53 replies to this topic

[opcode]

Exactly a year from now the ColecoVision will turn 30. Can you believe that? It seems like it was just yesterday...
Anyways, I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we can discuss past, present and future of our beloved ColecoVision.

That said, I didn't actually play a ColecoVision until a year later. Technically it was the first console I ever player, with the 2600 being the second a mere few hours later. But once I was introduced, life as I known had changed forever.

[rmaerz]

What makes the ColecoVision great are the titles. BITD, you could get "hits" like Donkey Kong, Defender, Galaxian, Centipede & Zaxxon along with lesser known (but great) titles like Mouse Trap, Pepper II, Cosmic Avenger, Subroc and Time Pilot.

I play CV more than any console in my collection.

[retroillucid]

For me ColecoVision is no other than my first introduction to video games!
Can you believe that I never heard of video games before having a Colecovision!? (living under a rock )

I remember my older brother being "hyped" when our parents bring back that silver box
I was like: WTF?!! Why he's so hype? What a jerk!

Yeah, that was until he fired up Donkey Kong, needless to say that I became hyped too!
The first game I played was Mouse Trap and I truly remember being stressed to death by the music


I'm playing CV every weeks now, for playing purpose or for beta testing new games


I hope to prepare something really cool for the 30th anniversary next year in August
I already something in mind actually


Long live to the Arcade Quality Video Game System !!


Ah, By the way, next year will be the 80th Anniversary of Coleco (Industries) ....
it would have been at least....

Edited by retroillucid, Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:03 PM.

[Madaracs]

retroillucid, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

Ah, By the way, next year will be the 80th Anniversary of Coleco (Industries) ....
it would have been at least....

Connecticut Leather Company!

It would be cool to have a tribute game to the company. Maybe a leather case or something. Or maybe a game about killing cows and making leather. Heh. A Minecraft port for the Coleco. *lol*

I love my ColecoVision(s). Also my favorite console to play games on. The first time I saw one was at my neighbor's house when I was bout 12 (a couple of years after it had been out.) My favorite games were DK Jr, Turbo and Mouse Trap back then and they also had the Exp Module 1 so we played a lot of Stampede, River Raid and Barnstorming too.

My favorite games right now are all of the Homebrews, Super Cross-Force, Subroc, Venture, Spy Hunter, Squish'em Sam and Montezuma--even though Montezuma is damn near impossible to play on the CV compared to say the Apple //c--I enjoy it immensely.

[opcode]

retroillucid, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

I hope to prepare something really cool for the 30th anniversary next year in August
I already something in mind actually

Same here, already working on multiple things for next year. Hopefully I can finish at least a couple of them in time.
Two arcade ports that don't require the SGM, and keeping with the CV tradition of lesser known games that (hopefully) translate well for the system.
And something really cool that I am working with Pixelboy, something that is also turning 30 next year.

Eduardo

[Murph74]

I'm a CV fanboy through and though, and for good reason IMO!

Although, until just reading here I never really tried to put the time line together, but does anyone have a list of Coleco gaming release dates?

I remember in the late summer of 1982, a neighbor, Rhonda, bought a Colecovision from JC Penny with her babysitting money and suddenly became everybody in the neighborhood's best friend! She got the CV and Smurf at first. Soon thereafter, Lady Bug. We sound up getting out CV along with Zaxxon for Christmas that year- maybe the BEST Christmas of my childhood (even if we knew from snooping what was gonna be under the tree! lol)

But I seem to recall earlier in 1982 (like during the school year, so it would have been before June) another neighborhood kid, Derek, bringing over Donkey Kong for the Atari 2600. He was one of my brother's friends, and the day he brought it over, I was home sick from school with a 103* fever. So who knows how accurate my memory is from back then, but in the calendar of my mind, I seem to recall playing DK on the 2600 before I'd ever even SEEN a Colecovision-- is it possible that the 2600 version was out before the CV was released?

[Brian O]

ColecoVision is next on my "must buy" list. I've been waiting almost 30 years for one.

-B

[tz101]

It would be a better system if the homebrews were a little cheaper. Say, selling for around $25 a piece instead of much higher.

[opcode]

tz101, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 6:50 PM, said:

It would be a better system if the homebrews were a little cheaper. Say, selling for around $25 a piece instead of much higher.

I have 3 games at that price. But you need to understand that the costs involved with publishing a game are very high. We are talking about several thousand dollars.

[cmart604]

opcode, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 4:32 PM, said:

retroillucid, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

I hope to prepare something really cool for the 30th anniversary next year in August
I already something in mind actually

And something really cool that I am working with Pixelboy, something that is also turning 30 next year.

