The year was 1987 and the video gaming world was ruled by the
Nintendo Famicom, followed by a somewhat strong competitor in the
Sega Master System.
Atari was still a big player at the time, though their recent releases of their
5200 and
7800 systems could not effectively compete with these newer breeds. A company called
Worlds of Wonder decided to enter into the fray with the release of the
Action Max. Though they had already established considerable ties to the gaming community during the mid 1980s, this system was already dead on arrival when it hit the store shelves.
Worlds of Wonder was founded by a group of former
Atari programmers. Being the original distributor of the
Nintendo NES in the United States, they had strong ties to both technological and manufacturing resources. The actions and reasoning behind the development of the
Action Max is unknown. Coming off the video game crash of 1984, many hardware manufacturers went bankrupt and new developers shied away from this video game console field (
NEC being the main exception). Obviously, this did not deter their efforts in creating a new system built upon possibly the most media formats ever devised – the
VHS video cassette tapes.
It is important to first describe how this system works, rather than to describe its physical and technical features as is the norm. The
Action Max is one of the few video game consoles that are not able to display graphics on its own – a
VCR is required for game play (not included). The system works by attaching directly to a
VCR. The
VCR in turn transmits the video signal to your television. Sound is delivered through the
Action Max system itself – there is no option for external output. The included Light Sensor must be plugged into the console, then 'connected' to the television screen via a suction cup. As mentioned before, games are
VCR tapes. Pop in the game into your
VCR, power up the
Action Max and plug in the controller (light gun) and be prepared to fire away. All games (a total of 5 were released) are the same, whether it is shooting a ghost or a submarine, these are simple point and shoot affairs. What's worse, there is no change/reaction to anything being displayed to you when you score a 'hit' – a small noise is emitted from the console and the score counter increases. There is no way to win or lose at these games – just high score bragging rights among your friends (better right them down since the
Action Max doesn’t keep track of them at all for you). Also, remember that this is a dumb VCR tape – replay value is -0-. The tape itself cannot change, and playing a new game repeats the same positions and appearances of all foes. Memorize where they will appear, maximize your score.
Now that the basic concept of the working of the
Action Max has been described, let’s look at the console itself. The system itself is rather nondescript. The dark grey exterior casing is shaped and has the size of an aluminum container used for the family sized portion of a Stouffer’s pre-made meatloaf dinner. Come to think about it, the weight is about the same as well (about 2 lbs.). A white elongated "S" shaped plastic wedge breaks up the dull, solid colored top facing. Residing here is a combination of three toggle switches and two dials that control the difficulty level and the number of players (supported two player mode). The player's score was displayed here as well in classic, old-school red LED numbering.
The front of the unit has jacks for a headphone and the controller, along with a toggle switch to mute the volume. The back of the unit is more of the same – a jack for the power (external, not included but the unit can run off of C batteries), two mini-RCA jacks for the light sensors. The controller is a more of the same - a simple dark grey light gun that feels rather fragile and does not have any girth to it, though it does fit OK in one’s hand. 'Shooting' the 'gun' emits a rather satisfying mechanical clicking noise – nothing like cap guns of the era, but still, with this console, it is all about the small pleasures.
Worlds of Wonder entered into bankruptcy in 1988, less than a year after the release of the
Action Max. The company is more noted for the development and production of various children’s product, including the
Teddy Ruxpin interactive bear. Many of the associates of
Worlds of Wonder went on to join
Nintendo in various capacities.
The
Action Max was a short-lived system, and rightly so. Compared to it's contemporaries, the static game play and poorly acted video
VCR games did not stand a chance. Think of the worst
Sega CD FMV game released and multiple your disdain for it by 1000% - that would not accurately define an experience with the
Action Max, but it would come close.
This system is only recommended for collectors – there is no value here at all for among gamers of any level. The unit is light, but the box is HUGE for this system – the packing alone is around 10" in depth. I am not sure why the packaging was so extensive for this system – perhaps the marketing gurus at
Worlds of Wonder thought that 'bigger was better' when seen on a store shelve. It is certainly not needed for what it was designed to protect. Though not seen a great deal for sale, these systems are pretty cheap to acquire through eBay. Expect to pay no more than $50 USD for a complete system. Games are not too rare either – they will run you around $10 USD a piece.
The link to the full review of this system (including ratings, pictures and video):
http://www.videogameconso...ry.com/pg80-actionmax.htmThanks all.
