TV Boy

TV Boy with power and TV leads attached.

The TV Boy and its successors TV Boy 2 and Super TV Boy are 1990s video game consoles produced by many different companies, including Systema, Akor, and NICS, based upon an unlicensed clone of Atari 2600 hardware. They were widely available across Europe. In the UK they were most visibly available through Argos. An improved version of the TV Boy 2, the Super TV Boy, was made by Akor in 1995.

Users can play any one of 127 built-in games. In the UK, they were marketed with "126 games included"; the Super TV Boy has "127 games included" printed on the packing box.

Hardware

Resembling a large handheld pad, the systems plug into a TV and operate on either four AA batteries or a 6v power supply. The only difference between a TV Boy and TV Boy 2 is that the former has two 9-pin, Atari-type joystick connectors for the optional use of external joysticks. The TV Boy 2 has no capacity for external joysticks, so only a single player may play using a built-in pad. The system has a jumper labeled NTSC/PAL on its motherboard. There is no cartridge slot for additional games.

Games

The system contains a single 512kb ROM housing 128 programs. One is the program that enables the others to be selected, so only 127 games are included; none of them use any sort of paged ROM scheme.

All 127 are original Atari 2600 games by companies such as Atari, Activision, and Mattel, hacked to remove copyright notices and other assets demonstrating ownership. The colored bars to the left of the A in the Activision logo remain in some games but the company name is excised. False and ambiguous names — such as Mad Kong (Donkey Kong) and The Flying Man (Superman) — are printed on the packing box and in the instruction manual.

For the UK versions, one game originally included with the TV Boy was removed from the TV Boy 2: game #91: Protection (Defender). No replacement game takes its place (it was left non-operational) making the TV Boy 2 a 126-game handheld console. This space was filled in the Super TV Boy with Winter Adventure (Mountain Man). Also, three games were exchanged in the UK: Maze Town (Maze Craze) with Full Attack, Football (Pele's Soccer) with Besieged (Z-Tack), and Duel (Outlaw) with Laser Attack (Laser Blast).

Some of the games slightly alter the graphics of the originals. All play with altered colors — for example, Pitfall! (retitled as The Jungle) is set in a blue forest — because the game ROMs are NTSC versions played on a PAL console.

List of included games

The following is a complete list of the Atari 2600 games modified for inclusion in the TV Boy, according to the game number on that device, with the original game name listed beside:

1. Pyramid War - Chopper Command (Activision) - 1982 (001)
2. River Raid - River Raid (Activision) - 1982 (002)
3. Pac Man - Pac-Man (Atari) - 1981 (003)
4. Wolf Fight - Pooyan (Konami) - 1983 (004)
5. Star Force - Earth Dies Screaming (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (005)
6. Asteroid - Mission 3000 (Puzzy/Bit) - previously PAL only - 1983 (006)
7. Space 2010 - Demon Attack (Imagic) - 1982 (007)
8. Earth Defence - Space Invaders (Atari) - Original release 1978 ported in 1980 (008)

1. The Frogs - Frogs 'N Flies (M Network) - 1982 (010)

1. The Jungle - Mr. Postman (Puzzy/Bit) - 1983 (013)
2. Submarine - Submarine (Unknown) - a clone of Fox M*A*S*H (014)
3. Pacmania (2) - Jawbreaker (Tigervision) - 1982 (015)
4. Frog Crossing - Frogger (Parker Bros.) - 1983 (016)
5. Tank Battle - Thunderground (Sega) - 1983 (017)
6. Fire! - Fire Fighter (Imagic) - 1982 (018)
7. Tom Boy - Pitfall (Activision) - 1982 (019)
8. Mariana - Seaquest (Activision) - 1983 (020)
9. Pin Ball - Video Pinball (Atari) - 1980 (021)
10. Sea Hunter - Sub Scan (Sega) - 1983 (022)
11. Dragon Treasure - Dragonfire (Imagic) - 1982 (023)
12. The Dentist - Plaque Attack (Activision) - 1983 (024)
13. Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong (Coleco) - 1982 (025)
14. The Gardener - Gopher (US Games) - does not appear on the TV Boy - 1982 (026)
15. Forest Battle - Nuts (Technovision) - previously PAL only - 1983 (027)
16. Space Conquest - Flash Gordon (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (028)
17. Super Ferrari - Enduro (Atari) - 1983 (029)
18. Treasure - Criminal Pursuit (ZiMAG/Vidco/Emag) - Year unknown (030)

