Magnavox Odyssey 2

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Hi Atari.IO Members!!

 

I'm thinking about picking this one up to add to my collection because it's not an expensive system and games are not very many and cheap.  I am not sure when I will get one but I am closer to getting one than any other system at the moment.  If I find a decent Lynx I'll go that route instead.  However, I've never had an O2 before so it would be completely new to me.  With that said...

 

1. What should I know about The Magnavox O2 (advantages/disadvantages)?
2. What are your top 5 favorite games for the system?

Ready?  GO!!

[Atari 5200 Guy]

That makes me a rich kid . Thank for the info. It helps.

[Rowsdower70]

Not much I can add to what Retrogamer said.  K.C. Munchkin is great, and if I'm not mistaken you could make custom mazes for it.

Also, check out the hybrid video game/board (Master Strategy Series) games they had, if nothing else just for the AMAZING packaging.  (Some of the most gorgeous in the biz)  Quest for the Rings, Conquest of the World, and Wall Street Fortune Hunt all came with really cool board game packaging.

I had even less third party support than the Intellivision, but I think they did make Demon Attack for it.

[RickR]

I agree that it's worth owning.

 

But to be honest, there are a LOT of really bad games for the O2.  The library is dominated by really bad versions of games you are familiar with on other systems.  O2 "Alien Invaders - Plus" (a copy of Space Invaders) is laughably bad, for example.  And like Retrogamer mentioned, most games only give you one life, which is really frustrating and weird.  "Demon Attack" is pretty pared down, showing that even Imagic couldn't get much out of the limited hardware.

 

That being said, there are some real gems on the system too.  KC Munchkin is absolutely the best game for the system, and it puts Atari Pac-Man to absolute shame.  And as Rowsdower mentioned, the board games are really interesting and have the coolest packaging.  UFO, Freedom Fighters are other really good games.

 

Now if you can get your hands on "The Voice" module, the system is a MUST own IMO.  "Attack of the Timelord", "Smithereens", "Killer Bees", "KC's Krazy Chase", and even "Type and Tell" are a blast.  The greatest voice module on any classic system. 

 

Given all this, I still think it's a fun system to own.  It looks great, is pretty cheap, and games are easy to find and priced low.  And if you DO decide to buy, there is a multi-cart available that is a great bargain.  http://www.packratvg.com/o2multi.html 

Edited May 22, 2016 by RickR

[LeeJ07]

I still like to imagine "Attack of the Time Lord" is a long lost Doctor Who game.

Edited May 22, 2016 by LeeJ07

[RickR]

Timelord is just an ok game really.  It's the voice that takes it over the top.  You must complete the next level just to hear the next taunt from the timelord. 

Edited May 22, 2016 by RickR

[nosweargamer]

This was my first system, but I haven't played one since the 80's.

My favorite game was Pick Axe Pete, but again it's been years.

I also remember liking KC and maybe UFO as well.

[Atari 5200 Guy]

OK. Let's see. Pick Axe Pete, speedway, Dynasty, KC Munchkin, Alpine Skiing, & Sub Chase sound like a good starting lineup. Whatcha think?

[RickR]

Pix Axe Pete
UFO
KC Munchkin
Freedom Fighters
Attack of the Timelord

Those are my top 5 with no Voice module.

[Willie!]

Love my system!  Got a cool Multicart for it as well and a Homebrew game (Death Race).

 

I like the KC games, Smithereens, Turtles, UFO and Cosmic Conflct (was the first game I ever played on a odyssey 2 at a service merchandise)

 

Its well worth having in a collection!

[- Ω -]

I've not played my O² in quite a while.  I've been thinking of boxing it to make more room to move around.

[Starbuck66]

So one of the local shops I go to had an Odyssey 2 for 30 bucks! No games or voice module, but it did come with a manual.

 

I know little to nothing about this system, but I picked it up for my in-laws as an anniversary gift. It was the first console they had, and they have some serious nostalgia for it. Anyone have any suggestions on games I should try to pick up? KC Munchkin seems obvious, but beyond that I wasn’t sure.

[RickR]

Now THAT'S a thoughtful gift, and you got a great deal.  Nice. 

