The Rotten Atari 2600 known as Coleco Gemini

[Atari Charles]

Just going by memory: Growing up Atari Memory: A friend finally got an Atari but it wasn't made by Atari at all, but was something made by Genesis(I think) that played Atari 2600 games. It was cheaper than an Atari 2600 but it was cheap. How so, you ask? It would only play Atari titles but would not play games from other manufacturers like Coleco(for example). To me it was a peice of junk because of this.

 

Junk:

 

http://www.vidgame.net/COLECO/GEMINI.html

Edited November 11, 2007 by Atari Charles

[Gregory DG]

Just going by memory: Growing up Atari Memory: A friend finally got an Atari but it wasn't made by Atari at all, but was something made by Genesis(I think) that played Atari 2600 games. It was cheaper than an Atari 2600 but it was cheap. How so, you ask? It would only play Atari titles but would not play games from other manufacturers like Coleco(for example). To me it was a peice of junk because of this. Anyone has a pic of this Hunk of Junk?

 

I think you mean Gemini.

Edited November 9, 2007 by Gregory DG

[+remowilliams]

That's what I was thinking, but the Gemini certainly played third party titles. Especially Colecovision.

[Mike OC]

I own a Coleco Gemini and use it at my summer vacation home in northern Indiana. It's nice because of the Joystick/Paddle combo controllers and the fact that it has a small footprint. Perfect for use where space is limited. I've never had any compatability issues with it.

[Tempest]

It was cheaper than an Atari 2600 but it was cheap. How so, you ask? It would only play Atari titles but would not play games from other manufacturers like Coleco(for example).

 

I would find that hard to believe. There's nothing in an Atari brand game that identifies it as an Atari game (no security bit). The reason that some 3rd party games don't work on some Atari clones is usually because the cartridge shape is a bit different (like Tigervision carts with their long spindles) or because they go for a specific hardware location that the clone didn't have or modified somehow. So while it is possible that some games didn't work, there's no way to block out all carts by a certain company on the 2600.

 

The reason the Intellivison II had trouble with Coleco and some non-Mattel carts is because the Intellivision actually had an OS and there was an incompatibility with the OS and these games (a certain bit wasn't set to the value that the Intellivision was expecting). However since the 2600 has no OS, this sort of thing can't happen.

 

Tempest

[Danno]

I own a Coleco Gemini and use it at my summer vacation home in northern Indiana. It's nice because of the Joystick/Paddle combo controllers and the fact that it has a small footprint. Perfect for use where space is limited. I've never had any compatability issues with it.

If I recall, text was always garbled on Activision's Spider Fighter when played on a Gemini.

[Atari Charles]

I own a Coleco Gemini and use it at my summer vacation home in northern Indiana. It's nice because of the Joystick/Paddle combo controllers and the fact that it has a small footprint. Perfect for use where space is limited. I've never had any compatability issues with it.

If I recall, text was always garbled on Activision's Spider Fighter when played on a Gemini.

 

 

That's right. I was wrong about that it couldn't play Coleco Titles, but there were the Tigervision carts and other carts that din't work at all or worked somewhat.

[Prodos8]

Coleco made a pass-thru type adapter/extension for playing Tigervision carts or others that wouldn't physically fit in the slot on the gemini or expansion module #1. You had to contact their customer support number and ask for one, so they're pretty rare nowadays. I've only ever seen one back in the 80s that a friend used with his expansion module #1 to play Miner 2049er.

[Albert]

Coleco made a pass-thru type adapter/extension for playing Tigervision carts or others that wouldn't physically fit in the slot on the gemini or expansion module #1. You had to contact their customer support number and ask for one, so they're pretty rare nowadays. I've only ever seen one back in the 80s that a friend used with his expansion module #1 to play Miner 2049er.

Interesting, I'd like to see a picture of one of these. If you had to call their customer support number to ask for one, and it only affected a small number of games (I assume), then it must be pretty damn rare indeed..

 

..Al

[+Psionic]

Interesting, I'd like to see a picture of one of these. If you had to call their customer support number to ask for one, and it only affected a small number of games (I assume), then it must be pretty damn rare indeed...

That adapter device is mentioned in the ColecoVision FAQ, but I've never seen any proof that it actually exists.

