Help me remember what '70s console I had

[rhoelsch]

I remember having this when I was very young, and it's probably still at my parents' house, since they never EVER throw anything away...we had it before we got our Intellivision, so it'd be prior to 1979-80.... all I remember is a controller held like a pistol grip, cream colored, with a blue spinner-type dial on top and a blue thumb button right in front of the dial.  The other controller had red dial and button.  I don't remember it having cartridges, and it might have used overlays for the TV screen.  Anyone?

[TOK]

Fairchild and Bally both had home consoles with pistol grip controllers. Not sure about the color variations though.

Bally Astrocade:


Fairchild(s)

[rhoelsch]

Nope...I wish I could remember what the base unit looked like... but the controllers were definately white/cream, with a dial about an inch and a half in diameter plopped on top, and as far as I can remember, a single button about the size of a pencil eraser.  I might be wrong about the pistol grip, actually, since I was only like 3 or 4 at the time... played pong varients I believe and prob. not much else...

[J_K_M_A_N]

Was it maybe the Magnavox Odyssey? pic below. The dials were on the sides and it came with both 13" and 19" overlays.

I had one. It was cool.

J_K_M_A_N

[rhoelsch]

I don't THINK it was, based on the look of the controllers... is there a site with a bunch of old console pics I can check?  I might possibly also remember a lightgun that never worked, but I didn't think they were that old, and my recollection might be playing tricks on me.  It's possible that the paddles were secondary controllers, and they're the only ones I remember, but I'd know them if I saw them.  Whatever it was, once the good ol' Intellivision came with Major League Baseball (and later, Astrosmash), it was packed away and forgotten.

[Trenchbroom]

Old Computers has a section dedicated to both pong machines and cartridge consoles.  Look here:

www.old-computers.com

[SOAPboy]

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=2&c=727

?

[ften]

Was it maybe the Magnavox Odyssey? pic below. The dials were on the sides and it came with both 13" and 19" overlays.

I had one. It was cool.

J_K_M_A_N

I would have to second the vote for the Magnavox Odyssey, as it came with the first light gun for home use and used sweet overlays
http://www.pong-story.com/odyssey.htm
Man that is pretty.

Here is an old school lightgun gallery page, maybe you will remember the system by the gun.
http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/lightgungallery.html

-FTen

[rhoelsch]

Ok, I've checked out oldcomputers.com, and found something that matches the paddle style well -- it's the Philips N20...not sure if it sold in the states, though, and one paddle had red instead of blue... can't find anything that's as close, and it wasn't the Odyssey, looking at the pics...but if it wasn't the N20 or N30, someone else ripped off that rare paddle design... http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=3&c=715

[Hoagie_one]

There were hundreds of different knock off versions of existing consoles back then.  I had 4 or 5 different ones growing up.  all generic ripoffs

[danny_galaga]

was it the BOISE 6000?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=26258.0


(I knew i could get some more play outta that thread  )

[Dave_K.]

Here was the console my family owned round 1978-79.

[Trenchbroom]

Here was the console my family owned round 1978-79.

Yep.  Our first one was the Telstar Alpha as well.  Need to go and buy one.

[JackTucky]

We had that bally!

Jacktucky