part0020

Released in January of 1977, which was mere months after the debut of the Fairchild Channel F system, RCA’s Studio II beat the Atari 2600 (then the Atari VCS) to the market by almost a year. Retailing for $149.95 with cartridges ranging in price from $14.95 to $19.95, the system seemed like a poor deal from the start, offering primitive, black-and-white pong variants, educational titles, and a few meager attempts at arcade-like games. Five programs were built into the system itself, but only 10 cartridges made it to store shelves.

The RCA Studio II was a small, sleekly designed game system colored beige and tan with gold and silver trim. It was equipped with a pair of numeric keypad controllers for use in entering numbers and commands and manipulating the various racecars, missiles, baseball players, and other onscreen images. As with the Odyssey2 and the Intellivision (systems that were released well after the Studio II), the controllers were hardwired into the console, meaning when a controller broke down, players couldn’t simply plug in another one. And, like early versions of the Fairchild Channel F, the audio came out of a small speaker within the system itself (as opposed to the television speaker), giving the games a slight, tinny sound.

Less than a year after it was released, the Studio II was dead in the proverbial water. It was under-promoted, underpowered, and suffered from a distinct lack of fun titles. Even its moderately enjoyable games grew monotonous after just a few minutes of play. Incidentally, there was never a system called “RCA Studio” or “RCA Studio I,” despite the Studio II’s sequel-like title.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Educational/Math, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

One of the most basic video games ever produced for any post–Odyssey console, Addition displays three numbers on the screen, prompting players to figure out as quickly as possible the total of those three numbers added together. The first to enter the correct answer into the keypad wins. The quicker the entry, the higher the score for that turn. After 20 turns, the game is over. Addition is one of five games built into the RCA Studio II system.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Sports/Bowling, 1 or 2 players (alternating). 1977.

This simple bowling game (which is built into the RCA unit) lets players roll the ball straight or hook it left or right. When the game begins, the ball moves up and down on the left side of the screen (the 10 pins are on the right side of the screen), and players should push the appropriate button when the ball is in the desired position. An onscreen scorecard keeps track of player totals, but scoring is more simplistic than in real bowling. Strikes are worth 20 points while spares are worth 15.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Art, 1 player. 1977.

One of five games built into the RCA Studio II console, Doodle is a rudimentary art program that lets players draw on their TV screens in eight directions by simply pressing buttons on the keypad. The onscreen cursor/marker is also used for erasing. Doodle can be combined with Patterns (also built into the system) to created limited effects, such as drawing over previous doodles and turning sections of the screen white.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Formula-1/ Indy Racing, 1 player. 1977.

This early racecar game has players driving up a straightaway, steering frequently to avoid a computer-controlled car that moves in relatively complex patterns. Naturally, crashes slow the progress of the player’s car. Races last two minutes, and gamers are given points based on average speed and total mileage. Freeway is one of five games built into the RCA Studio II system.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Art, 1 player. 1977.

Built into the RCA Studio II console, Patterns is an unusual design simulator that lets players enter simple or complex sequences into the keypad, then watch those sequences appear as designs on the screen. Up to 130 keypad entries can be made before the computer starts automatically displaying the completed design.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Non-Scrolling Shooter, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

This marginally enjoyable game depicts one cannon on the bottom left corner of the playfield and one on the bottom right. These cannons fire at blocky, indiscernible objects. Horizontal Intercept mode, in which the player shoots guided missiles at large and small UFOs, is strictly solo action, while Vertical Intercept mode, which features ricocheting missiles, lets two players in on the fun.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Number Puzzle, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

Fun with Numbers contains three simple, yet playable games: Guess the Number, Guess the Number—Two Player, and Reverse. The first game, which is similar to Mastermind , lets players guess a three digit number within 20 turns, with the computer giving clues (such as “one digit is correct but is not in the proper position”) along the way. The second game is like the first, but players must guess their opponent’s number. Lastly, Reverse gives players 30 turns to put the numbers one through nine in the correct order by reversing groupings of those numbers.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Ball-and-Paddle, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

Tennis is a Pong clone that lets players select from three different racquet sizes and three different ball speeds. Handicapping is allowable in that better players can use a smaller racquet. Moving the paddle just as the ball hits it puts a little English on the ball, giving the game some strategy. Squash is essentially a one-player version of Pong , with gamers rebounding the ball off of a wall instead of to another player. Squash ends when the gamer reaches 200 points.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Sports/Baseball, 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

As with most RCA Studio II games, Baseball has terrible graphics comprised of blocky, unrecognizable shapes. The game lets two players pitch (straight, right hook, or left hook), field the ball, bat (including foul balls), and run bases. Monotony usually sets in before nine innings have been played.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Non-Scrolling Shooter, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

Similar to Midway’s Gunfight (arcade, 1975), Gunfighter is an Old West shootout in which players shoot at one another while dodging each other’s bullets. The action is limited, however, as each player can only move vertically (one player on the left, one on the right). On the other hand, bullets are unlimited, and players can fire one fast bullet at a time or two slow bullets. A cactus in the middle of the screen provides some cover. The player who has scored the most hits after two minutes wins the game. Moonship Battle is a two-player game in which each gamer pilots a spaceship in all directions around the screen, firing at the other spaceship. Getting hit by a “rocket” (which is more like a missile) or colliding with the other ship costs the player five energy units. Flying and firing also consume energy, but only one unit per action.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Formula-1/ Indy Racing, 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

Speedway is a simplistic racing game in which each player races a square car around a track. Hitting a wall or running into the opponent slows down the player’s car, and the first car to complete nine laps wins the race. Tag has players (represented by squares) taking turns chasing each other, with each tag being worth 10 points. The first player to 300 wins the game. Both Tag and Speedway offer four-way control.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Gambling, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

In Blackjack for the Studio II, players begin with $200 and can place bets ranging from $1 to $10. The dealer hands each player two cards, and players may draw up to an additional five cards (“hit me!”) for a total of seven. Gamers can double down after their two cards have been dealt, but that player can only receive one more card after doing so. As in real blackjack, the objective is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, and a natural 21 (an ace and a card worth 10 points) is the best hand possible. The dealer will always stick on a hard 17 and always draw when his total is 16 or less. Predictably, the cards (two 52-card decks are used) display simple numbers and letters, but not actual suits. The game ends when both players are out of money or when one player has accumulated $999.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Fortune Teller Simulator, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

This virtual biorhythm machine lets players enter the birthdates of anyone born between the years of 1 A.D. and 9,999 A.D. The reason to do this is to check the person in question’s physical, emotional, and intellectual life cycles, which supposedly affect that person’s life on a given day, depending on where they are in a cycle. Counting from the day of birth, the physical life cycle is 23 days, the emotional is 28, and the intellectual is 33. The game is recommended only for those interested in outdated pseudo-sciences.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Educational/Math/General, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

Packaged in an oversized box, this game comes with manuals containing questions in two categories: Social Studies, which includes geography, history, government, map reading, cultures, and graph interpretation; and Mathematics, which includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, measurement, logic, and Roman numerals. Onscreen letters and numbers correspond with the questions in the manuals, and players should try to answer the questions as quickly as possible.

PUBLISHER: RCA. DEVELOPER: RCA. Educational/Math, 1 or 2 players (simultaneous). 1977.

This sequel to TV Schoolhouse I lets players challenge the computer or an opponent in solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. The quicker the answer, the more points the player will score. By guessing the correct answer within 1.5 seconds, the player will earn the maximum 10 points. Options in the game include response time and difficulty level.