Epoch, better know for their game software and toy products, was actually very involved with hardware development in Japan dating back to their first console release in June 1981 - the Epoch Cassette Vision.  This very obscure system was actually a hybrid pong/cartridge-based unit - the first of its kind in Japan.  Though financial windfalls were never achieved, the moderate success that the Cassette Vision did enjoy was due to one reason - correct price positioning.[img width=300 align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/hardware/J-110/bf/J-110-H-00010-A.jpg[/img]

In 1979, Bandai was the first to release the first programmable game cartridge in Japan with their release of the Super Vision 8000.  This new technology (to the Japan market) would cost you $560 USD ($1,300 in 2007 dollars).  Epoch, having been a first hand witness to this console's eventual failure, wisely decided to produce a system at an affordable price point for the general buying public.  The Cassette Vision was released for $235 USD ($275 USD in 2007 dollars), which was much more palatable to the still relatively virgin Japanese gaming market.  The big question - was this a good value?

As stated in my previous overviews, pong based consoles enjoyed a prolonged following in Japan well into the early 1980s while the video game player in the USA had been exposed to the new programmable game cartridge systems much earlier (1976).  Epoch attempted to capitalize in both of these arenas - the Cassette Vision supported both pong and programmable game cartridge technology.  To be able to adequately describe how this was possible requires a little more information on how the pong game industry evolved.

During the mid to late 1970s, technology was evolving at a very fast pace, primarily on the hardware side.  Pong games grew more complex and greater variations were able to be produced.  What had occurred in the past was that a new pong console was developed and then released under a new version/name every time a jump in technology was introduced.  Obviously, this was a costly venture for the various console manufacturers.  At the same time, the size of the new components that were used to drive the machines, and included pong games, decreased. Together, these advances in hardware lead to the development of 'pong on a chip' game cartridges.  Essentially, the manufacture could produce a base pong system with a standard set of hardware installed and a new pong game cartridge would contain not only the game itself but also a processing chip.  This chip was used to in essence 'upgrade' the base system's hardware to enable game play with the new software.  Distributing technology in the form of a game cartridge was much more cost effective, not too mention efficient, for the manufacturer while at the same time saved the consumer plenty as well by not having to upgrade their pong system all the time.  Almost all developers and manufacturers in the mid 1970s and early 1980s migrated to this method of upgrade deployment - not just Epoch. 

[img width=300 align=left]http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/1980s/81_EPOCH_Cassette_Vision/81_EPOCH_Cassette_Games.jpg[/img]It seems that Epoch decided that this may be the most efficient way to support both pong and programmable game cartridges.  The Cassette Vision was driven by a 4-bit 6502-A processor that produced both game types (pongprogrammable) at a resolution of 256x192 in 16 colors.  This base hardware package was very outdated at the time of release in 1981.  The console does produce sounds through a connected display device (television) rather than internally, but I am not sure of the details of the output.  The end result was that pong games looked great, but the hardware could only produce below average graphics for the programmable game cartridges.

The console itself is rather odd looking, but has a classy feel about it.  The rectangular grey main casing is constructive of heavy plastics and sports a black inverted T faceplate highlighting the various button and toggle switches and controls.  The controllers are built into the console.  Two paddle-type knobs flank the respective top left and right sides of the console which control horizontal and vertical movement.  Lever-1 and Lever-2, toggle-looking controls, are utilized for horizontal movement in some games and are located on the lower right and left.  Four action buttons line the bottom front of the console (labeled PUSH-1 through PUSH-4).  Other basic push-buttons (power, etc.) are featured in the center of the console.  Though this system is not small, measuring in at 13.25" W x 10.50" L 3.25" H (33.66 cm W x 26.67 cm L x 8.26 cm H), it is surprising light (3 lbs / 1.58 kg). 

There were a total of 10 games released for this system, the most notable being Kikori No Yosaku, a game that involved the player to chop down trees.  The other games were Astro Command, Monster Mansion, Grand Champion, Monster Block, Galaxian, Big Sports 12, Elevator Panic, Baseball and Battle Vader.  Most are arcade clones of existing games.  Graphics are very basic and could be compared to the first games offered for the Bally Home Computer Library (blocky and pretty bad to be honest).

[img width=300 align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/hardware/J-110/bf/J-110-H-00010-C.jpg[/img]The Cassette Vision enjoyed mild success in Japan, enough to have a second version of the system released in 1983 called the Cassette Vision Jr.  This system was technically the same as the original, though much smaller in size and with detachable controllers.  Though not compatible with the first two editions, this line did produce in 1984 a fairly successful system in both Japan and Europe called the Super Cassette Vision.

Purchasing an original Cassette Vision can be a costly proposition - not recommended for the standard gamer.  Since this, as well as the Cassette Vision Jr. were only released in Japan, shipping costs need to be considered.  Expect to pay $275-$350 USD for an original CIB system, plus $65 USD for shipping from Japan to the USA.  The Cassette Vision Jr. is more widely available, but will still cost about $200 and $55 USD shipping.  Games will range between $65 to $100 USD.

