Wanted: Original Evolution Cart

[Ikrananka]

I'm looking to buy one of the original Evolution carts, i.e. NOT the Telegames release. The original cart is in the standard US style Coleco cart with "COLECO Made in Hong Kong" on the back.

 

If you have a spare in good or better condition then please let me know.

 

Thanks

[+nanochess]

I didn't knew there exists a Coleco version of Evolution. Mine doesn't say Coleco.

[Ikrananka]

I didn't knew there exists a Coleco version of Evolution. Mine doesn't say Coleco.

If your cart has the slots on the back for overlays then it is a Telegames cart that was released sometime from 1986 onwards. The cart that was released by Coleco Canada in 1983, the one in the black English/French box, used the COLECO Made in Hing Kong cart. The label on the Telegames cart is also glossier than the original.

 

The other difference between the two is in the game rom which only affects the title screen as shown below. The first image is the original Coleco Canada release while the second image is the Telegames release. Telegames deleted all references to Sydney (the game developer) and the programmers.

[+nanochess]

Interesting, I've checked my cartridge Yesterday and indeed it has the overlays slots in the back and no Coleco signs.

 

My label is glossy: Sidney's (White) Evolution (big red), Colecovision & ADAM. The surrounding white border line is thicker than in normal Coleco releases.

 

Later I'll check in my Colecovision to see if game has references to Sidney.

[retroillucid]

Is there 2 different roms for Evolution

[Ikrananka]

Is there 2 different roms for Evolution

Yes - however the only difference is that Telegames deleted the name "Sydney" and the programmers names from the title screen. The rest is the same.

 

PM sent.

[NIAD]

Is there 2 different roms for Evolution

Yes and TeleGames also hacked some other re-releases to remove Copyright information. I know, another reason for you to hate TeleGames!

[65Gamerguy]

If your cart has the slots on the back for overlays then it is a Telegames cart that was released sometime from 1986 onwards. The cart that was released by Coleco Canada in 1983, the one in the black English/French box, used the COLECO Made in Hing Kong cart. The label on the Telegames cart is also glossier than the original.

 

The other difference between the two is in the game rom which only affects the title screen as shown below. The first image is the original Coleco Canada release while the second image is the Telegames release. Telegames deleted all references to Sydney (the game developer) and the programmers.

I think there may be more to this since I own a copy of Evolution which has the slot overlays in the back and I bought it locally here in Missouri around 1984, not by Telegames, which I had not heard of until many years later. As I recall this was one of the last games available at the time for the ColecoVision. I no longer have the box but the front of the cartridge has english and french and the back has the overlay cut outs but no text at all imprinted in the plastic. It also has the sydney presents during boot up. You can view it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDVzXp9RHuE

Edited September 6, 2013 by 65Gamerguy

[NIAD]

I think there may be more to this since I own a copy of Evolution which has the slot overlays in the back and I bought it locally here in Missouri around 1984, not by Telegames, which I had not heard of until many years later. As I recall this was one of the last games available at the time for the ColecoVision. I no longer have the box but the front of the cartridge has english and french and the back has the overlay cut outs but no text at all imprinted in the plastic. It also has the sydney presents during boot up. You can view it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDVzXp9RHuE

Here's what I know or should I say, assume to be the case...

 

Evolution was released by "Coleco (Canada) Limitee" and was programmed by Sydney. The CIB release included:

A cardboard box that was identical to Coleco's boxes (size, shape, hang tab-top flap, etc.) except it was black in color. The box included both English and French text, but oddly for this being a later release (for CV & ADAM), it did not include the Maple Leaf next to the word Coleco anywhere on the box like other C.C.L. releases.

The manual is in English and French and is not the booklet style, but a fold out style. The manual has no mention of Coleco (U.S. or Canada), it only contains Sydney's addresses in Vancouver, B.C. and San Diego, CA.

The cart shell is the all too familiar Coleco cart shell with the finger grip area that contains "Coleco" and "Made in ....." imprinted in the plastic (my shell is made in Hong Kong, but I'm sure Coleco (Canada) Limitee used whatever shells were on hand at this late date. Underneath the imprinted text, of course, is the overlay holding area.

