Soviet pong

[blue lander]

It Just arrived in the mail...

As far as I can tell, this was the only home video game system ever released in the Soviet Union. There were arcade games, and there were multiple home computers that could play games, but no actual home consoles other than this. There was a Russian Famicom clone released in the early 90's called the Dendy, but this was after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

On the back it says it was built in 1980. It looks like a standard pong clone with detachable controllers, and it appears to play a couple different pong variations. I have no idea if the unit works or how I'm going to get video out of it, but I'll post any advances I make here. My plan is to crack it open and hook the composite video feed to the "synch on green" input of my NEC Multisync II monitor.

[Eyedunno]

If you play it, it will probably hypnotize you with party propaganda or something. After all, in Soviet Russia, Pong controls you.

[Dr. Dib]

If you play it, it will probably hypnotize you with party propaganda or something. After all, in Soviet Russia, Pong controls you.

Well that was fast, it only took one post for someone to crack a in Soviet Russia joke.

Still, looks pretty interesting. I wonder if it actually works and how well it works.

[Damaramu]

Dude, that's pretty nifty!

[DefaultGen]

.....

[Eyedunno]

Well that was fast, it only took one post for someone to crack a in Soviet Russia joke.

Well, but this thread sat around lonely for hours and hours without so much as a single reply. When I saw the post time on the main forum page, I figured I'd already been beaten to the obvious line.

Edit:

How does that knob/button... the red thing even work? Is it just a button to select the game type or is it something more sinister?

Oh, how long can trusty cadet blue lander hold out?
How can he possibly resist the diabolical urge to push the button that could erase his very existence?
Will his tortured mind give in to its uncontrollable desires?
Can he withstand the temptation to push the button that even now beckons him ever closer?
Will he succumb to the maddening urge to eradicate history at the mere push of a single button?
The beautiful, shiny button.
The jolly, candy-like button.
Will he hold out, folks?
Can he hold out?

[blue lander]

I'm not sure what that button does. I thought it was a knob that you turn to choose what game you want to play, but it doesn't turn. Maybe you press it and the KGB comes to take your opponent to the gulags.

[scooterb23]

Push the button, Yakoff Smirnoff jumps through your window, changes the game, says "What a country" and then jumps back out the window.

[Pantechnicon]

My guess about the select button is that it's a momentary which toggles the machine between the different game modes. I doubt the little icons around the button do anything other than provide a means of reference.

@bluelander: Can we please see pictures of the video output and power cables, if any? If there aren't any cables, how about pictures of whatever connector ports exist on the sides of the unit?

If it helps anything, I can sort of read the Cyrillic writing since it's mostly cognates. The main unit's label says "Yelsu Video". Perhaps "Yelsu" was the manufacturer? And the paddles obviously say "electronic". I can't quite make out what's on the lower-right switch.

Oh, how long can trusty cadet blue lander hold out?
How can he possibly resist the diabolical urge to push the button that could erase his very existence?
Will his tortured mind give in to its uncontrollable desires?
Can he withstand the temptation to push the button that even now beckons him ever closer?
Will he succumb to the maddening urge to eradicate history at the mere push of a single button?
The beautiful, shiny button.
The jolly, candy-like button.
Will he hold out, folks?
Can he hold out?

(/props for the R&S reference)

"That's just it. We don't know! Maybe something bad? Maybe something good? But I guess we'll never know, because you're going to guard it!"

[blue lander]

I think you're right. That "knob" is actually a button. I have a feeling there's a screw or something under the red dot, but I don't want to damage the button by attempting to remove it with a flathead screwdriver or anything. I'd like to open it up so I can see if there's a rectifier connected to the power supply. The power brick says 12 volts, but it doesn't say if it's AC or DC. I have a European-to-American power converter so I can use the original PSU, but the cables are very frayed at the end and I don't want to risk shorting anything out.

I'll take pictures of the connectors, they aren't any kind I've seen before. The connector for the power and the two controllers are the same, so there's nothing to keep someone from plugging the power cable into the joystick port or vice versa.

I believe the manufacturer is Elektronika. My wife speaks russian, I'll ask her to translate the writing at some point. The knob at the bottom says "Podstroika" and the switch says "VKL" on the top and "VIKL" on the bottom I think. No idea what any of that means...

[k8track]

If it helps anything, I can sort of read the Cyrillic writing since it's mostly cognates. The main unit's label says "Yelsu Video". Perhaps "Yelsu" was the manufacturer?

Pantech, I'm certain that actually transliterates into "Eksi Video." In fact, when I googled it, I found two pictures of the unit, one of which was posted in an earlier thread right here at DP.

[Soviet Conscript]

Well that was fast, it only took one post for someone to crack a in Soviet Russia joke.

yhea, and it wasn't even me. i'm off my game tonight.

[kupomogli]

If you play it, it will probably hypnotize you with party propaganda or something. After all, in Soviet Russia, Pong controls you.

I was hoping no one used this joke yet. Who am I kidding. Two pages were already up and I'm a week late :P.