Editing Magnavox Odyssey 2 (section)

==Design==
[[File:Philips Videopac G7200 with integrated monitor (RetroMadrid 2017).jpg|thumb|The Videopac G7200, unlike Videopac G7000, had a 9" (23 cm) black & white display built in.]]
The original [[Magnavox Odyssey|Odyssey]] had a number of removable [[printed circuit board|circuit cards]] that switched between the built-in games. With the Odyssey 2, each game could be a unique experience, with its own foreground graphics, gameplay, scoring, and [[video game music|music]] (some Odyssey 2 games were later re-released for the [[Philips Videopac+ G7400|G7400]] with added background and updated foreground graphics that the Odyssey 2 was not capable of displaying). The potential was enormous, as an unlimited number of games could be individually purchased; a game player could purchase a library of video games tailored to their own interest. Unlike any other system at that time, the Odyssey 2 included a full [[alphanumeric]] [[membrane keyboard]], which was to be used for [[educational game]]s, selecting options, or programming (Magnavox released a cartridge called ''Computer Intro!'' with the intent of teaching simple [[computer programming]]).

The Odyssey 2 used the standard [[joystick]] design of the 1970s and early [[1980s in video gaming|1980s]]: the original console had a moderately sized silver controller, held in one hand, with a square housing for its eight-direction stick that was manipulated with the other hand. Later releases had a similar black controller, with an 8-pointed star-shaped housing for its eight-direction joystick. In the upper corner of the joystick was a single 'Action' button, silver on the original controllers and red on the black controllers. The games, graphics and packaging were designed by Ron Bradford and Steve Lehner.<ref>[http://odyssey2.classicgaming.gamespy.com/articles/bradford/article.php Electronic Game Wizards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308053639/http://odyssey2.classicgaming.gamespy.com/articles/bradford/article.php |date=8 March 2008 }}</ref>

During the time of Odyssey 2's manufacturing, some came with controllers that could be plugged and unplugged from the back of the unit via their DB9 connector, while others had their controllers hardwired into the rear of the base unit itself.

One of the strongest points of the system was its [[speech synthesis]] unit, which was released as an add-on for speech, music, and sound effects enhancement. The area that the Odyssey 2 may be best remembered for was its pioneering fusion of [[board game|board]] and video games: ''The Master Strategy Series''. The first game released was ''[[Quest for the Rings|Quest for the Rings!]]'', with gameplay somewhat similar to ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', and a storyline reminiscent of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Later, two other games were released in this series, ''Conquest of the World'' and ''The Great Wall Street Fortune Hunt'', each with its own gameboard.

Its graphics and few color choices, compared to its biggest competitors at the time—the [[Atari 2600]], Mattel's [[Intellivision]] and the [[Bally Astrocade]]—were its "weakest point".<ref>"The Complete Guide to Conquering Video Games" by Jeff Rovin, [[Collier Books]], 1982</ref> Of these systems, the Odyssey 2 was listed by [[Jeff Rovin]] as being the third in total of sales, and one of the seven major video game suppliers.