[Starbuck66]

Well I didn’t end up getting my hands on a multicart, but I did manage to get several loose carts a few weeks back in Detroit for 2 dollars a piece. I also got a few in box games in the 4-10 dollar range. I believe this was the final game list I ended up with:

 

Computer Golf

Bowling/Basketball

Speedway/Spinout/Crypto Logic

UFO

Invaders from Hyperspace

Pick Axe Pete

KC Munchkin

Out of this world/Helicopter Rescue

Alien Invaders Plus

Armored Encounter / Subchase

 

I gave it to my in-laws last night and they were excited! They played Pick Axe Pete for at least 30 minutes, then they popped in KC Munchkin for a while. I then played some UFO, Invaders from Hyperspace, and Armored Encounter/Sub Chase with my father in law. We had a blast! This system is pretty fun given its limitations, and I especially enjoyed the strategy involved in Invaders from Hyperspace. KC Munchkin is no slouch either; just because there aren’t as many dots as there are in Pac Man doesn’t make it easier!

[HDN]

The Odyssey 2, man. I've heard nothing but good things about this system my entire life, as this is what my dad had as a kid. We got one just the other day and we're having a great time with it. 

On 5/22/2016 at 10:03 AM, RickR said:

But to be honest, there are a LOT of really bad games for the O2.  The library is dominated by really bad versions of games you are familiar with on other systems.  O2 "Alien Invaders - Plus" (a copy of Space Invaders) is laughably bad, for example.  And like Retrogamer mentioned, most games only give you one life, which is really frustrating and weird.  "Demon Attack" is pretty pared down, showing that even Imagic couldn't get much out of the limited hardware.

I would have to disagree a bit. Magnavox gets points for being creative with their clones. Look at Alien Invaders Plus next to other Space Invaders clones of the time like TI Invaders and Space Armada. Those are a lot more clone-like than the Odyssey rendition, which almost seems like its own thing (almost). I myself rather enjoy Alien Invaders, but I can totally see why many would not. It has its quirks. I personally don't mind the one life aspect of most games very much, but again I can see why many wouldn't care for it.

Though I'll give you Demon Attack. Yuck! It's a terrible game from the same system that gave us Attack of the Timelord. But Atlantis makes up for it. Atlantis on the O2 is amazing.

On 5/22/2016 at 1:42 PM, RickR said:

Timelord is just an ok game really.  It's the voice that takes it over the top.  You must complete the next level just to hear the next taunt from the timelord. 

Just OK?!?! Dude! You commited Odyssey 2 treason!

I'm kidding of course, but I think this game is seriously great! I don't have the Voice yet, but I think its still an amazing cartridge. I love the gameplay and really wish there was a decent version for the 2600 that captured that. Without the voice, I have to make my own, and that's a surefire way to get weird looks from your parents and siblings.

On 5/22/2016 at 2:32 PM, nosweargamer said:

My favorite game was Pick Axe Pete, but again it's been years.

 

One of the best. Anyone who likes Pete should try out Fast Eddie on the 2600. It's very different, but it really reminds me of Pete for some reason.

[RickR]

1 hour ago, HDN said:

Alien Invaders

Hey, what's your high score?  10!  Great, mine too. 

 

[HDN]

7 hours ago, RickR said:

Hey, what's your high score?  10!  Great, mine too. 

 

The main drawback with this game for sure

[RickR]

It's not a bad game, especially if you consider it as a different beast than Space Invaders as you said.  But in the context of the 1980's, I'll bet O2 kids WISHED it was Space Invaders.  That's what makes the other clones like TI Invaders good.  Yes, they were blatent rip-offs, but they were close to the original and you could enjoy a similar gaming experience as in the arcades and also those kids who had an Atari. 

 

[nosweargamer]

1 hour ago, RickR said:

It's not a bad game, especially if you consider it as a different beast than Space Invaders as you said.  But in the context of the 1980's, I'll bet O2 kids WISHED it was Space Invaders.  That's what makes the other clones like TI Invaders good.  Yes, they were blatent rip-offs, but they were close to the original and you could enjoy a similar gaming experience as in the arcades and also those kids who had an Atari. 

 

It's interesting for me. I had both Alien Invaders and Pick Axe Pete and enjoyed them both as a kid, but at the time I did not think of them as knock offs to Space Invaders or Donkey Kong. It might be because I was very young, I was under ten at the time, or due to the fact that I didn't get to go to arcades a lot. It might also have to do with the fact that they were different enough from those games at the time. Or could be a combination of all the above. 

[HDN]

10 hours ago, nosweargamer said:

Pick Axe Pete

I'll accept that Alien Invaders Plus is a knock off, but Pick Axe Pete? No way! It's so different than Donkey Kong. It's about as much of a rip off of Donkey Kong as Donkey Kong was a rip off of Space Panic. Which is to say, not much.