The label is a matte finish that includes both English and French text and states for the CV & ADAM, but does not include all the usuall © information text.

There is a high failure rate with these cartridges.

 

The cart shell that you own (overlay holding area at the very top/back of the cart shell) was made by CBS Electronics, but I can only assume that they started making these shells sometime around mid-1984. This cart shell/mold was later acquired by TeleGames U.K. and used for their game releases along with other shell styles that they acquired large quantities of... say late 1985 or early 1986.

 

The re-release was supplied in a green plastic clamshell with a black&white copied insert sheet of the Coleco/Sydney box. The cart shell was the CBS Electronics shell and the label is Glossy and considerably clearer. Also, these cartridges are reliable.

 

So it's odd that you would have a CBS Electronics cart shell seeing as you bought it in Missouri in 1984 and TeleGames really didn't become a known dealer of CV items in the U.S. until 1986 with TeleGames U.S.A. in Texas. Is your label Matte or Glossy?

 

Probably just one of those things with this very late in the game release where things got hodge-podged together just to get it packaged up and available to sell.

Edited September 6, 2013 by NIAD

[+nanochess]

Well, it looks like Telegames is the champion in getting earnings with games.

 

My only CIB Telegames is Cosmic Crisis and indeed it is the green clamshell box, what is very disappointing is that even though it is original, they photocopied everything inside including game cover that looks like if a blind guy couldn't see that bright setting wasn't right.

Edited September 6, 2013 by nanochess

[retroillucid]

Well, it looks like Telegames is the champion in getting earnings with games.

My only CIB Telegames is Cosmic Crisis and indeed it is the green clamshell box, what is very disappointing is that even thought it is original, they photocopied everything inside including game cover that looks like if a blind guy couldn't see that bright setting wasn't right.

That's what you get with Telegames

[coleconut]

 

The CIB release included:

...

There is a high failure rate with these cartridges.

 

The re-release was supplied .... Also, these cartridges are reliable.

Thats a switch, my experience is that the many of the Telegames re-releases carts were flakey. eg I bought a bunch of Alcazar carts from the UK and 25% of them didnt work.

[65Gamerguy]

Here's what I know or should I say, assume to be the case...

 

Evolution was released by "Coleco (Canada) Limitee" and was programmed by Sydney. The CIB release included:

A cardboard box that was identical to Coleco's boxes (size, shape, hang tab-top flap, etc.) except it was black in color. The box included both English and French text, but oddly for this being a later release (for CV & ADAM), it did not include the Maple Leaf next to the word Coleco anywhere on the box like other C.C.L. releases.

The manual is in English and French and is not the booklet style, but a fold out style. The manual has no mention of Coleco (U.S. or Canada), it only contains Sydney's addresses in Vancouver, B.C. and San Diego, CA.

The cart shell is the all too familiar Coleco cart shell with the finger grip area that contains "Coleco" and "Made in ....." imprinted in the plastic (my shell is made in Hong Kong, but I'm sure Coleco (Canada) Limitee used whatever shells were on hand at this late date. Underneath the imprinted text, of course, is the overlay holding area.

The label is a matte finish that includes both English and French text and states for the CV & ADAM, but does not include all the usuall © information text.

There is a high failure rate with these cartridges.

 

The cart shell that you own (overlay holding area at the very top/back of the cart shell) was made by CBS Electronics, but I can only assume that they started making these shells sometime around mid-1984. This cart shell/mold was later acquired by TeleGames U.K. and used for their game releases along with other shell styles that they acquired large quantities of... say late 1985 or early 1986.

 

The re-release was supplied in a green plastic clamshell with a black&white copied insert sheet of the Coleco/Sydney box. The cart shell was the CBS Electronics shell and the label is Glossy and considerably clearer. Also, these cartridges are reliable.

 

So it's odd that you would have a CBS Electronics cart shell seeing as you bought it in Missouri in 1984 and TeleGames really didn't become a known dealer of CV items in the U.S. until 1986 with TeleGames U.S.A. in Texas. Is your label Matte or Glossy?

