roms ported in cartridge form

[ozma wars]

I was contacted by another italian guy that also collect Colecovision games.

he told me that he can download any existing rom on the web and he can then - sorry my english - sell me the game I order in cartridge form (and using new chips/roms and old cartridge cases). He is not expensive and this could permit me to complete my collection of missing carts, also if not with original labels, etc.

My question is simple

is it legal ?

if yes, which games are still covered by some rights ?

 

if it is technically possible and also legal it is clear I can complete thanks to him my collection of original classics. But it is clear that if it is 100% legal I can order him carts to then resell with a margin.

Other question, I see this guy offering also some very old homebrew games but also Steamroller for example. I suppose not legal what he does. Which yr. opinion ?

 

years ago I saw some well known homebrewer to sell on Ebay in cartridge form some - never released or not finished - classics of the 80's then no more. So, which are the limits of doing that and why this no more available in the US ?

[ten-four]

I was contacted by another italian guy that also collect Colecovision games.

he told me that he can download any existing rom on the web and he can then - sorry my english - sell me the game I order in cartridge form (and using new chips/roms and old cartridge cases). He is not expensive and this could permit me to complete my collection of missing carts, also if not with original labels, etc.

My question is simple

is it legal ?

if yes, which games are still covered by some rights ?

 

if it is technically possible and also legal it is clear I can complete thanks to him my collection of original classics. But it is clear that if it is 100% legal I can order him carts to then resell with a margin.

Other question, I see this guy offering also some very old homebrew games but also Steamroller for example. I suppose not legal what he does. Which yr. opinion ?

 

years ago I saw some well known homebrewer to sell on Ebay in cartridge form some - never released or not finished - classics of the 80's then no more. So, which are the limits of doing that and why this no more available in the US ?

 

It was one of the tough questions.

 

As we know in advance, it's possible to buy AtariMax 128:1 and AtariMax USB carts.

Everyone who has an Internet connection can download all available games on the net, legal or not legal.

If you still have the games anyway in ROM, so why not also have the option in cartridge format.

The question is very problematic, because we do not know who have the various copyrights to the games today, if there still are some.

[ozma wars]

I was contacted by another italian guy that also collect Colecovision games.

he told me that he can download any existing rom on the web and he can then - sorry my english - sell me the game I order in cartridge form (and using new chips/roms and old cartridge cases). He is not expensive and this could permit me to complete my collection of missing carts, also if not with original labels, etc.

My question is simple

is it legal ?

if yes, which games are still covered by some rights ?

 

if it is technically possible and also legal it is clear I can complete thanks to him my collection of original classics. But it is clear that if it is 100% legal I can order him carts to then resell with a margin.

Other question, I see this guy offering also some very old homebrew games but also Steamroller for example. I suppose not legal what he does. Which yr. opinion ?

 

years ago I saw some well known homebrewer to sell on Ebay in cartridge form some - never released or not finished - classics of the 80's then no more. So, which are the limits of doing that and why this no more available in the US ?

 

It was one of the tough questions.

 

As we know in advance, it's possible to buy AtariMax 128:1 and AtariMax USB carts.

Everyone who has an Internet connection can download all available games on the net, legal or not legal.

If you still have the games anyway in ROM, so why not also have the option in cartridge format.

The question is very problematic, because we do not know who have the various copyrights to the games today, if there still are some.

so, we can resume in this way :

I can buy them for me, my problem.

Better not to buy to then resell.

thanks for yr. opinion.

[newcoleco]

Making profit with something that is not yours in the first place is illegal. However, it looks like the guy just selling at a fair price the service of putting games into cartridges, not making profit on the games inside. So, this is a grey area and your responsability, your decision : getting copies or originals.

 

Considering that the homebrew scene is active and need your support, I will not be happy to know that you have also copies of homebrew games you still can get from the original authors and publishers, and I'll go to your home with the FBI agents.

[ozma wars]

Making profit with something that is not yours in the first place is illegal. However, it looks like the guy just selling at a fair price the service of putting games into cartridges, not making profit on the games inside. So, this is a grey area and your responsability, your decision : getting copies or originals.

 

Considering that the homebrew scene is active and need your support, I will not be happy to know that you have also copies of homebrew games you still can get from the original authors and publishers, and I'll go to your home with the FBI agents.

that's why I ask

thanks for yr. opinion.

I was 14 when had my Colecovision and now, 43, still looking for some missing classic...

I do NOT like emulators..and now arrive this offer and not from the other part of the planet but from a 90 minutes by car. I will think on it.

which of yr. games are still available to buy ? I saw yr. youtube videos if I am correct but no indication how to get them and prices..

