History Platform / ColecoVision

The '''[=ColecoVision=]''' was one of the more powerful systems of its era when Coleco Toys introduced it in late 1982. In fact, it was actually much closer to the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem in terms of overall power than any of its competitors in the pre-[[MediaNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 1983 Crash]] video game market. It was expandable, had a fast CPU and a Texas Instruments [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]] with its own video memory, and had a decent assortment of attachments ([[VaporWare at least on paper]]). It's probably more famous now for being the machine that brought the first truly faithful port of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' to the home user, and for getting sued by Creator/{{Atari}} over the "Expansion Module", basically an Platform/{{Atari 2600}} in a box that could attach to a port on the console. The company also released a standalone 2600 clone, the Gemini.

The [=ColecoVision=] had very few exclusive games, partly due to lasting only two years in production, partly because Coleco continued to release games for the 2600 and the Intellivision as well as for their own console. (Atari, for their part, released a few games for the [=ColecoVision=] under the Atarisoft label.) Most of its game library consisted of ports of UsefulNotes/{{arcade game}}s, though these conversions usually turned out better than the versions produced for competing consoles; as noted, its version of ''Donkey Kong'' was nearly flawless and came bundled with the system. It was such a good port, in fact, that Nintendo themselves took great influence from the Colecovision when designing The Nintendo Entertainment System.

* Both systems used the same [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]], the [=TMS9918=], which was also used in {{Platform/MSX}} consoles and (in slightly improved forms) in the Platform/SegaMasterSystem and Platform/SegaGenesis.

The ADAM could be obtained by itself (in which case it had a Coleco cartridge port), or, at least on paper, as an attachment to an existing [=ColecoVision=]. The ADAM was [[ChristmasRushed rushed to meet the Christmas 1983 shopping season]] (which it failed to do--arriving closer to January 1984), and its launch was fraught with problems. The power supply had a high failure rate, and the tape drives were poorly shielded and would erase the tape if not treated with care. [[note]]Those tapes were also more fragile than normal cassette tapes; the bodies were made of Lexan, the same stuff UsefulNotes/{{Compact Disc}}s are made of, and Lexan is a lot more brittle than the ABS plastic most cassettes were made from in the 1980s.[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/SpyHunter''

----

The '''[=ColecoVision=]''' was one of the more powerful systems of its era when Coleco Toys introduced it in late 1982. In fact, it was actually much closer to the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem in terms of overall power than any of its competitors in the pre-[[UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 1983 Crash]] video game market. It was expandable, had a fast CPU and a Texas Instruments [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]] with its own video memory, and had a decent assortment of attachments ([[VaporWare at least on paper]]). It's probably more famous now for being the machine that brought the first truly faithful port of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' to the home user, and for getting sued by Creator/{{Atari}} over the "Expansion Module", basically an Platform/{{Atari 2600}} in a box that could attach to a port on the console. The company also released a standalone 2600 clone, the Gemini.

Both the [=ColecoVision=] and the Coleco ADAM were quickly discontinued after UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 killed the market. Coleco itself quickly followed them; while they had a huge hit with the Toys/CabbagePatchKids dolls in 1984, they eventually lost the license and sold themselves to Creator/{{Hasbro}} in 1989.

* Both systems used the same [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]], the [=TMS9918=], which was also used in {{UsefulNotes/MSX}} consoles and (in slightly improved forms) in the Platform/SegaMasterSystem and Platform/SegaGenesis.

The '''[=ColecoVision=]''' was one of the more powerful systems of its era when Coleco Toys introduced it in late 1982. In fact, it was actually much closer to the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem in terms of overall power than any of its competitors in the pre-[[UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 1983 Crash]] video game market. It was expandable, had a fast CPU and a Texas Instruments [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]] with its own video memory, and had a decent assortment of attachments ([[VaporWare at least on paper]]). It's probably more famous now for being the machine that brought the first truly faithful port of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' to the home user, and for getting sued by Creator/{{Atari}} over the "Expansion Module", basically an UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} in a box that could attach to a port on the console. The company also released a standalone 2600 clone, the Gemini.