1. The Hen House - Farmyard Fun (Suntek) - previously PAL only - Year unknown (032)
2. Rescue - M*A*S*H (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (033)

1. Thief! - Keystone Kapers (Activision) - 1983 (035)
2. Bowling - Bowling (Atari) - 1978 (036)
3. Brick Wall - Circus Atari (Atari) - 1980 (037)
4. Cow Boy - Stampede (Activision) - 1981 (038)
5. Space Battle - M.A.D. (US Games) - 1982 (039)

1. Monsters - Berzerk (Atari) - 1982 (041)
2. Lost Ships - Worm War I (Sirius-Fox) - 1982 (042)
3. The Maze - Dodge 'Em (Atari) - 1980 (043)
4. Around The World - Bobby Is Going Home (Puzzy/Bit) - previously PAL only - 1983 (044)
5. The Ladder - Master Builder (Spectravision) - 1983 (045)

1. Space Defence - UFO Patrol (Unknown) - Year unknown (047)

1. Flying saucers - Great Escape (Bomb) - 1983 (049)
2. Town Attack - Z-Tack (Bomb) - 1983 (050)

1. Chinese Plates - Dancing Plate (Puzzy/Bit) - 1983 (052)

1. Base Defenses - Commando Raid (Vidtec) - 1982 (054)
2. Wolf! - Oink! (Activision) - 1983 (055)
3. The Mouse - Snail Against Squirrel (Puzzy/Bit) - previously PAL only - 1983 (056)
4. Maze Town - Maze Craze (Atari) - 1980 (057)
5. Ice Polo - Ice Hockey (Activision) - 1981 (058)
6. Tennis - Tennis (Activision) - 1981 (059)

1. Volley Ball - Realsports Volleyball (Atari) - 1982 (061)
2. Evil Attack - Spider Fighter (Activision) - 1983 (062)
3. Rocket - Missile Control (Video Gems) - previously PAL only - 1983 (063)
4. Besieged - Wall Defender (Bomb) - does not appear on the TV Boy - 1983 (064)
5. The Spider - Amidar (Parker Bros.) - 1982 (065)
6. Fly In The Sky - Barnstorming (Activision) - 1982 (066)
7. Car Race - Grand Prix (Activision) - 1982 (067)
8. The Flying Man - Superman (Atari) - 1979 (068)
9. Robot Attack - Space Robot (Dimax) - previously PAL only - 1983 (069)
10. Robot City - Lock 'n' Chase (M Network) - 1982 (070)
11. The Ghosts - Venture (Coleco) - 1982 (071)
12. Space Ship - Cosmic Ark (Imagic) - 1982 (072)

1. Laser Ship - Cross Force (Spectravision) - 1982 (074)
2. One Against all - Planet Patrol (Spectravision) - 1982 (075)

1. Robot Strike - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Parker Bros.) - 1982 (077)
2. Street Battle - Dark Cavern (M Network) - 1982 (078)

1. Operation Thunderstorm - Turmoil (20th Century Fox) - 1982 (080)
2. Sky Squadron - Tac-Scan (Sega) - 1983 (081)
3. Spiderman - Spider Man (Parker Bros.) - 1982 (082)
4. Maze Craze - Bank Heist (20th Century Fox) - 1983 (083)
5. Earth 2010 - Space Cavern (Apollo) - 1981 (084)

