The Hanimex Pencil II

By David Law (@myretrogamehub) 

Reading Time: 7 minutes 

14th September 2024

I was flipping through issue #9 of Pixel Addict magazine recently when I stumbled upon an article about an obscure machine that most people have probably never heard of — let alone used: the Hanimex Pencil II. This curious device was designed and produced by Soundic Electronics, a company from Hong Kong known for its Pong consoles in the 1970s and early 1980s. From there, it made its way overseas to Australia, where Hanimex handled its sales, extending its reach to Europe.

This discovery caught my attention as someone born in Hong Kong in 1980 and later moved to Australia in 1988. Naturally, I had to dig deeper into this peculiar piece of tech history. Still, when I scoured the net, there was little information about this machine. In this article, I'll share what I uncovered about this rare and fascinating console.

A Brief History of Hanimex

When we think about the early days of home computing, big names like the Commodore 64, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, and Atari 8-bit series usually pop into our heads. These legendary machines shaped the landscape of personal computing in the 1980s and have left a legacy that still resonates today. But not every computer from that era got its time in the spotlight. One such machine, the Hanimex Pencil II, remains a largely forgotten relic—known only to die-hard enthusiasts and collectors. This machine is almost impossible to find nowadays.

Released in 1983 by a relatively unknown Hong Kong-based company called Soundic Electronics. Soundic was a budget electronics manufacturer in the '70s and '80s, known mostly for its Pong-style games and consoles. Its products were often rebranded and sold under various names.

After release of the Pencil II, the system was exported to 1984 to Australia, (though, interestingly, there doesn't seem to be a Pencil I). The Pencil II was sold under the Hanimex brand, leading to its common reference as the Hanimex Pencil II. 

Hanimex, short for Jack Hannes Import and Export, was an Australian trading company specialising in importing everything from cameras to Pong-style games and consoles. Hanimex was responsible for its distribution in both Australia and parts of Europe.

The Pencil II attempted to carve out a niche in the rapidly growing home computer market. The early 1980s were a period of intense innovation, with numerous companies vying for a share of the burgeoning personal computing market. The Pencil II was designed as an affordable, entry-level computer that could serve both educational and recreational purposes, making it a potential option for families and hobbyists alike.

Despite its potential, the Pencil II never achieved the success enjoyed by its more famous contemporaries. Limited distribution, stiff competition, and modest technical specifications all contributed to its obscurity. Few units sold, and it quickly disappeared a few months after its debut. The system just didn't gain any traction in the market.

The European launch saw a brief appearance in France and even touched down in the UK, but reports suggest only a few units sold there. Today, the Hanimex Pencil II is a rare find, a sought-after collector's item that's tough to come across these days.

A ColecoVision Clone?

Like many home computers of its era, it was designed to be hooked up to a standard CRT television set for display. It featured output options such as SCART and composite, which could connect to the TV. The idea was to keep costs down and make the system more accessible by allowing users to use their existing TVs instead of requiring a dedicated monitor.

At the heart of the Hanimex Pencil II was the Zilog Z80 microprocessor, a popular choice for many home computers of the time. The Z80 was an 8-bit CPU that powered countless machines, including the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and the Tandy TRS-80. While the Z80 was a capable processor, by 1983, it was already being outpaced by more advanced CPUs, contributing to the Pencil II's struggles in a competitive market.

The Pencil II came with a mere 2KB of user-available RAM—a pretty lacklustre amount, even by 1984 standards. However, it did feature 16KB of VRAM, which could be expanded depending on the model. While this was sufficient for basic computing tasks and simple games, it fell short compared to the memory of more popular computers like the Commodore 64, which had a full 64KB of RAM, or the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, which offered versions with 16KB and 48KB of RAM.

The Pencil II's operating system runs BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), a programming language and environment used in most early home computing. BASIC allowed users to write and run their own programs, fostering a generation of hobbyist programmers and encouraging creativity among young computer enthusiasts.

The sound chip is a Texas Instruments SN76489A, and the keyboard? It's that chiclet rubber style, like the ZX Spectrum, complete with single-key BASIC command input. BASIC itself comes on a separate cartridge. The machine also sports two joystick ports and a cassette interface. On the surface, it is nothing too exciting. But here's the kicker—the Pencil II has the intriguing ability to run Colecovision cartridges if you have the optional Colecovision module. Now, that's something worth noting!

