Clint Thompson

Some really fascinating info there pal, kudos for your great work, as I mentioned to you about a new Facebook page on the ST scene, covering games, demos, utilities and more, head over for a sneak a peek @ https://www.facebook.com/Atari-nomical-873902659298213/

I'm still waiting on my Raspberry Pi Jaguar VR converter box to make an appearance....

I played DOOM on the Dynovisor tonight. No time to write it up now but I wanted to share my wife's observation. Now, my wife doesn't share my enthusiasm for gaming or retro life but she generally tolerates it. Upon walking in the living room she announced, "I can't believe this. This is the most ridiculous thing you've ever brought into the house. No one can know about this." So, in my overall analysis of the Dynovisor, I'll have to take into account spousal reaction. I haven't decided whether it will count as a positive or negative.

Well, if it's just that, it's one hell of a novelty.
 
@atarilbc - it's really too bad you can't play the JagVR version, it makes a world of difference with how fast the screen moves around with your head movement. You can tend to lose track of time rather quickly with the isolation of it and the actual interacting making a huge difference. Hopefully this can me remedied in the future at some point.
 
On the other hand, my friend played Doom for over an hour with this thing mounted on his head and it was just comical seeing the creases on his face remain for 20 minutes after taking it off. I remember him exclaiming a few curse words while playing due to being jolted from being attacked haha... but that was in the late 90s and we were younger then, so...

Well, if it's just that, it's one hell of a novelty.
 
@atarilbc - it's really too bad you can't play the JagVR version, it makes a world of difference with how fast the screen moves around with your head movement. You can tend to lose track of time rather quickly with the isolation of it and the actual interacting making a huge difference. Hopefully this can me remedied in the future at some point.
 
On the other hand, my friend played Doom for over an hour with this thing mounted on his head and it was just comical seeing the creases on his face remain for 20 minutes after taking it off. I remember him exclaiming a few curse words while playing due to being jolted from being attacked haha... but that was in the late 90s and we were younger then, so...

Ok, first up on the Takara Dynovisor is Missile Command 3D. Released in the fall of 1995, Missile Command 3D was a "2000"-esque update to the classic arcade game Missile Command which saw releases on Atari's 2600, 5200, 8-bit line and the Lynx. The premise is simple: protect your cities against an onslaught of enemy missiles. In the 80s, we all knew that this meant the Russians but in the 90s - with the Cold War thawing out - this update goes with "aliens and foreign countries."
 
Missile Command 3D was developed by Virtuality, the company that designed the Jaguar VR headset and its progeny. The update includes three game modes: Original, 3D and Virtual. 3D and Virtual modes were designed to work with the Jag VR headset and its IR headtracking features. Unfortunately, neither the SCUBA or Dynovisor arrived to market with that feature intact. I played both the 3D and Virtual modes for the purposes of this review.
 
3D Missile Command: If you haven't played it before, the "3D" game in Missile Command 3D takes the concept of the original game and puts it in a pseudo 3D setting. For those familiar with the "2000" games, this would be equivalent to their plus modes. You defend your six cities from polygonal missiles, alien ships and meteorites in a playfield that seems to stretch vertically 120 degrees. There are power-ups and smart bombs that come in handy as the Reds...er...um..."aliens"....rain death from above.
 
With the Dynovisor I definitely noticed a depth and sort of roundness to the playfield that I don't get playing on a standard tv. Instead of just moving the screen to view the highest incoming missiles, I had the sensation of rolling my head upwards as if looking to the sky. I can only imagine how that would have felt with actual head tracking. The sound in the headset is excellent even if the "3D" game sticks to the same track, wave after wave. The visuals were low res compared to a tv but with a decent amount of fiddling I got a relatively sharp picture. Once adjusted, there was an added depth to the mountains and missiles.
 
Virtual Missile Command: Virtual Missile Command is essentially the "2000" mode for this game. It ups the ante and takes the Missile Command concept into a full 3D environment. The cities are arrayed in a circle with your gun turrets around them. You switch guns using the shoulder buttons of the pro-controller. Instead of using missiles to mount your defense, you use lasers that shoot with pinpoint accuracy and can be upgraded throughout the level. There are also cruise missiles, best reserved for alien ships, and bosses and smart bombs that come in handy when there are too many enemies to handle.
 
The feeling of depth that I experienced in 3D mode was even more pronounced in Virtual mode. Because Virtual game mode plays in a 360 degree world with attacks coming from all directions, I really felt surrounded in a way that I simply couldn't playing on a tv. The visual effects are quite good with great use of shading on the polygons. Again, I can only imagine how cool this might have been with headtracking. The soundtrack for this mode varies from world to world and effects are a little more varied here so it made much better use of the headset's built in speakers.
 
