Long before the Nintendo Game Boy was released, there was the MB Microvision. This handheld game console hit stores in November 1979, priced at $49.99 USD ($216 in 2024), and combined portability with a cartridge-based system.
Unlike the Game Boy, Milton Bradley’s Microvision did not contain an onboard processor (CPU), as each game included boasted its own processor within the removable cartridge. This meant that the console basically consisted of the controls, LCD panel and LCD controller. The cartridges featured both Intel 8021 and Texas Instruments TMS1100 processors. Before purchasing a used example online, just know that Microvision’s LCD is known for screen rot, or the condition where the liquid crystal spontaneously leaks and permanently darkens, resulting in a game unit that still plays, but unable to properly draw the screen.
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Another little detail about the European buttons is that seem to be universal when it comes to languages. So the same console could be sold to multiple regions without having to change the language on the buttons. Probably cheaper to do it like that and just print the instructions in the manual than the logistical nightmare of having 20 different kind of language prints variants,” said one commenter.
