Could CV oull off NES games?

[tz101]

You know stuff like SMB, Castlevania, Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, or Legend of Kage. Are any of these doable on the Colecovision, or is it simply too underpowered to pull off anything close to what NES could do?

[newcoleco]

You know stuff like SMB, Castlevania, Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, or Legend of Kage. Are any of these doable on the Colecovision, or is it simply too underpowered to pull off anything close to what NES could do?

I will not lie to you, it may takes years to make one of these games possible for the ColecoVision because we are not working on these homebrew projects 365 days per year.

 

It's possible to make ColecoVision game projects as adaptations of other videogames, I've done a Bejeweled for the ColecoVision which is not an old game in the first place.

 

The question is more how much you want to pay, and how much level of details you are expecting, for a port of NES game for the ColecoVision. More elaborated games need more time and also special PBCs (more memory, save game option, etc.)

 

The "Arcade at home" mentality is really difficult to avoid and so projects that are not arcade games in the first place may not be the first choice of the programmers who make homebrew games. My personal choice is to create my own games, so I'm not the good person to ask for a port of a NES game, but there are new CV homebrewers that might like to give it a try.

 

Beside that, I know that Eduardo worked on a Castlevania game for his ColecoVision 2 module. So to play the game you'll need to get his module first and then get his game Castlevania for it. He worked on this last year, I don't know how far he is from a release.

Edited April 12, 2011 by newcoleco

[Pixelboy]

Certain things to keep in mind:

 

- The CV only has 16 fixed colors, the NES can display 16 out of 56 colors.

 

- The NES can display up to three colors in each sprite, the CV can only display one color per sprite.

 

- The NES offers full-screen scrolling features which are built into the hardware, while the CV does not, so doing smooth scrolling on the CV is always a technical challenge.

 

With this said, there are ways to take advantage of the CV hardware to the point where a game can reach the same visual quality as an NES game. Look at Bomb'n Blast or Smurf Challenge on the ColecoVision for good examples of this.

 

In terms of game scope, a programmer needs to use bankswitching methods in order to do games as big as Metroid or Mega Man. The technology to do this exists on the CV, but it's mostly underused for various reasons, the main reason being that practically no CV homebrewer has enough free time and motivation to dive into a project as involving and complex as Zelda or Castlevania. Everyone would like to see it happen, but in a real-life context, it's pretty much logisitically impossible. That's why most CV homebrewers actually like the 32K limit, because it helps to keep projects manageable, from a "hobby" point of view.

[youki]

why most CV homebrewers actually like the 32K limit, because it helps to keep projects manageable,

 

Can not be more true!

 

In my case if i didn't have this limit i would permantly try to add more thing and never complete a game. (that's what happened with my production on PC , there is no real limit.. and the problem is that my game are never completed if i didn't reach this limit that does not exist...)

 

Otherwise technically ,the Colecovision is able to manage most of NES Game. (even if it will look different due to hardware limitation). The real limitation on a "out of the box" CV for certain type of game is really due to its RAM limitation (1k is really short). the ROM limitation can be passed using Bank switching.

 

In the over hand, if it is to play a NES Game on the colecovision , why don't you play directly on a NES?

[SlowCoder]

In the over hand, if it is to play a NES Game on the colecovision , why don't you play directly on a NES?

I think tz101 wasn't asking if SMB itself could be played on the CV, but if the CV was technologically capable of playing SMBesque games. Based on the responses of 2 well-known homebrewers (newcoleco and PixelBoy), the answer is that it could be technically possible, but not plausible due to differences in the systems.

[S1500]

I could maybe see some of the Famicom launch titles which weren't that extensive, but I couldn't foresee later titles like CastleVania, etc. Cost & time-wise, why bother? The NES lives on with legit & not-legit clone systems, where the latter has all the pack-in games anyway. Heck, I just bought a "super Joy" famiclone that has 2 controllers + light gun for 5 bucks!

[youki]

In the over hand, if it is to play a NES Game on the colecovision , why don't you play directly on a NES?

I think tz101 wasn't asking if SMB itself could be played on the CV, but if the CV was technologically capable of playing SMBesque games. Based on the responses of 2 well-known homebrewers (newcoleco and PixelBoy), the answer is that it could be technically possible, but not plausible due to differences in the systems.

 

Yes i had understood. And the answer is yes the Colecovision is technologically capable of playing SMBesque games. (of course they will look different and will have simplier graphism , but the game play will be close). They are not plausible, not due to technical constraint but due to time needed to do them.

[newcoleco]

Well, CV programmers may consider to be inspired by these NES classic games without necessary porting them... it may creates finaly more elaborated games and or new classics to discover. Just thinking of Giana Sisters which is technicaly not a port but obviously...

[ten-four]

Well, CV programmers may consider to be inspired by these NES classic games without necessary porting them... it may creates finaly more elaborated games and or new classics to discover. Just thinking of Giana Sisters which is technicaly not a port but obviously...

 

Hi Daniel.

 

If Giana Sisters ever becomes a reality in cartridge format for our ColecoVision 1 or 2, you can count on me sa a 100% buyer.

[DracIsBack]

is it simply too underpowered to pull off anything close to what NES could do?

 

The issue isn't "power". The issue is differences in the graphics hardware ... fewer colors to choose from, fewer colors to display at once in certain elements and no hardware assisted scrolling. With good art direction and clever programming, you can get good results.