Eduardo

Wow, I pray this is what I think it is!

[purenergy]

Hard to believe that it has been almost 30 years.
Although I do remember playing some Atari, and even some Pong clones before that, Colecovision was the first system that I brought home and truly enjoyed. The arcade experience had come home with my Colecovision. "Your vision is our vision, Colecovision!"
Late in 1982, the sounds of Donkey Kong, Pepper II and Zaxxon were in my home, thanks to Colecovision.

[opcode]

cmart604, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 7:50 PM, said:

opcode, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 4:32 PM, said:

retroillucid, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

I hope to prepare something really cool for the 30th anniversary next year in August
I already something in mind actually

And something really cool that I am working with Pixelboy, something that is also turning 30 next year.

Eduardo

Wow, I pray this is what I think it is!

I think your dream is about to come true.
Yes, E.T. will be returning for a new game. And since we didn't want anyone to feel left out, we have decided to also include another fan favorite that is turning 30 next year, The Wrath of Khan.
That is right, we are about to combine both movies in a single game where we have federal agents chasing E.T. and yelling Khaaaaaannnnnnn! on him.
Not to spoil the whole thing but, we can confirm Spock will be making an appearance and that involves a mind meld with a certain alien (so he can remember where he left the phone pieces), and the game literally ends with a bang and two ships going away in warp speed (complete with rainbow effect).
The biggest technical challenge so far has been to properly emulate Shatner's unique brand of bad acting. Right now it requires a ton of sprites and is very flickery, but we are working hard to improve that.
Oh, and we can also confirm that we removed all holes in our game, so E.T. can now enjoy Earth some more.

That is all I can tell you for now...

[ColecoDan]

opcode, on Thu Aug 4, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

I think your dream is about to come true.
Yes, E.T. will be returning for a new game. And since we didn't want anyone to feel left out, we have decided to also include another fan favorite that is turning 30 next year, The Wrath of Khan.
That is right, we are about to combine both movies in a single game where we have federal agents chasing E.T. and yelling Khaaaaaannnnnnn! on him.
Not to spoil the whole thing but, we can confirm Spock will be making an appearance and that involves a mind meld with a certain alien (so he can remember where he left the phone pieces), and the game literally ends with a bang and two ships going away in warp speed (complete with rainbow effect).
The biggest technical challenge so far has been to properly emulate Shatner's unique brand of bad acting. Right now it requires a ton of sprites and is very flickery, but we are working hard to improve that.
Oh, and we can also confirm that we removed all holes in our game, so E.T. can now enjoy Earth some more.

That is all I can tell you for now...

Please don't forget the reeses pieces and Bones saying for the love of god Jim I am a Doctor not a Candy Chef

[Pixelboy]

ColecoDan, on Thu Aug 4, 2011 4:25 PM, said:

opcode, on Thu Aug 4, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

I think your dream is about to come true.
Yes, E.T. will be returning for a new game. And since we didn't want anyone to feel left out, we have decided to also include another fan favorite that is turning 30 next year, The Wrath of Khan.
That is right, we are about to combine both movies in a single game where we have federal agents chasing E.T. and yelling Khaaaaaannnnnnn! on him.
Not to spoil the whole thing but, we can confirm Spock will be making an appearance and that involves a mind meld with a certain alien (so he can remember where he left the phone pieces), and the game literally ends with a bang and two ships going away in warp speed (complete with rainbow effect).
The biggest technical challenge so far has been to properly emulate Shatner's unique brand of bad acting. Right now it requires a ton of sprites and is very flickery, but we are working hard to improve that.
Oh, and we can also confirm that we removed all holes in our game, so E.T. can now enjoy Earth some more.

That is all I can tell you for now...

Please don't forget the reeses pieces and Bones saying for the love of god Jim I am a Doctor not a Candy Chef

[cmart604]

opcode, on Thu Aug 4, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

cmart604, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 7:50 PM, said:

opcode, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 4:32 PM, said:

retroillucid, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 3:02 PM, said:

I hope to prepare something really cool for the 30th anniversary next year in August
I already something in mind actually

And something really cool that I am working with Pixelboy, something that is also turning 30 next year.

Eduardo

Wow, I pray this is what I think it is!

I think your dream is about to come true.
Yes, E.T. will be returning for a new game. And since we didn't want anyone to feel left out, we have decided to also include another fan favorite that is turning 30 next year, The Wrath of Khan.
That is right, we are about to combine both movies in a single game where we have federal agents chasing E.T. and yelling Khaaaaaannnnnnn! on him.
Not to spoil the whole thing but, we can confirm Spock will be making an appearance and that involves a mind meld with a certain alien (so he can remember where he left the phone pieces), and the game literally ends with a bang and two ships going away in warp speed (complete with rainbow effect).
The biggest technical challenge so far has been to properly emulate Shatner's unique brand of bad acting. Right now it requires a ton of sprites and is very flickery, but we are working hard to improve that.
Oh, and we can also confirm that we removed all holes in our game, so E.T. can now enjoy Earth some more.

