???? – 1985retired
ColecoVision
“It played its rivals' games better than they did — that's a hell of a party trick.”
“It played your VHS tapes like they were games. Honestly, it tried.”
The Action Max was a home video game console that used VHS tapes for its games, made by Worlds of Wonder, the toy company. For a brief moment, it promised a living room where your video collection could double as a gaming library. That idea alone was enough to win a special place in people's hearts.
It arrived in 1987, and like many bold ideas of its era, it didn't stick around long. The system saw only a limited release outside the U.S., and Worlds of Wonder retired it that same year. What's left behind is the memory of a machine that dreamed big on a VHS budget.
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“It played its rivals' games better than they did — that's a hell of a party trick.”
“It had Vision in the name, cassette in the heart, and Japan in its corner”
“It typed, it played, it dreamed of being both — rest well, hybrid heart.”