The Voltmace Database Games Computer is a console released by British firm Voltmace in 1980. Prior to that, Voltmace had been involved in selling Teleng consoles in the UK however they moved on when Teleng left the video games market. In 1980 they worked with Waddingtons, famous for selling traditional games like Monopoly and Cluedo, in selling their Database system. A year later, they bought the rights to the console in it’s entirety.
The console is cartridge based and includes two controllers. The controllers have a joystick, 12 regular buttons and 2 fire buttons; just like the 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System.
In total, 29 cartridges were released for the system.
Specifications
The Voltmace Database uses the Signetics 2650 CPU, the same chip used in the 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System, Interton VC 4000 and Emerson Arcadia 2001.
It also uses the same Signetics 2636N video controller chip that the other systems use so that games could use 8 colours. There was a single channel for audio and the unit was powered by an external power supply (rather than batteries).
The games software also worked with the systems with the same chip but annoyingly, they couldn’t be played as the cartridges didn’t fit. Though a converter was rumoured to be available.
Links
- Interview with Derek Andrews, programmer of the Voltmace Database videogame system
- Voltmace Database – Includes a few good pictures of the console box and it’s parts.
