66 replies to this topic

[coleconut]

Lucked upon a few playable Colecovision prototypes recently - one is unknown to date to the best of my knowledge - Fireman.

I'll make the .ROM file available at a later date. Also in the process of trying to put together a little YouTube video of the game play.
Seems to have been developed by Nice Ideas - found some interesting info on them by Google'ing around.
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Nice_Ideas

Here is a couple of screen shots and a (lousy, I know) pic of the cart itself.
Last pic is one of a (sigh...) empty shell that came with the same lot. Mr Robot .... to be found still?

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Thanks to 5-11under for his help in dumping the roms.

[Tempest]

Neat! It's always nice to see new Colecovision prototypes. I wonder if there was an Intellivision version in the works as well?

Mr. Robot for the Coleco? Wow! Don't you just hate finding empty prototype cases?

Tempest

[Omegamatrix]

Cool! How does Fireman play? It sort of looks like DK in a way. Does the fire move left-right or is it stationary?



Great find man.

[coleconut]

Omegamatrix, on Sun Feb 8, 2009 12:11 AM, said:

Cool! How does Fireman play? It sort of looks like DK in a way. Does the fire move left-right or is it stationary?

There is sound effects throughout and simple music at the beginning. There is no jumping fires or gaps in the floor (a la DK), you can walk thru a fire with no damage. If you fall thru a gap in the floor, he is obviously hurt but I dont think he dies (will have to check this again)
Game starts with Fireman on his truck, bottom/right. Start with 4 hand-held extinguishers, that run dry after a while, then you have to go back to the truck to get a new one. You can replenish supply with a new hand-held if you pick one up near top centre of screen when they pop up for a couple of seconds (see green thing in 2nd picture). When the hand-helds run out, you must run a hose from one of the hydrants (those oval on top of triangle things on most floors). Hose from hydrant wont go far, if you try to pull it too far, it retracts fully and you have to go back to get it again. Red ladder on left and the white ladders are stationary but the one running up from the truck goes up and down so you have to be quick to catch it to the upper floors. You dont ride it like an elevator, you must climb.
Fires start spontaneously at the beginning, if not extinguished, they burn thru the floor and then you have a gap in the floor with two fires, one on each side of the gap plus one on the floor below. After completing a level or two, you get bombs, dynamite, and candles chasing you around that kill you if they touch you. You can extinquish them from a little distance away if you are quick enough but if they fall thru a gap, they start another fire on the floor below.

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I dont think the scene changes, just more of the same with fires all over the place. I only played it a couple of times, only got to level 3 or 4. Game ends when all players are killed by a bomb, candle or dynamite or the damage to the building exceeds a certain %. I think game also ends if fires reach one of the two objects at the bottom of the screen - barrels of something nasty?

Not a complex game but entertaining for a bit due to its curiosity.

[Omegamatrix]

This game sounds interesting. I found the handheld you speak of on the center top ladder, and I barely saw it cause I'm color-blind, lol. I bet they would've added different building configurations as the levels progressed, but as it is, it sounds like a very complete proto. The ability to walk through fires could just be attributed to the firegear the Fireman is wearing. This is different from thinking that the fire collision wasn't implemented yet. Can you jump over the gaps though?



Jeff

[darthkur]

Great find there. Fireman looks very interesting. I love platformers. I look forward to trying it out.

[newcoleco]

Well, another game to put in the video about coleco unreleased stuff.

[RickO2]

Looks cool. I hope it eventually makes its way to a cart.

[JL]

Really Nice!

It does look a tad like DK.

Hope I'll to get to play this one day as it looks like a really nice platformer.

Edited by JL, Sun Feb 8, 2009 3:43 PM.

[P.I.X.L.]

Looks good but I want the Colecovision Make Trax proto that surfaced years ago (or was it another hoax?)

[Ikrananka]

Superb find - who'd believe that new prototype's could still surface 25 years after the projects were cancelled - and looks like there are still more to be found......

Is there any story behind where you obtained the game from that could shed some light on the game's history/development?

Actually looks like quite a good game and I am very much looking forward to playing it - when do you think you will have the rom to post?

Any chance you could redo the photo of the eproms? It's really blurry and the stickers are unreadable.

BTW - many many thanks for sharing the photos, screenshots and ultimately the rom - really very much appreciated.

[retroillucid]

Simply Amazing!

[PingvinBlueJeans]

Nice find.

[Godzilla]

That's awesome. I'd also love to hear about make trax, I loved that game.

[PingvinBlueJeans]

P.I.X.L., on Sun Feb 8, 2009 5:09 PM, said:

Looks good but I want the Colecovision Make Trax proto that surfaced years ago (or was it another hoax?)

Godzilla, on Mon Feb 9, 2009 12:11 AM, said:

That's awesome. I'd also love to hear about make trax, I loved that game.

I've never heard of such a thing. You're probably thinking of Steamroller.

[Ikrananka]

PingvinBlueJeans, on Mon Feb 9, 2009 9:36 AM, said:

P.I.X.L., on Sun Feb 8, 2009 5:09 PM, said:

Looks good but I want the Colecovision Make Trax proto that surfaced years ago (or was it another hoax?)

Godzilla, on Mon Feb 9, 2009 12:11 AM, said:

That's awesome. I'd also love to hear about make trax, I loved that game.

I've never heard of such a thing. You're probably thinking of Steamroller.

Some useful information on this at http://www.answers.c...teamroller-game

[Pixelboy]

Ikrananka, on Mon Feb 9, 2009 11:46 AM, said:

PingvinBlueJeans, on Mon Feb 9, 2009 9:36 AM, said:

P.I.X.L., on Sun Feb 8, 2009 5:09 PM, said:

Looks good but I want the Colecovision Make Trax proto that surfaced years ago (or was it another hoax?)

Godzilla, on Mon Feb 9, 2009 12:11 AM, said:

That's awesome. I'd also love to hear about make trax, I loved that game.

I've never heard of such a thing. You're probably thinking of Steamroller.

Some useful information on this at http://www.answers.c...teamroller-game

"Useful" being a pretty relative word here. The article doesn't describe Steamroller correctly. The game is not about painting the road, but rather rolling over beach balls before they become bombs. It's really not the same as Make Trax/Crush Roller.

Also, I'll take Pepper II over Crush Roller any day of the week.

[newcoleco]

contact me when footage of fireman will be available, I want to watch this.

[RickO2]

I wonder why they made the fireman purple? It seems Red or Yellow would have been more appropriate. Anyway, I would still love a chance to play this game if someone decides to release it some day.

[www.atarimania.com]

IIRC, Fireman was released on the MSX line by VIFI International. I'll try to find the ad...

Edit... Here's what I was looking for: http://www.generatio...ftwareinfo/1003

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

Edited by www.atarimania.com, Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:51 AM.

[coleconut]

www.atarimania.com, on Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:37 AM, said:

IIRC...

... Here's what I was looking for: http://www.generatio...ftwareinfo/1003

--
Atari Frog

Yes, thanks for bringing up the MSX version. In the CV version instead of a pyromaniac to lob the bombs, etc, they just float around chasing you, and there are more hydrants it appears. Other than that, very close. Cool. Like to see Pyro-man.

[Tempest]

Any word on this? Has it been dumped yet?

Tempest

[PingvinBlueJeans]

RickO2, on Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:18 PM, said:

I wonder why they made the fireman purple?

He's gay.

[lucifershalo]

PingvinBlueJeans, on Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:21 PM, said:

RickO2, on Tue Feb 10, 2009 4:18 PM, said:

I wonder why they made the fireman purple?

He's gay.

[Tempest]

That's not a fire hose...

Tempest