ColecoVision

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Platform - CV.png
ColecoVision
ColecoVision-wController-L.jpg
Released: 1982-08-??
Discontinued: 1985-??-??
Developer: Coleco
Type: Hardware

The ColecoVision is Coleco Industries' second-generation home video-game console that was released in August 1982. The ColecoVision offered a closer experience to more powerful arcade game systems, compared to competitors such as the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200, along with the means to expand the system's basic hardware.

The initial catalog of twelve games included Nintendo's Donkey Kong as the pack-in cartridge, Sega's Zaxxon, and some lesser known arcade titles that found a larger audience on the console, such as Lady Bug, Cosmic Avenger, and Venture. Approximately 145 titles in total were published as ROM cartridges for the system between 1982 and 1984. Coleco released a series of hardware add-ons and special controllers to expand the capabilities of the console.

The ColecoVision was discontinued in 1985 when Coleco withdrew from the video game market.

Games

Models

Coleco only had a single model, but it has a black case with a controller. There are many expansion modules attached to the ColecoVision.

Music and Sound

Every model has a SN76489 sound chip and a Z80 CPU, clocked at 3.57 MHz.

Composition

Most of ColecoVision's titles for the library may have been done by the programmers, as there was no way to import MIDI data into the games. Instead, programmers would have to code a sound driver and write the music in Z80 assembly language. In the rare circumstances that professional composers would hire, they would send their compositions via sheet music or recordings to the programmers to implement into the game.

As of July 2022, no "native" rip format exists. Some emulators can log writes to the SN76489 into a VGZ file.

Links