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The Microvision
Milton Bradley, the name of family entertainment! They seem to have a monopoly on board games, except for games like Monopoly, and even branched out into the video game market! With the Vectrex and Microvision Milton Bradley broke ground in the industry, what they did is still used to this day! This time we'll be focusing on the Microvision which changed the handheld console market!
In November 1979 Milton Bradley released their handheld console: the Microvision. This was their first video game console and was also the first handheld system that used interchangeable cartridges! The Microvision had few cartridges, a small screen and a lack of third party support led to the systems demise in 1981 but the system will always be vital to the histroy of the handheld market! In terms of hardware the first processors for the system were jointly made by Intel and Texas Instruments. Intel are probably the most well known seeing as most computers have Intel processors nowadays but Texas Instruments is a bit more interesting, they made many models of calculators! Calculators? It seems to be a theme as in the early days the calculator giants Casio also made their own console, but we'll get back to that another day. Due to the high power intake of the processor the system needed two batteries, two batteries that would run out fast!
A fully working Microvision unit is somewhat hard to find as the Microvision suffers from three major problems, the first is Screen Rot. During the development phase of the console impurities from the manufacturing process and improper sealing often meant that liquid crystal spilt from withtin the machine! The games would still work but the screen would be much darker and sometimes the game wouldn't show what it should. The second main problem is ESD damage, this is when the the ESD is exposed by substaintal electric damage. This occurs due to the fact that the ESD microprocessor has no protection between the cartridge and the console, they are connected by copper pins. They have a degree of protection but this can easily be removed, even by accident, and it only takes a few voltz of energy to break the connection and the console itself! The final main issue is Keypad destruction, the keypad for the Microvision works in an unusual way which eventually leads to this type of destruction. The Microvision has 12 buttons, each connected to a series of circuits inside the console, as you would expect, but the buttons must first pass through a flexible p[lastic sheet between the circuits and outer casing. The buttons have to stretch to reach the corresponding circuit each time you press the button which will eventually cause the plastic to stretch too far! This will make the button unusable!
The console only had 12 games in its short life span. Games like Pinball were featured on the system but the console also saw a Star Trek game! Star Trek: Phaser Strike was released later in 1979 but was only named so in certain parts of the world. Head over to Germany and the game was called just Phaser Strike. Heading to Italy and we find the exact same game called Shooting Star and if you happen to be trying to buy it in France you would be asking for Canon Phaser! Other than that the other games were generic titles like Bowling, Baseball, Connect Four etc. The console seems primitive today but back in 1979 this handheld was about to revolutionise the portable market! Who knows where systems like the GameBoy or Nintendo DS would be without the interchangeable cartridges introduced by the Milton Bradley Microvision!