It feels like the Pencil II was a clone of a game console rather than another computer. Comparing it to the ColecoVision, it's clear that the Pencil II shares a lot with the 1982 console. Both systems use the same CPU, graphics chip, VRAM, and sound chip, even down to the identical 2 joystick ports. The Pencil II does come with 2KB of user RAM, compared to Colecovision's 1KB, but in 1983/1984, that likely made little difference in production costs.

The Pencil II does have a few extras that set it apart from the Colecovision. Beyond the bump to 2KB of user RAM, it has a cassette interface, a proprietary printer interface, and BASIC available as a cartridge. There's also an extra interface for Memory Packs, which house additional RAM—because, let's face it, 2KB doesn't get you far in BASIC. Memory Packs came in 16KB and 64KB options, making getting any of these upgrades necessary. And, if that wasn't enough, the Pencil II could even hook up to 5.25″ floppy disks using a controller module through its expansion slot. The RAM pack connects to the side of the Pencil II, and the BASIC cartridge plugs in the top.

The Pencil II featured standard text and graphics capabilities for the time, with limited colour output and resolution. Though sufficient for simple games and applications, it couldn't compete with the more advanced graphics capabilities of machines like the Atari 8-bit series.

For data storage, the Pencil II likely relied on cassette tapes, a common and affordable storage solution before floppy disks became widespread. While functional, cassette tapes were slow and cumbersome, further limiting the Pencil II's appeal in a market quickly moving towards more reliable and efficient storage methods.

With the Pencil II's ability to run Colecovision modules, the demand for dedicated games in Pencil II mode was pretty minimal. Even so, it seems that Soundic did release three games specifically for the system, at least in France:

• PEN 701: Le Jardin Magique (The Magic Garden)
• PEN 702: Le Plongeur à la Recherche du Trésor (Treasure Hunt)
• Big Foot Chase

These titles are part of the tiny official library for the Pencil II, making them rare finds for any retro gaming collector.

The Struggle

The Hanimex Pencil II faced an uphill battle from the moment it was released. By 1983, the home computer market was already crowded, with well-established brands dominating the scene. The Pencil II's modest specifications and limited distribution made it difficult to compete with the Commodore 64, which was more powerful and benefited from extensive marketing and a vast software library.

As a result, the Pencil II gained little traction in the market and was quickly overshadowed by more popular machines. However, its very obscurity has made it a fascinating subject for vintage computing enthusiasts and collectors. Today, finding a working Pencil II is a rare treat, and those who own one regard it as a unique piece of computing history.

Why the Pencil II Deserves Recognition?

Despite its lack of commercial success, the Pencil II is a valuable reminder of the diversity and innovation that characterised the early days of home computing. The Pencil II represents the efforts of smaller companies to participate in the rapidly evolving personal computer market, offering alternatives to the dominant players of the time.

For collectors, the Pencil II is more than just a computer—it's a piece of history, a symbol of an era when the future of computing was still being written. Its rarity and uniqueness make it a prized possession for those who appreciate the rich tapestry of early home computing.

The Hanimex Pencil II may have vanished from the spotlight soon after its release, but it's far from forgotten. During my research into this system, I came across a forum where vintage computing enthusiasts and collectors still talk about this rare piece of tech. They share knowledge, swap stories, and even get a kick out of testing Colecovision cartridges on the Pencil II—only to find that, surprisingly, they work. What's truly remarkable is that some of these enthusiasts are working to breathe new life into the system, really getting into the nitty-gritty of its hardware and software quirks. They're not just preserving history—they're actively expanding it by experimenting with new code, wrestling with challenges like getting animations to run, and even considering creating fresh content for this almost-forgotten machine. It's a testament to the relentless passion of the retro gaming community that, 40 years later, the Pencil II is still sparking curiosity and innovation.

I couldn't find one for sale online, I'm curious to know how much it would cost nowadays and whether any are still out there. With only three games in existence, this would be the easiest system for collecting a complete set if you can track it down! Let me know in the comments if you ever come across one.

I'll leave you with the 110-page manual that came with the Pencil II—such different times! Nowadays, you rarely even get a manual with your games. Also, be sure to check out the gameplay footage below.😉

Pencil II Computer Console User's Manual

Stay Retro!

David - My Retro Game Hub

Treasure Hunt Gameplay Footage

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