1. Sea Warp - Atlantis (Imagic) - 1982 (086)

1. Funfair Rifle Range - Carnival (Coleco) - 1982 (088)

1. Luke And The Monsters - Fast Eddie (Sirius-Fox) - graphics altered from original - 1982 (090)

1. Tic-Tac-Toe - 3D Tic Tac Toe (Atari) - 1980 (092)
2. UFO Ship - Assault (Bomb) - 1983 (093)
3. Birds Of Prey - Condor Attack (Ultravision) - 1982 (094)
4. Deep-Sea Fishing - Name This Game (US Games) - 1982 (095)
5. Spider King - Pac-Kong (Funvision) - previously PAL only (096)
6. The Crabs - Crackpots (Activision) - 1983 (097)
7. Billiard - Trick Shot (Imagic) - 1982 (098)
8. Moon Driver - Gas Hog (Spectravision) - 1983 (099)

1. Squash - Racquetball (Apollo) - 1981 (101)
2. Tunnel Battle - Laser Gates (Imagic) - 1983 (102)
3. Space Exploration - Cosmic Creeps (Telesys) - 1982 (103)
4. King Building - Robin Hood or Save Our Ship (Technovision) - previously PAL only - 1983 (104)
5. Galaxy 2 - Challenge of NEXAR (Spectravision) - 1982 (105) (?)

1. Moto Kid - Mega Force (20th Century Fox) - 1982 (107)
2. Karate - Karate (Ultravision) - 1982 (108)
3. Sky Destroyer - Missile Command (Atari) - 1981 (109)
4. Fighter Pilot - Air Raiders (M Network) - 1982 (110)

1. River Fishing - Fishing Derby (Activision) - 1980 (115)

1. UFO Attack - Space Jockey (Vidtec) - 1982 (117)
2. Game Of Draughts - Checkers (Activision) - 1980 (118)
3. Duel - Laser Blast (Activision) - 1981 (119)
4. Ottello - Othello (Atari) - 1980 (120)

1. Ski - Skiing (Activision) - 1980 (122)
2. Dimax - Astro War (Dimax) - previously PAL only - Year unknown (123)
3. The Trap - Gangster Alley (Spectravision) - 1982 (124)
4. Hamburger - Fast Food (Telesys) - 1982 (125)

1. Invader - Megamania (Activision) - 1982 (127)
2. River Crossing - Frostbite (Activision) - 1983 (016)

1. Spider Fighter - Starmaster X-7 (20th Century Fox) - (?)
2. Shrinkage - Fantastic Voyage (20th Century Fox) - 1982 (?)
3. Chess - Video Chess (Atari) - 1979 (?)
4. Puzzle - Hangman (Atari) - 1978 (?)
5. Sea-Air-War - Air-Sea-Battle (Atari) - 1977 (?)
6. Ufo Ship II - Assault (Bomb) - (Duplicate?)
7. Walker - Walker (Unknown) {?}
8. Mouse Trap - Hole Hunter (Unknown) - previously PAL only - Year unknown (?)
9. Laser Duck - Deadly Duck (Sirius-Fox) - 1982 (?)
10. Battle - Marauder (Tigervision) - 1982 (?)
11. Running - Mouse Trap (Coleco) - 1982 (?)
12. Q-Bert - Q*Bert (Parker Bros.) - 1983 (?)
13. River Driver - Raft Rider (US Games) - 1982 (?)
14. Last Attack - Yar's Revenge (Atari) - 1981 (?)
15. Soccer Game - Pele's Soccer (Atari) - 1981 (?)
16. Bermuda - Bermuda (Suntek) - 1982 (?)
17. Word Zapper - Word Zapper (Vidtec) - 1982 (?)
18. Sea War - Sea War (Unknown) (?)
19. Alien - Alien (20th Century Fox) - 1982 (?)
20. Time Tunnel - Time Tunnel (?)
21. Baseball Jr. - Super Challenge Baseball (M Network) - 1982 (?)
22. Duck Pass - Challenge (Funvision) - 1980 ?
23. Snoopy - Malagai (Answer Software) - 1983 (?)
24. Ele-Cop - Room of Doom (Commavid) - 1982 (?)
25. Shotting - Squeezebox (US Games) - 1982 (?)
26. Ice Climber - Brick Kick (Home Vision) - Year unknown (?)