Rick Dangerous Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Well I was lucky enough to get my AV modded Colecovision in the mail yesterday. After spending a few hours with it last night I wanted to share my first impressions. 1. The console is built like a tank. Very solid and stylish. I love that the cartridge door is metal! It looks and feels like a substantial machine. 2. The power brick. Holy hell, I have never seen a bigger one in my life. I don't suppose anyone's done a power mode on one of these? 3. The controllers, while sharp looking and ergonomic, are flimsy as hell. It was creaking and cracking like the stairs on an old farmhouse, I thought I was going to break the controller my first time out. It manager to hold up though. 4. Graphics-the games look and play great! Definitely better than the 2600 and well into 7800 territory which is amazing considering it came out 4 years earlier! 5. Love that its made in the USA (New York.) Any way to tell the date of manufacture from the serial number? I couldn't tell from looking at it.. 6. Now i'm just playing the waiting game for a Super Game Module 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 What games do you have so far? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Just Mr. Do (fun dig dug type game, DK, DK jr., and Gorf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Definitely check out Mumbai's sale thread here on AA for carts to build your collection. I have been buying carts off of him for years now and they all look like they are in mint condition. Good prices too. Or buy a multicart and download the ROMs if that's your preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Definitely check out Mumbai's sale thread here on AA for carts to build your collection. I have been buying carts off of him for years now and they all look like they are in mint condition. Good prices too. Or buy a multicart and download the ROMs if that's your preference. Thanks will do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slab0meat Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I ended up getting mine re-modded from Yurkie after having a power issue. No more brick. I'm glad it's gone. Great system. I'm still waiting for an SGM (two, actually) as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 4. Graphics-the games look and play great! Definitely better than the 2600 and well into 7800 territory which is amazing considering it came out 4 years earlier! To be fair, it's more like 2 years difference since the 7800 was ready for release in 1984. With that said, I've always loved the ColecoVision. I think it could have easily lasted into 1986 (competitive with first gen NES releases) before needing to give way to a successor had Coleco not made such poor business decisions. And speaking of two years, that's effectively all of the time the ColecoVision had on the market (though it really was half of 1982, all of 1983, and most of 1984). What's so nice is that there were some dramatic relative improvements between the releases from 1982 versus the releases in 1984. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValkerieSilk Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 My CV controllers have sounded like barnyard stairs since 1982 and still work just the same squeaks an all... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 (edited) 1. The console is built like a tank. Very solid and stylish. I love that the cartridge door is metal! It looks and feels like a substantial machine. A lot of people would completely disagree with this statement and have stated their disdain for the style of the CV, but I agree with you wholeheartedly! Another big complaint is the size of the case seeing as it could really have been half the size if the controller well was scrapped, but I and many other like being able to store the controllers like this instead of them just sitting loose and all this extra real estate inside the case allows for ample room to make modifications. 2. The power brick. Holy hell, I have never seen a bigger one in my life. I don't suppose anyone's done a power mode on one of these? Some people have modded their systems with internal power supplies, Yurkie offers a mod that uses a laptop style power supply and a European eBayer sells a laptop style power supply with an adapter cable to connect to the CV's odd 4-prong connector. As you can see, there are numerous options and you will need to research each to see what you like best and that fits your budget. Welcome aboard and definetly checkout Mumbai's sales thread in the MarketPlace as has been mentioned as well as the AtariMax Ultimate SD Cart by Steve Tucker. Edited November 12, 2014 by NIAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyankyfan1 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Do you have any contact information or eBay username for the european bayer dude, w laptop style power supply????? Thanks Anthony A lot of people would completely disagree with this statement and have stated their disdain for the style of the CV, but I agree with you wholeheartedly! Another big complaint is the size of the case seeing as it could really have been half the size if the controller well was scrapped, but I and many other like being able to store the controllers like this instead of them just sitting loose and all this extra real estate inside the case allows for ample room to make modifications. Some people have modded their systems with internal power supplies, Yurkie offers a mod that uses a laptop style power supply and a European eBayer sells a laptop style power supply with an adapter cable to connect to the CV's odd 4-prong connector. As you can see, there are numerous options and you will need to research each to see what you like best and that fits your budget. Welcome aboard and definetly checkout Mumbai's sales thread in the MarketPlace as has been mentioned as well as the AtariMax Ultimate SD Cart by Steve Tucker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I actually looked in my eBay watch list after posting the info, but I unfortunately deleted it. I'll search it out when I get home tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyankyfan1 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 AWESOME!!!! Thanks bud!!! =) I actually looked in my eBay watch list after posting the info, but I unfortunately deleted it. I'll search it out when I get home tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I did save the pics from the auction as well as print it to a PDF file. Here you go.... CV Power Supply - Adapter Replacement NEW CIB.