Reprogramming ColecoVision Venture

[ColecoFan1981]

Here's my idea for reconstructing the ColecoVision version of Venture. Among other things, it involves restoring all 12 room songs (as only four of the 12, plus the silent "Wall Room," were used in the ColecoVision version).

 

The tunes for the stages from the original cartridge version:

LEVELS ONE, FOUR AND SEVEN

Goblin Room - uses same tune as "Spider Room" in the arcade version, only slower paced and higher pitched.

Wall Room - silent (also arcade version). The treasure collect jingle from the arcade version of this room is the CV version's Game Over jingle.

Serpent Room - correct

Skeleton Room - uses same tune as "Cyclops Room" in the arcade version, only faster paced and higher pitched.

 

LEVELS TWO, FIVE AND EIGHT

Spider Room - correct

Two-Headed Room - uses same tune as "Genie Room" in the arcade version, only faster paced and higher pitched.

Troll Room - uses same tune as "Serpent Room."

Dragon Room - uses same tune as "Cyclops Room."

 

LEVELS THREE, SIX AND NINE

Genie Room - uses same tune as "Spider Room."

Cyclops Room - correct

Bat Room - uses same tune as "Serpent Room."

Demon Room - uses same tune as "Genie Room" in the arcade version.

 

OTHER SONG NOTES REGARDING COLECOVISION VERSION OF VENTURE:

*The tune heard in the arcade version, when you complete all rooms of a given level, starts with the all-too-familiar "Charge!" fanfare followed by an odd Chinese-sounding melody. On the CV version, this is merely just the last few notes of the arcade Wall Room treasure collect/CV Game Over jingle.

*The Game Over tune heard on the CV version is the treasure collect jingle heard in the "Wall Room" from the arcade version.

*The stage start and main level map tunes are merely edited versions of the arcade originals. The sound effect heard the moment the main level map is seen and when you come out of a room is merely the same sound as when you enter a room, but played in reverse. The CV Pepper II room entry sound effect sounds much closer to the arcade version of Venture's room entry sound.

 

Total room songs on the ColecoVision version: 5 out of 12 (although "Wall Room" is silent both on the CV and arcade, with only the sound of moving walls)

The treasure collect jingle used on the CV version in all 12 rooms is the same. It is a translation of the arcade "Goblin Room" treasure collect jingle (a passage from the "William Tell Overture" by Rossini). The arcade version has a different jingle used for each of the 12 rooms.

 

EDIT: The arcade version of Venture also has 24 more treasure types than the CV version.

 

~Ben

Edited September 7, 2009 by ColecoFan1981

[newcoleco]

I know some people will disagree, just keep in mind that it's my opinion here. Personnally, I find Venture for the Coleco version quite fun to play and I don't wish for an improved version. Steve Begin did a hack of the game to make the monsters desintegrating instead of disappearing suddently which is a cool candy eye effect... but that's all. Changing and adding some musics can be an interresting project, but I would prefer to see new games rather than this project. I don't have a problem if someone give it a try, I just don't think it worths the effort.

 

Coleco bios sounds, used in games released by Coleco, allow up to 63 entries ( not 64 and more ) in the sounds list. Each sound can be a sound effect or a serie of notes for a channel, and a music need to play up to 4 sounds (4 channels) at the same time. In the actual version there is at least 30 entries already, so in theory there is enough space in the sounds list to do the modifications you're suggesting.