subdirectory_arrow_right Active Enterprises (Company)
▲
2
▼
The Action Gamemaster was a 16-bit portable game console announced by Active Enterprises, infamous for Action 52, in 1994 - it would've had a slot for games designed for it, as well as adapters that would allow it to play SNES, Genesis, NES, and CD-ROM games, alongside adaptors that served as a TV tuner and cigarette lighter.
The console never released due to Active going out of business, and if it were to release it is unlikely that it would have bared much resemblance to the overly-ambitious original plan due to emulation not being in an advanced state at the time and patents for the 3 game platforms still being active.
Notably, the Action Gamemaster is also the name of a character in the NES version of the Cheetahmen minigame of Action 52.
The console never released due to Active going out of business, and if it were to release it is unlikely that it would have bared much resemblance to the overly-ambitious original plan due to emulation not being in an advanced state at the time and patents for the 3 game platforms still being active.
Notably, the Action Gamemaster is also the name of a character in the NES version of the Cheetahmen minigame of Action 52.
Console Database entry:
https://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/actiongamemaster/
NES World article on Active Enterprises' appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show 1994:
http://www.nesworld.com/aeces94.php
https://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/actiongamemaster/
NES World article on Active Enterprises' appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show 1994:
http://www.nesworld.com/aeces94.php
▲
1
▼
Action 52 came with a leaflet explaining that the games Alfred and the Fetucini's[sic] and Jigsaw could only be unlocked by completing Ooze. In reality, the prior two games are not playable on NES hardware and the latter game is unwinnable.
▲
1
▼
Action 52 was developed by a team of three college students over the course of three months.
▲
1
▼
Setting the value of the RAM address $338 to 02 (or using the Game Genie code ZAOEAPAA) at the Rocket Jockey game menu will bring the player to Level 3. This is a semi-playable level with a wrongly colored background, and sprites that glitch out when certain enemies appear. There are also mountains in the background that don't appear elsewhere in the game, as well as projectiles that spawn periodically.
▲
1
▼
There is evidence in the game's code that suggests that there was originally going to be 8 more games, making a total of 60.
▲
1
▼
In Cheetahmen, each character has its own introductory cutscene. However, the cutscene for Apollo appears to have no text accompanied with the obligatory image. This is because Active forgot to put the alphabet characters next to the image tiles in the ROM. The unused text can be found in a memory viewer during the cutscene and Levels 5 and 6 of Cheetahmen, and reads:
"APOLLO IS THE MASTER OF THE CROSSBOW. USE THE CROSSBOW TO DEFEAT THE ENEMIES ON THE LAST TWO LEVELS AND GET DR. MORBIS"
"APOLLO IS THE MASTER OF THE CROSSBOW. USE THE CROSSBOW TO DEFEAT THE ENEMIES ON THE LAST TWO LEVELS AND GET DR. MORBIS"
Related Games
Action 52
Action 52
Cheetahmen II
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Snake Rattle 'n' Roll
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Dragon Power
Bad News Baseball
Rambo
New Trivia!
Ice Climber
Spot: The Video Game
Yoshi
Hudson's Adventure Island
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary
Iron Tank: The Invasion of Normandy
Pictionary: The Game of Video Quick Draw
Contra
Karateka
Wild Gunman
Smash T.V.
Super Mario Bros.
Hogan's Alley
Disney's DuckTales
Power Punch II
Mechanized Attack
Excitebike
Treasure Master
Chubby Cherub
Mega Man
Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos
Disney's Darkwing Duck
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Disney's The Lion King
Mario's Time Machine
Sid Meier's Pirates!
Devil World
Mickey Mousecapade
Baby Boomer
Duck Hunt
Mario Bros. Classic Serie
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Dragon Warrior
Balloon Fight
Mighty Bomb Jack
Dragon Spirit: The New Legend
Yeah Yeah Beebiss II
New Trivia!
Joust
Dudes with Attitude
Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt / World Class Track Meet
Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular!