View Poll Results: Have owned a ColecoVision

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  • I owned one (1985 and earlier)

    14 27.45%
  • I owned one (after 1985)

    11 21.57%
  • I have never owned one

    26 50.98%
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Thread: ColecoVision

  1. #1

    ColecoVision

    I did do a general Coleco company thread here years ago but I feel we have never had a proper tribute thread specifically for the ColecoVision console. Hopefully, we can get some good discussion going. Some background -

    1982. Atari was riding high as market leader in the first true console war and Mattel was making some ground attracting gamers with its more high-tech Intellivision. Coleco was a company that did well in the mid '70s with its Pong clones but had begun to fade from relevance since then. That was until that summer when they launched the next generation of consoles with ColecoVision. The Atari 5200 and GCE Vectrex came out later in the year as did the Commodore 64.



    Graphically, the ColecoVision was noticeably more powerful than the previous consoles, and more capable of doing arcade games justice. Atari had already the console rights to many of the big arcade games of the day but Coleco managed to get Donkey Kong, and wisely chose to have it as the pack-in title. It was kind of like the Dreamcast in that it started of selling pretty well but after a couple years it faded, was discounted, and abandoned aside from a few stray titles. Coleco lost a ton of money on their ADAM computer variation as well.

    I never owned the system until later but an uncle of mine got it shortly after it came out so I got to play many awesome games during its heyday.

    Its library of games is very high quality but it does have one flaw, a lack of exclusives. Most of the best first-party games are arcade ports and most of the best third-party games are ports from other home systems.

    While this does lessen the impact of the console to someone playing it today, I don't consider it obsolete by any means. In some cases, it has the best version of a game, in some cases it has a lesser version that's different enough to still be worth playing, and in some cases I do find a version obsolete. Still, in general, I find the older I get, the more I like playing various versions of games because of the slight differences.

    Another thing I like is that most of the games can be played with a Genesis controller. All you have to do is leave one Coleco controller in to start the game's on the settings you want.

    Here are a bunch of games I think are good or significant:



    ---ARCADE PORTS---



    Donkey Kong

    I want the Brazilian Splicevision clone, if only because it's called Monkey Dong.


    Donkey Kong Jr.

    Even better than the first one. I still go back to this port despite having access to better looking versions.


    Burger Time

    I don't know about you but I always like people stepping on my food. Mmm, toe jam burgers.


    Frenzy

    The underrated sequel to Berzerk.


    Q*bert

    @!#?@! yeah!


    Q*bert's Qubes

    This is one of those sequels that went more complex than the original but wasn't as addictive or as popular but I still like it. The version's quite rare.


    Spy Hunter



    Zaxxon



    Pepper II

    There's no Pepper 1 as far as I know so I don't understand the naming. Great Amidar-like game, though.


    Congo Bongo

    I still say this game has the best "you have just died" tune.


    Tapper

    Ah, the era where out of shape, moustachioed blue collar game heroes besides the Mario brothers could thrive.


    Popeye



    Centipede



    Gyruss



    Mr. Do!



    Frogger

    I prefer the version released for the 2600 Supercharger cassette add-on because it's closer to the arcade experience but I think this was the best version on cartridge at least.


    Cosmic Avenger

    Scrolling shooters have come a long way since 1983 so this isn't as cool as it once was but it's still very playable.


    Defender

    Sure beats that shitty flicker-fest 2600 port.


    Omega Race

    I should note that the VIC-20 port of Omega Race is my favourite shooter. The Coleco version doesn't have the same level of smoothness in its gameplay and isn't in its league. On the other hand, it does have some exclusive modes which interest me, most notably two-player simultaneous mode.


    Star Wars: The Arcade Game

    I find this version obsolete today but back then it was sweet playing a 3d shooter like this at home.


    Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

    This rail shooter holds up better on Coleco than Star Wars because the controls aren't as slippy.


    Jungle Hunt





    ---COMPUTER PORTS---




    Boulder Dash

    This plays as well as any of the computer versions. The only thing it's missing is the level editor from Boulder Dash Construction Kit.


    Zenji

    This is still way underrated, and probably the best pre-Tetris puzzle game out there. It's about linking all the pipes so everything flows together. The pseudo-Asian music is catchy, too. The game originated on Atari 8-bit but the graphics are slightly improved in the C64 and Coleco versions.


    Miner 2049'er

    Just as good the Atari 400/800 original from what I remember.


    B.C.'s Quest for Tires



    Jumpman Jr.

    Jumpman was never much for graphics but he's a speedy bastard.


    Oil's Well

    An assuming yet surprisingly addictive game. It was never much for looks so it doesn't suffer any downgrade from the computer versions. It's basically a take on the maze chase genre but instead of roaming a maze freely, you control an extending arm that needs to pull back if anything's going to touch it.


    Logic Levels

    I loved this puzzle game as a kid (although I had the C64 version which is a bit nicer looking). It was one of the few games the teachers would let us play in class.


    Monkey Academy

    A neat math problem/platform game for kids, originally on MSX.


    Gateway to Apshai

    Epyx did a worthy job converting their ARPG for console. It has aged too much for my liking but it was cool back then.


    Montezuma's Revenge

    I still think the C64 and Atari 800 versions are best (The more realistic style in the SMS version can suck my balls) but this is still a great port.