Overall, I enjoyed playing Missile Command 3D with the Dynovisor. The sound is terrific and the visuals are passable with a lot of adjustment. I only played for about an hour and frankly, I'm not sure I could use it for much longer than that. Between the straps and the thin padding on the mask face, comfort is definitley an issue. Maybe I'll get used to it with further play. The headset did seem to add a different dimension to the game play, particularly in Virtual mode. The 360 playfield coupled with the lighting and shading effects on the environment and enemies really provided a sense of immersion. I will definitely try this one out again. I don't think that Missile Command 3D is any better with the Dynovisor than on a standard tv but it is different, and after 20 years of playing the game a little something different is welcomed.
 

Keep in mind that the Takara and Philips Scuba used the lower-resolution displays unfortunately so this is true to the red version of the headset and you'll soon see why Atari wasn't happy with this version and wanted Virtuality to create a better version, which turned into the far heavier blue unit. I'm not sure if it was the optics used or if something truly was different or wrong with the Takara headset I had over the Philips version, but it definitely seemed much worse in regards to focus.
 
I was sincerely hoping that the PCBs used inside the units would have went unchanged and retained the same layout minus the hardware to actually connect the IR receivers but of course, this isn't the case. I disassembled a Philips version many years ago only to find out it's not.
 
I've had recent contact with the contractor that Virtuality used but they no longer had anything relating to the project due to switching company hands and most likely purging whatever old data and related materials they had. That only took about 5 years to confirm when I finally got ahold of the ex-owner of the company.
 
Look forward to hearing your impressions. I feel like without the vice-like head adjustment, it's harder to secure these things to your head.

Keep in mind that the Takara and Philips Scuba used the lower-resolution displays unfortunately so this is true to the red version of the headset and you'll soon see why Atari wasn't happy with this version and wanted Virtuality to create a better version, which turned into the far heavier blue unit. I'm not sure if it was the optics used or if something truly was different or wrong with the Takara headset I had over the Philips version, but it definitely seemed much worse in regards to focus.
 
I was sincerely hoping that the PCBs used inside the units would have went unchanged and retained the same layout minus the hardware to actually connect the IR receivers but of course, this isn't the case. I disassembled a Philips version many years ago only to find out it's not.
 
I've had recent contact with the contractor that Virtuality used but they no longer had anything relating to the project due to switching company hands and most likely purging whatever old data and related materials they had. That only took about 5 years to confirm when I finally got ahold of the ex-owner of the company.
 
Look forward to hearing your impressions. I feel like without the vice-like head adjustment, it's harder to secure these things to your head.

If the hype is to be believed, 2016 is the year of VR. Oculus, Samsung, HTC and Sony are all poised to launch projects that will take gaming and entertainment to new levels. Many consumers are eagerly awaiting the new tech while others dismiss modern VR as a gimmick. We'll just have to wait and see how this new phase of VR pans out but this isn't the first time we've been down this road. The early to mid-90s saw a rash of VR projects and peripherals promising a more interactive gaming experience. Most of these were utter failures. Atari, for their part, partnered with Virtuality, a firm specializing in immersive arcade games, to develop a consumer level head mounted display (HMD) for use with the Jaguar - Jaguar VR.
 

 
The Jaguar VR was shown in '95 and one Jaguar game, Missile Command 3-D, was developed with the unit in mind. Two versions of the prototype were built; a low-res version and a high-res version. The tech was notable for its utilization of IR headtracking . Ultimately, Atari pulled the plug on the project as it was clear that the Jaguar was failing and the cost and quality of the VR platform left much to be desired. Of the handful of prototypes produced, only three are known to remain in existence today. However, the display technology that Virtuality developed for Atari was soon licensed and repackaged into two products that eventually made it to retail; the Philips SCUBA and Takara Dynovisor. Released in 1997 for about $300, the SCUBA and Dynovisor could be used with any composite video source. The units did not feature headtracking; instead, users used standard game controls to guide the action on screen. Worn on the head and supported by straps, both the SCUBA and Dynovisor are somewhat cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear. An automatic shutoff interrupts viewing every 30 minutes to help avoid eyestrain.
 
I recently received a Japanese market Takara Dynovisor in good working condition. Over the next week I am going to play some Jaguar games that I think may be suited for this kind of device and provide some notes on my experiences. These won't be full reviews, but just a summary of my impressions of the effectiveness of the Dynovisor in providing an enjoyable and immersive experience. I'm going to start with Missile Command 3D since that game was designed for HMD. Other games I'm considering are Tempest 2000, Zero 5, Doom, and Hoverstrike:UL. If you have other suggestions or want to share your own impressions of the Dynovisor or SCUBA, feel free to post here.
 