Like the UsefulNotes/{{Intellivision}}, the [=ColecoVision=] used a controller that combined a joystick with a 12-key keypad (which allowed games to include overlays to show how the buttons would be used). Unlike the Intellivision however, the controllers were detachable and could be replaced by third-party 8-pin alternatives such as the Atari 2600 controller. A special "Super Action Joystick" would be released, with some games that could only exclusively use them (such as ''Rocky Super Action Boxing'' and ''Super Action Baseball''), and a driving wheel was released as well.

While not as widely known as the Atari 2600 in modern pop culture, the [=ColecoVision=] was still an important part of video game history in several respects. The system made a huge impression on Nintendo, which used it as a baseline when designing their Famicom. Additionally, the [=ColecoVision=]'s port of ''Donkey Kong'' was used to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the NES in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own. The console was also quite influential on Creator/{{Sega}}. Sega had originally struck a deal to become the Japanese distributor of the [=ColecoVision=]. Those plans never came to fruition, but Sega would use the [=ColecoVision=]'s technology as the basis for their first home console, the UsefulNotes/SG1000.

* Both systems used the same [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]], the [=TMS9918=], which was also used in {{UsefulNotes/MSX}} consoles and (in slightly improved forms) in the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis.
** Sega's [[UsefulNotes/OtherSegaSystems SG-1000]], the ancestor of both the Master System and Genesis, was virtually identical to the [=ColecoVision=], to the extent that at least one clone console, namely the [[http://www.segaretro.org/Dina_2_in_one Dina 2-in-1]], could play both [=ColecoVision=] and SG-1000 cartridges. The Dina was also distributed in the States as the Telegames Personal Arcade, though as the numeric keypad on it was built into the console itself (for some strange reason, not to mention that it would be clunky to reach to the console just to press a certain [=ColecoVision=] action button), a number of games that require two numeric controllers will not work on the Dina.

* Used a TI three-channel programmable sound generator, the same as in TI's own machines and the UsefulNotes/IBMPCjr, and similar in capabilities to the GI/Microchip AY-3-89xx used by the Intellivision and MSX.

-->-- '''Peter Griffin''' after discovering a [=ColecoVision=] in his [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext belly button]], ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS4E21ITakeTheeQuagmire I Take Thee Quagmire]]"

The [=ColecoVision=] had very few exclusive games, partly due to lasting only two years in production, partly because Coleco continued to release games for the 2600 and the Intellivision as well as for their own console. (Atari, for their part, released a few games for the [=ColecoVision=] under the Atarisoft label.) Most of its game library consisted of ports of UsefulNotes/{{arcade game}}s, though these conversions usually turned out better than the versions produced for competing consoles; as noted, its version of ''Donkey Kong'' was nearly flawless and came bundled with the system. It was such a good port, in fact, that Nintendo themselves took great influence from the Colecovision when designing the The Nintendo Entertainment System.

While not as widely known as the Atari 2600 in modern pop culture, the [=ColecoVision=] was still an important part of video game history in several respects. The system made a huge impression on Nintendo, which used it as a baseline when designing their Famicom. Additionally, the [=ColecoVision=]'s port of ''Donkey Kong'' was used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the NES in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own. The console was also quite influential on Creator/{{Sega}}. Sega had originally struck a deal to become the Japanese distributor of the [=ColecoVision=]. Those plans never came to fruition, but Sega would use the [=ColecoVision=]'s technology as the basis for their first home console, the UsefulNotes/SG1000.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/300px-ColecoVision.jpg]]

* ''VideoGame/MouseTrap''

* ''VideoGame/SubRoc3D [=SubRoc=]''

* ''[=SubRoc=]''

* ''VideoGame/{{Illusions}}''

* Both systems used the same [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]], the TMS9918, which was also used in {{UsefulNotes/MSX}} consoles and (in slightly improved forms) in the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis.

While not as widely known as the Atari 2600 in modern pop culture, the [=ColecoVision=] was still an important part of video game history in several respects. The system made a huge impression on Nintendo, which used it as a baseline when designing their Famicom. Additionally, the [=ColecoVision=]'s port of ''Donkey Kong'' was used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the NES in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own.

