Video Game Gazette
In the late 70s Bally Manufacturing Corp. released a computer gaming system called the Bally Pro Arcade. In the early 80s Astrovision liscenced the rights to the system from Bally. In 1982 Astrovision became Astrocade Inc. The system was renammed the Astrocade Professional Arcade.
The systems are identical except for their metal logos. The unit pictured here has the original Bally Computer System logo. Another logo consists of the text Astrocade written in yellow and white. A third logo is divided in two, like the one pictured. The first part has astrocade written in script and the second part has The Professional Arcade in a pixelized font.
The Astrocade was the first system to support the use of four controllers. The controllers themselves have a pistol grip and trigger. They are somewhat similar to the Fairchild Channel F controllers. They have a dial at the top to control horizontal movement. In this respect they are reminiscient of the Magnavox Odyssey controllers. However, the dial is mounted on a lever that controls vertical movment.
Like the Fairchild Channel F, the Astrocade has a compartment to store the controllers and games that is covered by a translucent cap. The games are stored on tape like cartridges.
The Astrocade features three built in games and a calculator. The first is called Gunfight, and is a western shoot em up similar to combat. The second is called Checkmate, and is the patriarch of the Snake games that are popular on cell phones. The third is a drawing program called Scribbling.
The system includes an AC adaptor that is hardwired to the unit, two controllers, and an overlay for the calculator for scribbling. A deluxe version of the system could be purchased for $299.95 that came with a BASIC programming cartridge that could store data on a tape player. A Z Grass 100 computer keyboard, and sets of two controllers were available for purchase separately.
