HeartBeat Catalyst
From Sega Retro
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| HeartBeat Catalyst | ||||||||||
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| Made for: Sega Mega Drive | ||||||||||
| Manufacturer: HeartBeat Corporation | ||||||||||
| Type: Fitness | ||||||||||
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The HeartBeat Catalyst is a third-party Sega Mega Drive exercise peripheral with included body-mounted fitness sensor hardware which reads the user's heart rate, motion, and skin salinity levels for in-game feedback. Manufactured by American video game hardware developer HeartBeat Corporation, it was released exclusively in the United States in November 1993, and is notable for having a production run of only 1000 units. Sold with the included pack-in game Outback Joey (which was specifically developed to utilize the peripheral's fitness sensors, and not available for purchase separately), both are considered some of the rarest pieces of Mega Drive history in existence.[2]
Contents
Hardware
The HeartBeat Catalyst is a body-mounted fitness sensor hardware system which reads the user's heart rate, motion, and skin salinity levels for in-game feedback, and is compatible with any Sega Mega Drive system (contrary to popular belief, it does not require the HeartBeat Personal Trainer to operate.[1]) The only game developed to utilize this hardware, Outback Joey, uses this feeback to control the running speed of its player character, and encourages maintaining a consistent heart rate through exercise. Though not a requirement, the Catalyst is intended for use with fitness machines such as exercise bikes and treadmills.
Fitness sensors
List of games
The hardware's manufacturer, HeartBeat Corporation, claimed that a number of upcoming Sega Mega Drive games were planned to be compatible with the Heartbeat Catalyst. However, the only title which ever utilized the hardware's unique capabilities was the HeartBeat Corporation-produced Outback Joey (the peripheral's pack-in game), with a second title planned but ultimately unreleased, Outworld 2375 AD.
- Outback Joey (1993)
- It's Serious Fun (unreleased)
- Outworld 2375 AD (unreleased)
History
The HeartBeat Catalyst was released on November 24, 1993, and was available for purchase for $299.00 in a bundle which included the HeartBeat Personal Trainer.[1] For buyers who already owned a Sega Mega Drive, the Catalyst hardware was available for purchase separately for $199.00 (still including Outback Joey.) [1]
The peripheral, alongside its dedicated software Outback Joey, appeared at Winter CES 1994[3][4] and was used to demonstrate how the specialized fitness sensors could be utilized with a traditional video game.
In addition to Outback Joey, the likes of NHLPA Hockey '93, PGA Tour Golf, Earthworm Jim, and the unreleased Outworld 2375 AD were mentioned as possibly including support for the peripheral's unique features, but were ultimately left unrealized. Notably, some of these games had finished development before the Personal Trainer was even released; the original source of this claim is known.
Images
The exercise bike controllers.
The controller adapter.
The power adapter, fitness sensors, and attachment clip.
The fitness sensor cables. (?)
- OJHPT 5.jpg
The RF and video adapters.
Physical scans
External links
References