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ZAPiT Game Wave ZAPiT Games Game Wave ZAPiT Game Wave

  HANDS ON REVIEW by 98Pacecar              DW FACTS by Dark Watcher

Page content, development and design by Marriott_Guy
Developer Manufacturer Release Date Country(s) Initial Price Model Number Game Releases Overall Rating
Nytric ZAPiT Games 2005 North America $99.99 USD Z800A 12 (thus far) 5.0
Ratings Reviews Pictures\Media Specs\Manuals Games\Emulation Models Clones Links
ZAPiT Game Wave
Ratings
Consoles are rated based upon the available technology at the time of its release.  Ratings based upon a 10 point scale (10 being excellent\very rare).
Console Design (appearance, functionality) 05
Console Durability (sturdy or frail and fragile) 05
Controllers (design, response, feel, use) 07
Graphics (graphical capability and presentation) 03
Audio (sound, music, speech, effects) 03
Media (game media format, design, durability) 08
Packaging (appeal, durability of packaging) 05
Game Library (quality, quantity of game library) 07
Innovations (technological industrial strides) 03
Gamer Value (good investment for the gamer?) 03
Collector Value (good collector investment?) 01
Games Rarity (general availability of games) 03
Console Rarity (general availability of a system) 03
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Reviews

ZAPiT Game Wave

DW FACTS
 
- by Dark Watcher

There have been DVD Players that play games such as NUON. There have been game consoles that play DVD movies (like Playstation 2 and Xbox), but are you ready for another console / DVD hybrid?

The ZAPiT Game Wave was released in November of 2005 in Canada. It is essentially a game console that plays interactive simple group-oriented titles like trivia, traditional board games, word games, and card games. The device can also be used as a basic DVD Player. The Game Wave began selling in the US in 2006 with a retail price of $99.

What makes Game Wave slightly different is its use of individual color coded Infra-Red remote controls that can accommodate up to 6 players simultaneously. Imagine a game show where a player has to buzz in their answer. A player using a red controller for example would interact as the red onscreen player. The audio/visual quality of the games is about on par with an interactive video. The console is geared to casual gamers seeking social interaction, and a group gaming experience.

ZAPiT Game Wave

The Game Wave was designed by a company called Nytric. The console utilizes standard low cost DVD player components and connects to televisions using the same audio / video connections. They added a system-on-a-chip setup containing Altera MAX II Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) chipset. This allowed Game Wave to be manufactured and sold for a low retail price.

The ZAPiT Game Wave comes with 4 color coded remote with batteries, and a pack-in trivia game called 4 Degrees. Additional games retailed for $25, and a package containing two more remotes (for the total of 6 players) sold separately for $25.
 


 
HANDS ON REVIEW
  - by 98Pacecar (27-Jun-08)

The idea of a gaming enhanced DVD player was nothing new when the ZAPiT Games Game Wave was released. The NUON had already tried to meld the two technologies with limited success. However, the Game Wave was not released to appeal to gamers and was rather released primarily as a family game system. As such, the Game Wave doesn't feature any games from the mainstream genres, such as FPS or adventure, so most gamers won't be interested in it. What it does bring to the table are a number of solid games that are easy to approach for families and non gamers alike.

Designed by Nytric for ZAPiT, the console itself is little more than a standard, progressive scan DVD player with an embedded Mediamatics 8611 CPU for generating game graphics and reading commercial DVD content. The DVD drive control for the games is achieved by using an Altera Max II CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device). Half of the console (and part of what makes up the 'wave') is nothing more than a covered storage unit for the controllers. The overall quality of the console seems a bit cheap, but it is functional. It has better graphical capabilities than most standard DVD players, but it won't impress anybody with what it can render.

The controllers are essentially infrared remotes which help to make the system more accessible to non gamers. Each remote comes in a different color, four of which come with the console while the final two are sold separately. One of the biggest technical hurdles faced by Nytric was the need to have up to six remotes talk to the console at the same time, a difficult feat when using IR. This was achieved by using a separate beat frequency for each remote to ensure that each message is received by the console. The games are controlled by either a set of four choice keys or a set of four cursor keys with an enter key, depending on the needs of the game. The controllers also have the standard ten key number pad on them. They feel as sturdy as any television or stereo remote control.


Games for the Game Wave are developed in an interpreted language called Lua, they are very similar to Java based games one would find on the web. An interesting side effect to this choice is that it is possible to run the code on a number of different processors with little to no change to the code itself.

The games, while simple, are a lot of fun as party games. Many of them are NTN style trivia games featuring yearly themed questions, general trivia, or even Bible specific trivia. For those that may not be familiar with NTN games, you are given four possible answers and clues are provided as time counts down while the number of points given for a correct answer is steadily decreasing. If you choose the wrong answer, you lose points. There is also a bonus round where you have to put events into chronological order. Alternately, there is another style of trivia game which is very similar to the style above, but allow for a certain amount of re-guesses as well as having two bonus rounds instead of one. One of the bonus rounds has you figure out which of three possible news headlines is true and the other is a true/false question. For both of these, you can bet 300, 600, or 900 points. If you get it wrong, you lose the points. All of the trivia games are full multimedia with sound, video, stills and animation.

The rest of the library consists of games such as Zap 21 (blackjack), Letter Cube (Boggle), or Lock 5 (Yahtzee). Each of these games is designed to be multi player and are great fun with a group of friends. In keeping with the target audience of the console, there is even a Veggie Tales themed game available.

