Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game

Lore & Background

The Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game was released in 1978 under the Palladium brand, which was Neckermann's technology and multimedia home brand. It is a PC-50x console, a family of first-generation systems that use cartridges containing the AY-3-8xxx chip instead of a CPU in the console itself. Two known models exist: the 825/530 and the 825/581. The 825/581 model features controllers with fire buttons, while the 825/530 model does not; their cases also differ slightly. The 825/530 model shipped with two controllers and four game cartridges: Kassette 603 (Autorennen, "Auto Race"), Kassette 606 (Tele-Bowling), Kassette 610 (10 Ballspiele, "10 Ball Games"), and Kassette 765 (Motoradrennen, "Motorcycle Race"). The console outputs color and plays sound through an internal speaker. It includes difficulty settings, auto/manual serve options, a reset button, ten game selection switches, and three buttons for changing game options. The exact predecessor console is difficult to determine due to unclear release dates, but many predecessors exist, including various Palladium Tele-Match models from 1977 and the Polygame Tele-Match. The first system's original console appears to be the MBO-Teleball-Cassetten-Game, manufactured in West Germany by MBO Schmidt & Niederleitner and released in the late 1970s. The Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game was also licensed and marketed under other names, such as the MBO-Teleball-Cassetten-Game (1977), Optim 600 by Optim (1978), and the TVG-3000 by Hanimex (1978).

Reader's Guide

The Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game represents a specific branch of the PC-50x family, a group of first-generation consoles that offloaded processing to cartridge-based chips. Its significance lies in its status as one of the few consoles licensed by General Instrument, and its release under multiple names—including the MBO-Teleball-Cassetten-Game, Optim 600, and TVG-3000—illustrates the widespread licensing practices of the era. The console's legacy is tied to the Palladium Family of Arcadia 2001 clones, which includes the Palladium Video Computer Game (its 1982 successor), the PolyBrain Video Computer Game, the HGS Electronic Mr. Altus, and the Trakton Computer Video Game (released in Australia). These consoles are compatible with each other. The Tele-Cassetten Game itself had seven known cartridges for the 825/581 model, covering genres such as ball and paddle gaming, submarine, cycling, car race, shooting gallery, wipeout, and tank battle. Its use of PC-50x cartridges aligns it with other European consoles like the SHG Black Point. The system's two models, the 825/530 and 825/581, show minor hardware variations, such as the addition of fire buttons on the latter. The console's power options—either a 9V DC adaptor or six C batteries—and its internal speaker were typical of the period. The existence of a contemporaneous Palladium Tele-Cassetten Game Color (1978) suggests a possible revision or successor released in the same year.

Did You Know?

• The console is powered by either a 9V DC 500 mA adaptor or six C/UM-2 batteries.
• Two models exist: the 825/530 (without fire buttons) and the 825/581 (with fire buttons).
• The 825/530 model shipped with four game cartridges: Auto Race, Tele-Bowling, 10 Ball Games, and Motorcycle Race.