Sabertooth

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.
 

@Clint - I recall that you had a Takara unit from your FS post over at AA last year. As I understand it, the Philips and Takara units are supposedly identical. They appear to use the same molds for both the headset and connection unit.
 
I'd love to get my hands on a working SCUBA if only to do a quick comparison of the two.
 
@Lost Dragon - It will be interesting to see the consumer adoption rates in the coming wave of VR. I'm not typically an early adopter of entertainment technology these days, preferring instead to wait and see how well projects are supported. I guess it goes back to early disappointments with the Jaguar, Saturn and Dreamcast. It wouldn't surprise me if it did a bit better this time around. I think the display tech is finally matched to the promise of immersion and there is a lot of money involved.
 
Your suggestions are great. I can play IS/2 and AVP without glancing at the controller so those should be no problem. I haven't spent enough time with Towers 2 but it might be a good excuse to plug it in. I also think the cockpit view of WTR could be fun. Stay tuned!

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.
 

 

As a companion post to the "Thrift Store Finds" thread....
 
I just bought a Gravitar box and warranty card only from Ebay.  I had a cart and manual already, so it felt good to put them back together.  Like mixing peanut butter and chocolate.....
 
 

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.
 

 

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.
 

 

I tried the second mod today; a Vader 4-switch. Everything is hooked up the exact same way as the Sears unit but I'm getting these strange artifacts. A faint blue line is apparent on the far left side. I know that some Vader's have uber bright displays and that can cause some issues. Any ideas?
 

 
Also, I was playing around with adding "ground effects". Don't quite know if I dig it...
 

I picked up this Sears Video Arcade, with box, two joysticks, two sets of paddles and 23 games. It was advertised "untested". Given that it had a box I paid a little more than I typically do for untested consoles, $30 + shipping. I have wanted to try a composite mod for awhile and picked up the parts to make my own but I wanted to pick up a sample to look at in person. I went with the retrofixes simple mod for $23. While I was in there, I cleaned the contacts and added some dielectric grease to the switches. I also put in a green LED in a chrome bezel to match the SEARS Tele-games models.
 
The mod itself took about 2 hours, including cleaning. It was a lot of fun. The system has been playing Battlezone in attract mode for three hours with no issues. The top Pac-Man in the second photo is pre-mod. The bottom Pac-Man photo is after. IMHO the picture is actually nicer than on my LHE 7800. I have a Vader and Woody 4 switch in the garage that I'm planning next if anyone is looking.
 

I picked up this Sears Video Arcade, with box, two joysticks, two sets of paddles and 23 games. It was advertised "untested". Given that it had a box I paid a little more than I typically do for untested consoles, $30 + shipping. I have wanted to try a composite mod for awhile and picked up the parts to make my own but I wanted to pick up a sample to look at in person. I went with the retrofixes simple mod for $23. While I was in there, I cleaned the contacts and added some dielectric grease to the switches. I also put in a green LED in a chrome bezel to match the SEARS Tele-games models.
 
The mod itself took about 2 hours, including cleaning. It was a lot of fun. The system has been playing Battlezone in attract mode for three hours with no issues. The top Pac-Man in the second photo is pre-mod. The bottom Pac-Man photo is after. IMHO the picture is actually nicer than on my LHE 7800. I have a Vader and Woody 4 switch in the garage that I'm planning next if anyone is looking.
 

I tried the second mod today; a Vader 4-switch. Everything is hooked up the exact same way as the Sears unit but I'm getting these strange artifacts. A faint blue line is apparent on the far left side. I know that some Vader's have uber bright displays and that can cause some issues. Any ideas?
 

 
Also, I was playing around with adding "ground effects". Don't quite know if I dig it...
 

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 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 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!
 

Looks great.

I picked up this Sears Video Arcade, with box, two joysticks, two sets of paddles and 23 games. It was advertised "untested". Given that it had a box I paid a little more than I typically do for untested consoles, $30 + shipping. I have wanted to try a composite mod for awhile and picked up the parts to make my own but I wanted to pick up a sample to look at in person. I went with the retrofixes simple mod for $23. While I was in there, I cleaned the contacts and added some dielectric grease to the switches. I also put in a green LED in a chrome bezel to match the SEARS Tele-games models.
 
