Children's Discovery System
{{Short description|Educational handheld game console}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Children's Discovery System
| title =
| aka =
| logo =
| image = File:Childrens Discovery System - Image - 1981.jpg
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| manufacturer = Mattel
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| type =
| generation = Second
| releasedate = {{Start date|1981|09}}
| lifespan =
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| discontinued = 1984
| unitssold =
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| media = Learning Module ROM cartridges
| power =
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| memory = 2k RAM
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| display = LCD 16x48
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| input = Membrane keyboard
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The Mattel Children's Discovery System is an early electronic educational toy product released by Mattel in 1981. The Children's Discovery System was targeted toward children aged 6 to 11{{cite web |title=Mattel 1981 Toy Fair catalog |url=https://www.handheldmuseum.com/Mattel/Mattel1981/Mattel81_10.htm |website=Handheld Game Museum}} and mimicked the look of a contemporary consumer-grade computer.
History
The system was developed by Mattel with the help of UCLA professor Dr. Gordon L. Berry, who was chief educational consultant on the project.{{Cite magazine |date=February 1982 |title=Computing Considerations |url=https://archive.org/details/PersonalComputing198202/page/n89?q=Children%27s+Discovery+system |magazine=Personal Computing |page=88}}
It was announced at the American International Toy Fair in February 1981{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-09/page/n279?q=Children%27s+Discovery+system|title = Creative Computing Magazine (September 1981) Volume 07 Number 09|date = September 1981}} and released later that year around October.{{Cite news |date=October 9, 1981 |title= The Philadelphia Inquirer 09 Oct 1981, page Page 39|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/174015405/}}{{Cite news |date=October 7, 1981 |title= Daily News 07 Oct 1981, page 122|work=Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/490062184/}} The system cost around $125 at launch.{{cite news |last1=Freedman |first1=Alix M. |title=ELECTRONIC GAMES: DO THEY HELP? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/15/education/electronic-games-do-they-help.html |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=15 November 1981}}
One review noted how small the screen resolution was, which limited it severely, and how slow the system was to start up. The included game modes on the console were also criticized: the type mode did not provide feedback on its word games, music mode was described as "pointless" due to its simplicity and that the music is represented by letter graphics instead of notes. The art mode, however, was praised for being a good introduction to computer graphics, although the process of drawing pixel-by-pixel was described as tedious.{{Cite magazine |last=Staples |first=Betsy |date=December 1981 |title=Children's Discovery System |url=https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1981-12/page/n63/mode/2up?q=Children%27s+Discovery+system |magazine=Creative Computing Magazine |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=60–64}}
In September 1982, a marketing campaign was initiated with celebrity endorsement from the Smothers Brothers, claiming that the system could make parents "Get a smarter kid in 60 days. Or your money back", with purchase of the system and two modules made from September 1 to December 31, 1982.{{Cite news |date=December 15, 1982 |title= St. Louis Post-Dispatch 15 Dec 1982, page Page 12|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/139985771/}}
In May 1984, Jell-O had 1000 units as part of a prize pool for a sweepstake until June 30.{{Cite news |date=May 23, 1984 |title= Times-Advocate 23 May 1984, page 47|work=Times-Advocate |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/569141832/}} In the Fall of 1984, Mattel liquidated the remaining 8000 units and learning modules to DAK Industries, where they sold through mail order a bundle that included the console with 14 learning modules for $79, nearly the entire library of games.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/1984-Fall-DAK-Catalog/page/n7 |title=Fall 84 |publisher=DAK Industries Incorporated |year=1984 |chapter=Children's Discovery System}} It later appeared in a Lionel Kiddie City sale in December 1985 for $29.91.{{Cite news |date=December 19, 1985 |title= The Salt Lake Tribune 19 Dec 1985, page 57|work=The Salt Lake Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/613719819/}}
Specifications
The Children's Discovery System used a 16-by-48 matrix LCD screen{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Benj |date=June 26, 2011 |title=Kids' Computers Through the Ages |work=PCWorld |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/485677/kidscomputers.html |access-date=19 May 2022}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ggdb.com/GameByName.aspx?c=Handheld&s=Other&l=C&vid=6592 |title=The Great Game Database - Mattel Children's Discovery System |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711092209/http://www.ggdb.com/GameByName.aspx?c=Handheld&s=Other&l=C&vid=6592 |archive-date=2011-07-11 }} and was powered by six size AA alkaline batteries.{{cite web |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/accession/102630217 |title=Computer History Museum - The Children's Discovery System computerized learning system |access-date=2008-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001165521/http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/accession/102630217 |archive-date=2012-10-01 |url-status=dead }} The screen was much wider than it was tall, therefore only a grid of 8-by-2 text was possible, allowing for a maximum of 16 characters on-screen at any given moment.
