Colecovision Questions

[raskar42]

I don't know a lot about colecovision, but what I do know makes me interested in getting one.

 

I heard colecovision had power switch problems and the standard controllers were not so good.

 

I also heard about colecovision clones Dina and the Telegames personal arcade that were made years later. Would one of these be better to get than a colecovision? Is the hardware better? Are they imports only? PAL only?

 

Anybody know any 2600 games that weren't compatable with the expansion module? what about the Starpath Supercharger? would the module fit on a Dina or Telegames? do the Colecovision Super Action Controllers work with the clones?

 

 

i'd be grateful for any information I can get.

[Pixelboy]

I also heard about colecovision clones Dina and the Telegames personal arcade that were made years later. Would one of these be better to get than a colecovision? Is the hardware better? Are they imports only? PAL only?

The Dina 2-in-1 and the Telegames Personal Arcade are the same machine, aside from having different power supply units. Essentially, Telegames bought the rights to market the Dina in the US, and just changed the box and the label on the console. Anyhow, the ColecoVision may be made of cheap parts, but the Dina/Telegames console is even worse. I had a lot of problems with the picture quality with the Dina, but it was somewhat better with the Telegames unit (could it be related to the difference in power supply? I dunno.) The NES-style controllers are nice, although not quite as confortable as you'd expect (the actual NES controllers are better). The keypad is located on the console, which means that if there's a game that requires the input of the keypad from player 2, you're screwed.

 

Anybody know any 2600 games that weren't compatable with the expansion module? what about the Starpath Supercharger? would the module fit on a Dina or Telegames? do the Colecovision Super Action Controllers work with the clones?

The only thing I can say is that the Starpath doesn't fit in the Expansion Module #1, but it can be forced. I recently spotted an auction on eBay where the seller showed what kind of casing damage he had to perform in order to make it fit inside the Expansion Module. If you don't mind damaging the casing, it can be made to work. I've never tried the Super Action Controller, Steering wheel or the Roller Controller on my clones. I'll get around to testing that within the next few years, I suppose.

 

I currently have no answer to give you for your other questions, sorry.

[raskar42]

thanks , that's a great help

[+Psionic]

I heard colecovision had power switch problems and the standard controllers were not so good.

 

I also heard about colecovision clones...Would one of these be better to get than a colecovision? Is the hardware better? Are they imports only? PAL only?

 

Anybody know any 2600 games that weren't compatable with the expansion module? what about the Starpath Supercharger? would the module fit on a Dina or Telegames? do the Colecovision Super Action Controllers work with the clones?

Yes, power switch (and power supply) problems are very common. The standard controllers aren't so great, but they're not as bad as everyone says they are. You can use several substitutes for most games that only use one of the action buttons, however (SMS/Genesis control pad, Atari 2600 joystick).

 

I've never played any of the clones, but like most clones I've heard they're junk...I'd avoid.

 

I'm sure there were some incompatibilities with Expansion Module #1, but I don't remember off hand. The EM #1 is a nice item to have, but if you're going to spend any significant amount of time playing Atari 2600 games, just stick with a VCS (ditto for using the Supercharger). If you can find a ColecoVison unit that works reasonably well in the wild, consider yourself lucky. The console is just too fragile to use for playing Atari games for any extended period...I'd only use it when you must (to play CV games).

[thegamepeddler]

I don't know a lot about colecovision, but what I do know makes me interested in getting one.

 

I heard colecovision had power switch problems and the standard controllers were not so good.

 

I also heard about colecovision clones Dina and the Telegames personal arcade that were made years later. Would one of these be better to get than a colecovision? Is the hardware better? Are they imports only? PAL only?

 

Anybody know any 2600 games that weren't compatable with the expansion module? what about the Starpath Supercharger? would the module fit on a Dina or Telegames? do the Colecovision Super Action Controllers work with the clones?

 

 

i'd be grateful for any information I can get.

 

The power switch problem is quite overblown. The large majority of ColecoVision consoles work, but many do need to be disassembled and cleaned in order to perform well. The power switch can be a problem, but is VERY easily fixed if you have any experience at all with a soldering iron. The controllers are a different story. They are poorly designed. There are four directional switches inside the controller, and these are contacted by a thin metal strip. The metal strip cracks and breaks over time resulting in poor response or none at all. This is still fairly easily fixed with some thin metal and a soldering iron. I WISH I could remember the exact incompatibility of the Expansion module #1. I want to say it's the same as the heavy six, where Imagic and other irregularly shaped carts don't fit right. I know for SURE it is determined by the brand of the cartridge. Either way, the vast majority of VCS carts are compatible.