 

That's also the school from Ferris Bueller's Day Off 

I visited a relative in Chicago years ago when I was around 19 or so, being a huge John Hughes fan I had to seek out the "Breakfast Club" school and found out it was actually located in a suburb called Schiller Park , IL , ( "Shermer" was a fictional suburb created various Hugh's movies ) It seemed abandoned or closed but being the adventures type in my youth I tried the doors and was surprised to find one open, I thought if I could just get some pictures of the locations like the library, detention room etc . I entered and walked around inside to looking for the famous library etc, the building was pretty much empty, there were not even typical school lockers against the walls. Instead I finally found a room with several rows of lockers all stacked together when a custodian (guard) caught me and told me the "Library" was just a set built in the Gymnasium then removed after filming, he told me to leave, I had the impression it was not unusual for people to enter uninvited. The school had closed years prior due to lack of attendance and was used only for filming etc. This is me in the image many years ago, sadly I only had a crap 110 film camera
 

 
 
Come to think of it this was also my first trip outside of Canada and would remain the case for many years until I met my wife. As first trip's go that was a pretty good one!

Here's what the mock-up VSX Asteroids box looked like
 

 
 
 
 
I don't have any video interviews with Regan, I suspect there may not be any out there. I had the honor of working with Regan for a number of years along with other Atari alumni on another project.
 
Regan spoke of Atari often and we would end up spending hours discussing topics like this. The origins of the 5200's size... the Bang & Olufsen influence on the Roy Nishi wedge... and how films like Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey influenced Atari's industrial design group. (They were big fans of Syd Mead's design work in Blade Runner and elsewhere, and the matte glow of the red LED in the 5200 was inspired by HAL 9000.)
 
I've wondered about the three rectangle logo to the right side of the VSX logotype, and I clearly remember Regan giving an answer to that question, but this was about ten years ago and I can't remember what that answer was. I do remember there was a thought behind the design.
 

 
If you look closely, you'll note that the Atari VSX in this image (same as Rick's PDF) is physically different than the production models, as are the joysticks.
 
You'll notice the power button is perfectly flush with the plastic around it, and there's a grooved line just below the power button that runs the width of the system. This is reminiscent of the 7800. The smooth design looks great and is more in keeping with Regan's 1200 XL styling. Compare with a production 5200 console and you'll see the 5200 power button has a bit of a "moat" carved around it, and it lacks that additional groove. And take a closer look at the joysticks. The base of the joysticks are solid plastic and raised up a bit, with much smaller, tighter rubber boots than the production models. Were these the earlier 5200 joysticks that everybody loved that used a yoke and gimbal mechanism from an RC airplane controller kit?
 
This leads me to believe that the Video System X models that we've seen so far are "pilot production models" where as the VSX in the image above is an earlier design model.

1980s Bang & Olufsen products that inspired Atari's Industrial Design Group and contributed to the look of the Video System X
 

 

Yes, and I think we may have more to talk about regarding the Atari Video System X sometime soon  
 
The Video System X to me is much more than what the 5200 ended up being, it's the embodiment of that hope and that idea we dreamed of when reading about "the next new Atari" in magazines like Electronic Games. Atari had so much promise at that time. It was inconceivable that the next Atari system would be anything other than out of this world.

Power Drive Rally is such a fantastic game! Your ending comments were spot on.  Its truly one of the best.  If you have a Jaguar and don't have this game, please do yourself a favor and get it!

Power Drive Rally on the Jag Bar!
 

That's so awesome! Yes!

That's so awesome! Yes!

She's a sexy beast. 

Figured some of you might like this.
While I've been moving in, I turned an old cabinet I have into my holder of my Atari 2600 & 7800 games as well as most of my Jaguar, Sega CD and Saturn games.
Hiding behind the boxed Atari games are all of my loose 2600 and 7800 titles. Perhaps one day I might make video showing you more. But for now, you can click on this picture to enlarge it.

Procured the 2800 direct from Japan.  No box, manual, or anything else came with it unfortunately.  I'd like to eventually get my hands on one or two of the Atari 2800 game box and/or manual releases, just as a little added color (the cartridges themselves are indistinct from standard release games).  I mean, take a look at this sweet/unique/weird Air-Sea Battle box:
 

 
That is somehow both SO ATARI and SO JAPAN at the same time, it's amazing.  I must find one! 
 
@Clint Thompson -- I do have a Flickr, but there are no other game-related photos there... yet.  I'll probably publish an album of everything I post here, though, so I'll send a link when it's ready.

like this:

Yeah, I don't see the molds existing so many years later but you never know I suppose. I think $99 would be a sweet spot if it ended up being a premium little machine. I don't know how or if it would be possible, but if Coleco can put a Tempest machine in mini form on my desk for under $125, I'm down!

Yeah, I don't see the molds existing so many years later but you never know I suppose. I think $99 would be a sweet spot if it ended up being a premium little machine. I don't know how or if it would be possible, but if Coleco can put a Tempest machine in mini form on my desk for under $125, I'm down!

Yeah, I don't see the molds existing so many years later but you never know I suppose. I think $99 would be a sweet spot if it ended up being a premium little machine. I don't know how or if it would be possible, but if Coleco can put a Tempest machine in mini form on my desk for under $125, I'm down!