The Bandai Super Vision 8000 is a second-generation home console released by Bandai in Japan in December 1979.
Spec Table
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Bandai |
| Type | Home console |
| Generation | 2nd generation |
| Release Date | Japan: 1979 (initial) |
| Launch Price | Not documented |
| Units Sold | Not documented |
| Media | ROM cartridge |
| CPU | NEC D780C-1 (Z80 clone) running at 3.58 MHz |
| Predecessor / Successor | Bandai TV Jack 5000 / Bandai Arcadia (Arcadia 2001) |
History
Bandai released the Super Vision 8000 in Japan in December 1979, pricing the unit at 59,800 yen. It marked the company’s first home console with a true microprocessor, positioning it among early second-generation systems alongside the Atari 2600 and the Genesis models released across the same gaming era.
The console centered on an NEC D780C-1, a licensed Z80 clone at 3.58 MHz, paired with video and audio chips supporting 256×192 graphics and three-channel sound. Also marketed as TV Jack 8000, it used ROM cartridges—a format still relatively novel for Japanese home hardware in 1979. Bandai released only seven titles, including Missile Vader, Gun Professional, and Beam Galaxian, an unlicensed take on Namco’s arcade hit.
Discontinued in 1982 after three years, the Super Vision 8000 was not succeeded by a Bandai redesign but by the licensed Arcadia 2001, rebranded for Japan as the Bandai Arcadia. The system remains a significant early step in Bandai’s hardware timeline, predating their later handheld and licensed home systems.
Library Highlights
With only seven cartridges ever released, the Super Vision 8000’s library was defined less by breadth than by variety, spanning shooters, a light-gun game, and even an unlicensed arcade clone.
- Missile Vader
- Space Fire
- Othello
- Gun Professional
- PacPacBird
- Submarine
- Beam Galaxian
Variants
The console was also sold under the name TV Jack 8000. No other major hardware variants are documented. See the Bandai manufacturer hub for the company’s other home and handheld systems, including its later Arcadia license.
Collector Value
As an obscure, Japan-only system with a seven-game library and no official international release, the Super Vision 8000 is a genuine rarity outside dedicated retro-import collecting circles, and complete-in-box units with original packaging command a real premium over loose consoles. Because so few carts were produced for such a short-lived platform, condition of the cartridge slot and the presence of original cables and manuals matter even more than usual when evaluating a listing.
Buying Guide
Before buying a Super Vision 8000, confirm the seller can supply a working Japanese-market power supply and RF cable, since period-correct accessories were never sold outside Japan and are difficult to source. Ask whether the cartridge slot has been tested with a game rather than just powered on, and inspect any included cartridges for label wear or corrosion on the edge connector, since so few titles were ever produced for this system.
FAQs
When did the Bandai Super Vision 8000 come out?
The Bandai Super Vision 8000 was released in Japan in December 1979.
How many units did the Bandai Super Vision 8000 sell?
Units sold figures are not documented for the Bandai Super Vision 8000.
What CPU does the Bandai Super Vision 8000 use?
It uses an NEC D780C-1, a Zilog Z80 clone, running at 3.58 MHz.
How many games were released for the Bandai Super Vision 8000?
Bandai released only seven cartridges for the system, all in its 1979 launch year, including Missile Vader, Othello, and Beam Galaxian.
What console followed the Bandai Super Vision 8000?
Bandai discontinued the Super Vision 8000 in 1982 and followed it with the Bandai Arcadia, a licensed Japanese release of the Emerson Arcadia 2001.
Sources
Facts on this page last verified 2026-07-15.