[SteveW]

The DINA isn't a very good machine. The video quality on mine is garbage. Half the time there's so much interference it goes into black and white. The audio quality is bad too. I think it's because you have to turn your TV to an odd channel to play it (channel 13 if I remember). I always get bad interference on that channel, and there's no audio/video jacks, just RF. And there's something on the back that looks like an expansion port, but I don't think the 2600 adapter works on it from what I've read from other DINA owners.

 

The one good thing about the DINA is that it's got a game or two built-in that never got released here in the US. I can't remember if it's one game or two, since I haven't messed with mine in a long time.

 

I don't use a standard Colecovision joystick anymore. I use the Super Action Controller, which is a kind of pistol grip stick. It's nice and big, so it fits in the hand comfortably. I'm starting to wonder if it can be used on a DINA to replace it's joypad, and not have to use the numeric pad on the console. I think I need to perform an experiment sometime soon.

[thegamepeddler]

I knew it was out there somewhere. I found it in the CV faqs. Supercharger is only incompatible because of the shape. The games still work if you remove the cover of the expansion module. Nearly all Tigervision titles are incompatible, who knows why.

[thegamepeddler]

The DINA isn't a very good machine. The video quality on mine is garbage. Half the time there's so much interference it goes into black and white. The audio quality is bad too. I think it's because you have to turn your TV to an odd channel to play it (channel 13 if I remember). I always get bad interference on that channel, and there's no audio/video jacks, just RF. And there's something on the back that looks like an expansion port, but I don't think the 2600 adapter works on it from what I've read from other DINA owners.

 

The one good thing about the DINA is that it's got a game or two built-in that never got released here in the US. I can't remember if it's one game or two, since I haven't messed with mine in a long time.

 

I don't use a standard Colecovision joystick anymore. I use the Super Action Controller, which is a kind of pistol grip stick. It's nice and big, so it fits in the hand comfortably. I'm starting to wonder if it can be used on a DINA to replace it's joypad, and not have to use the numeric pad on the console. I think I need to perform an experiment sometime soon.

 

This is also in the CV faqs. It states that CV controllers are incompatible with the Dina/Personal Arcade due to the built-in controllers being wired differently. Because of that, all Super Action games are incompatible with the system. The built-in is Meteoric Shower, which was likely never released in the U.S., but possibly in extremely limited numbers in Europe and Australia.

[Bill Brasky]

I knew it was out there somewhere. I found it in the CV faqs. Supercharger is only incompatible because of the shape. The games still work if you remove the cover of the expansion module. Nearly all Tigervision titles are incompatible, who knows why.

 

I read there were only like two 2600 games that didn't work on it and that if you called Coleco and complained they had an adapter they would send you. IIRC, one of the games that don't work is Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so rare that most people don't have it and would never encounter the problem. I think any problem can be fixed by removing the shielding.

[raskar42]

cool.

 

So colecovision, Super Action Controllers and avoid dina/personal arcade.

 

off to ebay I go

[jboypacman]

Good luck.I love my Coleco and gets played often.Get yourself a copy of Venture and Pepper2.Thoses 2 games are sweet.Spectar Homebrew is awesome as well.Lets know how you make out on EBay.

[Murph74]

He'll probably wind up outbidding ME on some stuff up there! There's only a hadful of us actively bidding on ColecoVision stuff it seems, but the prices are jumping left and right! Just ask GaemPeddler-- he's been getting in on some stuff lately!

 

IMO, while it's ALWAYS a good time to play Colecovision, right now isn't the best time to start collecting due to an inflated market. I could be off, but if you look at the history on Ebay of Coleco auctions, there are roughly 3-4 people who consistantly bid up the coleco prices and win a ton of stuff at 'wow' type prices (and I'm not just talking on singles-- often the same games or packages). So, pay attention when you shop-- those same 3-4 people wind up paying 2-4x what the prices should be IMO, and often more than the market will repeat if a similar auction comes up again.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Murph74

[bretthorror]

Is it worth $79 for a Colecovision and 12 games? Used store a couple hours from me has one for this price and I'm debating. Parents are heading up there today and I'd get 'em to grab it.

 

They also have a Sega CD and 6 games for $70. Unless it comes with a Genesis and controllers, it's nowhere near a deal.

[jboypacman]

Thats a great deal for a Coleco and 12 games.At lest i think its a great deal.Do you know what games come with it?

