Merlin (console)
Merlin playing Magic Square | |
| Also known as | Merlin The Electronic Wizard |
|---|---|
| Developer | Parker Brothers |
| Manufacturer | Parker Brothers |
| Type | Handheld electronic game |
| Generation | First generation |
| Release date | 1978 |
| Units sold | >5 million |
| CPU | Texas Instruments TMS1000 |
| Memory | 48 bytes of RAM |
| Display | Matrix with 11 LED buttons |
| Sound | Played through internal speaker |
| Input | 11 LED buttons + 4 buttons + on/off switch |
| Power | Batteries: 6 AA batteries Power supply: AC adaptor (nominal: 9 Volt DC at 75 milliamps / maximum: 10.5 Volt DC at 5 milliamps / minimum: 7.5 Volt DC at 150 milliamps) |
| Weight | 250 gram (no batteries)/391 gram (with batteries) |
| Website | theelectronicwizard |
Merlin (also known as Merlin The Electronic Wizard, stylized as MERLIN) is a handheld electronic game first made by Parker Brothers in 1978.
The game was invented by former NASA employee Bob Doyle, his wife Holly, and brother-in-law Wendl Thomis. Merlin is notable as one of the earliest and most popular handheld games, selling over 5 million units during its initial run, as well as one of the most long-lived, remaining popular throughout the 1980s. A version of the game was re-released in 2004 by the Milton Bradley Company.