History of video games/Platforms/Mignonette

History

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Development

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The DIY console was inspired by the Mignon game kit.[1][2] The console was developed by Mitch Altman and Rolf van Widenfelt.[3][4]

Launch

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Maker Faire 2008 where the Mignonette was launched.

The Migonette was officially launched at Maker Faire 2008 which was held from May 3rd to May 4th, 2008 in San Mateo, California.[5]

The system was sold for $34.95.[1] The official PCB for version 1.0 lists a date of April 2008.[4]

Like the Mignon, workshops were offered to build the console.[3]

Legacy

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The Mignonette website was last updated in 2014.[6]

Technology

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Compute

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Version 1.0 of the system can use either an ATmega168 or an ATmega88.[4]

Version 2.0 uses an ATmega168[7]

Version 2.1 uses an ATmega328p.[7]

Hardware

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The LED dotmatrix display was capable of red and green colors.[1][4] This allowed for four states per pixel, Red, Green, Yellow, or off, which was an advancement over the Mignon Game Kit, which only had red LEDs. The display had a resolution of 5 vertical LEDs by 7 horizontal LEDs.[1][4]

The device has a speaker.[4]

All versions of the device were powered by 3 AA batteries.[4][8]

Revisions

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2.0 and 2.1 revisions are Arduino compatible.[7]

  • 1.0[4] - Latest BOM revision dated to June 5th, 2008.[8]
  • 2.0[6] - Latest BOM revision dated to February 22nd, 2010.[9]
  • 2.1[6] - Latest BOM revision dated to February 22nd, 2014.[10]

Games

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2008

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  • Munch - PacMan clone - preloaded on kits.[3]
  • Attack of the Cherry Tomatoes - Side scrolling wave based action shooter game developed by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.[4]
  • Attack - Developed by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.[11]

Unknown Release Date

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  • Tri2s - Tetris style game.[6]
  • Marquee - Text demo software [6]

External Resources

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References

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  1. a b c d "Fun, games and entertainment: Open source hardware 2009 - The definitive guide to open source hardware projects in 2009 - Make:". Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers. 30 November 1. https://makezine.com/2009/12/11/fun-games-and-entertainment-open-so/. 
  2. "In the Maker Shed: Mignonette Game Kit - Make:". Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers. 30 November 1. https://makezine.com/2009/01/28/in-the-maker-shed-mignonette/. 
  3. a b c "Mignonette Game Kit: Soldering Workshop". Machine Project. 21 November 2009. https://machineproject.com/2009/workshops/soldering-workshop-mignonette-videogame-kit/. 
  4. a b c d e f g h i "70 bits of gaming goodness | Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories". https://www.evilmadscientist.com/2008/70-bits-of-gaming-goodness/. 
  5. "Mignonette - FAQ". web.archive.org. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  6. a b c d e "Mignonette - downloads". web.archive.org. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  7. a b c "Mignonette - programming". web.archive.org. 26 March 2019.
  8. a b "Wayback Machine". web.archive.org. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  9. "Wayback Machine". web.archive.org. 24 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  10. "Wayback Machine". web.archive.org. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  11. "Mignonette - downloads". web.archive.org. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2022.