[Bill Brasky]

I can NEVER get a decent amount for a CV that I list on ebay. I've listed CV's that are in excellent condition that I've added a composite video mod to and I'm lucky if I can barely get a buck more than an unmodded CV. I just listed a CV auction that included a tested, working CV console, two controllers, roller controller(french/english Canadian version), a boxed driving controller with Turbo, a Super Action controller, the games: Venture, Donkey Kong, Qbert, Omega Race, Victory, Front Line, Rocky, plus an Intellivision 25 games in 1 TV game system and I have excellent feedback, nearly 700+. I thought that was a pretty darn good starter set. I got $39.95 for it. It's not even worth listing for that. I might as well just keep it as a spare.

[bretthorror]

I'm not sure what games come with it. I was under the impression that was overpriced but I guess not, remember that is also $79 Canadian. I may have to call and ask what games come with it tomorrow and then see if you guys think they're good.

 

What's a good price for a 2600 system? There's one on ebay I could probably get with 15 games and 4 controllers for $45 Canadian or so.

[RJ]

Uh, yeah $80 is great considering I paid twice that a couple weeks ago at a local used game store. I dont feel "cheated" since it was the only one in my area (& believe me I looked). It came w/ a dozen games & the steering wheel, which I initially didnt want but turns out is quite fun (works w/ Turbo & Bump & Jump). Yeah, the controllers dont work too well, but I've been making do w/ Genesis pads (& a 2600 stick for Time Pilot! ) But I should get a good Coleco cotroller to play games that use overlays/keypads.

 

Some games I'd never heard of/played before, whoever said Pepper II is right on, a fun addictive game, simple but involves strategy & timing. Never played Space Fury, Carnival, Subroc or Bump & Jump before now either

Edited October 16, 2006 by RJ

[jboypacman]

Centipede is a great port from AtariSoft as well.Plays with or with out the Roller Controller too.

[misspent_youth]

I too had the experience where a nice CV set I listed on e-bay resulted in a great bargain for the purchaser. Yet, sometimes, I see CV lots going for ridiculous prices. The days of bargains on e-bay for CV games are long gone, unless a fluke occurs. A CIB Q-Bert's Qubes just sold for $170. Damn!

 

Some of the commons for CV were gems. I still love LadyBug, Mr. Do, Pepper II, Frenzy. The ports of Galaxian and Burgertime are quite good as well.

[Bill Brasky]

I don't know what to do to get more for my CV stuff on ebay. My experiences are the complete opposite of what people say here. I've sold CV's by itself, bundled with games and accesories, A/V modified and I can't make a dime of profit. I see people willing to pay $200-$300 for a modded CV from doubledown. I list a modded system with games and can barely get $60. People on AA say they're looking for an ADAM and they're hard to find. I list a complete ADAM on ebay and I can't get $5.00 for it. I'm basically giving CV/ADAM stuff away. I threw 3 ADAM computers in the dumpster earlier this year because I couldn't sell them. I still see rare games on Ebay sell for a 1/10th of what they used to sell for. The only old CV games(not the recent limited run homebrews) that seem to sell for a lot are Qbert Qubes boxed, Spectron and Mr Do's Castle and the Xonox double enders. I think there are much rarer CV games than Qberts Qubes and Mr Do's Castle but they seem to have gained this internet reputation as being more rare than they probably are.

[thegamepeddler]

I don't know what to do to get more for my CV stuff on ebay. My experiences are the complete opposite of what people say here. I've sold CV's by itself, bundled with games and accesories, A/V modified and I can't make a dime of profit. I see people willing to pay $200-$300 for a modded CV from doubledown. I list a modded system with games and can barely get $60. People on AA say they're looking for an ADAM and they're hard to find. I list a complete ADAM on ebay and I can't get $5.00 for it. I'm basically giving CV/ADAM stuff away. I threw 3 ADAM computers in the dumpster earlier this year because I couldn't sell them. I still see rare games on Ebay sell for a 1/10th of what they used to sell for. The only old CV games(not the recent limited run homebrews) that seem to sell for a lot are Qbert Qubes boxed, Spectron and Mr Do's Castle and the Xonox double enders. I think there are much rarer CV games than Qberts Qubes and Mr Do's Castle but they seem to have gained this internet reputation as being more rare than they probably are.

 

From what I've been seeing, the guys who recondition or "refurbish" consoles, get quite a chunk of change for them. They even offer warranties. I think people stumble a bit on the shipping, so it's probably best to keep the extra hardware to a minimum. Just console and games. Lastly, I've noticed that if you sneak a decent rare cart into the auction, it can spark some extra bidding from people who are only interested in it alone.

 

I've noticed the same thing with Q*Bert's Qubes and Mr. Do!'s Castle. Although Jungle Hunt seems to be the lastest craze, despite being no rarer. And, collectively, those carts are really only second tier as far as rare carts go, as you pointed out.