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyankyfan1 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 AWESOME!!!!! Thanks for taking the time and looking, posting pics. Im gonna buy it just in case my power supply craps out, for back up. Has anyone on here bought any from him? Have they encountered issues shipping it from Germany to USA?? And how did the power supply's work out??? Thanks Anthony I did save the pics from the auction as well as print it to a PDF file. Here you go.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 The Colecovision is like having a real live arcade in your home. Unlike certain other systems of the era which shall remain nameless... Other observations: -Its a little more dust/dirt sensitive than Atari systems. Had to clean it and games thoroughly to keep glitch free. -The restart and reset buttons being on the bottom of the controller (*,#) are awesome! Now if only the pause was too...lol. That would have been TOO far ahead of its time. -A random PAL game in a lot that I got works just fine in my NTSC CV -The audio is really good for the era, like better than the 7800 good. -The joystick is actually pretty comfortable in my big hand. It doesn't feel awkward or cramp my hand up. -I have yet to come across a game with an overlay. Do many games use them? Or are they really "needed" for games that do to play the game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 The Colecovision is like having a real live arcade in your home. Unlike certain other systems of the era which shall remain nameless... Other observations: -Its a little more dust/dirt sensitive than Atari systems. Had to clean it and games thoroughly to keep glitch free. -The restart and reset buttons being on the bottom of the controller (*,#) are awesome! Now if only the pause was too...lol. That would have been TOO far ahead of its time. -A random PAL game in a lot that I got works just fine in my NTSC CV -The audio is really good for the era, like better than the 7800 good. -The joystick is actually pretty comfortable in my big hand. It doesn't feel awkward or cramp my hand up. -I have yet to come across a game with an overlay. Do many games use them? Or are they really "needed" for games that do to play the game? The * was used as a pause button in many games. Only a handful of the earliest games supported that, but many of the later games did. As with the Intellivision (and most other systems that supported overlays), only a handful of games genuinely benefited from having them, e.g., Fortune Builder and The Dam Busters. They were still fun for the time, though. Atari 7800 games with a POKEY chip in the cartridge could sound better, but since most Atari 7800 games used Atari 2600 sound, overall the ColecoVision sound was much better. With three voices, it was more than competitive with any other system of its era. The only major liability technology-wise with the ColecoVision was its meager 1K of RAM. Otherwise there's little to complain about. Even the jerky scrolling liability could be worked around in many cases. I didn't mind the controllers back in the day, but many people had issues, which is understandable. Once you use a ColecoVision controller with a good ball top modification, you'll suddenly realize how much the original ColecoVision controller is lacking. Some people also like the Super Action Controllers (and they're more or less interchangeable, though they of course take different overlays), but I was never that enamored with them. Still, it's something to investigate if you're ever so inclined, plus that will allow to play the various Super Action games. The steering wheel was decent, but the best controller Coleco ever made was definitely the Roller Controller. I have little to complain about that option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 The * was used as a pause button in many games. Only a handful of the earliest games supported that, but many of the later games did. As with the Intellivision (and most other systems that supported overlays), only a handful of games genuinely benefited from having them, e.g., Fortune Builder and The Dam Busters. They were still fun for the time, though. Atari 7800 games with a POKEY chip in the cartridge could sound better, but since most Atari 7800 games used Atari 2600 sound, overall the ColecoVision sound was much better. With three voices, it was more than competitive with any other system of its era. The only major liability technology-wise with the ColecoVision was its meager 1K of RAM. Otherwise there's little to complain about. Even the jerky scrolling liability could be worked around in many cases. I didn't mind the controllers back in the day, but many people had issues, which is understandable. Once you use a ColecoVision controller with a good ball top modification, you'll suddenly realize how much the original ColecoVision controller is lacking. Some people also like the Super Action Controllers (and they're more or less interchangeable, though they of course take different overlays), but I was never that enamored with them. Still, it's something to investigate if you're ever so inclined, plus that will allow to play the various Super Action games. The steering wheel was decent, but the best controller Coleco ever made was definitely the Roller Controller. I have little to complain about that option. Good to know. I have heard Dam Busters is a pretty boring