[Tempest]

I own a Coleco Gemini and use it at my summer vacation home in northern Indiana. It's nice because of the Joystick/Paddle combo controllers and the fact that it has a small footprint. Perfect for use where space is limited. I've never had any compatability issues with it.

If I recall, text was always garbled on Activision's Spider Fighter when played on a Gemini.

 

Hmm... I wonder why? Must be because the hardware isn't 100% the same (probably more like 98%).

 

Tempest

[Lord Helmet]

I actually kinda like the Gemini. The joysticks on the controller are very responsive. I don't like the paddle part as much though.

[Video]

I love the Gemini sticks/paddle combo. I even built an adaptor a few years back to let you hook up two sticks for left/right paddle and use the fire buttons as the button (I think otherwise, you push up or down to fire in paddle games) Sweet stick. Never saw the system though.

[+remowilliams]

It's collector sacrilege, but I have to admit that the Gemini was one of the very few things I've tossed. I really wanted to like the controllers, but just found them horrible.

[Foxsolo2000]

I was offered one in trade some years ago but turned it down as I didn't see the need for another 2600 in clone disguise. Wish I had taken him up on his offer

[supercat]

It's collector sacrilege, but I have to admit that the Gemini was one of the very few things I've tossed. I really wanted to like the controllers, but just found them horrible.

 

I'd be interested in having a Gemini, to see how its behavior compares with others on games like Toyshop Trouble.

[Atari Charles]

It's collector sacrilege, but I have to admit that the Gemini was one of the very few things I've tossed. I really wanted to like the controllers, but just found them horrible.

 

 

It's not Collector Sacrilege as the Gemini is a poor copy of the Atari 2600. It wouldn't surprise me if many of the homebrews did not work on it. I remember not liking the controllers and the unit itself seemed cheaply made.

[Prodos8]

It's collector sacrilege, but I have to admit that the Gemini was one of the very few things I've tossed. I really wanted to like the controllers, but just found them horrible.

 

I'd be interested in having a Gemini, to see how its behavior compares with others on games like Toyshop Trouble.

I have an expansion module #1 and its played everything I've thrown at it. I don't have any home brews though. I'd imagine the chip-set is exactly the same as the gemini's. The build quality of it is very good too. I've never seen a gemini, but I've heard the controllers are cheaply made, but not sure about the console itself.

[Ze_ro]

I love the Gemini controllers... the paddles are completely jitter-proof!

 

I have a Gemini system too, but I've never used it. Instead I just use my Heavy Sixer for all my gaming..

 

--Zero

[Tom_Explodes]

Sorry to go slightly off topic... but... wait... the 2600 can run other system's games? Did I read that wrong? Because I had no idea of this.

[mumbai]

Interesting, I'd like to see a picture of one of these. If you had to call their customer support number to ask for one, and it only affected a small number of games (I assume), then it must be pretty damn rare indeed...

That adapter device is mentioned in the ColecoVision FAQ, but I've never seen any proof that it actually exists.

Will Berdan has one. (Like that's a surprise.) He won it off eBay five or so years ago from another collector who was liquidating his holdings.

 

It does exist.

[+Random Terrain]

As I said in another thread, I had a Coleco Gemini and I could play every game that I had. Maybe there was some weird company that made their cartridges too thick, but every shape and size of cartridge that I owned fit in my Coleco Gemini without a problem.

[Atariman]

Sorry to go slightly off topic... but... wait... the 2600 can run other system's games? Did I read that wrong? Because I had no idea of this.

 

No, you're just misunderstanding. There are a ton of Atari 2600 clones out there whether they are standalone systems or an "adapter" of sorts. Most (if not all) adapters are just 2600s that rely on the host system for power and video output.

 

So, no - the 2600 doesn't run other systems' games. I hope this clears things up

[Crazy Climber]

It's collector sacrilege, but I have to admit that the Gemini was one of the very few things I've tossed. I really wanted to like the controllers, but just found them horrible.

 

I'd be interested in having a Gemini, to see how its behavior compares with others on games like Toyshop Trouble.

i AM STILL KICKING MYSELF FOR NOT PICKING UP A COPY OF tOYSHOP LAST cHRISTMAS.....Whoops, I just noticed I had the Caps lock on, oh well.

Hopefully there will be more Toyshops availible this year