The VTech CreatiVision is a hybrid computer and home video game console introduced by VTech in 1981 and released in 1982 during the second generation of video game consoles. The hybrid unit was similar in concept to computers such as the APF Imagination Machine, the older VideoBrain Family Computer, and to a lesser extent the Intellivision game console and Coleco Adam computer, all of which anticipated the trend of video game consoles becoming more like low-end computers. It was discontinued in 1986.
History The CreatiVision was distributed in many European countries, including most German-speaking countries like West Germany, Austria and Switzerland and also Italy, South Africa, and Israel under the Educat 2002 name, as well as in Australia and New Zealand under The Dick Smith Wizzard name. Other names for the system (all officially produced by VTech themselves) include the FunVision Computer Video Games System, Hanimex Rameses (both released in Australia and New Zealand) and VZ 2000 (planned for release in France, likely unreleased). All CreatiVision and similar clones were designed for use with PAL standard television sets, except the Japanese CreatiVision (distributed by Cheryco) which was NTSC, a USA release was planned.. It is now very sought by collectors.
The CreatiVision console sports an 8-bit Rockwell 6502 CPU at a speed of 2 MHz, 1KB of RAM and 16KB of Video RAM, and has a graphics resolution of 256 × 192 with 15 colors and 32 sprites. The console has two integrated joystick/membrane keypad controllers (much like the ColecoVision and Atari 5200) which, when set in a special compartment on top of the console, can be used as a computer keyboard. The CreatiVision has interfaces for a cassette player, an extra rubber keyboard, parallel I/O interface, floppy disk drive and modem (likely unreleased) and one memory expansion module for use with the Basic language cartridge. Any Centronics-compatible printer can be connected to the I/O module if present.
The CreatiVision was discontinued in late 1985/early 1986.
Laser 2001 computer
A computer was produced by VTech in 1984-1986, based on CreatiVision hardware and compatible with most of its games: Laser 2001, which is also sold in West Germany and was brought to France. It was also available in Finland through Salora, with the name of Manager. The Manager had a Finnish keyboard layout and character set.
Colecovision module
A module to allow ColecoVision games to be played was designed for use with the CreatiVision Mark-2 model (a later revision of the 1st model, incorporating hardware changes specifically designed to make the Coleco-module work). Before being produced, the module was modified internally and released for use on the Laser 2001 and Manager computers only. A special adaptor (homebrew) would be needed to make the Coleco-module work on the CreatiVision Mark-2.
List of games
In some regions, the console and its games were distributed by different companies, such as Cheryco in Japan, and Hanimex in Australia. VTech reissued several previous existing games in 1985.
There were eighteen titles known to have been released.
# Title AKA title(s) Genre(s) Clone of Release year 1 SubmarineAir/Sea Battle Fixed shooter 1981 2 Astro Pinball Pinball None 1982 3 Auto Chase Car Chase Maze, Driving Rally-X 1981 4 BASIC Interpreter 1.0 Programming None 1982 5 Chopper Rescue Scrolling shooter 1983 6 Crazy Paku Maze Pac-Man (with modified gameplay) 1982 7 Crazy Pucker Reissued as Crazy Chewy and Crazy Moonie Maze Pac-Man 1981 8 Deep Sea Adventure Scrolling shooter Defender 1982 9 Locomotive Platformer BurgerTime 1983 10 Puzzle Guttang Gottong 1982 11 Music Maker Music None 1983 12 Planet Defender Earth Defense Force (Chikyū Bōeigun)Galaxy Defender Scrolling shooter Defender 1981 13 Platformer Donkey Kong 1982 14 Soccer Sports None 1983 15 Invaders Fixed shooter Space Invaders 1981 16 Stone Age Puzzle Pengo 1984 17 Tank Battle Multi-directional shooter Combat (video game)]] || 1981 |- | 18 || || Who's for Tennis? Sports None 1981
Dick Smith Electronics also released software for the device, including forty one games.
TitleFormatModelAsteroidsModel X-7248Attack of the Killer TomatoesModel X-7274BackammonModel X-7273BattleshipsModel X-1723Bowling ModelModel X-1724ChessModel X-7275Code BreakerModel X-1700CombinationModel X-1720ConcentrationModel X-1725Dawn PatrolModel X-7333DigoutModel X-7336Dracula CastleModel X-7272DraughtsModel X-1722DuelModel X-7279Factory Flare-uptapeModel X-1728Formula 1Model X-7331GalaxonModel X-7332Game Disk 1Model X-7400Game Disk 2Model X-7401Game Disk 3Model X-7402Game Disk 4Model X-7403Grandfathers GoldtapeModel X-1726Hamburger SamModel X-7337HangmanModel X-7233HoppyModel X-7243KamakaziModel X-7334Knights & DragonsModel X-7245Ladder ChallengeModel X-7268Lunar LanderModel X-7338Lunar LandingModel X-1721Metric SpycactherModel X-7289Missile AttackModel X-7335OthelloModel X-7271PokerModel X-7232Slot MachineModel X-7234StarblasterModel X-7247Super SnakeModel X-7244VZ Ghost HunterModel X-7242VZ PanicModel X-7270VZ-InvadersModel X-7239Whizkid SpycatchModel X-7290
References
External links
CreatiVEmu: CreatiVision Emulation Central Creativision Datasette Interface
Video Game Console Library database entry 20th Century Retro Games entry (gallery page for many VTech CreatiVision models and regional variants) Retrospective: A Tale Of Dick Smith’s Wizzard (AUSRETROGAMER E-Zine. May 9, 2016 by Aaron Clement.) VTech CreatiVision core for MiSTer FPGA by Jamie Blanks