Engineering:Arcadia 2001

Short description: 1982 home video game console

Arcadia 2001

An Arcadia 2001
Manufacturer	Emerson Radio
Type	Home video game console
Generation	Second generation
Lifespan	18 months
Introductory price	US$99
Discontinued	1984
Media	ROM cartridge
CPU	Signetics 2650
Memory	1 KB RAM
Display	TV; 128 × 208 / 128 × 104, 8 Colours
Graphics	Signetics 2637 UVI
Sound	2 channels (Beeper and Noise)
Controller input	2 x Intellivision-style controller (12 button keypad and 'fire' buttons on the sides)
Power	12 volt

The Arcadia 2001 is a second-generation 8-bit home video game console released by Emerson Radio in May 1982 for a price of US$ 99, several months before the release of ColecoVision. It was discontinued only 18 months later, with a total of 35 games having been released. Emerson licensed the Arcadia 2001 to Bandai, which released it in Japan. Over 30 Arcadia 2001 clones exist.

The unrelated Arcadia Corporation, manufacturer of the Atari 2600 Supercharger add-on, was sued by Emerson for trademark infringement. Arcadia Corporation then changed its name to Starpath.

Description

The Arcadia is much smaller than its contemporary competitors and is powered by a standard 12 volt power supply so it can be used in a boat or a vehicle. It has two headphone jacks on the far left and right sides of the back.

The system came with two Intellivision-style controllers with a 12-button keypad and "fire" buttons on the sides. The direction pads have a removable joystick attachment. Most games came with BoPET overlays that can be applied to the controller's keypads. The console itself has five buttons: Power, Start, Reset, Option, and Select.

There are at least three different cartridge case styles and artwork, with variations on each. Emerson-family cartridges come in two different lengths (short and long) of black plastic cases.

Technical specifications

Arcadia 2001 motherboard

• Main Processor: Signetics 2650 CPU (some variants run a Signetics 2650A)
• RAM: 1 KB
• ROM: None
• Video display: 128 × 208 / 128 × 104, 8 Colours
• Video display controller: Signetics 2637 UVI @ 3.58 MHz (NTSC), 3.55 MHz (PAL)
• Sound: Single Channel "Beeper" + Single Channel "Noise"
• Hardware Sprites: 4 independent, single color
• Controllers: 2 × 2 way
• Keypads: 2 × 12 button (more buttons on some variants)

Console variants and clones

Many variants and clones of the Arcadia 2001 have been released by various companies in different countries. These systems are mostly compatible with each other. In 1982, the Bandai Arcadia was released only in Japan. Four exclusive games were released for the system.

Name	Manufacturer	Country	Compatibility family	Image
Advision Home Arcade	Advision		Emerson console
Arcadia	Bandai		Emerson console
Arcadia 2001	Emerson		Emerson console
Cosmos	Tele-Computer		Emerson console
Dynavision	Morning-Sun Commerce		MPT-03 console
Educat	unknown		MPT-03 console
Ekusera	P.I.C.		MPT-03 console
Hanimex MPT-03	Hanimex		MPT-03 console
HMG-2650	Hanimex		Emerson console
Home Arcade Centre	Hanimex		Emerson console
Intelligent Game MPT-03	Intelligent Game		MPT-03 console
Intercord XL 2000 System	Intercord		Emerson console
Intervision 2001	Intervision		Ormatu console
ITMC MPT-03	ITMC		MPT-03 console
Leisure Vision	Leisure-Dynamics		Emerson console
Leonardo	GiG Electronics		Emerson console
Home Entertainment Centre Ch-50	Inno-Hit		Ormatu console
Ormatu 2001	Ormatu Electronics BV		Ormatu console
Palladium Video-Computer-Game	Neckermann		Palladium console
Polybrain Video Computer Game	Polybrain		Palladium console
Poppy MPT-03 Tele Computer Spiel	Poppy		MPT-03 console
Prestige Video Computer Game MPT-03	Prestige		MPT-03 console
Robdajet MPT-03	Robdajet		MPT-03 console
Rowtron 2000	Rowtron		MPT-03 console
Schmid TVG-2000	Schmid		Emerson console
Sheen Home Video Centre 2001	Sheen		Ormatu console
Soundic MPT-03	Soundic	[1]	MPT-03 console
Tedelex Home Arcade	Tedelex	Template:Country data ZA	Emerson console
Mr. Altus Das Tele-Gehirn Color (German for tele brain)	HGS Electronic		Palladium console
Tele-Fever	Tchibo		Emerson console
Tempest MPT-03	Tempest		MPT-03 console
Tobby MPT-03	Tobby	?	MPT-03 console
Trakton Computer Video Game	Trakton		Palladium console
Tryom Video Game Center	Tryom		MPT-03 console
Tunix Home Arcade	Monaco Leisure		Emerson console
UVI Compu-Game	Orbit Electronics		Orbit console
Video Master	Grandstand		Orbit console

Bandai Arcadia

Bandai Arcadia

Manufacturer	Bandai
Type	Video game console
Generation	Second generation
Release date	1982
Media	ROM cartridge
CPU	Signetics 2650 @ 3.58 MHz
Predecessor	Bandai Super Vision 8000
Successor	Bandai RX-78

In 1982, the Bandai Arcadia, a variant of the Emerson Arcadia 2001, was licensed and distributed to Japan by Bandai for a price of 19,800 yen. There were four Japan-exclusive games released by Bandai.

• Doraemon
• Dr. Slump
• Mobile Suit Gundam
• Super Dimension Fortress Macross

Reception

The Emerson Booth at CES 1982, featuring their Arcadia 2001 system.

After seeing the Arcadia 2001 at the summer 1982 Consumer Electronics Show, Danny Goodman of Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games reported that its graphics were similar to the Atari 2600's, and that "our overall impression of the game play was favorable for a system in this price range, though no cartridge stands out as being an exciting original creation". He called the controller offering both Intellivision-like disc and joystick functionality "A great idea".

Games

Emerson planned to launch the console with 19 games. Some Arcadia 2001 games are ports of lesser-known arcade games such as Route 16, Jungler, and Jump Bug, which were not available on other home systems.

Emerson actually created many popular arcade titles including Pac-Man, Galaxian and Defender for the Arcadia, but never had them manufactured as Atari started to sue its competitor companies for releasing games to which it had exclusive-rights agreements. Early marketing showed popular arcade games, but they were later released as clones. For instance, the Arcadia 2001 game Space Raiders is a clone of Defender, and Breakaway is a clone of Breakout.

Released games

There are 47 games known to have been released for the Arcadia 2001 and its clones.

Bandai Arcadia Only

See here

External links

• Video Game Console Library entry on the Arcadia 2001
• TheGameConsole.com entry on the Arcadia 2001
• The Dot Eaters entry on the Arcadia 2001
• www.old-computers.com Emerson Arcadia 2001 museum entry
• www.old-computers.com Article about Arcadia 2001 and clones
• Arcadia 2001 retrospective at IGN