ColecoNation

If you owned Coleco today (and had enough money and resources to support your operation), what new ColecoVision products would you make? Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet with the company that currently owns the rights to the Coleco and ColecoVision properties. River West Brands is a five-person firm, of guys in their late-thirties, that acquires dormant properties and brand-names and remakes them for today’s market. While they don’t seem to have as strong of a bond with the ColecoVision as us classic gamers, they do realize that we exist and they want their products to appeal not only to the mass-market but to us as well. The first thing I brought up (and they apologized for) was their current website for Coleco.com. They realize how “off the mark” it is and are currently working to improve the site. Don’t ask me why they let it go up in the first place, the key is that they realize they were wrong. What they asked me (and what they wanted me to ask all of you), is what new ColecoVision products would we want to see made today? It sounds like they really want to put something out that will get CV fans excited and that’s why they want our input. Would something like the Atari Flashback 2 work for the ColecoVision? What games would you want to see included with the system? I mentioned that most of the older CV games were arcade translations, but the possibility of acquiring the rights to use those games didn’t seem to concern them at this point. Should a cartridge slot (and expansion slot) be built into the new system? Should it look like the original CV, the prototype CV (I can’t remember what it looked like, but I know it was different that what Coleco eventually released), or should it be a newly updated version all-together? What other possibilities exist for new ColecoVision products today?

I think it goes without saying that Eduardo’s first priority would be to create the most authentic arcade version of Donkey Kong possible for the ColecoVision. However, once that’s all said and done, the ability to create your own Donkey Kong boards would be sweet! Elements could include: + Platforms with different characteristics (example: ones that start to disappear once you land on them or ones that change direction once you land on them). + Trampolines that allow you to leap through the screen faster (like in DK Jr.). + Chutes that send you back down (all additions do not necessarily need to help Mario complete his task). + Allowing you to pick a character would also be cool (maybe Pauline wants to save Mario this time or Donkey Kong Jr. wants to take a stab at saving the damsel in distress). + Maybe you don’t always start at the bottom and work up. You could allow the player to pick where the start and finish are located. + Finally, for extra difficulty, you could enable Donkey Kong to periodically change his location on the screen during the round, thus making it more difficult to catch the ape and rescue Pauline. While I know Eduardo would be able to make some great boards to add to Donkey Kong’s original four, any extra memory would be put to better use if the player was able to create his/her own boards. This move would make the game more desirable and greatly increase the originality of its gameplay. Good luck Eduardo with whatever you end up doing. I’ll expect to see it ready to be purchased in time for Christmas. + Nathan By the way, Eduardo, I’m still waiting for you to make a ColecoVision version of Q*bert that will accurately replicate the mechanically created “knock” that sounds any time a character falls off the board in the arcade.

Everyone, Thanks for the participation in this survey. We've been getting a lot of entries, but we hope that more is on the way. One note, this is a survey to find out what are the most wanted arcade conversions, we'll be holding a separate survey for computers and home consoles soon. Thanks again. + Nathan

Everyone, Thanks for the continued support and interest in ColecoNation. I'm glad everyone is enjoying it. I have some info that should clear up the Video Hustler/Billiards confusion. This was posted on the Digital Press forums by Eduardo in June of 2004. "A few years ago a proto version of Video Hustler for the CV shown up thanks to Adam House. That game was created by Konami for the MSX computers (based on an arcade game of the same name) and it seems Coleco was planning to release it before the crash. Well, so here is the good(?) news: I am including Video Hustler with Yie Ar Kung-Fu. But I didn't just attach the old binary in. I ported the European version of that game, called Billiards, which is basicly the same game but with a better menu system, a different title screen (obviously) and a few bugs corrected. While I couldn't recommend a purchase just because Billiards, I think it is a fun little game, and a nice addition to any collection. " I have a rom listed as a Video Hustler prototype that I've played in an emulator that says Konami on the title screen so I think you're right. I can't remember if it's complete though. 948477[/snapback]

I realize similar votes have taken place in the past, but I'd like to get an official count and recording of the poll's result. So... As a service to ColecoVision fans and programmers everywhere, ColecoNation is having an election and only you can make it a success! We're asking each and every one of you to let us know: What are the top three arcade games that you most want to see translated to the ColecoVision? Once you've numbered your top three choices (with the first being the most desired), either send us an email or post your vote here. The more votes we have, the more informed the programming community will be about what the fans wants. So please participate and look for results in next month's issue of ColecoNation. Thanks and have fun! + Nathan ColecoNation | A monthly assemblage of items pertaining to inspired by the ColecoVision - Arcade Quality Video Game System. www.ColecoNation.com coleconation@yahoo.com