    Antarctic Adventure

    Pretty much a direct port of Konami's MSX game.
    [img]http://www.the-nextlevel.com/hosted/neozeedeater/antarcticadventure.gif[img]

    Cabbage Patch Kids Adventures in the Park

    This was a port of Konami's MSX game, Athletic Land, but with the main character changed to a Cabbage Patch Kid. As I'm sure anyone old enough will remember, the Cabbage Patch dolls were insanely popular among girls. I guess Coleco hoped some of that would cross over with the game, maybe expand the demographic for its console.




    ---CONSOLE PORTS---




    H.E.R.O.

    I keep changing my mind on what version of this game I like most. There's something appealing about 2600 original's minimalist look but then again, the detail in Coleco one is impressive and the gameplay is just as good. Sega's SG-1000 one is even more detailed and has a cool soundtrack but the speed of the game suffers. Anyway, the Coleco version's awesome.


    Pitfall II: Lost Caverns



    Keystone Kapers

    It's graphically more detailed than the Atari versions although I'm not sure I like the look as much. Still, the quick-paced jump and chase action is just as addictive.


    Beamrider

    Fight on, grab on, Beamrider! I haven't compared this side-by-side with every port but this beats the Intellivision original, and it might be my favourite version. It's a trippy shooter similar to the flat levels in Tempest games.


    River Raid



    Nova Blast

    I believe the Intellivision one came first. The Coleco port's an improvement in graphics and controls. It really shines when seen in motion given the multiple layers of scrolling. The game's a solid Defender-ish shooter.

  2. #2
    ---COLECOVISION ORIGINALS---

    Fortune Builder

    If you ever time travel back to 1984 and feel like playing Sim City, this is probably as close as you'll get.


    War Games

    I fear how cheesy the movie probably is now but I thought it was rad back then. The game was impressive, sort of strategy/Missile Command hybrid.


    2010: The Graphic Action Game

    Opinions are usually pretty mixed on this game. I really liked it when I replayed it a few years ago. It's a mix of puzzles and action, repairing circuits to guide electrical flow and shit. So, why is it called the "Graphic Action Game"? Simply, so it won't get mixed up with the text adventure of the same franchise.


    Flipper Slipper



    Super Action Soccer

    Not as homosexual as this pic would indicate.


    Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle

    This was a sort of hint of what was to come in the platform genre. Like Pitfall!, it's flip-screen, but it's a step closer to Pac-Land and Super Mario Bros.-type scrolling mascot platformers.


    Tarzan: Out from the Jungle

    I never played this one until a few years ago. It's a somewhat outdated game but I probably would have thought it was pretty cool back in the day. The vine swinging is like Jungle Hunt and Pitfall! but in this game, you can move vertically on the ground, climb trees, and rescue animals from cages.


    Ms. Space Fury

    This is a 2001 homebrew to celebrate Digital Press' 10 year anniversary. It's not a shooter like the old Sega/Gremlin Space Fury but a platformer where you play as the female counterpart to the original game's enemy.



    So, discuss the console. I also added a poll to see how many people have owned one.
    Last edited by NeoZeedeater; 22 Jul 2008 at 03:27 PM.

  3. My dad actually bought this for himself when I was a kid. I played it more than he did so I always said it was mine.

  4. Didn't have one back in the day, but got caught up with it in the late 90s and I really love the system.

  5. Yeah it's much better than the 2600.

  6. I got mine probably 6-7 years ago with a bunch of games. Couldn't get into it for whatever reason; the INTV hooked me more than this system ever did when I got it around the same time. Oil's Well was fun though.
    Quote Originally Posted by Yoshi View Post
    STFU GTFO

  7. I wanted one, but I was not able to get my own console until I got the NES about a year after launch. My dad had an Atari 2600 at his place that I used to play before that. It's odd to contrast how little I could get my hands on then with my current ability to just keep adding to my Pile of Shame without batting an eye. Back then, it was a major, major victory to get even one game for myself.

  8. I was a fetus when this thing was new*. Grew up with the NES (and partially Atari 2600), so poor ColecoVision didn't have much appeal.

    Never wanted one, the name and the controllers were always the most interesting thing about it to me.

    *so not a lot of titles were marketed towards me at the time
    Quote Originally Posted by Razor Ramon View Post
    I don't even the rage I mean )#@($@IU_+FJ$(U#()IRFK)_#
    Quote Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name View Post
    I'm sure whatever Yeller wrote is fascinating!

  9. One of my friends had a Colecovision and about 9 games. My favorite was Ladybug, and it was the last time I've played that game. I'd buy a Colecovision just to play this, or at least download an emulator.

    Wargames was also released on the 8-bit computers. I didn't know Colecovision published it, until I looked it up at Moby Games

    Are you sure about Centipede being released on the Colecovision? Centipede was a flagship title for the competing 5200 and an Atari property.

  10. Quote Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater View Post
    ---COLECOVISION ORIGINALS---

    Fortune Builder

    If you ever time travel back to 1984 and feel like playing Sim City, this is probably as close as you'll get.
    <3 Fortune Builder

    We used to own the ADAM. I spent tons of time playing Fortune Builder, Buck Rogers & The Planet of Zoom (digital data packs, the wave of the future), Chop Lifter and Space Fury (Sega's ripoff of Asteroids).
    "with new weapons perceived some disquieting movement"

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