Aswald
04-06-2004, 04:07 PM
Before the Atari VCS, before the Fairchild console, there were the pre-programmables.
One of them was a home version of the arcade game, Stunt Cycle, from the mid 1970s. It was black, and the controls were just motorcycle handles; on the right side it could move. These were really motorcycle handles, by the way.
It had 4 games: In two, you'd jump over buses; the other 2 had you trying to finish in as little time as possible. In the more difficult of the two kinds of games, there would be blocks you had to wheelie through.
The screen was divided up by thin black lines into thirds: top, middle, and bottom. In the two jumping games, the ramps and buses were on the bottom. You were a primitively drawn motorcyclist, who looked more like someone in a cart.
Sound came from the console itself.
It had two difficulty settings: Pro and Amateur. In the former, it was easier to wipe out, and you had to be more precise when jumping over the buses. What's more, the number of blocks would be doubled.
The game was in color, but setting the television to black and white was best.
I dug up this game yesterday. Cleaned it up, used the universal power adapter, and...it works! It even looks quite good, after over 25 years.
Did any of you ever have any such thing? Maybe one of the old "pinball" or Breakout games? An Odyssey 200? Etc...?
The arcade game:
http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/screens/S/wStunt_Cycle.jpg
And here's the home unit:
http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/dedicated/stuntcycle.html
One of them was a home version of the arcade game, Stunt Cycle, from the mid 1970s. It was black, and the controls were just motorcycle handles; on the right side it could move. These were really motorcycle handles, by the way.
It had 4 games: In two, you'd jump over buses; the other 2 had you trying to finish in as little time as possible. In the more difficult of the two kinds of games, there would be blocks you had to wheelie through.
The screen was divided up by thin black lines into thirds: top, middle, and bottom. In the two jumping games, the ramps and buses were on the bottom. You were a primitively drawn motorcyclist, who looked more like someone in a cart.
Sound came from the console itself.
It had two difficulty settings: Pro and Amateur. In the former, it was easier to wipe out, and you had to be more precise when jumping over the buses. What's more, the number of blocks would be doubled.
The game was in color, but setting the television to black and white was best.
I dug up this game yesterday. Cleaned it up, used the universal power adapter, and...it works! It even looks quite good, after over 25 years.
Did any of you ever have any such thing? Maybe one of the old "pinball" or Breakout games? An Odyssey 200? Etc...?
The arcade game:
http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/screens/S/wStunt_Cycle.jpg
And here's the home unit:
http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/dedicated/stuntcycle.html