Here we have the Videomaster Olympic, this is an Analogue Pong console from 1975, which makes it currently 50 years old. It is very likely the oldest item in the museum.
It is very interesting as the only way of keeping track of the player scores is by the use of steel marbles which are placed in one of the fifteen dimples per side on the top of the console
This is the first version of the Olympic, there was a second revision which came a year later and featured a reduced chip count, lower power consumption, and horizontal dials for the three controls on the front of the console, as well as a slightly restyled case particually with the dimples which now had numbers embossed in them
It came with the box which is in OK condition, it was originally held closed with tape. It looks like it was originally sold by Curry's in West Bromwich. The box only has red and black printing on it, the later revision has a full colour box with images of people playing the games
Find out who really is the family champion
I love how it specifies a 625 line TV as opposed to the 405 line system which was still in use at the time in the UK
It does feel a bit home made
Close up of the controls, the switches at the top left select the games, A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2 which is four games, but the box advertises six games? It turns out there are two games which can be played by either two players, or one person, by way of an oscillating control for the computer player
As this is an analogue console, it does not feature the common Pong on a chip that most other consoles have, so the look and feel of the games are nothing like those consoles. So the games on this console along with their switch positions are...
A-1: Tennis
A-2: Wall Game
A-2: Find The Gap (Single player version of Wall Game)
B-2: Grabbit
B-2: Trapper (Single player version of Grabbit)
B-1: Moving Target
The games are pretty much the same for each one, all that changes is the on-screen player is ether a bat, or is inverted, like a wall with a hole in it
The power switch is in the top left of the console, along with the two serve buttons and player controls these are all the controls on top of the console
The scoring dimples, unfortunately I did not get the metal balls, but suitable replacements should be easy to find
On the front of the console there are a horizontal and vertical hold control, and a speed control
The rear of the console has the RF lead
The sides do not feature any ports or controls, there are no sockets on the console at all, not even an external power socket
The base of the console looks like it had a model label on it at some point, also the battery connection is visible, it takes a PP3 9V battery which is squeezed into the gap and held in by friction, there was no battery cover
The bulky RF plug
H - STOP in INPUT, 770:1