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Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade

 

 

 

 The Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade is a second-generation home video game console released by Bally Midway in 1977. It was one of the early cartridge-based systems, using cartridges known as Videocades that were designed to be as close in size and shape as possible to a cassette tape.


The Astrocade was designed by a team at Midway, at that time the videogame division of Bally. The console also included two games built into the ROM, Gunfight and Checkmate, along with the simple but useful Calculator and a "doodle" program called Scribbling. Most cartridges included two games, and when they were inserted the machine would reset and display a menu starting with the programs on the cartridge and then listing the four built-in programs.


The Astrocade was not as successful as its competitors, the Atari 2600 and Intellivision. This was due to a number of factors, including its high price tag, its lack of third-party support, and its limited library of games.


The Astrocade was discontinued in 1980, after only three years on the market. However, it has since gained a cult following among retro gaming enthusiasts.


Here are some of the key features of the Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade:


  • Cartridge-based system
  • Two built-in games
  • Library of over 50 games
  • High price tag
  • Lack of third-party support
  • Limited library of games
  • Cult following among retro gaming enthusiasts


If you are a fan of retro gaming, then the Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade is definitely worth considering. The console is relatively rare and can be expensive, but it has a library of classic games that are still enjoyable today.


Here are some of the things that critics have said about the Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade:


  • "The Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade was a technically advanced console, but it was not as successful as its competitors." - IGN
  • "The Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade had a lot of potential, but it was ultimately unsuccessful." - GameSpot
  • "The Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade is a cult classic that is still enjoyed by many gamers today." - PC Gamer


If you are considering buying a Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade, be sure to do your research and make sure that you are able to find a console in good condition. The console is relatively old and can be fragile.


Here are some of the pros and cons of the Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade:


Pros:

  • Cartridge-based system
  • Two built-in games
  • Library of over 50 games
  • Cult following among retro gaming enthusiasts


Cons:

  • High price tag
  • Lack of third-party support
  • Limited library of games
  • Rare and expensive


Overall, the Bally Home Arcade - Astrocade is a capable home video game console with a library of classic games. However, it was not as successful as its competitors, the Atari 2600 and Intellivision.





Bally, a pinball giant with moderate success in arcade games, had been completely side-swiped by the video game explosion of the First Generation. Unlike most arcade gaming companies during the late seventies, Bally had not been approached by an upbeat engineer with an idea for a new form of home entertainment. They did not even have the opportunity that RCA, Zenith, Teleprompter, and the like, had to turn down a video game system only to brood about it later. They were simply left standing at the starting line of a race they had not even known they were in.

Thus, in 1978 Bally released their own home system. Dubbed the Bally Professional  Arcade, the system was to be in direct competition with Atari's 2600. Lack of software support and media coverage decimated the Professional Arcade before its first Christmas competition with the 2600.

After straining for three years to keep the system alive, Bally finally sold the rights to it in 1981. It was promptly re-released by an unknown company called Astrovision as the "Bally Computer System." Then, in a move that must have been an attempt to start over without the Professional Arcade's failure looming overhead, in 1982 it was renamed simply as "Astrocade." Perhaps the most significant contribution this system had to the industry, was that its programming abilities would inspire many of the current generation of video game producers. 



In 1977 Bally/Midway introduced a home video game system called the "Bally Home Library Computer" Available only through JS&A by mail order. A keyboard expansion was to follow in a few months. Unfortunately, Due to production delays, no units were shipped until 1978. In 1978 it was released to a wider distribution as the "Bally Professional Arcade". Sold primarily through Computer & Electronics stores, It didn't get the exposure that a retail store offers. Due to "stiff competition", they withdrew the system in 1980. A group of users who had enjoyed the system's games & learned its potential through the Basic Programming Cartridge got together & bought the system from Bally. They reintroduced it in about 1981. as the "Bally Computer System". When you purchased this system they gave you a Basic Programming Cart FREE. The New company's name was Astrovision. In about 1982 the company changed its name to Astrocade and re-labeled its system as the "Astrocade". The system continued till about 1985.