website/content/museum/soundic-sd-290-programmable-colour-video-game.md

---
title: SOUNDIC SD-290 Programmable Colour Video Game
categories:
- Consoles
origins:
- Hong Kong
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- NEC D779C 300
params:
  name: SD-290 Programmable Colour Video Game
  image: /media/museum/photos/soundic_sd290_1s.jpg
  company: /companies/soundic
  company_name: SOUNDIC
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: SD-290 Programmable Colour Video Game
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Soundic
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Hong Kong
  - label: YEAR
    value: ? 1983
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: One controller with a joystick mounted on a 4-drections disk, one fire button and a knob for breakout-type games
  - label: CPU
    value: NEC D779C 300
  - label: SPEED
    value: Unknown
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Unknown
  - label: RAM
    value: Unknown
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 60 x 52 ?
  - label: COLORS
    value: '8'
  - label: SOUND
    value: One channel beeper. Built-in internal speaker
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Two controller connectors, cartidge slot, power in, RF TV output
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Cartridges
  - label: OS
    value: 11 (5 more were planned but never released)
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: |-
      8 x 1,5v 'C' Cells\
      9v DC - -(o- +
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Second controller
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  tabs:
  - photos
  - links
  - docs
  photos:
  - title: SD-290
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Diario de un coleccionista informático](http://paleoinformatica.blogspot.com/2006/06/soundic-sd-290-os-pongo-las-fotos-de.html) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/soundic_sd290_1.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Diario de un coleccionista informático](http://paleoinformatica.blogspot.com/2006/06/soundic-sd-290-os-pongo-las-fotos-de.html) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/photos/soundic_sd290_box.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/itmc-sd-290
  - /museum/joueclub-sd-290
  - /museum/ormatu-electric-bv-video-spelcomputer-1001
  - /museum/rollet-videocolor
  - /museum/soundicvision-sd-200
  oc_id: 1294
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221205174054/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1294
    date: '2022-12-05'
---

Though different in shape, the Soundic SD-290 is internaly the same system as the [Rollet Video-Color](/museum/rollet-videocolor/), the [Hanimex HMG-7900](/museum/hanimex-hmg-7900/) and the [Soundicvision SD-200](/museum/soundicvision-sd-200/). This SD-290 model was sold worldwide through different brands (in France for example by ITMC and JouéClub)...

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 Soundic 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. Nothing is known about this one... can you help please?

The games are very simple and cover the great classics such as Space Invaders, Breakout, Missile Command 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.