[Pixelboy]

I was contacted by another italian guy that also collect Colecovision games.

he told me that he can download any existing rom on the web and he can then - sorry my english - sell me the game I order in cartridge form (and using new chips/roms and old cartridge cases). He is not expensive and this could permit me to complete my collection of missing carts, also if not with original labels, etc.

My question is simple

is it legal ?

if yes, which games are still covered by some rights ?

Practically no one cares about legal issues related to ColecoVision games anymore. If you were to have your own carts made with ROMs found on the net, no one would waste money on lawyers to try and stop you, especially in Italy where the ColecoVision is a mostly forgotten minor gaming console.

 

if it is technically possible and also legal it is clear I can complete thanks to him my collection of original classics. But it is clear that if it is 100% legal I can order him carts to then resell with a margin.

Of course, it's clearly not legal, especially where CV versions of arcade games are concerned, but like I said, no one really cares. Buyers may care about buying originals versus bootlegs, however, so my advice to you would be to make the cart labels clearly different, so that people know what they are buying just by looking at the picture.

 

Other question, I see this guy offering also some very old homebrew games but also Steamroller for example. I suppose not legal what he does. Which yr. opinion ?

Homebrews fall in the category of "Don't do it out of respect for the author". This is not a legal thing, just common respect.

 

years ago I saw some well known homebrewer to sell on Ebay in cartridge form some - never released or not finished - classics of the 80's then no more. So, which are the limits of doing that and why this no more available in the US ?

You mean prototypes? Bah, making carts out of unfinished prototypes can be considered a hobby at best. Most ColecoVision fans today know which games are prototypes (Fall Guy, etc.) so if they buy such carts, they know what they are buying (or if they don't, they can just use Google to get more info).

[newcoleco]

I have an answer about my games availabe (or not) and I have a few questions for you.

 

My answer is : Some of my games are still available somehow, but not from me I'm afraid. Each game and each publisher do have their price, so I can't give you a list of price for each of my games. GoodDealGames for example do sell some of my games, AtariAge also is one of those who are still selling my CV games. If you are looking for Jeepers Creepers... it will be available again eventually. And if I'm getting enough requests for my older games that, for example, John Dondzila was published for me, that includes DACMAN and BustIn-Out, I will be happy to ask someone to help me making a new batch of cartridges of these games.

 

My personal questions to you, not questions from the part of everyone here, and feel free to answer or not : You are italian... in Italy? Well, nice to meet someone in Italy then, I think you are the first one I've ever meet here. How is the Coleco nostalgia there? Do you meet other people who also enjoy Coleco games or the Internet and copies of games is the only way you've found to make your collection? Do you consider the work of your guy who made copies as professional? I wonder if he may accept to be an official publisher of CV homebrew games in the future, if there is a potential of offering games near you and other Coleco fans there at a reasonable price by avoiding an extra shipping cost, it might be interresting for everyone. That's all my questions for now.

[+5-11under]

Other question, I see this guy offering also some very old homebrew games but also Steamroller for example. I suppose not legal what he does. Which yr. opinion ?

Homebrews fall in the category of "Don't do it out of respect for the author". This is not a legal thing, just common respect.

It's a legal thing, too, of course.

[youki]

I wonder if he may accept to be an official publisher of CV homebrew games in the future

 

I was wondering the same thing.

 

I do NOT like emulators..and now arrive this offer and not from the other part of the planet but from a 90 minutes by car. I will think on it.

 

If it is just a question to play on a real console not an emulator. buy the AtariMax cartridge. You could play all the roms you got from internet directly on the real console. And you don't even have to change the cartridge to change game! Just select the game in a menu on your console.

 

it is clear I can complete thanks to him my collection of original classics.

 

It won't be "original classics", it will be copy of classics . In term of "collection" there is no value.

 

and I'll go to your home with the FBI agents.

 

FBI don't have legal power in Italy , i guess.

 

 

You are from Milan?

[coleconut]

I am not a big fan of emulators. I own almost all the original cartridges with a few exceptions. These form my collection. As for playing the games, I see no need personally to make or have someone make a physical cartridge of those games I am missing. Because with a few exceptions repros arent that collectible to me. My own personal solution to all this is if I want to play a game I dont own the cart for, I play it from a disk with an ADAM computer. Playing games from disk on the ADAM reduces wear and tear on the carts. Plus the ADAM opens the opportunity to easily switch from cart-based games to disk or tape-based games on the same hardware in the same sitting. Plus I can connect it to my monitor rather than have to connect it to a TV.

 

If I dont own a homebrew from the author then I dont play it or copy it.

 

If a repro is sold on Ebay for example, I would hope and expect that it is clearly identified as such.

