A System for the Sixties-and-a-Half: The Toshiba Visicom COM-100
The Toshiba Visicom COM-100, launched in 1978, is a colorized RCA Studio II clone featuring educational games, improved hardware, and exclusive titles, marking a significant step in Japanese home gaming evolution.
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The Toshiba Visicom COM-100, launched in 1978, is a video game console that aimed to capture the emerging gaming market. It is a clone of the RCA Studio II but features significant enhancements, including a unique color system and a more appealing design. The console targets children and their parents, promoting educational gaming. The Visicom includes built-in games that are essentially colorized versions of the RCA Studio II titles, with four colors available: dark green, red, blue, and yellow. The hardware improvements include doubled RAM for the framebuffer and a more structured memory map, allowing for easier game development. The console supports detachable joypads and comes with two joysticks, although their usability is questionable. Notably, the Visicom features exclusive games like "Sumo Wrestling," which is significant in the context of Japanese gaming history. The console also includes a gambling-themed game, "Gambler 2," reflecting the cultural context of the time. Despite its educational marketing, the Visicom's game library is primarily designed for two-player interaction. The console garnered interest from enthusiasts, leading to discussions on integrating it with Toshiba's computer kits. Overall, the Visicom COM-100 represents an important step in the evolution of home gaming in Japan.
- The Toshiba Visicom COM-100 was launched in 1978 as a colorized clone of the RCA Studio II.
- It features built-in educational games that are color versions of the original RCA titles.
- The console has doubled RAM and a more structured memory map for easier game development.
- Exclusive games like "Sumo Wrestling" mark its significance in Japanese gaming history.
- The Visicom attracted interest from tech enthusiasts for potential integration with computer kits.
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