[Murph74]

I just cross my fingers that this is a seasonal thing-- I picked a helluva time to get back into the scene.

 

Maybe Shanee_m and Mitspell's PC's will die. lol Just kidding. But it does appear that the BIG change in pricing is coming for complete vs loose. The boxes are surprising me as to how much they're bringing. And yes, I've overspent on some myself-- the ebay bug sucks when ya get going. I wound up droppin gof Qubes today at $160 I think it was. Almost went $180 as I got carried away, but thank God time ran out! *That* was almost redefining buyer's remorse for myself.

 

Oh well, I'm doing pretty good for my loose collection-- slowly going to keep chasing boxed stuff, but I think I'm about DONE with bidding wars. It gets too costly with no real logicial resolution. Maybe I'll persue it more in 2007 after the Christmas peak falls off.

 

As for the system with 12 carts-- I'd say $80 is worth it if it's tested/reputable. In the wild, I'd say about 1/4 of that would be right for my tastes. All depends on how bad you want to play on the original ColecoVision! Emulators are great (read Meka), and the USB interfaces for the controllers rock, but if you were a Coleco fan back in the day, nothing will substitue for the original hardware!

 

Least, I think that way.

 

Murph

[bretthorror]

I just cross my fingers that this is a seasonal thing-- I picked a helluva time to get back into the scene.

 

Maybe Shanee_m and Mitspell's PC's will die. lol Just kidding. But it does appear that the BIG change in pricing is coming for complete vs loose. The boxes are surprising me as to how much they're bringing. And yes, I've overspent on some myself-- the ebay bug sucks when ya get going. I wound up droppin gof Qubes today at $160 I think it was. Almost went $180 as I got carried away, but thank God time ran out! *That* was almost redefining buyer's remorse for myself.

 

Oh well, I'm doing pretty good for my loose collection-- slowly going to keep chasing boxed stuff, but I think I'm about DONE with bidding wars. It gets too costly with no real logicial resolution. Maybe I'll persue it more in 2007 after the Christmas peak falls off.

 

As for the system with 12 carts-- I'd say $80 is worth it if it's tested/reputable. In the wild, I'd say about 1/4 of that would be right for my tastes. All depends on how bad you want to play on the original ColecoVision! Emulators are great (read Meka), and the USB interfaces for the controllers rock, but if you were a Coleco fan back in the day, nothing will substitue for the original hardware!

 

Least, I think that way.

 

Murph

 

 

Truth be told, I've never owned a Colecovision, or an Atari for that matter. I have the Atari and Activision Anthologies for PS2, along with Intellivision Lives. Essentially, I am just wondering if I'm going to find any games on Ebay for it at a decent price. I was hoping to get carts at $2 max a piece but it doesn't look like that's happening. I think if it has the 2600 expansion pack I'll pick it up. I'm not even sure what kind of controllers it has, can you use Genesis with it like the Atari?

 

Essentially, I'm a blind man. I know nothing about these old consoles other than I enjoy the games (I do have most consoles released since NES though). Those driving and paddle controller thingies for Atari 2600 look sweet, but I'm worried that by the time I buy a Colecovision, the Atari port and some Atari controllers, I may as well have just got a 2600 and a crapload of games. What do you guys think? Is the Colecovision honestly worth $80 (say if I was to put it up on Ebay)? If it's worth $80 I have no problem paying it, if it's worth $50, then I don't. Know what I mean?

 

I'm going to phone the store tomorrow, get a games list and go from there. Post what it comes with here and then I hope someone is here to reply and I'll put my faith in your hands. I only have a limited time because my parents happen to be in the city where the system is, so this is like my only hope. I'm leaning towards getting it because I own so many systems, I may as well have them all, you know what I mean? I don't even understand how to hold the damn controller... do you just turn the knob on the controller or is it like an analog stick?

 

ADDED: If the Colecovision came with this... how would I even hook it up to the TV?!?

 

Edited October 17, 2006 by bretthorror

[jbanes]

ADDED: If the Colecovision came with this... how would I even hook it up to the TV?!?

 

You would go and get one of these:

 

 

 

They're available at your friendly AtariAge Store and your local RadioShack ("You've got questions, we've got blank stares!").

[bretthorror]

ADDED: If the Colecovision came with this... how would I even hook it up to the TV?!?

 

You would go and get one of these:

 

 

 

They're available at your friendly AtariAge Store and your local RadioShack ("You've got questions, we've got blank stares!").

 

Thanks! I'm new to the Atari era of gaming. I started with the NES as a little kid. I was thinking maybe you just need a coax cable, but the output thing was so small I couldn't tell.