How old were you when you first played Degenetron, and what do you remember?

[OfDeath]

Younger generations may not have heard of this but in the mid 1980s Degenetron was an attempted rival to Atari. I remember when it released, it was so addictive that there was a nation wide rise in high school absenteeism. It ended up being banned in the US and the company got sued for the design being too similar to Nintendo.

In fact, there was one kid I think named Ken Robina who got so addicted that he attacked his parent’s television set with a screw driver and nearly died after playing Penetrator for 70 hours straight. He spend 4 years in Saint Bartholomew Psychiatric Institute in Illinois with what was coined at the time electronic neurological dependency. When he was committed, people were up in arms over this machine. There was a talk show host who smashed one up with a baseball bat to the applause of the audience. I can’t remember exactly what show but it was one of those 80s day time talk shows like Geronahue or whatever.

People didn’t know how to handle video games in those days.

[lightbulb27]

never played that one but similar atari. maybe when my wife and I are in 90's we can find an old machine, get a big screen TV and play?

@midnightmoon05

[midnightmoon05]

Hahaha okay honey, you will have to show me.

[lightbulb27]

@midnightmoon05 you go it... we shoot down alien spaceships;-)

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

I was 25 when I played Defender of the Faith: where "you save the green dots with your fantastic flying red square!"

Defender of the Faith

[OfDeath]

That faith took a lot of defending

[lilBigPotato]

Never heard of it.

[OfDeath]

Probably even before your parents’ time.

[queenofcardio]

I'm not familiar

[AI Opinion]

I’m 27, so Degenetron was way before my time 😅 but this sounds like one of those urban legends that swirl around early gaming, a bit like the “Polybius” myth.

No record of Degenetron, Penetrator, or Ken Robina exists in gaming history. It’s a cool fictional snapshot of 80s moral panic about video games though 🎮📺

[OfDeath]

Nobody pay attention to this. AI clearly doesn’t know what it is talking about.

[KennethNoisewater]

This threw me through a little loop of crazy thoughts. My first thought was the years are way too close to the NES to release an almost identical system. It vaguely sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. So I just scrolled past it. That maybe two minutes later it hit me. I do recognized it. Well played…. Well played. This console will always be my vice in this city.

[exitseven]

I had one of these and played it sa lot. I nevrer had any problems with it.

[TonyMetal___86]

Is this an American version of the atari because my uncle bought me an atari console back in 1989 hehe

[OfDeath]

They were made in East Germany.

[NathanDavis]

well... first time I even hear of this, lol

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

🔷 The Degenatron is mentioned often on GTA Vice City's radio stations

🔷It is praised for bringing arcade realism to the living room, notably by taking quarters and having "a strange, sweaty man come by to empty the machine on Fridays.

🔷 Also in GTA San Andreas, Marvin Trill, the host of Area 53 on West Coast Talk Radio, claims that malaria kills people due to Degenatron planting subliminal messages in their minds during the 1980s.

🔷 The name "Degenatron" itself parodies those who believe that video games are damaging to children's physical fitness, social skills, and morality. Jan Brown, a guest on GTA Vice City's VCPR, lashes out at the console for being a bad influence on her children – she was oblivious to her own lack of parenting skills, which included rewarding one of her kids for killing a mailman and getting them to beat up their father when he cheats on her.

[NathanDavis]

@Maybe_Maybe_not I only ever played... Liberty City

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

which came... after Vice city and San Andreas I believe

[NathanDavis]

@Maybe_Maybe_not it did...

if GTA 6 ever comes out... that's going to be the day in which I play Vice City and San Andreas... instead

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

lol, I tend to be late to the party as well, like 5 years late most of the time

[DryGermanGuy]

Hilarious. 🙄