---
title: 'Obscure systems : Arcadia 2001 and clones'
rubrics:
- Consoles
params:
  image: /media/magazine/articles/8/titre_arcadia.jpg
  group: Consoles
  oc_id: 8
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20210802151729/http://www.old-computers.com/magazine/view.asp?a=8
    date: '2021-08-02'
---

![](/media/magazine/articles/8/titre_arcadia.jpg)

**> DESCRIPTION**

It is not clear if the Emerson Arcadia 2001 system was the first of this "group" to appear, but it is the best known for sure ! The Arcadia was launched in 1982 in the United States. It's a middle range system as the graphics and games are hardly better than those of the VCS 2600 or Intellivision back in 78.

Many clones and compatibles systems were found all around the world. Some look like the Arcadia 2001 and can use the same carts (Leisure Vision, Advision, Leonardo, Schmid, etc...), and others are completly different in shape (MPT-03 systems, Telefever, etc...) and are not "physically" compatible with the previous systems, i.e. carts are not the same.

But for all these systems, the games are absolutly identicals.

**> HOW TO RECOGNISE THEM ?**

> \- There are at least **12 keys** (4 x 3) on each joystick keyboard plus at least **1 fire button** on each joystick too. This fire button is sometimes on both sides of the controller (Arcadia 2001 for example) or on the keyboard (MPT-03). When there are more than 2 of these fire buttons, they usually have the same function.
>
> ![](/media/magazine/articles/8/joysticks_2.jpg)![](/media/magazine/articles/8/joysticks_1.jpg) ![](/media/magazine/articles/8/joysticks_3.jpg)
>
> \- Most of the times there are **5 buttons** on the control panel (Reset, Select, Option, Start, Power on/off). But the most important it's that there are always **SELECT and OPTION buttons**. There are sometimes called SELECT A and SELECT B, but are always 2 of them to make selection within the games. This is quite typical of these systems.
>
> ![](/media/magazine/articles/8/panel_2.jpg)![](/media/magazine/articles/8/panel_1.jpg) ![](/media/magazine/articles/8/panel_3.jpg)
>
> \- Inside, the CPU is a **Signetics 2650** (sometimes 2650A), and the video-chipset a **Signetics 2637**.

**> THE GAMES**

> There are more than 30 games known for these systems. The Emerson Arcadia 2001 has the most complete list of games but other systems like the MPT-03 has games that were not available for the Arcadia like Auto Race, Basketball, Circus, etc...

<table> <tr> <td><p><b>Name of the game (Emerson Arcadia)</b></p></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>3D-Bowling</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_3d_bowling_c.gif" width="30"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_3d_bowling_c2.gif" width="28"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_3d_bowling.gif" width="53"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Alien Invaders</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_alien_invaders_c.gif" width="38"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_alien_invaders.gif" width="64"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>American Football</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_american_football_c.gif" width="26"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_football.gif" width="64"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Auto Race (MPT-03 only) </p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_auto_race.gif" width="27"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_auto_race_c.gif" width="53"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_autorace.gif" width="53"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Baseball</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_baseball_c.gif" width="33"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_baseball.gif" width="64"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Basketball (MPT-03 only) </p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_basketball.gif" width="53"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Brain Quizz</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_brain_quizz_c.gif" width="39"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Breakaway</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_break_away_2.gif" width="62"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Capture</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_capture.gif" width="53"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Cat Trax</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_cat_trax_c.gif" width="24"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_cat_trax.gif" width="61"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Circus (MPT-03 only)</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_circus.gif" width="53"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Combat (MPT-03 only)</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_combat.gif" width="53"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Crazy Climber (MPT-03 only)</p></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Crazy Gobbler</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_crazy_gobbler.gif" width="62"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Escape</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_escape_c.gif" width="26"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_escape.gif" width="66"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Golf (MPT-03 only)</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_golf.gif" width="53"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Grand Slam Tennis</p></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Hobo</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_hobo.gif" width="53"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Jump Bug</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_jumpbug.gif" width="65"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Jungler</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_jungler_b.gif" width="33"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_jungler.gif" width="66"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Math Logic (MPT-03 only)</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_math_logic_b.gif" width="29"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_math.gif" width="53"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Missile War</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_missile_war_c.gif" width="39"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_missile_war.gif" width="64"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Ocean Battle</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_ocean_battle.gif" width="64"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Pleiades</p></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Red Clash</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_red_clash.gif" width="64"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Robot Killer</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_robot_killer.gif" width="66"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Route 16</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_route16.gif" width="65"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Soccer</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_soccer.gif" width="64"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Space Attack</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_space_attack_c.gif" width="25"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_space_attack.gif" width="66"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Space Mission</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_space_mission.gif" width="64"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Space Raiders</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_space_raiders_b.gif" width="32"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_star_raider.gif" width="66"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Space Squadron</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_space_squadron.gif" width="53"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Space Vultures</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_space_vultures_c.gif" width="25"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_space_vulture.gif" width="53"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Spiders</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_spiders.gif" width="68"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Star Chess</p></td> <td><p><img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_starchess.gif" width="67"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Tanks a lot</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_tanks_a_lot_b.gif" width="30"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_tanks_a_lot_b2.gif" width="33"/> <img height="50" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_tanks_a_lot.gif" width="65"/> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Turtles / Turpin</p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_ss_turtle_turpins.gif" width="52"/></p></td> </tr> </table>

