The TV Boy and its successors TV Boy II and Super TV Boy are unlicensed handheld Atari 2600 clones, distributed by many different companies. They were widely available across Europe, particularly in the UK where they were available through Argos. An improved version of the TV Boy II, called the Super TV Boy, was made by Akor in 1995.
Users can play any one of 127 built-in games. In the UK, they were marketed with "126 games included"; the Super TV Boy has "127 games included" printed on the packing box.
Hardware
Resembling a large handheld pad, the systems plug into a TV and operate on either four AA batteries or a 6v power supply. The only difference between a TV Boy and TV Boy II is that the former has two 9-pin, Atari-type joystick connectors for the optional use of external joysticks. The TV Boy II has no capacity for external joysticks, so only a single player may play using a built-in pad. Any 2 player only games would have both players respond to the same controls. The system has a jumper labeled NTSC/PAL on its motherboard. There is no cartridge slot for additional games.
Games
The system contains a single 512kB ROM housing 128 programs. One is the menu that enables the others to be selected, so only 127 games are included; none of them use any sort of paged ROM scheme.
All 127 are original Atari 2600 games by companies such as Atari, Activision, and Mattel, hacked to remove copyright notices and other assets demonstrating ownership. The colored bars to the left of the A in the Activision logo remain in some games but the company name is excised. False and ambiguous names — such as Mad Kong (Donkey Kong) and The Flying Man (Superman) — are printed on the packing box and in the instruction manual.
In the UK, one game originally included with the TV Boy was removed from some models of the TV Boy II: game #91: Protection (Defender). No replacement game takes its place (it was left non-operational) making the TV Boy 2 a 126-game handheld console. This space was filled in the Super TV Boy with Winter Adventure (Mountain Man). Also, three games were exchanged in the UK: Maze Town (Maze Craze) with Full Attack, Football (Pele's Soccer) with Besieged (Z-Tack), and Duel (Outlaw) with Laser Attack (Laser Blast).
Some of the games slightly alter the graphics of the originals. Many games use the wrong color palette — for example, Pitfall! (retitled as The Jungle) is set in a blue forest — these game ROMs are the NTSC versions played on a PAL console.
List of included games
- Desert Strike - Chopper Command (Activision) - 1982 (001)
- River Raid - River Raid (Activision) - 1982 (002)
- Pacmania (1) - Pac-Man (Atari) - 1981 (003)
- Wolf Fight - Pooyan (Konami) - 1983 (004)
- Star Force - Earth Dies Screaming (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (005)
- Asteroid - Mission 3000 (Puzzy/Bit) - previously PAL only - 1983 (006)
- Space 2010 - Demon Attack (Imagic) - 1982 (007)
- Invasion - Space Invaders (Atari) - Original release 1978 ported in 1980 (008)
- Motocross - Motocross (Suntek) - Year unknown (009)
- The Frogs - Frogs 'N Flies (M Network) - 1982 (010)
- Helicopter Squad - Time Warp (Funvision) - 1982 (011)
- The Birds - Curtiss (Suntek) - Year unknown (012)
- The Jungle - Mr. Postman (Puzzy/Bit) - 1983 (013)
- Submarine - Katastrophen-Einsatz (Quelle) - the German version of Fox's M*A*S*H* (014)
- Pacmania (2) - Jawbreaker (Tigervision) - 1982 (015)
- River Crossing - Frogger (Parker Bros.) - 1983 (016)
- Tank Battle - Thunderground (Sega) - 1983 (017)
- Fire! - Fire Fighter (Imagic) - 1982 (018)
- Forest Walk - Pitfall! (Activision) - 1982 (019)
- The Sharks - Seaquest (Activision) - 1983 (020)