flight sim so I don't have to worry about that one. I would image a good 7800 game with the Pokey might sound a little better than the CV. Luckily I have Yurkie's ball modded controllers, so I haven't had the issues with the stock controllers. I find the Super Action Controllers interesting but they are just so damn HUGE and gaudy looking. Not sure if I have space for those right now lol. The Wheel seems gimmicky and i'm pissed you need it to play Turbo! The roller controller I will definitely have to pick up, I love track ball controllers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyankyfan1 Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Hey Bill, Did CV ever have MISSILE COMMAND??? I don't remember it for CV, not sure. The roller controller would rock for Missile Command. =) Anthony The * was used as a pause button in many games. Only a handful of the earliest games supported that, but many of the later games did. As with the Intellivision (and most other systems that supported overlays), only a handful of games genuinely benefited from having them, e.g., Fortune Builder and The Dam Busters. They were still fun for the time, though. Atari 7800 games with a POKEY chip in the cartridge could sound better, but since most Atari 7800 games used Atari 2600 sound, overall the ColecoVision sound was much better. With three voices, it was more than competitive with any other system of its era. The only major liability technology-wise with the ColecoVision was its meager 1K of RAM. Otherwise there's little to complain about. Even the jerky scrolling liability could be worked around in many cases. I didn't mind the controllers back in the day, but many people had issues, which is understandable. Once you use a ColecoVision controller with a good ball top modification, you'll suddenly realize how much the original ColecoVision controller is lacking. Some people also like the Super Action Controllers (and they're more or less interchangeable, though they of course take different overlays), but I was never that enamored with them. Still, it's something to investigate if you're ever so inclined, plus that will allow to play the various Super Action games. The steering wheel was decent, but the best controller Coleco ever made was definitely the Roller Controller. I have little to complain about that option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Hey Bill, Did CV ever have MISSILE COMMAND??? I don't remember it for CV, not sure. The roller controller would rock for Missile Command. =) Anthony No, but the homebrew Armageddon is a nice consolation prize. For what it's worth, Slither is wonderful with the roller controller and a game I'm not aware you can get anywhere else (outside of MAME). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhomaios Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 No, but the homebrew Armageddon is a nice consolation prize. For what it's worth, Slither is wonderful with the roller controller and a game I'm not aware you can get anywhere else (outside of MAME). Slither was only ported to the CV. I would image a good 7800 game with the Pokey might sound a little better than the CV. Luckily I have Yurkie's ball modded controllers, so I haven't had the issues with the stock controllers. I find the Super Action Controllers interesting but they are just so damn HUGE and gaudy looking. Not sure if I have space for those right now lol. The Wheel seems gimmicky and i'm pissed you need it to play Turbo! The roller controller I will definitely have to pick up, I love track ball controllers. 7800 Pokey > CV sound, imo. And with Turbo, honestly, I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, but it's not that great. I usually like Sega's 8bit offerings, but Turbo really annoys me, far more than things like Pole Position ever did. It could be worse, but you're not really missing much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebulon Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Mr. Do and Donkey Kong Jr. on the CV certainly kept me busy for countless hours. http://www.digitpress.com/library/manuals/colecovision/mrdo.pdf As for the controllers -- I managed to get used to them as a kid, so they don't bother me at all. Have fun with the machine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 And with Turbo, honestly, I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, but it's not that great. I usually like Sega's 8bit offerings, but Turbo really annoys me, far more than things like Pole Position ever did. It could be worse, but you're not really missing much. I disagree. I think Turbo is a ton of fun, and with the wheel, offers an experience quite unlike any other from the time. If anything, I'd consider Pole Position the inferior game since you're just on the same type of track over and over again. Turbo has varied terrain and day/night cycles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebulon Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I agree that Turbo on the CV really is fun. Of course, I also really like Pole Position (on pretty much every system it's been released for). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I agree that Turbo on the CV really is fun. Of course, I also really like Pole Position (on pretty much every system it's been released for). Don't get me wrong, I've played and enjoyed tons of Pole Position games on countless platforms (and in fact it heads up Chapter 14 of one of my books, Vintage Games), but it's arguable that everything that it offers has been surpassed many times over, making it less of a must-play these days (though it's still worth a play or two in the arcade due to the controls). In Turbo's case, there have been few other games that present quite that same perspective and it's been ported/cloned far fewer times, making its presence on the ColecoVision (paired with the unique controller) all that more intriguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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