The mod itself took about 2 hours, including cleaning. It was a lot of fun. The system has been playing Battlezone in attract mode for three hours with no issues. The top Pac-Man in the second photo is pre-mod. The bottom Pac-Man photo is after. IMHO the picture is actually nicer than on my LHE 7800. I have a Vader and Woody 4 switch in the garage that I'm planning next if anyone is looking.
 

I picked up this Sears Video Arcade, with box, two joysticks, two sets of paddles and 23 games. It was advertised "untested". Given that it had a box I paid a little more than I typically do for untested consoles, $30 + shipping. I have wanted to try a composite mod for awhile and picked up the parts to make my own but I wanted to pick up a sample to look at in person. I went with the retrofixes simple mod for $23. While I was in there, I cleaned the contacts and added some dielectric grease to the switches. I also put in a green LED in a chrome bezel to match the SEARS Tele-games models.
 
The mod itself took about 2 hours, including cleaning. It was a lot of fun. The system has been playing Battlezone in attract mode for three hours with no issues. The top Pac-Man in the second photo is pre-mod. The bottom Pac-Man photo is after. IMHO the picture is actually nicer than on my LHE 7800. I have a Vader and Woody 4 switch in the garage that I'm planning next if anyone is looking.
 

I started a thread awhile back that was intended to share eBay wins and strategies. The first post was about picking up "broken" or "untested" consoles on the cheap and restoring them. Instead of clogging up that thread with my restorations, I thought it would be cool to have a dedicated thread here. Please share your tips and tricks and try to post before and after pictures. Failed attempts are cool too. We all need to learn!

Great episode! I should get my modded Lynx back next week and then I'll try to tackle some of these as you play them. I was going to do the install myself but time has been at a premium lately and the screen is too $$$ to screw up.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with the project BTB. Its very interesting to get the perspective of someone that was involved. I also appreciate that you maintained your principles by refusing to do the video without a working prototype. The high ethical standards of the Jag-Bar apparently eclipse those of Engadget and CNET!
 
Now, I don't know MK personally but I did initially have high hopes for the first RVGS campaign. Prior to the Indiegogo attempt, I had purchased a Lynx from him through Game Gavel, backed the first Retro Magazine Kickstarter and picked up a translucent Jaguar shell. Based on those experiences and his general reputation in the scene, I thought he might be able to pull it off. The John Carlsen video soured me on that project though and when the it quickly reemerged with Coleco branding, I opted to wait in quiet skepticism. As it is, this appears to have been an outright deception and I will not support any MK projects moving forward. If I had kept my subscription to Retro, I would cancel it.

It's happening..
 

 
 
From Engadget:
Coleco Chameleon Kickstarter over before it even begins (update)
An image removed from Facebook indicates a big problem.
http://www.engadget.com/2016/03/02/coleco-chameleon-vanishing-act/
 
 
 
From Gizmodo:
Retro Gaming Console Coleco Chameleon's Launch Date Is Being Delayed Indefinitely 
Retro Video Game Systems, Inc.'s Coleco Chameleon is a Farce
http://gizmodo.com/retro-gaming-console-coleco-chameleons-launch-is-date-b-1762408017

press release from Coleco via J2Games.com today:

 

The ColecoVision: Coleco Chameleon drama continues. 

 

"It has come to our attention that the community has certain concerns over the prototypes involving the Retro VGS model. The team at Retro remains confident that their product is developed to the extent as describe; HOWEVER, in order to confirm or debase these concerns, Coleco has demanded to inspect the prototype units within a seven day time frame. At which time, independent engineers will review their findings and determine if those units are up to our standards. We will report some or all of those findings to the community so as long as they do not interfere with proprietary information. We remain hopeful that the community's concerns are merely speculations, but if there is merit to the concerns, then we have no choice but to abandon the project rather than release a sub-par product. During this time, we ask that the community allow us time to complete these inspections. Time extensions will only be granted if requested by the independent engineer. Time extensions and results will be posted here."

 

source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10153867520339651&id=193998669650

I guess my point was that its his business venture, so I won't be supporting it. This is regardless of content. Although, I let my year one subscription lapse because I personally didn't enjoy it. Just not my cup o tea. Now, even if it were I would have difficulty supporting the magazine. I vote with my wallet.

I feel the same way, its sad because at the heart of the script its about the love of retro gaming.  It's sad to see how far this got out of hand, it's been quite a lesson my kids have been learning this week about telling the truth and how one lie can turn into a nightmare.  Thanks for the kind words about the Jag Bar, I try to take the high road on most things but this part of the story needed to get out, today was the day.