Colecovision

The ColecoVision was Coleco Industries' second generation home video game console, released in August, 1982. more...

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The ColecoVision offered arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, the ability to play other home consoles' video games (notably the Atari 2600), and the means to expand the system's hardware. ColecoVision was released with an initial catalog of 12 video game titles, with 10 additional titles on the way for 1982. All told, approximately 170 titles were released in the form of plug-in cartridges between 1982 and 1985.

ColecoVision hardware

The design of the main console unit was a 14x8x2 inch rectangular plastic case which housed the ColecoVision motherboard. An opening to a cartridge slot was visible on the top right side of the unit. An external power supply and RF-jack connected to the rear of the console, while the handheld controller connected into a depressed bay inside the top-left of the unit.

The ColecoVision controller design was rather similar to that of Mattel's Intellivision (introduced in 1979), but had a stubby 1.5 inch joystick instead of a disc pad. The joystick portion of the game controller was placed at the forward end of the rectangular number keypad. Two side buttons and the number keypad provided additional functionality such as jumping, shooting, or entering a sequence of numbers. An ultra thin keypad slot was designed to insert plastic overlays which mapped the keys for a particular game. Two controllers shipped with each unit.

Coleco struck a licensing deal with Nintendo of Japan making Donkey Kong the pack-in cartridge that shipped with each ColecoVision. Coleco's version of Donkey Kong, while not arcade perfect, was an excellent port of Nintendo's arcade game, bearing true likeness to its original characters and sound effects.

The majority of other titles in the ColecoVision catalog were ports of coin-operated arcade games (many of which were less popular during the period).

The ColecoVision was distributed by CBS Electronics outside of the United States, and branded CBS ColecoVision.

Expansion Modules

From its introduction, Coleco had touted a hardware add-on called the Expansion Module #1 which made ColecoVision compatible with the industry-leading Atari 2600 home video game system. Functionally, this gave the ColecoVision the largest software library of any console of its day. The expansion module prompted legal action from Atari, but Atari was unable to stop sales of the module because the Atari 2600 could be reproduced with off the shelf parts. Coleco was also able to design and market the Gemini game system which was an exact clone of an Atari 2600 but with combined joystick/paddle controllers.

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