We all have imaginations, but they seem to have been more dominant when we were younger. Us adults have less time to be creative, we're too busy worrying about mortgages, 401Ks, and taxes. Regardless of how much creativity you exude, if you play classic games then you're going to add a level of self-interpretation that gives games a longer, more interesting life. Recently, I was thinking back to when I was kid and how I used my imagination to reinterpret some ColecoVision games. Here's a couple: 1- On the rivets level in Donkey Kong, I decided that the second fireball to appear on the screen would be my girlfriend. Every time she was passed by another fireball, I would interpret that as a punk trying to make a move on my girl. Being of the chivalrous type, I retaliated by jumping over the transgressor or pounding the snot out of him with a hammer. 2- The flagship level in Gorf was another victim of my creativity. I imagined that the pilot of the ship was throwing his collection of meteorites at me and when I would finally destroy the ship, I would see his brains explode into space. I would also take my time shooting apart the ship, sculpting different images out of it (like a bald eagle, for example). Now that I thoroughly embarassed myself, it's your turn. In what ways have you added a personal touch to classic games? + Nathan ColecoNation | www.ColecoNation.com A monthly assemblage of items pertaining to and inspired by the ColecoVision: Arcade Quality Video Game System.

Eduardo, Maybe if you scoured the old video magazines of the early 80s you could find information on when CV games were released, but even that can often be unreliable (if a game got delayed or postponed). We just need to find someone with a REALLY good memory and who paid close attention to the ColecoVision when it was around. + Nathan ColecoNation | www.ColecoNation.com A monthly assemblage of items pertaining to and inspired by the ColecoVision - Arcade Quality Video Game System.

ColecoVision games released in 1982: - Carnival - Cosmic Avenger - Donkey Kong - Lady Bug - Mouse Trap - Smurf: Rescue from Gargamel’s Castle - Turbo - Venture - Zaxxon Ken Uston Blackjack, Space Fury, and Space Panic all have a 1982 copyright on either their box or instruction manual, but the opening screen of the game says copyright 1983. Because of this and the information from ColecoVision Experience, they were released in 1983. All copyrights on the Expansion Module #2 say 1982, but the original CV catalog says “coming soon.” It probably doesn’t have the same release date as the ColecoVision, but was still released in 1982. The Expansion Module #1 seems to have come out on the original release date. Considering how the ColecoVision was released later in the year (August), it’s possible that all the 1982 games could have been released at the same time. Either that or some were released a couple months later in order to be available before the Christmas season. I was only four in 1982 and can’t really rely on memory to confirm which ones share the original release date. + Nathan ColecoNation | www.geocities.com/coleconation A monthly assemblage of item pertaining to and inspired by the ColecoVision - Arcade Quality Video Game System.

It seems like American Greetings has declared 9/12 to be Video Games Day. http://www.americangreetings.com/display.p...path=31871&st=t + Nathan

It's good to hear from so many ColecoVision fans! We're not as plentiful as the Atari and Intellivision diehards, but we're just as crazy. All the system's classics are great to play even today (it's still the only system I regularly play or have owned since 1983), but what's most exciting is all the new developments that are happening with the ColecoVision. I'm encouraged by these new developments, but I'm dismayed by the lack of coverage that these items see on classic gaming sites. That's why I've decided to start my own webzine devoted solely to the ColecoVision. It's called ColecoNation and you can currently find it at www.geocities.com/ColecoNation. You many have noticed it's presence in the July issue of Retrogaming Times Monthly, but that was only a small part of the full version. Be sure to check it out and leave me some feedback about my project. Next month will most likely have a review of the newest CV game, Astro Invader, as well as an interview with its creator, Scott Huggins. + Nathan ColecoNation | An assemblage of items pertaining to and inspired by the ColecoVision: Arcade Quality Video Game System w www.geocities.com/ColecoNation

Everyone, Be sure to check out the full version of ColecoNation at: http://www.geocities.com/coleconation Due to size restrictions, the majority of the article was editted out of Retrogaming Times. The complete edition of ColecoNation has a variety of features that include, spotlights on new ColecoVision games and reviews of ColecoVision related items. My goal is to create a comprehensive news source for the ColecoVision and feedback from you all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. -Nathan ColecoNation@yahoo.com