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[img width=300 align=right]http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/2000s/01_Panasonic_Q/01_Panasonic_Q_Front.jpg[/img]During the development of their GameCube gaming system, Nintendo partnered with Matsushita-owned Panasonic to manufacture the disc drive for their console.  As part of this agreement, a license was issued to Panasonic to be able to utilize the base GameCube software technology for their own system, if they chose to do so.  Needless to say, Panasonic decided to exercise this contract clause and released one of the most visually attractive hardware units of all time - the Panasonic Q.  Debuting just three months after its parent in December, 2001, this system ultimately proved that the old adage "looks aren't everything" was true - especially if not priced correctly. 

Released exclusively in Japan, the Panasonic Q was developed to address the fact that the GameCube's main competitors, the Sony Playstation 2 and shortly after the Microsoft Xbox, supported DVD movie playback out of the box while Nintendo did not incorporate this feature into its machine.  Hoping to capitalize on this supposed oversight, the Panasonic Q was born.  This was Nintendo's second attempt at licensing game hardware technology to a third party manufacturer, the first being the Sharp Twin Famicom.  The initial venture did not prove to be successful for neither Nintendo nor Sharp.  History would once again repeat itself with this new partnership with Matsushita.

[img width=300 align=left]http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/2000s/01_Panasonic_Q/01_Panasonic_Q_Top.jpg[/img]As stated earlier, the Panasonic Q is one of the most striking consoles ever released.  Sporting a mirrored front facing with a scratch-protective coating, the overall design is extremely advanced and crisp.  Soft-touch buttons line the respective left and right sides and give quick access to sound, game and other options.  The subtle but tasteful use of the Panasonic label is centered at the top of the main interface, with a smooth front loading DVDGC hybrid player residing just below.  Four controller ports, accented with neon ice-blue lighting around their circumference, are featured across the front of the unit with two standard GameCube memory card slots lying in unison just below.  All button, port labeling and compatibility logos (DVD, CD, DTS, GameCube, and Dolby), are detailed in pure white and are surprising easy to read against the reflective background.  Standard DVD buttons and controls are located on the top of the unit, along with the most stunning feature of the Panasonic Q - the backlit LCD display.  This message center has a futuristic look and provides relevant data (mostly on DVD play).  The 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' sequence that is displayed when powering onoff the system is also a nice touch that further exemplifies the extra care that was put into it's design.

Technically, the gaming hardware in the Panasonic Q is identical to the Nintendo GameCube.  There are literally no variations - please see the overview of the Nintendo GameCube for these details.  That being said, owners of the Panasonic Q will enjoy the following audio enhancements over their GameCube brethren: Dialog Enhancer, Cinema, Surround and Bass Plus.  All of these audio modes modify or boost a respective frequency to produce subtle if not unremarkable effects during game and DVD play.  These options do not have level adjustment or customizable settings that can be modified.  This is unfortunate but really not that important considering that most televisions at the time incorporated these features anyway.

[img width=300 align=right]http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/2000s/01_Panasonic_Q/01_Panasonic_Q_Back.jpg[/img]Matsushita's marketing plan was to develop a DVD player with gaming capabilities, rather than just producing a video game console.  The Panasonic Q hit the mark in this area with a DVD player that exceeded the industry standards of the time.  While lacking the bells and whistles of some of the higher-end players available, DVD playback is extremely detailed, displayed in bold and vibrant colors.  The included DVD remote is easy to use (though all text is in Japanese) and contains the basic playback controls.  At the time, the DVD player performance of the Sony Playstation 2 and Microsoft Xbox paled in comparison.  There is another bonus feature in this area - region free game and movie support.  The first model only supported NTSC Region 2 disks and Japanese-released GameCube software.  After a very short period of time, a second model was made available that fully supported NTSC Regions 1 through 6 as well as USA game disks.  Unfortunately, there was no official PAL released unit and VCD playback is also not supported. 

[img width=300 align=left]http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/2000s/01_Panasonic_Q/01_Panasonic_Q.jpg[/img]While the advantages of owning the Panasonic Q over the Nintendo GameCube are significant, the decision to purchase one was not an easy task in 2001.  The first release debuted at $439 USD (equivalent to $545 USD in 2007) and the multi-region version could be yours for $499 ($635 USD in 2007).  This price point severely limited the potential buying market, especially since the GameCube and a separate DVD player could be purchased for less. 

With excellent DVD playback, multi-region media support, audio enhancements and its stylish look, the Panasonic Q is a definite upgrade to its Nintendo GameCube parent.  Since the system was released in limited quantities, be prepared to spend a good amount to acquire one.  A CIB (complete in box) unit will cost you around $200 to $300 dependant upon condition.  Compare this to being to get a comparable GameCube system for around $20.  If you are just looking for a video game console, the advantages of the Panasonic Q really can not be justified.  For the collector, this system will definitely stand out on your gaming shelves.

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