MB Electronic battleship versions: 1977/79: uses 2 9v batteries, a tms1000(?) cpu, no codebook/instant programming, higher pitched sound; game has a RED light bulb *below* the ship in the 'ship' lower backdrop which is clear/untextured, and the text next to the white switches on each side (FIRE, ON/OFF, LOAD/GO) is painted white
1982: uses 4xAA batteries, an unknown cpu (???tms1400???), has the RED-ORANGE codebook for instant programming, lower pitched sound; game has a RED ?LED? *above* the ship in the 'ship' lower backdrop which is red and textured, and the text next to the white switches on each side (FIRE, ON/OFF, LOAD/GO) is unpainted (and hard to read); bezel is same design as 1977/79 version.
1989: Talks. uses 4xAA batteries, a TSP50C10A cpu, has the BLACK codebook for instant programming, mixed LPC Speech/PCM/Synthesized sound; game has a RED LED *above* the ship in the 'ship' lower backdrop which is red and textured. Has a 1-player mode. The 'entry' control panels on each side are completely different from the 1977/1979 and 1982 versions, with a single row of yellow rubber buttons and a larger yellow fire button, plus a green ON button on player 1's side. The 'bezel' of the upper 'target area' has a different design printed on it than the older versions.
1977/79 version demo and 1982 version comparison: 1982 version demo: 1989 version demo:
LN
EDIT: Btw Sean, since you ripped apart one of the 1989 ones, I realized one of the clear blue plastic target grid panels on mine has a crack in it. Is there any chance you can spare one from the one you tore up?
"When life gives you zombies... *CHA-CHIK!* ...you make zombie-ade!"
hap: pretty sure star hawk was a Mattel exclusive. It looks like Bandai didn't make many/all? of their own games, either.
They were both made by "Kaken" according to the PCBs. I don't know who they are or could I find much about them on google so I dunno.
New dump time!
I dumped 9 of the CPUs from the games Rik sent me tonight, so the only CPU from his lot I didn't dump was the 8048 from the mego game (need to fire up the DOS thin client to do it) and the TMS???? from one of the select a game carts.
Galaxy II is very interesting: apparently there's no less than FOUR revisions of the VFDs in this game. I have revision B and D, which have totally different graphics.
Also, I have mostly decoded NEC's VFD part numbering scheme. It appears to be so:
FIP5CM33T (machine man) for example.
FIP = fluorescent indicator panel 5 = number of grids (5 in this case) C = revision of the VFD (A is rev 1, B is rev 2, etc) M = custom display 33 = unique display part number
This seems to hold true for all of the displays except 1. Turtles is a FIP15BM32T for example.
It's got 15 grids and must be revision 2.
The odd one out is Cosmic Combat. It's marked FIP32AM18Y. The only one with Y on the end instead of T. Not sure what that means.