 

 

[rhindlethereddragon]

You know stuff like SMB, Castlevania, Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, or Legend of Kage. Are any of these doable on the Colecovision, or is it simply too underpowered to pull off anything close to what NES could do?

 

Yes. I think if Coleco hadn't listened to a bunch of PENCIL-PUSHERS and thrown in the towel way, way too early, then the Colecovision would have been the main competition of the NES.

[Hakogame 箱亀]

Using the bitmap mode, the Coleco would be capable of coming fairly close to NES graphics. A really good pixel artist could even think of ways to use more colors on screen than the NES, but graphics for the Coleco would require a lot more work than for the NES. Here's an example of Kirby's adventure: Nes original & Colecovision mockup. (I made this a while ago, just to see if I could.)

[retroillucid]

Using the bitmap mode, the Coleco would be capable of coming fairly close to NES graphics. A really good pixel artist could even think of ways to use more colors on screen than the NES, but graphics for the Coleco would require a lot more work than for the NES. Here's an example of Kirby's adventure: Nes original & Colecovision mockup. (I made this a while ago, just to see if I could.)

 

A M A Z I N G !!!!

 

Look DAMN good!!

 

Would love to see Kirby ported on CV, this game is fun

 

As for me, I completed all graphics conversion of the Legend of Zelda on Colecovision

 

 

So, yes it is possible to ported NES games on CV, with few colors and RAM limitation, but hey! it is possible nonetheless

[youki]

Using the bitmap mode, the Coleco would be capable of coming fairly close to NES graphics. A really good pixel artist could even think of ways to use more colors on screen than the NES, but graphics for the Coleco would require a lot more work than for the NES. Here's an example of Kirby's adventure: Nes original & Colecovision mockup. (I made this a while ago, just to see if I could.)

 

Very very nice!!! It is what i like see on C.V!!! :lust:

[Pixelboy]

Using the bitmap mode, the Coleco would be capable of coming fairly close to NES graphics. A really good pixel artist could even think of ways to use more colors on screen than the NES, but graphics for the Coleco would require a lot more work than for the NES. Here's an example of Kirby's adventure: Nes original & Colecovision mockup. (I made this a while ago, just to see if I could.)

 

Very very nice!!! It is what i like see on C.V!!! :lust:

Yeah, that looks excellently good!

[DracIsBack]

As for me, I completed all graphics conversion of the Legend of Zelda on Colecovision

 

that would be a good game too because it doesn't really scroll.

[Hakogame 箱亀]

I also spent some time last year making a lot of mockup art for a project I abandoned after growing weary of all the work required to make awesome bitmap mode graphics for the Colecovision. Here's about 70% of the art (all compatible with the colecovision, though the menu bar would also use sprites.

Attached are: outdoor scene, construction site, backyard, underground laboratory, living room, ? um... Flower covered poles in the sky, Boss battle: birthday fish (spits bubbles that pop and release presents and birthday cakes. Forks also drop from the sky), and bonus round.

 

This shows some of the potential of bitmap mode graphics on the Colecovision.

[Pixelboy]

I also spent some time last year making a lot of mockup art for a project I abandoned after growing weary of all the work required to make awesome bitmap mode graphics for the Colecovision. Here's about 70% of the art (all compatible with the colecovision, though the menu bar would also use sprites.

Attached are: outdoor scene, construction site, backyard, underground laboratory, living room, ? um... Flower covered poles in the sky, Boss battle: birthday fish (spits bubbles that pop and release presents and birthday cakes. Forks also drop from the sky), and bonus round.

 

This shows some of the potential of bitmap mode graphics on the Colecovision.

Dude, you ROCK!

[tz101]

Most excellent stills, Raccoon Lad. Really too bad that making a detailed game as such is so painstaking and time-consuming on CV...

[+5-11under]

Nice work, Racoon Lad. It took me a lot of staring at those pictures to realize that they actually could work, at least in static form.

[youki]

Very impressive!

[Kiwi]

Wow, that's incredible!

 

I also do enjoy making mock-up for the system as well. It's really fun working with the limitation set by the system's limitation. Great job!

[+Yurkie]

I also spent some time last year making a lot of mockup art for a project I abandoned after growing weary of all the work required to make awesome bitmap mode graphics for the Colecovision. Here's about 70% of the art (all compatible with the colecovision, though the menu bar would also use sprites.

Attached are: outdoor scene, construction site, backyard, underground laboratory, living room, ? um... Flower covered poles in the sky, Boss battle: birthday fish (spits bubbles that pop and release presents and birthday cakes. Forks also drop from the sky), and bonus round.

 

This shows some of the potential of bitmap mode graphics on the Colecovision.

 

Are the screenshots you did for an original game, or from an existing game?

 

Great job...very impressive +1.

[retroillucid]

I also spent some time last year making a lot of mockup art for a project I abandoned after growing weary of all the work required to make awesome bitmap mode graphics for the Colecovision. Here's about 70% of the art (all compatible with the colecovision, though the menu bar would also use sprites.

Attached are: outdoor scene, construction site, backyard, underground laboratory, living room, ? um... Flower covered poles in the sky, Boss battle: birthday fish (spits bubbles that pop and release presents and birthday cakes. Forks also drop from the sky), and bonus round.

 

This shows some of the potential of bitmap mode graphics on the Colecovision.

 

Are the screenshots you did for an original game, or from an existing game?

 

Great job...very impressive +1.

 

 

Original game