That came out the year I was born. I vaguely remember it. I wonder if anyone remembers the Merlin handheld. I had that one as a really young child and played it until it died.
***** Ah man... the good old 9 volt. It's strange that they alone are a great source of nostalgia for me. It seemed like all my electronic toys in the 80's-mid 90's ran on 9 volt batteries. Almost makes me wanna buy one on EBay now just to sit on a shelf for display.
Yep and they were expensive... especially considering the small amount of play time they provided... but the electronic devices of the day were too complex to operate on 5V or less due to the current requirements of the components. I had (and loved) the two-player head-to-head baseball game by Coleco which required two alkaline 9-Volt batteries... which only lasted a couple of hours in the real world.
I had one back in the day. Played the hell out of it. I still own the green Classic Football II that Mattel reissued back in 2002. It's sitting on my coffee table right now.
I'm just a smidge too young to have owned one of these as a kid, but I did purchase the similar Mattel Basketball LED game complete in box a few years ago from a flea market. Very cool!
I saw that handheld in a Bed Bath and Beyond store. And my parents got that and the Mattel Electronics Baseball game off a defunct radio show called The Bargain Channel.
That's were I picked up all three for $19.49 total. Being Black Friday they were handing out 20% off on your purchase and I used a gift card that still had $19 on it.
one of my neighbors had one of the originals. He stopped playing games after the Atari but he still had his Atari and a few of the LCD games. He had this one and a couple of the Nintendo Game and Watch games.
This modern remake of the football game is so cool! The tackling really sounds like someone groaning as he's going down, just like on a real football field. In this day and age, computer memory is so cheap and digital sampling is so easy to do, so you can have sound effects with speech like that. Since the buttons have all 4 directions, I guess you can run backwards like in "Football 2." You just don't have the ability to pass. Passing is difficult to do because it's hard to line yourself up straight with a receiver and have a clear path between you and the receiver. I remember playing a machine called "Electronic Quarterback" and trying to pass and getting intercepted.
Mattel re-released a classic pack with this and the awesome Baseball in 2002. The form factors were 100% identical to the originals, except instead of 9-volt batteries, they used 2 "AA" batteries each. Those are excellent to own, but the prices have gone way up on the original package. Also beware of any that are still factory sealed because they came packaged with cheap batteries to show off the demo mode.. those often leaked out acid within a few years, and often ruined them by corroding the battery compartment.
I just got this one a couple days ago. I love it, even if it is difficult to play. Lol frustrating, but fun. I remember playing the original one my dad and his brothers owned when they were kids. Grandma still had it at her house when I was little. Fun memories.
Played one of the old versions of this game when I was a kid, could never figure out how to play. I have the repro version and still trying to figure out how to play. I like the design of the old version better. The repro version just uses an LCD with red LEDs (Yeah I opened mine up).
i have one of these newer units. it seems like you play as both teams, which i dont understand. maybe i am wrong, but if im right isnt that like playing chess against yourself? i hope someone corrects me on this.
You would typically play with another person and pass the game to the other player when you lose the ball by getting a touchdown or field goal or punting.
I had the tiger ones as a youth. looking back they are so shitty it's not even funny, but they passed the time rising in the car or what have you. I liked the kung fu and 🏀 ones
I'm sorry. They dropped the ball. What was with those.. new sounds.. The "OOF!!" sound effect and the digital whistle when the tackle happened? No. Just no. If you're going to go retro with this thing, stay that way. Don't try to "enhance" the damn thing for the kids. Stay true to the original and show the kids what the thing was really like. Don't do... this. Also, I've seen one of these abominations in the store and I own an original. There's a big difference in build quality. The new version has much cheaper plastic and the buttons just overall feel cheap, like they're going to break after a few plays. It feels like a cheap "Tiger Game" to me, compared to how damn sturdy the old games were. Those things could survive us throwing them across the room when we got mad at them. Haha! You probably couldn't say the same thing about these cheap, thin, plastic pieces of trash. Bottom line. I don't like the cheaper build quality, and I really don't like them changing the sounds. If they're going to make this game again, make the damn original game the way it originally was manufactured.
I owned one of these as a young kid in the 70s and I thought it was awesome at the time
I still have the 2 player version from way back
That came out the year I was born. I vaguely remember it. I wonder if anyone remembers the Merlin handheld. I had that one as a really young child and played it until it died.
The original takes a 9-Volt battery, not a D-cell as indicated.
*****
Ah man... the good old 9 volt. It's strange that they alone are a great source of nostalgia for me. It seemed like all my electronic toys in the 80's-mid 90's ran on 9 volt batteries. Almost makes me wanna buy one on EBay now just to sit on a shelf for display.
Yep and they were expensive... especially considering the small amount of play time they provided... but the electronic devices of the day were too complex to operate on 5V or less due to the current requirements of the components. I had (and loved) the two-player head-to-head baseball game by Coleco which required two alkaline 9-Volt batteries... which only lasted a couple of hours in the real world.
My brother had one in 1978 . It was the toy to have back in the day .
There was also electronic Quarterback
Had one as a kid! I also saw it in an episode of Pawn Stars, almost shed a tear when I saw it again!
I had one back in the day. Played the hell out of it. I still own the green Classic Football II that Mattel reissued back in 2002. It's sitting on my coffee table right now.
I'm just a smidge too young to have owned one of these as a kid, but I did purchase the similar Mattel Basketball LED game complete in box a few years ago from a flea market. Very cool!
Football 2 was the green one, which was better than this version; the defense on Football 2 was a bit tougher and it had a pass button.
