Arcadia 2001

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,<ref name="Watcher reviews" /> several months before the release of ColecoVision. It was discontinued only 18 months later, with a total of 35 games having been released.<ref name="Watcher reviews">Template:Cite web</ref> Emerson licensed the Arcadia 2001 to Bandai, which released it in Japan.<ref name="Watcher reviews"/> Over 30 Arcadia 2001 clones exist despite the system being a commercial failure.

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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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, and licenced by Emerson. Four exclusive games were released for the system.

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

Bandai Arcadia

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.<ref name="Watcher reviews" />

Reception

File:1982 Consumer Electronics Show CES Chicago (4507853558) (cropped).jpg

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".<ref name="goodman1983spring">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Games

Emerson planned to launch the console with 19 games.Template:R 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Released games

There are 55 games known to have been released for the Arcadia 2001 and its clones during the system's lifetime.<ref name="agg">Template:Cite web</ref>

Homebrew games

Three homebrew games are known to have been made for the system:<ref name="agg"/>

• Frogger
• JTron
• Tetris

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