Memorabilia
The original bench mock-up prototype of the Mattel Football I game. An EAPROM stored the code and the mock-up was used to test the game play. The prototype now resides at the Strong Museum.
Ads for Mattel Electronics handhelds programmed by Mark Lesser.
Space Alert originally was released as Missile Attack.
This is the Assembly Diagram for Mattel Auto Race.
The game was derived from a one-chip calculator. Note the simple piezoceramic speaker for sounds at the bottom left of the unit.
Mattel Auto Race schematic diagram.
Mattel Football I schematic diagram.
This is from the upcoming exhibit at the Strong Museum: a giant version of Mattel Football I.
At Parker Bros., before migrating to video game development, Mark programmed two unreleased electronic games: 'Touchword', a word game designed by Sam Kjellman (prototype shown) and 'Death Star Battle ', a binocular Star Wars themed handheld.
Death Star Battle, one of the two unreleased electronic games Mark programmed at Parker Bros., is shown here against a backdrop of other Parker Bros. electronic games.
A blurb for Microsmiths, Inc.
An ad for Swamp Thing on the Genesis...a game NuVision contracted out to Microsmiths to develop. Sadly, neither the game nor NuVision got off the ground.
Numbered limited Edition. This is one of a kind!
The card set issued for NHL '94. Each NHL player had a card with ratings as well as cards for the development staff.
One of the cards in a card deck issued for NHL '94. Each person involved in development got their own 'move'.
In 1996 the late Shawn Walsh, head coach of the University Maine ice hockey team, instructed Mark in hockey strategy. This fragment is one of the hundreds of play sketches Shawn made on pages from a hockey rule book.
This material was useful in the development of AI strategy for Mark's and MBL Research's subsequent hockey games.
One of Shawn Walsh's "scouting reports" describing his observations of team strategies used in professional hockey games.
NHL'94 was heavily advertised.
MBL Research, Inc. was founded by Mark Lesser and worked on several games for Electronic Arts.
Shown is a Platinum Award for NHL'98.
Mark and MBL Research worked on the strategic AI for NHL99.
The Mattel Football I handheld was re-issued in 2000, some 24 years after its initial release!
An working keychain-size version of Mattel Football I issued in the early 2000's. Mark's son still has one on his keychain.
Mark Lesser (center) at The Strong National Museum of Play in 2019 with Dr. Mary Ellin Logue, Professor Emerita University of Maine, and Jeremy Saucier of the Museum.