<s>
Mattel	B-Application
Electronics	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
Race	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
line	O
of	O
many	O
Mattel	B-Operating_System
Electronics	I-Operating_System
games	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
credited	O
with	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
handheld	B-Application
game	I-Application
that	O
was	O
entirely	O
digital	O
,	O
with	O
only	O
solid-state	O
electronics	O
,	O
having	O
no	O
moving	O
mechanisms	O
except	O
the	O
controls	O
and	O
on/off	O
switch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mattel	O
pioneered	O
the	O
category	O
of	O
handheld	B-Application
computer	O
games	O
when	O
it	O
released	O
Mattel	B-Application
Auto	I-Application
Race	I-Application
in	O
1976	O
which	O
is	O
sometimes	O
overlooked	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
more	O
successful	O
Mattel	O
Football	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sales	O
of	O
Mattel	B-Application
Auto	I-Application
Race	I-Application
exceeded	O
expectations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mattel	O
in	O
the	O
1970s	O
,	O
known	O
mostly	O
for	O
Barbie	B-Application
dolls	O
and	O
Hot	B-Device
Wheels	I-Device
,	O
was	O
at	O
first	O
skeptical	O
of	O
products	O
based	O
on	O
electronics	O
,	O
especially	O
at	O
what	O
was	O
considered	O
expensive	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
(	O
$24.99	O
retail	O
)	O
The	O
success	O
of	O
Auto	O
Race	O
convinced	O
Mattel	O
to	O
proceed	O
with	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Mattel	O
Football	O
which	O
was	O
often	O
sold	O
out	O
and	O
in	O
short	O
supply	O
and	O
this	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
Mattel	B-Operating_System
Electronics	I-Operating_System
Division	O
in	O
1978	O
,	O
which	O
for	O
a	O
time	O
was	O
extremely	O
profitable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
designed	O
the	O
game	O
play	O
for	O
Mattel	B-Application
Auto	I-Application
Race	I-Application
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
auto	O
racing	O
games	O
commonly	O
found	O
in	O
video	O
arcades	O
in	O
the	O
1970s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
First	O
,	O
he	O
made	O
a	O
proof	O
of	O
concept	O
prototype	O
demonstrating	O
a	O
blip	O
moving	O
on	O
an	O
LED	O
display	O
without	O
using	O
a	O
microprocessor	B-Architecture
to	O
get	O
approval	O
from	O
Mattel	O
for	O
further	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Klose	O
and	O
his	O
manager	O
Richard	O
Cheng	O
approached	O
the	O
Microelectronics	O
Division	O
of	O
Rockwell	O
International	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
a	O
leader	O
in	O
designing	O
handheld	B-Application
calculator	O
chips	O
,	O
to	O
supply	O
Mattel	O
with	O
the	O
hardware	O
and	O
provide	O
technical	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mark	O
Lesser	O
,	O
a	O
circuit	O
design	O
engineer	O
at	O
Rockwell	O
International	O
,	O
jumped	O
at	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
write	O
the	O
software	O
for	O
Mattel	B-Application
Auto	I-Application
Race	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
then	O
proceeded	O
to	O
write	O
the	O
program	O
in	O
assembly	O
language	O
,	O
challenged	O
by	O
making	O
it	O
fit	O
into	O
the	O
512	O
bytes	O
of	O
ROM	B-Device
allowed	O
by	O
the	O
chip	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
very	O
similar	O
version	O
of	O
this	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
1970s	O
Battlestar	B-Application
Galactica	I-Application
TV	O
series	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1976	O
by	O
Mattel	B-Operating_System
Electronics	I-Operating_System
under	O
the	O
name	O
Mattel	B-Operating_System
Electronics	I-Operating_System
Missile	O
Attack	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
resold	O
in	O
1978	O
as	O
Mattel	B-Operating_System
Electronics	I-Operating_System
Battlestar	B-Application
Galactica	I-Application
Space	O
Alert	O
due	O
to	O
difficulties	O
with	O
NBC	O
who	O
refused	O
to	O
air	O
commercials	O
for	O
the	O
Missile	O
Attack	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
Mattel	B-Application
Electronics	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
Race	I-Application
,	O
in	O
this	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
score	O
counter	O
goes	O
up	O
instead	O
of	O
down	O
as	O
the	O
player	O
gains	O
points	O
by	O
destroying	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
