Retro Video Gamer

Ive just won an auction for a binatone console Ive never seen before and I wondered if anyone ever had one or even knows anything about it?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BINATONE-SUPE ... true&rt=nc (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BINATONE-SUPERSTAR-CONSOLE-MODEL-01-4354-/281082983459?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=FDUCFSE4AoKn7UN3VXMzp6RVS%252B0%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc)

I love to buy the old binatone pong consoles (I have a perfect working Mk3) but Im guessing with the "programmable" element to it it came out a few years later. Cant wait to set it up and at £5 delivered its a steal.

This model I assume?

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Binatone_Superstar.jpg/735px-Binatone_Superstar.jpg)

Information on this thing seems to be scarce but from what I found out the actual machine contains very basic hardware to play Pong and the cartridges contain extra hardware to play different games. It was released the year after the Atari VCS in 1978 and a total of 7 cartridges were made for it: Ball & Paddle, Submarine, Cycling, Car Race, Shooting Gallery, Wipeout and Tank Battle.

This is what the game boxes looked like:

(http://zonadepruebas.org/backup/uploads/img4797d3e384c1f.jpg)

I found this on a website and translated from Spanish for you:

QuoteIt belongs to the family of consoles that all use General Instruments chips and cartridges, sometimes called "cartridge pongs". There were dozens of consoles in this class, but are they are easily recognised because they all have 10 buttons (to select the different games that could be in each cartridge). There are many models from different manufacturers but they are all the same internally, for example the TV Game Programmable Universum is another. This Binatone console, however, has a very different aesthetic. Unlike the later machines where (except some hardware support) cartridges were fundamentally ROMs with a program that microprocessor running console, consoles of this type have the peculiarity that it was basically a box with a modulator wiring for TV. The "processor" is not in the console but in the cartridges. This was one of the standard GI chips (AY-3-8500, AY-3-8550, AY-3-8600 ...) each designed to provide different games. Binatone sold seven of these cartridges for your cartridge pong consoles.

Wow what a great catch, and some great info on it from Laird too. Good to see these old forgotten consoles from time to time and to know it's gone somewhere it'll be cherished too..

Wow cheers for the info, looks like a great find then

If there are only 7 cartridges for it then im going to try find them all and get a full set. Cant wait to get it running on the 42 inch TV in the living room

My cousins had this , or a variant of it. The only cart they had was the pong variation one but it was pretty good.

Every so often I have a look for it online as I'd like to see what else was available for it. Missed this one!!

Cool! Never heard of one before now. The controllers end remind me of old CB radio ends. Break! Channel check! :113:

Great wake up to an email from the seller complaining about the postage costs and saying she wont post it unless I give her more money.

Hate it when this happens, people complaining because it didnt sell for what they was hoping for

Quote from: "The Hypnotoad"Great wake up to an email from the seller complaining about the postage costs and saying she wont post it unless I give her more money.

Hate it when this happens, people complaining because it didnt sell for what they was hoping for

It's probably because the postage costs went up massively again yesterday and people didn't know.

I was in the post office myself and people were actually walking out with parcels because of the very same reason, they were eBay items that they hadn't charged enough postage for.

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "The Hypnotoad"Great wake up to an email from the seller complaining about the postage costs and saying she wont post it unless I give her more money.

Hate it when this happens, people complaining because it didnt sell for what they was hoping for

It's probably because the postage costs went up massively again yesterday and people didn't know.

I was in the post office myself and people were actually walking out with parcels because of the very same reason, they were eBay items that they hadn't charged enough postage for.

TBH I knew she had under estimated her postage costs, it was one of the reasons I bidded on it so she was always going to lose money before the price rises.

Ive emailed her saying the costs were agreed on at the point of sale and she has a right to sell it to me now, hopefully that will be enough to get her to post it

A friend of mine just found this Binatone in her loft, it is boxed and everything in really good condition. She wants me to sell it for her so I need to find out what it's worth:

[align=center:6t71nkn5](http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z280/mrkizza/20130406_143131_zps2b4d68ea.jpg)[/align:6t71nkn5]

Not very much matey. I paid 99p for mine but that was pick up only. Your looking at £5-10 at the very most in good condition but they are top machines.

I remember reverse engineering those sports guys and Binatone logo for a defunct t-shirt design..which I never released..and also for a mug too..I might add them to the download section