That is all I can tell you for now...

WOW! This is bang on what I was looking for, to the letter!!!!

I look forward to seeing how you deal with the challenge of Shatner's stacatto delivery!

aaaaand I also look forward to what I REALLY think you're working on.

Edited by cmart604, Thu Aug 4, 2011 9:09 PM.

[opcode]

The anniversary logo....
Free to use.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by opcode, Fri Aug 5, 2011 4:50 PM.

[tz101]

cmart604, on Thu Aug 4, 2011 9:07 PM, said:

WOW! This is bang on what I was looking for, to the letter!!!!

I look forward to seeing how you deal with the challenge of Shatner's stacatto delivery!

aaaaand I also look forward to what I REALLY think you're working on.

Sarcasm aside, I believe a well-done remake of E.T. The Extraterrestrial would be a good thing. Maybe someone could even add some newer, more interesting levels. Say, for instance, a level where Elliot tries to outrace the bad guys on his bike with E.T. in the basket. Would be cool.

Edited by tz101, Fri Aug 5, 2011 5:07 PM.

[opcode]

My starfield engine, for an unannounced arcade port to be released next year in celebration of the ColecoVision 30th anniversary. No module required.

[retroillucid]

Nicely done!

[Cebus Capucinis]

opcode, on Tue Aug 9, 2011 6:52 PM, said:

My starfield engine, for an unannounced arcade port to be released next year in celebration of the ColecoVision 30th anniversary. No module required.

That looks nothing like Satan's Hollow!

[boxpressed]

opcode, on Wed Aug 3, 2011 2:25 PM, said:

Exactly a year from now the ColecoVision will turn 30. Can you believe that? It seems like it was just yesterday...
Anyways, I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we can discuss past, present and future of our beloved ColecoVision.

That said, I didn't actually play a ColecoVision until a year later. Technically it was the first console I ever player, with the 2600 being the second a mere few hours later. But once I was introduced, life as I known had changed forever.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

I remember playing Cosmic Avenger and Donkey Kong for days on end. Best game was Miner 2049er.

[jblenkle]

I always liked the Atari 8-bit computer version of E.T. I used to play that game or hours on end. Wish someone would turn out a ColecoVision game similar to it.

tz101, on Fri Aug 5, 2011 5:05 PM, said:

cmart604, on Thu Aug 4, 2011 9:07 PM, said:

WOW! This is bang on what I was looking for, to the letter!!!!

I look forward to seeing how you deal with the challenge of Shatner's stacatto delivery!

aaaaand I also look forward to what I REALLY think you're working on.

Sarcasm aside, I believe a well-done remake of E.T. The Extraterrestrial would be a good thing. Maybe someone could even add some newer, more interesting levels. Say, for instance, a level where Elliot tries to outrace the bad guys on his bike with E.T. in the basket. Would be cool.

[lucifershalo]

opcode, on Tue Aug 9, 2011 6:52 PM, said:

My starfield engine, for an unannounced arcade port to be released next year in celebration of the ColecoVision 30th anniversary. No module required.

Phoenix?

Moon Cresta??

[Bartsfam]

Galaga? Not Galaxian. But, Galaga, where your ship can be captured, then you can recapture it, and have two guns? It was released in 1981, plus 30 = 2011!!!

Edited by Bartsfam, Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:31 AM.

[opcode]

I should have mentioned that in my previous post but... the reason I am showing this star field POC is because the game I am porting doesn't produce the star field by software, but instead it is a function of the hardware. I mean, the program has no control over the star field, except for being able to turn it on and off.
So I created a small routine to simulate the star field. It is quite small, fast, uses very little CPU resources and do quite a good job giving the illusion there are dozens of stars on screen when actually there are only 24.

And... this game appears in the KLOV's Top 100 Video Games, though I wouldn't say it is quite in the top of the list, it is more like middle of the pack, and US and Japanese versions have different names. KLOV, being US centric (otherwise several of the Atari games wouldn't be in that list, while omitting such gems like Crazy Climber, which was huge in Japan) uses the US name. But anyways, I think it is a perfect fit for the ColecoVision library of second tier arcade ports, and it is a game that was never ported for any classic console before AFAIK. And it can run on the plain vanilla CV, so everybody can play the game next year.