33 replies to this topic

[Bruce Tomlin]

I just noticed something about the 2600 boards... they have traces going off the edge of the board. This is most definitely not something an amateur board maker would do, so that's got to be Coleco's board design. The reason to do this is to connect all the edge pins together before the board is routed to shape, so that the edge contacts can be gold plated. (Nintendo's favorite method was to cross wires together all over the board, then drill out the junctions, and I've seen 2600 games where all the traces continue up off the top edge of the board.)

One of the games has soldered EPROMs with just a number on the sticker. Also, the stickers seems to show multiple handwriting, though many seem to be the same hand.

Yeah, someone who worked at Coleco made a buttload of copy carts. For all we know, they could have been for a "rec room" collection at the company itself.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Bruce Tomlin, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:03 AM, said:

I just noticed something about the 2600 boards... they have traces going off the edge of the board. This is most definitely not something an amateur board maker would do, so that's got to be Coleco's board design.

Yep, no question about that

http://www.atariprot.../turboproto.htm

Bruce Tomlin, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:03 AM, said:

Yeah, someone who worked at Coleco made a buttload of copy carts. For all we know, they could have been for a "rec room" collection at the company itself.

They could have been used to test new hardware revisions, 2600 clones, ect. I know Atari tested new hardware revisions with 3rd party games as well as their own.

[jumbojohnny]

Allan, on Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:14 PM, said:

jumbojohnny,
I you still located in Connecticut? If you are I can dump the roms for you. That way they don't have to leave your sight. Just let me know.

Allan

I live in Wallingford also, so maybe we can figure out a date and time to do this. So far the only game that seems to be of interest is the DK.

[jumbojohnny]

Wickeycolumbus, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:47 PM, said:

Bruce Tomlin, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:03 AM, said:

I just noticed something about the 2600 boards... they have traces going off the edge of the board. This is most definitely not something an amateur board maker would do, so that's got to be Coleco's board design.

Yep, no question about that

http://www.atariprot.../turboproto.htm

Bruce Tomlin, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:03 AM, said:

Yeah, someone who worked at Coleco made a buttload of copy carts. For all we know, they could have been for a "rec room" collection at the company itself.

They could have been used to test new hardware revisions, 2600 clones, ect. I know Atari tested new hardware revisions with 3rd party games as well as their own.

I know little of what you guys are saying, but thank you for the information. So what are these games in terms of collectibles? What do you gamers classify these as if they are not protoype games? Just prirated software?

[Wickeycolumbus]

jumbojohnny, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:08 PM, said:

Allan, on Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:14 PM, said:

jumbojohnny,
I you still located in Connecticut? If you are I can dump the roms for you. That way they don't have to leave your sight. Just let me know.

Allan

I live in Wallingford also, so maybe we can figure out a date and time to do this. So far the only game that seems to be of interest is the DK.

You should dump them all just in case

jumbojohnny, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:20 PM, said:

Wickeycolumbus, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:47 PM, said:

Bruce Tomlin, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:03 AM, said:

I just noticed something about the 2600 boards... they have traces going off the edge of the board. This is most definitely not something an amateur board maker would do, so that's got to be Coleco's board design.

Yep, no question about that

http://www.atariprot.../turboproto.htm

Bruce Tomlin, on Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:03 AM, said:

Yeah, someone who worked at Coleco made a buttload of copy carts. For all we know, they could have been for a "rec room" collection at the company itself.

They could have been used to test new hardware revisions, 2600 clones, ect. I know Atari tested new hardware revisions with 3rd party games as well as their own.

I know little of what you guys are saying, but thank you for the information. So what are these games in terms of collectibles? What do you gamers classify these as if they are not protoype games? Just prirated software?

I'm sure some of them may be prototypes (Donkey Kong for example). The third party games however (Ms. Pac Man, Centipede, Q*bert, ect...) are pirated copies that some one at Coleco made for whatever reason (much like when some one burns PS1 isos for example). They are certainly worth something, perhaps not as much as prototypes though.

[jumbojohnny]

So I guess more cannot be known until ROM dumping has been done?

I find this all pretty cool just to know that these are of any interest. I always assumed that old games like these were just old games. I really wasnt aware that prototypes and certain games were a hobby specailty. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with me it has been a help. Sooner or later these will be going to people that actually care for them.

[jumbojohnny]

So I found six more "mystery" games when I was going through some boxes, and here are the titles and some pictures.

So far I have twenty one "Questionable Carts" and a possible Donkey Kong Proto...I am interested in dumping the ROM for these to truthfully determine what they are. My girlfriend and I have been chatting about it, and we are going to sell them when we honestly know what they are. We want to buy a new couch and we are going to sell all of our old video game stuff. We dont play it so its better if other people will enjoy it all.

GORF
Defender
Hustler Pool
Spectron
Smurfs (doesnt say which one)
Sam Ligh ???? (the cart has no tape or label, I cant make out the full name on the EPROM)

[Mitch]

Sammy Lightfoot is probably the game.

Mitch

[jumbojohnny]

Mitch, on Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:45 AM, said:

Sammy Lightfoot is probably the game.

Mitch

Thanks for the info, I see that title was on a list of known Coleco games.