Terry (a.k.a. Marriott_Guy)
The Video Game Console Library
http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com
As stated in previous reviews, the drive for many hardware manufacturers was all about producing an all-inclusive multimedia device. In 1993,
Pioneer entered the foray with the release of the
LaserActive. Competing directly with
Panasonic (
3DO) and the
Philips (
CD-i),
Pioneer upped the ante in this genre by basing their system on
Laserdisc technology (the precursor to the
DVD format). At the time, the
LaserActive was the closest system to deliver a product that did meet most of the multimedia demands of the consumer - movies, games, karaoke, music, edutainment - all presented in the best audiovideo quality available. The system has another feather in it's cap - it was one of the very few truly multi-platform units released (ala
Dina Two-In-One). There were really only three requirements to purchase one of the beauties in 1993 - a forklift, a large amount of disposable income and an IQ under 70. We'll take a look at each of these items in the same order.
Describing the physical characteristics of
Pioneer LaserActive can be summed up in one word - a behemoth. This system is definitely one of the largest video game console ever released (second only to the
RDI Halcyon). Weighing in at a hefty 25 lbs and measuring 6"¯ H x 17"¯ W x 15"¯ D, this beast truly stands out in any display. A durable hard plastic front casing elegantly displays the various system controls. The chassis itself is made of sturdy steel with multiple air vents to allow plenty of ventilation (definitely required when firing up this system). The somewhat conservative, though modern, facing features large soft-button controls, two (2) media trays (one for
Laserdiscs, the other for standard CDs) and a large, cavernous rectangular hole to the bottom left - the modular housing.
The
LaserActive could not play games as a stand alone system - it requires expansion modules called
PAC units. The following is a list of the modules that were released (US release Japan release) and their respective description:
Sega PAC (PAC-S10 PAC-S1)
- Allows play of any
Sega Genesis,
Sega CD,
Mega LDs (specifically
designed
Sega games released on the
Laserdisc format) games and
CD+G discs. Formally known as the
Mega-LD pack.
NEC PAC (PAC-N10 PAC-N1)
- Allows play of and
NEC Turbo Duo CD-ROM2Super CDHuCards,
Mega LD-ROM2 discs (specifically designed
NEC games released on the
Laserdisc format) games, along with supporting
CD+G discs.
Karaoke PAC (PAC-K10 PAC-K1)
- Supports play of
Laserkaraoke titles
Computer Interface PAC (PAC-PC1)
- Allowed remote control of the
LaserActive via a
PC or
Mac computer
Those were the main modules released. A pack for 3D Goggles and an adaptor were also sold for this system, but I do not have these and know very little about them.
The modules slide into the system on the left hand, bottom side of the main
LaserActive system. The power must be turned off when switching out expansion
PACs. There is a manual eject button that resides on the front of the unit that facilitates this function. Inserting modules into the system is rather delicate - or so it feels. They do snap into place firmly, but the weight alone of the
PAC units tends to make one a bit cautious while doing so. The two game
PACs came with the appropriate,
Pioneer logo-stamped game controller (
SegaNEC).
With the respective module (
SegaNEC), games were presented identically to their parent system. The specifically designed
Laserdisc games for each system were graphically and audibly superior but lack the control delivered on similar games on the original systems. Also, releases on the
Laserdisc format (
LD-ROMs) are high maintenance. The discs are huge (12"¯ in diameter) and about 7 times as thick as a standard CD - this equates to a higher drop/scratch rate when simply inserting a disc into the system for play. There were around 20
LD-ROM game releases for the
Sega PAC module; 9 for the
NEC PAC.
Earlier I mentioned that one had to have a great deal of disposable income as a requirement to be able to purchase the
LaserActive back in 1993. The going price at the time - $970 USD (roughly $2,000 in today's dollars)! Now, bear with me, this price would only net you a system that could play movies/music - forget about playing games. The
Sega or
NEC PAC expansion pack will cost another $600 - each! Feel like singing along to your favorite tune and controlling your
LaserActive from your
PC - tack on another $700 ($350 each). All told, to be able to enjoy your existing
Sega and
NEC library, along with playing
American Idol by yourself and controlling your new purchase via
PC (who wants to do this anyway) would have cost you roughly $2,900 in 1993 ($4,500 in today's dollars). If you wanted any of the slick
LD-ROM games - you had to fork over another $120 per game! Obviously, this alienated 99% of the buying public. Why buy one of these when you could collectively buy the components you really wanted for a lot less? That question can only be answered by those with the IQ under 70 or had so much throwaway money that it didn't really matter. The
Pioneer LaserActive is the second highest priced video game console of all time (once again, right behind the
RDI Halcyon).
The
Pioneer LaserActive is a cool system to own, but only for the true collector. The console initially failed on a number of levels - pricing, target audience and lack of promotion. Overall shipping prices are high due to the weight and dimensions of this system. The US version is more rare compared to the model released in Japan (both are identical in terms of technology). A CIB unit will cost you around $225 for the Japanese model (plus an additional $160 S/H if coming from Japan), and $300 or so for a US model.