I bought the football and basketball version in Toys R Us and it brings me back when I was in elementary school.
I saw that handheld in a Bed Bath and Beyond store. And my parents got that and the Mattel Electronics Baseball game off a defunct radio show called The Bargain Channel.
That's were I picked up all three for $19.49 total. Being Black Friday they were handing out 20% off on your purchase and I used a gift card that still had $19 on it.
Thunderwing88 Whoa. Nice.
Definitely some retro goodness there! I love this channel, more-so than the other ones. As an 80's child I enjoyed many of the same things.
one of my neighbors had one of the originals. He stopped playing games after the Atari but he still had his Atari and a few of the LCD games. He had this one and a couple of the Nintendo Game and Watch games.
Now these are the games I grew up on. :) Baseball and Hockey were my favorites.
This thing kicked my ass as a kid!
I remember playing this in 1984/1983. It was a hand me down from my dad, same as the Atari 2600 back in 1984.
This modern remake of the football game is so cool! The tackling really sounds like someone groaning as he's going down, just like on a real football field. In this day and age, computer memory is so cheap and digital sampling is so easy to do, so you can have sound effects with speech like that. Since the buttons have all 4 directions, I guess you can run backwards like in "Football 2." You just don't have the ability to pass. Passing is difficult to do because it's hard to line yourself up straight with a receiver and have a clear path between you and the receiver. I remember playing a machine called "Electronic Quarterback" and trying to pass and getting intercepted.
Mattel re-released a classic pack with this and the awesome Baseball in 2002. The form factors were 100% identical to the originals, except instead of 9-volt batteries, they used 2 "AA" batteries each. Those are excellent to own, but the prices have gone way up on the original package.
Also beware of any that are still factory sealed because they came packaged with cheap batteries to show off the demo mode.. those often leaked out acid within a few years, and often ruined them by corroding the battery compartment.
just bought one, it's awesome. got the bball one too
Very cool little games. I have one of the original basketball versions
i kinda wanna buy one of these for Nostalgia Sake!
I pick one up in a thrift store for a few dollars. Works too.
one of my friends had the football version i had the baseball and basket ball ones they ran on 9volt batteries
I just got this one a couple days ago. I love it, even if it is difficult to play. Lol frustrating, but fun. I remember playing the original one my dad and his brothers owned when they were kids. Grandma still had it at her house when I was little. Fun memories.
Which one do you prefer. The new or the older version?
@jeffreyelbert168 honestly I gave it to my uncle a couple of months ago who had the original one growing up. I found the game too tricky to play.
Ive heard the lights on the new models are not the same as the ones back in the late 70s
Played one of the old versions of this game when I was a kid, could never figure out how to play. I have the repro version and still trying to figure out how to play.
I like the design of the old version better. The repro version just uses an LCD with red LEDs (Yeah I opened mine up).
the old ones were 9 volt i believe
that 2 holed rectangle shaped battery with the suction cup wire attachment to the game.
screw your feelings yes they were, I have complete sets of originals n remakes
Good review, John, but seems more for your "Gamster81" channel video than this one.
I own one now
Loved these games as a kid! BEEP BEEP BEEP!
I had mine taken away by my second grade teacher. I used to slide low in my desk, and attempt to play during class. Sadly I never got it back.
Freakin crook! I bet (s)he played it at home! Lol
Getting for Christmas watched to learn how to play
My bro and I ordered som reissue handhelds my bro got the football & I
Got the tiger x-men project x .
Is that one with the black writing on it really Mattel brand?
looks better without the backlight.
Hey John, do you have the Mattel classic sports plug and play? Can't find a review on that 1.
hey dude just wanted to let you know you mispelled classic in the title
Played it for hours at a time
Nostos - return home; algos - pain, from the Greek but you knew that
I have it
i have one of these newer units. it seems like you play as both teams, which i dont understand. maybe i am wrong, but if im right isnt that like playing chess against yourself? i hope someone corrects me on this.
You would typically play with another person and pass the game to the other player when you lose the ball by getting a touchdown or field goal or punting.
Or you could play against the machine. Yeah pretty much like playing chess with yourself LOL
I have all 2015 seires
I still have my original one. It works but hard to play and does not hold up at all, not very fun these days.
Anyone know what these cost in '77?
I had the tiger ones as a youth. looking back they are so shitty it's not even funny, but they passed the time rising in the car or what have you. I liked the kung fu and 🏀 ones
I wouldn't last once the first tackle. I'd quit and toss the handheld my couch.
i can tell you why it worked, because it fired up your imagination as a child. I wish i had an original. The remake SUCKS
I'm sorry. They dropped the ball. What was with those.. new sounds.. The "OOF!!" sound effect and the digital whistle when the tackle happened? No. Just no. If you're going to go retro with this thing, stay that way. Don't try to "enhance" the damn thing for the kids. Stay true to the original and show the kids what the thing was really like. Don't do... this. Also, I've seen one of these abominations in the store and I own an original. There's a big difference in build quality. The new version has much cheaper plastic and the buttons just overall feel cheap, like they're going to break after a few plays. It feels like a cheap "Tiger Game" to me, compared to how damn sturdy the old games were. Those things could survive us throwing them across the room when we got mad at them. Haha! You probably couldn't say the same thing about these cheap, thin, plastic pieces of trash. Bottom line. I don't like the cheaper build quality, and I really don't like them changing the sounds. If they're going to make this game again, make the damn original game the way it originally was manufactured.
double or triple a