It is hard to recommend the Game Wave to someone looking for a modern gaming experience as all of the games are available in similar forms on either PC or even the current generation of consoles. It is a great system for parties and for families looking to modernize their gaming nights, but offers little outside of that. The system isn't available in any mainstream video game stores, but it can sometimes be found in clearance racks at Toys R Us or in some religious supply stores. To the collector, it's an interesting piece, but will likely never be sought after in the future.
 


Additional notes on the individual rating(s):

Console Design: 5 - The design of the console is effective, but very simple.
Console Durability: 5
 - I've had a few issues with the eject mechanism on my Game Wave not always working quite right.
Controllers: 7
 - Very accessible to non gamers and very sturdy.
Graphics: 3
 - Basic graphics that get the job done, but nothing too flashy. The DVD bits are top quality though.
Audio: 3
 - Again, basic audio capabilities, but the DVD can store high quality audio.
Media: 8
 - The same standard DVD we all know and love. Lots of storage for multimedia trivia games makes it an excellent choice.
Packaging: 5
 - Standard DVD cases are easy to store and display.
Game Library: 7
 - As a family console, the games are varied and fun.
Innovations: 3
 - Ultimately, just another multimedia console, but the presentation is much better than past efforts.
Gamer Value: 3
 - Not something a hard core gamer would want, but excellent for family gaming nights.
Collector Value: 1
 - Most of the games and even the console has hit bargain prices. I don't see many people being nostalgic about the Game Wave in the future.
Games Rarity: 3
- Easily attainable online and in some B&M stores.
Console Rarity: 3
 - Somewhat uncommon, but mainly due to limited distribution and advertising.
 

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Pictures & Video

Various picture\video media for this console.  Click pictures to enlarge.

ZAPiT Game Wave - Front

ZAPiT Games Game Wave - Front
ZAPiT Game Wave - Back

ZAPiT Games Game Wave - Back
ZAPiT Game Wave - Controller Storage

ZAPiT Games Game Wave - Controller Storage
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Specs

For the hardware enthusiasts out there - all the detail you\we love.

 Processor Type  Processor Speed  Other Processor Information RAM \ Video RAM
Mediamatics 8611 Unknown Altera Max II CPLD 16 MB SRAM

Screen Resolution

Color Palette

Polygons \ Sprites

Audio
1080i 16.7 M Unknown 2 Channel D/A Full Stereo

Media Format

Media Capacity

Games Released

Other Supported Formats

DVD 4.0 GB 12 (thus far) None

Internal Storage

External \ Removable Storage

Game Controllers

Other Game \ Peripheral Devices

Atmel E2Prom None IR Keypad Remotes None
Controller Ports Network Ports

Other Ports

Audio \ Video

Up to 6 IR remotes None None Composite, S-Video

Power Supply - Internal

Other Outputs

 Other Details \ Notes

AC 120V / 240V 50-60Hx None None
Manuals
ZAPiT Games Game Wave Owners Manual (PDF) - 1.14 MB
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Games & Emulation

Games, media format, emulators and screen shots for titles released on this system.

ZAPiT Game Wave Games

 

Games for the ZAPiT Game Wave were distributed in the DVD format, with standard casing used for packaging. Vibrant colors were used in the graphics for cover art and the DVD.  A direction manual accompanies each game title, printed on a high glossy, heavy paper.

For those that have lost directions for any game, ZAPiT Games provides these online for free via a downloadable PDF file.  The link:

http://playgamewave.com/_bin/support/manuals.cfm

 

Complete collection of titles for the ZAPiT Game Wave system

ZAPiT Games Game Wave Boxes

ZAPiT Game Wave Screen Shots
4 Degrees - Volume 1

ZAPiT Game Wave - 4 Degrees

ZAPiT Game Wave - 4 Degrees

4 Degrees - Volume 2

ZAPiT Game Wave - 4 Degrees Volume 2

ZAPiT Game Wave - 4 Degrees Volume 2

4 Degrees - Bible Edition

ZAPiT Game Wave - 4 Degrees Bible Edition

ZAPiT Game Wave - 4 Degrees Bible Edition

Click!

ZAPiT Game Wave - Click!

ZAPiT Game Wave - Click!

Gemz

ZAPiT Game Wave - Gemz

ZAPiT Game Wave - Gemz

Letter Zap!

ZAPiT Game Wave - Letter Zap

ZAPiT Game Wave - Letter Zap

Lock 5

ZAPiT Game Wave - Lock 5

ZAPiT Game Wave - Lock 5

Re-Wind

ZAPiT Game Wave - Re-Wind

ZAPiT Game Wave - Re-Wind

Re-Wind 2005

ZAPiT Game Wave - Re-Wind 2005

ZAPiT Game Wave - Re-Wind 2005

Re-Wind 2006

ZAPiT Game Wave - Re-Wind 2006

ZAPiT Game Wave - Re-Wind 2006

Sudoku

ZAPiT Game Wave - Sudoku

ZAPiT Game Wave - Sudoku

Zap 21

ZAPiT Game Wave - Zap 21

ZAPiT Game Wave - Zap 21

Above pictures courtesy of ZAPiT Games
Third Party Emulators
Program Website Description

None released to date.

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Models

Additional authorized releases for this console.

No other additional models have been released to date.
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Clones

Non-licensed releases (clones).

No clones were released for this system.
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Links

Highly recommended additional sites\resources for this system.

Name Website Description
ZAPiT Games http://playgamewave.com/ Official website
TechOnline http://www.techonline.com/product/.../197802222 Review of the Game Wave
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