- Pin Ball - Video Pinball (Atari) - 1980 (021)
- Sea Hunter - Sub Scan (Sega) - 1983 (022)
- Dragon Treasure - Dragonfire (Imagic) - 1982 (023)
- The Dentist - Plaque Attack (Activision) - 1983 (024)
- Mad Kong - Donkey Kong (Coleco) - 1982 (025)
- The Gardener - Gopher (US Games) - does not appear on the TV Boy - 1982 (026)
- Forest Battle - Nuts (Technovision) - previously PAL only - 1983 (027)
- Space Conquest - Flash Gordon (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (028)
- F1 Race - Enduro (Atari) - 1983 (029)
- Treasure - Criminal Pursuit (ZiMAG/Vidco/Emag) - Year unknown (030)
- Symbols - I.Q. Memory Teaser (Suntek) - 1983 (031)
- The Hen House - Farmyard Fun (Suntek) - previously PAL only - Year unknown (032)
- Rescue - Zoo Fun (Suntek) - 1983 (033)
- Duck Pass - Challenge (Funvision) - 1980 (034)
- Thief! - Keystone Kapers (Activision) - 1983 (035)
- Bowling - Bowling (Atari) - 1978 (036)
- Brick Wall - Circus Atari (Atari) - 1980 (037)
- Rodeo - Stampede (Activision) - 1981 (038)
- Space Battle - M.A.D. (US Games) - 1982 (039)
- Parachute - Parachute (Suntek) - 1983 (040)
- Monsters - Berzerk (Atari) - 1982 (041)
- Lost Ships - Worm War I (Sirius-Fox) - 1982 (042)
- The Maze - Dodge 'Em (Atari) - 1980 (043)
- Around The World - Bobby Is Going Home (Puzzy/Bit) - previously PAL only - 1983 (044)
- The Ladder - Master Builder (Spectravision) - 1983 (045)
- Rambler - Walker (A.K.A. Clown Down Town) (Suntek) - 1983 {046}
- Space Defence - UFO Patrol (Suntek) - 1983 (047)
- Evil Fighter - Immies & Aggies (ZiMAG/Vidco/Emag) - 1983 (048)
- Flying saucers - Great Escape (Bomb) - 1983 (049)
- Town Attack - Z-Tack (Bomb) - 1983 (050)
- Fire Dragon - Dragon Defender (Suntek) - 1983 (051)
- Chinese Plates - Dancing Plate (Puzzy/Bit) - 1983 (052)
- River Crossing - Frostbite (Activision) - 1983 (053)
- Base Defenses - Commando Raid (Vidtec) - 1982 (054)
- Wolf! - Oink! (Activision) - 1983 (055)
- The Mouse - Snail Against Squirrel (Puzzy/Bit) - previously PAL only - 1983 (056)
- Maze Town - Maze Craze (Atari) - 1980 (057)
- Ice Polo - Ice Hockey (Activision) - 1981 (058)
- Tennis - Tennis (Activision) - 1981 (059)
- Sea War - Sea Monster (Puzzy/Bit) - 1982 (060)
- Volley Ball - Realsports Volleyball (Atari) - 1982 (061)
- Evil Attack - Spider Fighter (Activision) - 1983 (062)
- Rocket - Missile Control (Video Gems) - previously PAL only - 1983 (063)
- Besieged - Wall Defender (Bomb) - does not appear on the TV Boy - 1983 (064)
- The Spider - Amidar (Parker Bros.) - 1982 (065)
- Fly In The Sky - Barnstorming (Activision) - 1982 (066)
- Car Race - Grand Prix (Activision) - 1982 (067)
- The Flying Man - Superman (Atari) - 1979 (068)
- Robot Attack - Space Robot (Dimax) - previously PAL only - 1983 (069)
- Robot City - Lock 'n' Chase (M Network) - 1982 (070)
- The Ghosts - Venture (Coleco) - 1982 (071)
- Space Ship - Cosmic Ark (Imagic) - 1982 (072)
- Tank Action - Strategy X (Konami) - 1983 (073)
- Laser Ship - Cross Force (Spectravision) - 1982 (074)
- One Against all - Planet Patrol (Spectravision) - 1982 (075)
- Golf - Golf (Atari) - 1980 (076)
- Robot Strike - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Parker Bros.) - 1982 (077)
- Street Battle - Dark Cavern (M Network) - 1982 (078)
- Tunnel - Pharaoh's Curse (TechnoVision) - 1983 (079)
- Operation Thunderstorm - Turmoil (20th Century Fox) - 1982 (080)
- Sky Squadron - Tac-Scan (Sega) - 1983 (081)
- Spiderman - Spider Man (Parker Bros.) - 1982 (082)
- Maze Craze - Bank Heist (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (083)
- Earth 2010 - Space Cavern (Apollo) - 1981 (084)
- The Shield - Spacemaster X-7 (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (085) (?)
