Memorex VIS

[Ed Oscuro]

I found one, just one of those freak accidents. (This is why I check the faceplates of all the A&V crap at the local thrift.) I didn't see any controller and didn't really think to look around until I had gotten it (might have been elsewhere).

Last I checked (at least a few years ago) there wasn't such a severe shortage of VIS stuff on eBay. I looked, and absolutely nothing shows up (same for Tandy VIS).

I take it that an audio CD-ROM can be used to test that the laser assembly is still working?

And of course...price estimates, gentlemen?

It looks pretty much like Mariottguy's unit, just some small scuffs on the front of the unit but nothing major.

[vintagegamecrazy]

I'd hate to say it but you'd probably be hard pressed to even get pocket change for it without any of the controllers, cables, memory card and games. There's almost no demand for them and on top of that they're heavy for shipping. I had one a few years ago with two controllers and like 30 games and only got about $40 for it.

[darkslime]

What is it?

[Steve W]

The Memorex VIS was a 'multimedia' style machine sold by Radio Shack that was something along the lines of the Philips CD-i, except without the least consideration made for gaming. As far as I know, The Manhole was the only true game made for it, a point-and-click adventure game. The VIS was basically made for electronic encyclopedias and assorted educational software and children's edutainment. It's an odd little device. I'd like to have confirmation on this, that a lot of the software could also be run on a 386 PC. Making me wonder if the software were some sort of hybrid discs, or if the VIS was just a limited 386 in a multimedia device shell.

[darkslime]

Interesting. I had no idea Memorex made anything other than stuff like blank CDs and flash drives

[Ed Oscuro]

Interesting. I had no idea Memorex made anything other than stuff like blank CDs and flash drives

It was back when Memorex was owned, through Tandy I suppose, by Radio Shack. Apparently this particular model was catalogue order-only.

[vintagegamecrazy]

You're right, catalog only and very rare and very very lame!

There was a lot more than only one game made for it. Most are kiddish but there is a decent golf sim for it though.

[Ed Oscuro]

Slightly OT: I was gonna look up your GameTZ profile to see how many games in your Wanted list you had for it, but your link doesn't actually go to your profile (it's just a standard "go to my profile" link, kind of like linking people on the Internet to that picture on your hard drive with a C:\ link...)

I'm a bit sad to hear that it's considered so worthless - but maybe I'll throw it up on B&S to see if there's any interest. I know about the links game, had probably also heard about The Manhole but forgotten about it (you sure? it was on PC-Engine too, not to mention a bunch of other things - I think it's ported to more than it not). I also remember reading some years ago that there was a demo of a spaceship shooter thing which didn't make it into a full game, seems like a shame.

@ Steve W

The VIS represents the first (unless you count the MSX) embedded Microsoft-made OS on a "gaming system" (if you can count the VIS as such); I remember reading it was something like some later OS. But I don't think it's at all binary compatible, unless the VIS hardware somehow is IBM-compatible as well.

[Marriott_Guy]

For those interested, here is some more info on it along with pictures and the like:

http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg90-vis.htm

Obviously when I wrote that page the system was in higher demand