TC wrote:

> I remember spending $50 on a handheld version of "Space Invaders" (battery 
> powered LED game). A lot of money back then. And then I spent even more on 
> batteries ;-) 

One year I got a computer game for my birthday.

Only thing is... no computer. The "screen" actually just projects a 
repeating loop from a reel of film inside the machine. There's a control 
to move your ship from side to side, but really it just moves the 
viewpoint a bit. Enemies don't actually disappear when you shoot them, 
but hitting them does make a small mechanical rev counter count up. (I 
presume the machine has something like a music box pin barrel to tell it 
where the enemies are.) And there's a difficulty level, which just 
adjusts the power to the electric motor scrolling the film.

Yes. A 100% mechanical computer game. With better graphics than the 
actual computers of the time, by the way. (And probably much cheaper and 
less likely to get busted by small children!) But damn, the thing took 4 
big, chunky batteries!

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message