While not as widely known as the Atari 2600 in modern pop culture, the [=ColecoVision=] was still an important part of video game history in several respects. The system made a huge impression on Nintendo's staff as they were designing the Famicom, ultimately guiding them on that system's production. Additionally, the [=ColecoVision=]'s port of ''Donkey Kong'' was used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the NES in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own.

While not as widely known as the Atari 2600, the [=ColecoVision=] was still an important part of video game history in several respects. The system made a huge impression on Nintendo's staff as they were designing the Famicom, ultimately guiding them on that system's production. Additionally, the [=ColecoVision=]'s port of ''Donkey Kong'' was used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the NES in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own.

The [=ColecoVision=] port of ''Donkey Kong'' would also shape the course of video game history in an indirect way. Coleco used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the NES in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own.

* ''Victory Banana''

The [=ColecoVision=] port of ''Donkey Kong'' would also direct the course of video game history in an indirect way. Coleco used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the NES in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own.

The [=ColecoVision=] was one of the more powerful systems of its era when Coleco Toys introduced it in late 1982. In fact, it was actually much closer to the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem in terms of overall power than any of its competitors in the pre-[[UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 1983 Crash]] video game market. It was expandable, had a fast CPU and a Texas Instruments [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]] with its own video memory, and had a decent assortment of attachments ([[VaporWare at least on paper]]). It's probably more famous now for being the machine that brought the first truly faithful port of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' to the home user, and for getting sued by Creator/{{Atari}} over the "Expansion Module", basically an UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} in a box that could attach to a port on the console. The company also released a standalone 2600 clone, the Gemini.

Like the UsefulNotes/{{Intellivision}}, the [=ColecoVision=] used a controller that combined a joystick with a 12-key keypad (which allowed games to include overlays to show how the buttons would be used). Unlike the Intellivision however, the controllers were detachable and could be replaced by third-party 8-pin alternatives such as the Atari 2600 controller. A special "Super Action Joystick" would be released, with some games that could only exclusively use them (such as ''Rocky Super Action Boxing'' and ''Super Action Baseball'') and a driving wheel was released as well.

The [=ColecoVision=] had very few exclusive games, partly due to lasting only two years in production, partly because Coleco continued to release games for the UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} and UsefulNotes/{{Intellivision}} as well as for their own console. (Atari, for their part, released a few games for the [=ColecoVision=] under the Atarisoft label.) Most of its game library consisted of ports of UsefulNotes/{{arcade game}}s, though these conversions usually turned out better than the versions produced for competing consoles; as noted, its version of ''Donkey Kong'' was nearly flawless and came bundled with the system. It was such a good port, in fact, that Nintendo themselves took great influence from the Colecovision when designing the The Nintendo Entertainment System.

The [=ColecoVision=] port of ''Donkey Kong'' would also direct the course of video game history in an indirect way. Coleco used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the Famicom in Western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own.

-->-- '''Peter Griffin''' after discovering a [=ColecoVision=] in his [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext belly button]], ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', "[[FamilyGuyS4E21ITakeTheeQuagmire I Take Thee Quagmire]]"

The [=ColecoVision=] was one of the more powerful systems of its era when Coleco Toys introduced it in late 1982. In fact, it was actually much closer to the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem in terms of overall power than any of its competitors in the pre-Crash video game market. It was expandable, had a fast CPU and a Texas Instruments [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]] with its own video memory, and had a decent assortment of attachments ([[VaporWare at least on paper]]). It's probably more famous now for being the machine that brought the first truly faithful port of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' to the home user, and for getting sued by Creator/{{Atari}} over the "Expansion Module", basically an UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} in a box that could attach to a port on the console. The company also released a standalone 2600 clone, the Gemini.

The [=ColecoVision=] port of ''Donkey Kong'' would also change video game history in a different way. Coleco used it to demonstrate the capabilities of the Coleco ADAM at the 1983 Summer Consumer Electronics Show. Atari took this as a violation of their exclusive rights to release ''Donkey Kong'' on home computers, and killed a tentative deal with Nintendo to distribute the Famicom in western markets. The Great Video Game Crash Of 1983 would intervene before Atari and Nintendo could reconcile, leaving Nintendo to distribute their system on their own.

-->-- '''[[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Peter Griffin]]''' after discovering a [=ColecoVision=] in his [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext belly button]]