- Sea Warp - Atlantis (Imagic) - 1982 (086)
- Holy Ghost - Open, Sesame! (Puzzy/Bit) - 1982 (087)
- Funfair Rifle Range - Carnival (Coleco) - 1982 (088)
- Laser Tank - Threshold (Tigervision) - 1982 (089)
- Luke And The Monsters - Fast Eddie (20th Century Fox) - graphics altered from original - 1982 (090)
- Protection - Defender (091) - Not included on UK release
- Tic-Tac-Toe - 3D Tic Tac Toe (Atari) - 1980 (092)
- UFO Ship - Assault (Bomb) - 1983 (093)
- Birds Of Prey - Condor Attack (Ultravision) - 1982 (094)
- Deep-Sea Fishing - Name This Game (A.K.A. Octopus) (US Games) - 1982 (095)
- Spider King - Pac-Kong (Funvision) - previously PAL only (096)
- The Crabs - Crackpots (Activision) - 1983 (097)
- Billiard - Trick Shot (Imagic) - 1982 (098)
- Moon Driver - Gas Hog (Spectravision) - 1983 (099)
- Tank Battle in The Streets - Phantom Tank (Puzzy/Bit) - 1982 (100)
- Squash - Racquetball (Apollo) - 1981 (101)
- Tunnel Battle - Laser Gates (Imagic) - 1983 (102)
- Space Exploration - Cosmic Creeps (Telesys) - 1982 (103)
- King Building - Robin Hood or Save Our Ship (Technovision) - Previously PAL only - 1983 (104)
- Galaxy 2 - Challenge of NEXAR (Spectravision) - 1982 (105)
- Tom's Adventure - Panda Chase (Home Vision) - 1983 (106)
- Moto Kid - Mega Force (20th Century Fox) - 1982 (107)
- Karate - Karate (Ultravision) - 1982 (108)
- Sky Destroyer - Missile Command (Atari) - 1981 (109)
- Fighter Pilot - Air Raiders (M Network) - 1982 (110)
- Pacific War - Seahawk (Sancho / Tang's Electronic Co.) - 1982 (111)
- Robot Alert! - Hey! Stop! (Suntek) (112)
- The Vulture - Tuby Bird (Suntek) (113)
- Submarine Fishing - Bi! Bi! (Rainbow Vision) (114)
- River Fishing - Fishing Derby (Activision) - 1980 (115)
- Traffic - Freeway (video game) (Activision) - 1981 (116)
- UFO Attack - Space Jockey (Vidtec) - 1982 (117)
- Game Of Draughts - Checkers (Activision) - 1980 (118)
- Duel - Outlaw (Atari) - 1978 (119)
- Ottello - Othello (Atari) - 1980 (120)
- Sideral attack - Cosmic Swarm (CommaVid) - 1982 (121)
- Ski - Skiing (Activision) - 1980 (122)
- Invaders - Astro War (Dimax) - previously PAL only - Year unknown (123)
- The Trap - Gangster Alley (Spectravision) - 1982 (124)
- Elevator - Infiltrate (Apollo) - 1981 (125)
- Hamburger - Fast Food (Telesys) - 1982 (126)
- Invader - Megamania (Activision) - 1982 (127)
| This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors). |