**> THE SYSTEMS**

<table> <tr> <td><p><b>Name</b></p></td> <td><p><b>Brand</b></p></td> <td><p><b>Country</b></p></td> <td></td> <td><p><b></b></p></td> <td><p><b></b></p></td> <td><p><b></b></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Arcadia 2001 </p></td> <td><p>Advision</p></td> <td><p>U.S.A.</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="22" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_arcadia2001.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Leisure Vision</p></td> <td><p>???</p></td> <td><p>Canada</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="34" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_leisure_vision.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Hanimex HMG-2650 </p></td> <td><p>Hanimex</p></td> <td> <p>Europe / Australia </p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="35" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_hanimex2650.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Leonardo</p></td> <td><p>???</p></td> <td><p>Italy</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="41" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_leonardo.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Arcadia</p></td> <td><p>Bandaï</p></td> <td><p>Japan</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="25" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_bandai_arcadia.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Home Arcade</p></td> <td><p>Advision</p></td> <td><p>France</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="42" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_advision.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>TVG-2000</p></td> <td><p>Schmid</p></td> <td><p>Germany</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="30" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_schmid_2000.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>XL-2000</p></td> <td><p>Intercord</p></td> <td><p>???</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="37" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_intercord_xl2000.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Prestige MPT-03 </p></td> <td><p>Prestige ? </p></td> <td><p>France</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="23" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_prestige_mpt03.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Rowtron MPT-03 </p></td> <td><p>Rowtron</p></td> <td><p>???</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="24" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_rowtron.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Tryom MPT-03 </p></td> <td><p>Tryom</p></td> <td><p>???</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="23" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_tryom.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Video Computer Game</p></td> <td><p>Poppy</p></td> <td><p>???</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="33" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_poppy_video_computer_game.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Video Computer Game</p></td> <td><p>Soundic</p></td> <td><p>Europe</p></td> <td></td> <td><p>MPT03<br/> SYSTEM </p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Tele-Fever</p></td> <td><p>Eduscho</p></td> <td><p>Germany</p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="24" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_telefever.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_telefever_jumpbug.gif" width="25"/> <img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_telefever_football.gif" width="25"/> </p></td> <td><p><img height="40" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/carts/s_telefever_astro_invaders.gif" width="25"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Intervision 2001 </p></td> <td><p>Intervision</p></td> <td><p>Northern Europe </p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="23" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_intervision_2001_home_video_centre.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>Video Computer Game</p></td> <td><p>Palladium</p></td> <td><p>Germany ? </p></td> <td></td> <td><p><img height="30" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_palladium_video_computer_game.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td><p><img height="16" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_palladium_video_computer_game_carts.gif" width="50"/></p></td> <td><p><img height="18" src="/media/magazine/articles/8/s_palladium_video_computer_game_carts_2.gif" width="50"/></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><p></p></td> </tr> </table>

**> LINKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS**

> **Emerson Arcadia 2001 :**\
> [Emerson Arcadia 2001 emulator](http://members.aol.com/mk14emu/arcadia.htm)\
> [The Emerson Arcadia 2001 FAQ](http://www.digitpress.com/faq/arc2001.txt)\
> [Arcadia 2001 Museum](http://www.chez.com/slydc/arc-2001.htm)\
> [Digital Archeology / Emerson Arcadia 2001](http://www.classicgaming.com/arcadia/)
>
> **General :**\
> [The Video Game Consoles F.A.Q.](http://www.digitpress.com/faq/vgcfaq.txt)\
> [Obscure Pixels](http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/%7Epinwhiz/weird.htm) (pictures and infos)