Color TV Game

The Color TV-Game is a series of home consoles produced by Nintendo in the late 1970s. First released in 1977, the Color TV-Game 6 was Nintendo’s first console and marked the company’s entry into the video game market. This first-generation console was co-developed with Mitsubishi Electric and featured six variations of the Pong game. The success of the Color TV-Game 6 led to the release of other versions, including the Color TV-Game 15, which offered 15 different games.

Curiosities

• Designed by Miyamoto: Shigeru Miyamoto, who later became famous for creating iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, had his first job at Nintendo working on the design of the Color TV-Game.
• Popularity in Japan: The Color TV-Game was extremely popular in Japan, selling over three million combined units of its various versions.
• Rapid Evolution: The Color TV-Game series was quickly succeeded by other consoles as technology advanced and the demand for more complex games increased.

Technical Specifications

• Manufacturer: Nintendo, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric
• Release: 1977 (Color TV-Game 6), 1978 (Color TV-Game 15), among others until 1980
• Models:
  • Color TV-Game 6
  • Color TV-Game 15
  • Color TV-Game Racing 112
  • Color TV-Game Block Breaker
  • Computer TV-Game
• Game Type: Mainly Pong variants (Color TV-Game 6 and 15), racing (Racing 112), block breaking (Block Breaker)
• Controllers: Built into the console; in the case of the Color TV-Game 6, two dial controllers
• Video Output: NTSC
• Power Supply: AC adapter

Impact and Legacy

The Color TV-Game represented a crucial step for Nintendo, establishing its presence in the video game industry and paving the way for future successes such as the Famicom (NES) and the Game Boy. This console is a reminder of how Nintendo started humbly, developing simple yet fun games, and evolved to become one of the largest powers in digital entertainment.