Coleco Zaxxon (1983, VFD (x2), 4 D Batteries, Model# 2396)
View Manual /
View Guts
One of the coolest handheld arcade conversion, Coleco's Zaxxon uses a unique combination of mirrors and 2 different VFD displays to get a 3-D affect. Your ship appears to be flying above the surface of the planet and actually flies over walls and other VFD generated images (not possible with just one VFD display). The planet's surface and ground based enemies are created by one VFD, while you and air-based enemies are created by the VFD reflected off a mirror. (See the Guts section for an interior view of this machine.) This is also the only game I've seen with a true 8-way joystick. If you look at the internal pictures in the Guts section you will see that there are 8 metal squares around the center of the joystick, not 4 like in other games. This game is also huge, probably one of the biggest of the handhelds listed on the webiste (also, one of the few that run on D size batteries! (and 4 of them no less, makes for a damn heavy game!) I have seen these forsale with the joystick missing (it's still there, but just a little, straight stick, not what appears in the pictures here, it must come off fairly easily).
Holding down the fire button while turning the machine on will start a graphics test, and then enter into a demo mode. Holding down the joystick while turning it on does the graphics test only.
Do I have this? Yes, complete (Canadian version). (This is mine pictured)