 

Just me...

[ozma wars]

I have an answer about my games availabe (or not) and I have a few questions for you.

 

My answer is : Some of my games are still available somehow, but not from me I'm afraid. Each game and each publisher do have their price, so I can't give you a list of price for each of my games. GoodDealGames for example do sell some of my games, AtariAge also is one of those who are still selling my CV games. If you are looking for Jeepers Creepers... it will be available again eventually. And if I'm getting enough requests for my older games that, for example, John Dondzila was published for me, that includes DACMAN and BustIn-Out, I will be happy to ask someone to help me making a new batch of cartridges of these games.

 

My personal questions to you, not questions from the part of everyone here, and feel free to answer or not : You are italian... in Italy? Well, nice to meet someone in Italy then, I think you are the first one I've ever meet here. How is the Coleco nostalgia there? Do you meet other people who also enjoy Coleco games or the Internet and copies of games is the only way you've found to make your collection? Do you consider the work of your guy who made copies as professional? I wonder if he may accept to be an official publisher of CV homebrew games in the future, if there is a potential of offering games near you and other Coleco fans there at a reasonable price by avoiding an extra shipping cost, it might be interresting for everyone. That's all my questions for now.

yes

Italian from Italy

I live in Milano town

my family 50% german arrived here in 1945 from Breslau, now Poland (!).

Other 50% we can go back to 1450 where our documents confirm existence of my family.

I am 43 and still remember my first Colecovision when was 14. Still have it. In Italy the two competing group of Atari and Intellivision fans immediately disbanded when Colecovision arrived here. The point in Italy was that consoles died here before US crash of 1984 and this because in Italy like in Germany it was cheaper to get a Commodore 64 or a Spectrum computer and then to have thousands pirated games at the price of two or three new carts. ( still have approx. 12.000 games for C 64 I got between 1984 and 1987..) Also, some Colecovision games never arrived here after summer 1984 because all importers here immediately stopped sales of consoles and concentrated to homecomputers. So, in 1984, it was still easy for you US buyers to buy Colecovision games when here, September 1984, there were no more stores selling games for that.

I never stopped to buy retrogames. Until few years ago ( here internet was massively introduced only 1999..) still were fanzines and all games were very cheap, now with ebay, impossible to buy games to low price. Pls consider here life is very expensive. Example : I also own a Chrysler 300c, In the USA value is 46000 USD, here same car costed 52.000 EURO and Euro is now 1,44 USD ! one liter oil at the pump is 1,45 Euro.

Back to yr. question here the retroconventions are 2 - 3 per year. Most part of the fans concentrated to Atari 2600(bleah) or on younger systems like the Superfamicom or Megadrive.

Systems like Colecovision/Intellivision have approx. 100 serious collector here, also considering lone wolfs like me that only now have some times more to dedicate the hobby, also thanks to this economic crisis that convince me no more sense to stay my office 15 hrs per day as in the past.

There is no cooperation between collectors.

[ozma wars]

I forgot

about the guy and the copies..he only replied my advert to a local website like yrs. Craigslist, I just ordered some games, then will tell you the idea I have of both guy and final product.

[ozma wars]

I am not a big fan of emulators. I own almost all the original cartridges with a few exceptions. These form my collection. As for playing the games, I see no need personally to make or have someone make a physical cartridge of those games I am missing. Because with a few exceptions repros arent that collectible to me. My own personal solution to all this is if I want to play a game I dont own the cart for, I play it from a disk with an ADAM computer. Playing games from disk on the ADAM reduces wear and tear on the carts. Plus the ADAM opens the opportunity to easily switch from cart-based games to disk or tape-based games on the same hardware in the same sitting. Plus I can connect it to my monitor rather than have to connect it to a TV.

 

If I dont own a homebrew from the author then I dont play it or copy it.

 

If a repro is sold on Ebay for example, I would hope and expect that it is clearly identified as such.

 

Just me...

I agree

[Murph74]

I don't understand why you'd want repro cartridges-- I'd suggest looking in the Ultimate SD cartridge from Atarimax-- it would serve nearly the same function, and probably much cheaper and definitely more versatile.

[youki]

A question for you.

 

What about the Creativision console, do you collect/own one ?. it seems it was very popular in italy. Technically , It is a more of less a Colecovision with a 6502 instead of z80.

 

Is there a big fan base?

[ozma wars]

A question for you.

 

What about the Creativision console, do you collect/own one ?. it seems it was very popular in italy. Technically , It is a more of less a Colecovision with a 6502 instead of z80.

 

Is there a big fan base?

