1976: Fairchild Channel F
Category: Home Console
The Fairchild Channel F, previously called the Fairchild VES (Video Entertainment System) was released in 1976 as the world’s first programmable, cartridge-based home console. Therefore it was the first to exploit the concept of selling people a base system that they could later extend by buying new add-on games. It predated the Atari 2600 (or Atari Video Computer System) by about a year.
The system was only moderately successful, with Fairchild selling their rights to Zircon in 1978, who would continue production and support for another couple of years. The Channel F saw 26 add-on cartridges in its lifetime.
Graphics were very simplistic, even more so than those of the Atari 2600. A special feature of the system are its controllers: they are sticks that are held in one hand, while the other hand controls a knob on top. This knob can not only be moved in all directions, but also pushed down, pulled up, and twisted both ways.
TV commercial
Play it
The Fairchild Channel F is fully emulated by MESS.
Information about game cartridge ROM dumps is available (e.g. GoodChaF 3.13, TOSEC 2006-05-05, No-Intro 20060701)
Links
- Wikipedia
- MobyGames
- Allgame
- Channel F Information Pages
- Channel F Cartridge Gallery
- Old-Computers.com (with game screenshots)
1976: Death Race
Category: Arcade
Based on the 1975 movie Death Race 2000 (although not officially licensed), Exidy’s 1976 arcade game Death Race might be the first case of public outcry over videogame violence. The goal in the game was to run over as many stick figures as possible with a car. The figures then turned into impassable grave crosses, littering the screen and making the game harder with increasing score. The controversial theme sparked wide media criticism about its violence and bad influence on children, in turn increasing sales of the game. Exidy later added instructions which referred to the stick figures as evil gremlins that had to be run over, but it didn’t fool anybody, considering the development title of the game was “Pedestrian”. Exidy stopped production after about 1000 units sold, due to increasing attempts to get the game banned.
Play it
Thanks to RogueSynapse, a free remake for Windows, created with DarkBASIC, is available. The game was designed from memory of the actual arcade version, and does not claim to be thoroughly authentic.
1976: Adventure
Category: Mainframe
On a DEC PDP-10, Will Crowther completes the first version of his adventure game called Colossal Cave Adventure, or simply Adventure. It would go one to become one of the most important influences on the genres of Interactive Fiction and Adventures. Some say it is the progenitor of all adventure games, text-based or graphical, that would follow. One year later, Don Woods will extend the content of the game with Crowther’s permission.
Play it
Play an Inform adaption of Woods’ extended 1977 version directly in your browser.
Links
1976: Night Driver
Category: Arcade
Atari’s Night Driver arcade game is the first racing game to feature a 1st-person perspective. Players drive a car along a road, and have to get as far as possible before time runs out. Leaving the road costs time. To hide the fact that current microprocessors are yet far too slow to cope with a detailed 3D view, the game is said to take place at night, with the road only visible through reflective pylons at its side.
See it in action
Night Driver as played on an emulator:
Play it
Night Driver is fully emulated by MAME.
1976: Dedicated home games
Category: Home Console (dedicated)
Atari follows up their Sears production with Pong games under their own label: Atari Pong and the extended Atari Super Pong.
Magnavox extends their product range, too: the Odyssey 300 has 3 levels of difficulty and automatic serving and English for 2 players, the Odyssey 400 adds digital scoring, the Odyssey 500 is in colour, has a fourth game called Soccer, and represents players as real figures for the first time.
Mattel releases the electronic handheld games Auto Race, Missile Attack, and Ski Slalom. Today, they are very hard to find and sought after by collectors.
Related videos
Atari Super Pong commercial:
Atari Super Pong gameplay:
