--- title: ITMC SD-290 categories: - Consoles params: name: SD-290 image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_1_corthesy_s.jpg company: /companies/itmc company_name: ITMC tabs: - photos - software - links - docs photos: - title: ITMC SD-290 subtitle: '' text: thanks to François Corthésy for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_front_2_corthesy.jpg - title: ITMC SD-290 subtitle: '' text: thanks to François Corthésy for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_front_3_corthesy.jpg - title: FRONT subtitle: '' text: thanks to François Corthésy for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_front_1_corthesy.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: |- Here is the controller connector. There is another one on the right side meant to be used with additional controller which was never released since there were no 2-player games... thanks to François Corthésy for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_l-side_1_corthesy.jpg - title: DETACHED CONTROLLER subtitle: '' text: thanks to François Corthésy for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_1_corthesy.jpg - title: UPSIDE DOWN subtitle: '' text: thanks to François Corthésy for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_bottom_1_corthesy.jpg - title: JOUÉCLUB SD-290 subtitle: '' text: |- The SD-290 system was also sold in France under the JouéClub brand, which is a big french toy seller, like the US Toy'r'Us. Apart from that, it is exactly the same system. image: /media/museum/photos/joueclub_sd290_1.jpg - title: SYSTEM & BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_box.jpg - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: Thanks to Nicolas Sapin for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/itmc_sd290_box_2.jpg links: - title: INTERNAL LINK url: http://www.old-computers.com/magazine/view.asp?r=2&a=6 text: Essay about the HMG-7900 and compatible systems - title: IZA-WARE url: http://www.izaware.blogspot.com/ text: Some information about the the HMG-7900 with game videos ! - title: Odyssey url: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/videogames/cv/setframe.html text: This nice japanese site has some well done page about the Epoch Cassette Vision, wich is somehow related to the HMG-7900 - title: OGASHIN's HOME PAGE url: http://homepage1.nifty.com/OGASHIN/CV.htm text: This japanese page has some Cassette Vision screenshots, just to give you an idea... docs: - title: HANIMEX HMG-7900 USER DOCUMENTATION (FRENCH) url: http://izaware.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-24T23%3A50%3A00%2B02%3A00&max-results=3 cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/hanimex_hmg-7900_french-doc_p0_small.jpg text: |- [**HANIMEX HMG-7900 USER DOCUMENTATION (FRENCH)**](http://izaware.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-24T23%3A50%3A00%2B02%3A00&max-results=3)written by Hanimex  compiled/archived by Iza-Ware\  type of document : Unknown\  source : [Iza-Ware](http://izaware.blogspot.com/) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** related: - /museum/hanimex-hmg-7900 - /museum/joueclub-sd-290 - /museum/ormatu-electric-bv-video-spelcomputer-1001 - /museum/rollet-videocolor - /museum/soundic-sd-290-programmable-colour-video-game - /museum/soundicvision-sd-200 software: - /software/martian-also-known-as-attaque-aerienne oc_id: 823 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609041818/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=823 date: '2023-06-09' --- Though different in shape, the ITMC SD-290 is internaly the same system as the [Rollet Video-Color](/museum/rollet-videocolor/) and the [Hanimex HMG-7900](/museum/hanimex-hmg-7900/). The SD-290 model was sold in France by ITMC, but could also be found under the JouéClub brand ([JouéCLub SD-290](/museum/joueclub-sd-290/))... All these systems were surely produced by Soundic in Hong-Kong as they have code-names like "SD-2xx" (where SD would mean Soundic) on their electronic boards. These SD-2xx systems were not very powerful as even the Videopac systems were better... 5 years earlier!! What is strange about these consoles, is that there are not clones of famous systems... The only system which is quite close in many points, though more powerful, is the japanese [Cassette Vision](/museum/epoch-cassette-vision/) from Epoch. The games plastic boxes are the same and the blocky graphics are very similar... The ITMC SD-290 is square shaped, the case is white and blue colored with orange buttons and controls. It was delivered with only one controller which connects to the left side of the system. There is a second connector (on the right side of the system) for a second player controller, but as all the games were for one player only, it was never used. The controller can be stored in its compartment located on the top of the console. It is composed of a 4-directions disc on which can be screwed a little stick. There is also a knob for Breakout-type games and an orange fire button. The control panel is made of three buttons and an on/off switch. The buttons are RESET, GAME SELECT and GAME START. GAME SELECT is used to select the different levels and options of the game. The cartridge slot, protected by a trap door, is made of 22 pins and is placed at the top-left part of the console, just above the joystick storage compartment. Like on the HMG-7900, the case is labeled "Programmable Color Video Game". Inside, the main chipset is a NEC D779C 300. Almost nothing is known about it. Hopefully Richard Gellman wrote to tell us more: I did some searching on various internet resources to try and find out about the D779C CPU chipset. It seems to be completely obscure, and restricted to the ITMC SD-290. NEC were known for cloning other CPUS; The D780C was a clone of the Z80. The D779C appears to be more a "system" chip, like a microcontroller. It may be a custom-made Z80 MCU with certain features removed for cost. Unfortunately, as there is no information available I can not confirm this, so this is a "best educated guess". The games are very simple and cover the great classics such as Space Invaders, Breakout, Missile Attack or Pac-Man (delivered with the system). But graphics, even in 8 colors, are poor. Concerning the PAC-MAN cover for example, all you can see is squares running after a cross... wow, that is almost virtual reality! There was a total of 11 cartridges produced, though 5 more cartridges, for two players this time, were planned but never released (someone can confirm this?). These cartridges were: Football, Ski, Ice-skating (!), Car-Race and Tennis.
We need more info about this console ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.