 

Probably just one of those things with this very late in the game release where things got hodge-podged together just to get it packaged up and available to sell.

NIAD,

 

Thanks for the detailed information! I don't know the whole story about this but what you say makes sense. I am pretty certain that the box was not a CBS version, but the regular US version, since I don't recall seeing or knowing about CBS Coleco until a while later.

 

The label is glossy just so you know. For some reason I don't seem to be able to post pictures here, otherwise I would attach a photo.

 

I think you are correct that since this was one of the last "official" games for the CV that they cobbled together what they had and sold them as they were.

[retroillucid]

Thats a switch, my experience is that the many of the Telegames re-releases carts were flakey. eg I bought a bunch of Alcazar carts from the UK and 25% of them didnt work.

Again, .... This is what you get with Telegames

[NIAD]

 

 

Thats a switch, my experience is that the many of the Telegames re-releases carts were flakey. eg I bought a bunch of Alcazar carts from the UK and 25% of them didnt work.

Yeah, pretty ironic. I had two Coleco/Sydney Evolution carts that were bad, so I picked up a TeleGames cart to tide me over until I acquired a working Coleco/Sydney cart. While Alcazar carts have their problems, I think Boulder Dash is much more flaky and one is very lucky to acquire a working cart.

[retroillucid]

Yeah, pretty ironic. I had two Coleco/Sydney Evolution carts that were bad, so I picked up a TeleGames cart to tide me over until I acquired a working Coleco/Sydney cart. While Alcazar carts have their problems, I think Boulder Dash is much more flaky and one is very lucky to acquire a working cart.

 

Seriously, as far as I hate Telegames, the worst case is probably those Spectravision carts!

I must have trown a dozen to garbage! Yeah! G A R B A G E !

 

It seems that those carts were poorly made....

[NIAD]

Well, it looks like Telegames is the champion in getting earnings with games.

 

My only CIB Telegames is Cosmic Crisis and indeed it is the green clamshell box, what is very disappointing is that even though it is original, they photocopied everything inside including game cover that looks like if a blind guy couldn't see that bright setting wasn't right.

For the most part, TeleGames used the green plastic clamshells for their releases and only on rare occassions did they re-release a game with a cardboard box (Tournament Tennis, etc.). The three Bit Corp games (Strike It, Tank Wars and Cosmic Crisis) all got this cheap-o treatment with photocopied instructions and insert sheets.

[Gaztee]

Probably a bit off topic, but it is to do with telegames bashing!! I've seen the wonderful packaging they used & wondered if there'd be any interest in nice new repro packaging for those games?? I've done box sets before for the Jaguar & could easily adapt that box to the coleco! However I'd rather do some in the same style as the early style Parker Bros ones. Would do the manuals properly too!

[retroillucid]

Probably a bit off topic, but it is to do with telegames bashing!! I've seen the wonderful packaging they used & wondered if there'd be any interest in nice new repro packaging for those games?? I've done box sets before for the Jaguar & could easily adapt that box to the coleco! However I'd rather do some in the same style as the early style Parker Bros ones. Would do the manuals properly too!

 

Nah, don't take this too much seriously as I like to bash CV Telegames products

[Gaztee]

I wouldn't keep it to CV products - telegames are shite on all systems!!

Will probably do the boxes for myself anyway - it's all good fun

[retroillucid]

I wouldn't keep it to CV products - telegames are shite on all systems!!

Will probably do the boxes for myself anyway - it's all good fun

For sure!

[digress]

is this the cart you are describing?

 

[Ikrananka]

is this the cart you are describing?

 

 

That is an original release cart - now please tell me that you're willing to sell it to me

[digress]

I could not sell it in good conscience. It doesn't work unfortunately. I have considered opening it and replacing the prom chip with a reburned eprom but I don't want to ruin the label.

[Ikrananka]

I could not sell it in good conscience. It doesn't work unfortunately. I have considered opening it and replacing the prom chip with a reburned eprom but I don't want to ruin the label.

Oh well - the search continues........