other game

[TNTPLUST]

Yeah, The Namco unit was the first I bought. They have two versions now though. The first unit had one button on the base of the joystic. The new unit has two buttons one on the base of the Joystic and one on the knob. The games look exactly like the Arcade. I wonder if it is the same code.

[crashdummycow01]

there making some more soon... theres supposed to be an EA stick, another stick thats gonna have Ms Pac-man on it.. and some others

[DotCom]

10 in-1 Atari joystick. Circus Atari is very fun and addictive, along with the other games. My mall has a whole cart of Power Players for 40.00. I'm thinking of buying one for the hell of it.

[turkey]

Help!!! I bought a vs-maxx 25 in 1 but I can't get it to work. I put the plugs into the a/v jacks but now it says to turn to a/v channel. I don't have an a/v channel! What I am doing wrong?

[Raedon]

like 100000000000000000000 in 1 carts, these pirate fami systems are fun as a cureosity.

As a collecter they do not add to any library except the "odd and unusual of video gaming."

[RichD]

For many newer TVs, The A/V channel is 00 (zero zero).

[Algol]

Recently, somebody at my mall started selling pirated NES games stored in faux N64 controllers. I think it was called the "Mega Joy III." Has anyone else seen these? I've also seen similar stuff being sold on QVC. I'm wondering where Nintendo is in all this. They're supposed to be one of the toughest companies on pirates.

[Daria]

I don't collect TV games but I just had to buy this one:

http://image.lik-sang.com/images//large/kenshindragonquest.jpg

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=13&products_id=3557&

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[den68]

Another cool one is the Pelican Game Station Arcade. It's got a bunch of the Color Dreams NES games on it like: Menace Beach,Captain Comic, Pesterminator, Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu, Challenge of the Dragon, Operation Secret Storm, P'radikus Conflict, Crystal Mines, Raid 2020 and a few Bunch games like Galactic Crusader.

[TNTPLUST]

I find Famliclones facinating and have a small collection. During my internet searches I found a collector who has many pic/specs of them.

http://www.hawanja.com/systems01.htm

Most of these systems are imported from countries where the Famicom was never released. For the most part you won't find them on Ebay as they are deleted for copyright infringement If you know what search words to use you can find them still. Some systems like the Maxx are hacks. Hacks might share some code with copyrighted games but they typically play/look different. It appears these systems are in the Grey because I see them in retail stores and on ebay.