Creativision was officially distributed here 6 months and were plans to produce it locally. I know well the history because the local producer our customer since 30 years for copper wire. The italian plant was starting to locally produce it here and exist traces they were to introduce educational tapes in italian. The crash killed this project. I have several consoles and all released software. Two years ago I sold my two different CPU diagnostic cartridges to the people of the italian creativision site that copied them and had a - very small - business releasing them and other common games in multi-cart.

Creativision, a real "what if". Very nice games, very good graphics. A pity they are so few. VTech the Hong Kong producer still active, i wrote them in 1990 and they replied they have no more files about it.

[ozma wars]

I forgot :

yes, it exist a fan base but, as usual, no cooperation between them.

 

as you know a converter to play Colecovision games exist. It was officially announced in several countries but never officially released. But it exist as finished product in two different forms, with numeric keyboard on it, for the Vtech homecomputers Laser and Salora. I saw them on two different websites, one in Sweden/Finland...

lucky guys!

[youki]

Thanks for your answer. Would you have a Creativision to sell? If yes, contact me!

 

I wrote few time a ago an article on the Creativision on my website :

 

http://www.atomicfe.com/forums/index.php?topic=332.0

 

 

i tried most of the game for that console via emulator. Some a very good and lot are kind of "clone" or "Strongly inspired" of well known game .

 

Like for instance :

 

Air/Sea Attack = Air Sea Battle

Astro Pinball = Pinball

Auto Chase = RallyX

Chopper Rescues = Zaxxon

Crazy Chicky = Pacman

Locomotive = Bugger Time

Planet Defender = Defender

Police Jump = donkey Kong

Sonic Invader = Space Invaders

Stone Age = Pengo

Tank Attack= TANK

 

Very interresting console.

[high voltage]

I'm with you, I don't like AtariMAx or Harmony or Cuttle thing.

When I finish VCS collecting, the super rare games I cannot buy I will get as a repro from Hozer. I will in my collection, mention them as repros, as they are worthless, but like you, I prefer them on a cart.

[ozma wars]

I'm with you, I don't like AtariMAx or Harmony or Cuttle thing.

When I finish VCS collecting, the super rare games I cannot buy I will get as a repro from Hozer. I will in my collection, mention them as repros, as they are worthless, but like you, I prefer them on a cart.

 

long life to old carts ( and copies in cart form where the original is not possible )

[ozma wars]

Thanks for your answer. Would you have a Creativision to sell? If yes, contact me!

 

I wrote few time a ago an article on the Creativision on my website :

 

http://www.atomicfe.com/forums/index.php?topic=332.0

 

 

i tried most of the game for that console via emulator. Some a very good and lot are kind of "clone" or "Strongly inspired" of well known game .

 

Like for instance :

 

Air/Sea Attack = Air Sea Battle

Astro Pinball = Pinball

Auto Chase = RallyX

Chopper Rescues = Zaxxon

Crazy Chicky = Pacman

Locomotive = Bugger Time

Planet Defender = Defender

Police Jump = donkey Kong

Sonic Invader = Space Invaders

Stone Age = Pengo

Tank Attack= TANK

 

Very interresting console.

 

concerning videogames....I am only a PLAYER...not really a collector

here the italian site for Creativision, really good :

http://www.madrigaldesign.it/

here a Creativision for sale :

njko66gmail.com

this adress on a local website for used videogames, hope this guy speak english otherwise let me know...

creativision not so reliable because their joisticks/paddles and even the keyborrds are not so long lasting, so I prefer to not sell the other consoles I have, better to keep them as spare parts.

carts, no problem, I have many..the day you have a console I can sell/trade some

[tz101]

I will in my collection, mention them as repros, as they are worthless, but like you, I prefer them on a cart.

 

I think they will have some worth were you ever to part with the entire collection. Someone wanting a complete collection would have those missing pieces, at least from a player's standpoint. Monetary value from a collectability perspective, maybe nil, but as part of a completed collection, definitely of value.

[high voltage]

Ah yes that is very true. When I sold my VCS collection, I had some Best Electronics repro carts (Pengo, Quadrun etc), and my lot sold pretty well.

[coleconut]

Would you have a Creativision to sell? If yes, contact me!

 

PM sent

[ozma wars]

Now back from the weekend and just received my package full of new (for me) games for Colecovision, never seen before.

played for the first time games like WILD WESTERN, SPACE CAVERNS, DEATH RACE, really great.

But very nice to play also MAZEZAM. Finally not only a photo but the full game to play on the real thing.

Space caverns seem great but full of bugs. This the game I would buy, if finished, from a homebrewer. Where to buy it as "original" ? have the homebrewer released a debugged and complete version for sale ?