The unit came preprogrammed with three modes: art mode, music mode and type mode. The Discovery System came with a specially laid-out membrane keyboard to better accommodate the built-in modes and also made use of keyboard overlays for use with expansion modules. Also included with the unit was a large activity book with over 100 suggested learning activities specially-tailored for the Discovery System.{{cite web |url=http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Mattel/Mattel1981/Mattel1981-10.jpg |title=Handheld Game Museum - Children's Discovery System (Mattel 1981 catalog)}}
Expansion module cartridges
Besides the three included modes on the console, one could buy other game cartridges with different games. Each cartridge is numbered from 1 to 21, and all have the Discoveries in ---- Learning Fun Module name, where the ---- is the name of the actual game and what is written on the cartridge. Each module has several different modes for different games, and an age range depending on the content.
Although the system was advertised alongside 21 different modules since the beginning, all 21 were not ready at launch, with only 8 titles available by late 1982. Others were developed and released at later dates. It is currently unknown if all the modules were even developed or released.
Each box is a different color, and collecting them together creates a color gradient with the spines. Photos of different children are used in the front of each box.
:{{Legend|| outline = #FFFFFF|size=50%|Background shading indicates the color of the box and number on the spine of each game. }}
| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" | ||||
| scope="col" | #
! scope="col" | Code ! scope="col" | Age range ! scope="col" | Fun module ! scope="col" | Game modes listed in the box | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background: #420E12; color: #738203;" | 1 | 1606 | 6–11 | Math I | *Calculator
|
| style="background: #8A0808; color: #C58900;" | 2 | 3349 | 6–11 | Arcade Action I | *Racers
|
| style="background: #A50011; color: #D65706;" | 3 | 1607 | 6–8 | Words I | *Computerized word games with 4 fun ways to play! |
| style="background: #7F1229; color: #C92D00;" | 4 | 1609 | 6–11 | Art | *Pixturir
|
| style="background: #970641; color: #C42D02;" | 5 | 1608 | 6–11 | Music | *Create, play and learn music with a fun, computerized sound! |
| style="background: #B50728; color: #C85002;" | 6 | 3346 | 9–11 | Words II | *Word games for the older child with 4 fun ways to play! |
| style="background: #A60308; color: #D14B02;" | 7 | 3731 | 6–11 | Arcade Action II | *Target action excitement in 4 computer arcade games. |
| style="background: #014BAC; color: #C80066;" | 8 | 3733 | 6–11 | Memory And Logic | *Secret Code
|
| style="background: #0083B7; color: #058D1E;" | 9 | 3732 | 6–11 | Geography I | *Mystery Nation
|
| style="background: #E08E06; color: #900956;" | 10 | 3734 | 6–11 | Foods | *Pick A Food
|
| style="background: #6A1916; color: #6DA32B;" | 11 | 5165 | 6–8 | Fractions I | *Fraction Counting
|
| style="background: #580E0B; color: #419614;" | 12 | 3347 | 9–11 | Fractions II | |
| style="background: #00963F; color: #E86805;" | 13 | 3350 | 9–11 | Science I | *Planets
|
| style="background: #9FB218; color: #DD6300;" | 14 | 3835 | 6–11 | Presidents | *Presidential Facts
|
| style="background: #A60308; color: #D14B02;" | 15 | Arcade Action III {{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/MicroKids_Issue_01_Volume_01_No_01_1983-12_Microkids_Publishing_US/page/n61/mode/2up | title=MicroKids - Issue 01 Volume 01 No 01 (1983-12)(Microkids Publishing)(US) | date=December 1983 }} | |||
| style="background: #FBA23C; color: #3F468A;" | 16 | 5329 | Computer Programming | ||
| 17 | ||||
| style="background: #D51C0A; color: #11509F;" | 18 | 5328 | 9–13 | Spelling Fun | *Word Gin
|
| 19 | ||||
| 20 | ||||
| 21 |
Other games/unknown number:
- Math Quiz/Calculator
- Nutrition
- (4456) US Cities
- (3347) History
- (3348) Sports
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160308024718/http://www.ggdb.com/GameByName.aspx?c=Handheld&s=Other&vid=6592 The Great Game Database - Mattel Children's Discovery System]
- [http://207.234.147.108/DP/cmf/listing.cmf?mfr=Mattel Digital Press - Game Listings: Mattel]{{Dead link|date=April 2011}}
{{Mattel}}
{{Second generation game consoles}}
{{Handheld game consoles}}
Category:Educational video game consoles
Category:Products introduced in 1981
Category:Second-generation video game consoles