segasaturn Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was wondering which was better. The 5200 or the CelecoVision. They both have their own favorites, arcade ports, and bad controllers, but out of the two, which own do you think is better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was wondering which was better. The 5200 or the CelecoVision.They both have their own favorites, arcade ports, and bad controllers, but out of the two, which own do you think is better? It's subjective, Just have them both. Colecovision does have some great titles of the day. Worth owning one. Do the video mod, you'll be glad you did.Old units with dried out caps have a very awful display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Oh no, not another thread about the 5200 vs. Colecovison! Here we go again. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorf Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Oh no, not another thread about the 5200 vs. Colecovison! Here we go again. Allan I think the first reply was clever and more than enough. Now lets get the hell out of here before it turns into another 100 page document of hot air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Oh no, not another thread about the 5200 vs. Colecovison! Here we go again. Allan I think the first reply was clever and more than enough. Now lets get the hell out of here before it turns into another 100 page document of hot air. Cue CV Gus in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Psionic Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 CelecoVision. Never heard of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I've seen lots of CalicoVisions on CL cheap, so you could probably pick up one of those. It's very similar to the CelecoVision, but have a spotted tri-color paint scheme. Functionally, they're identical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I've seen lots of CalicoVisions on CL cheap, so you could probably pick up one of those. It's very similar to the CelecoVision, but have a spotted tri-color paint scheme. Functionally, they're identical. LOL! It amazes me when people misspell "Colecovision", even though it's clearly printed on the front of the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 This is a kind of tired topic, but when there stops being new people becoming interested in the old systems, then that is when Atariage starts to shrink, and more systems get relegated to the attic, garbage can, right? I prefer the Coleco, but only after I took apart the hand cramp inducing controllers (how did these ever get past test groups?) and used a dowel screwed to the insides of the Coleco controller, then I slid the grip of a dead 2600 stick over this so I had something to steer with instead of that damn stubby circle. What were they thinking? I still haven't figured out how to get the fire buttons working in a sensible upward direction, but I will. I did the same thing with the credit card size controller for the grey Nintendo, drilling a hole in the center and screwing a dowel of about an inch onto the center. I could then get to the end of Super Mario 3 instead of endless coasting to my death with the irritating thumb pad which I had sped up to usable with the dowel...As for the Coleco, really, why couldn't they have come up with a controller with easy to press buttons and a joystick instead of that miserable circular knub? Even putting less rigid springs inside it so that the knub and buttons were less tiring would have been better. Arcade games had joysticks, so why design a home console with a rigid knub, or a directional circle (Intellivision), a joystick that does not return itself to the centre (5200) or the hard to press 7800 buttons, still on the side like the Coleco, where they should have seen how tiring it was to try and use two buttons that way, but no, there it was again. Coleco was far better, despite the crappy hand cramping joysticks. The games were better, there were more of them, and if their later released D shape Coleco joystick with the joystick on top and the buttons controlled by your hand in the D shape had gone in the direction you pressed, then it would have been a pretty decent stick, but alas, it didn't. Even after I took it apart and removed the contacts for the four other points, NE, SE, SW, NW, it still was useless to play games with sharp corners like LadyBug. But that was hard to steer in the arcade, so maybe that irritation was simply part of the program. Another game ruined by a joystick that didn't go where you pressed when you pressed that direction. That's my biggest beef, all of these systems came with joysticks that were hand tiring, and very often didn't go where you pressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickybaby Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Good answer Atarian63. Indeed, There are plenty of "comparison threads" on here if you use the 'Search' button. I've had problems with the joysticks/controllers. I am also happy to see kids discovering classic systems again as well as those who originally had them reacquainting themselves. It does indeed keep the hobby alive. Because I can't resist... Did someone say CalicoVision? Although our model has 4 colors - black, tortoise, orange, and white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorf Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Kitty! MEOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Dogs. Oh....wrong argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazerati Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was wondering which was better. The 5200 or the CelecoVision.They both have their own favorites, arcade ports, and bad controllers, but out of the two, which own do you think is better? as an owner of both at the same time in 1983 i prefered the Atari 5200 much more than the Colecovision in my opinion the 5200 was faster and the controllers were better (the colecovision controllers always killed my hand) and i just never really cared for z80 graphics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The 5200 and Colecovision have divergent game catalogs, and each has some really great games. Even some of the overlapping games are quite a bit better on one or the other. For example, Zaxxon is much better on CV, IMO. But if all you're interested in is the games that are available for both, then just pick one and go with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorf Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) I was wondering which was better. The 5200 or the CelecoVision.They both have their own favorites, arcade ports, and bad controllers, but out of the two, which own do you think is better? as an owner of both at the same time in 1983 i prefered the Atari 5200 much more than the Colecovision in my opinion the 5200 was faster and the controllers were better (the colecovision controllers always killed my hand) and i just never really cared for z80 graphics The Z-80 is a CPU and has little to do with graphics other than writing data to the graphics chip. It does not generate graphics. It runs instructions. You mean the VDP on the Coleco , not the Z-80. Yeah...just get both systems. I like them both and have complaints about both. You will enjoy either pretty equally for the most part. Edited March 31, 2009 by Gorf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Get both and a multicart for each and be done with it. They're both worth having. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I was wondering which was better. The 5200 or the CelecoVision.They both have their own favorites, arcade ports, and bad controllers, but out of the two, which own do you think is better? Colecovision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninermaniac Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Get both and a multicart for each and be done with it. They're both worth having. Here Here!!! Well said! Wait I sold my Colecovision. I kept my 5200 though! Both got crappy controllers but the 5200 controllers seems much easier to make and fix. Go Wico baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Good answer Atarian63. Indeed, There are plenty of "comparison threads" on here if you use the 'Search' button.I've had problems with the joysticks/controllers. I am also happy to see kids discovering classic systems again as well as those who originally had them reacquainting themselves. It does indeed keep the hobby alive. Because I can't resist... Did someone say CalicoVision? Although our model has 4 colors - black, tortoise, orange, and white. Thank you! I like your Calicovision I really like cats! your cat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariman Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I think somebody should just weigh the two. Then we can argue about what both weights mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazerati Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I was wondering which was better. The 5200 or the CelecoVision.They both have their own favorites, arcade ports, and bad controllers, but out of the two, which own do you think is better? as an owner of both at the same time in 1983 i prefered the Atari 5200 much more than the Colecovision in my opinion the 5200 was faster and the controllers were better (the colecovision controllers always killed my hand) and i just never really cared for z80 graphics The Z-80 is a CPU and has little to do with graphics other than writing data to the graphics chip. It does not generate graphics. It runs instructions. You mean the VDP on the Coleco , not the Z-80. Yeah...just get both systems. I like them both and have complaints about both. You will enjoy either pretty equally for the most part. lol well then thats what i meant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I strongly prefer 5200 of the two, and I've owned both for a long time. But, I still say just get both (and the multicarts). They're cheap and are both very good systems. I do think the Coleco/Calico/CelecoVision's controllers are far worse than the 5200's for most games. Actually, I think the CV's controllers are second worst EVER, second only to Intellivision stock controllers. WTH were they thinking?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) I strongly prefer 5200 of the two, and I've owned both for a long time. But, I still say just get both (and the multicarts). They're cheap and are both very good systems. I do think the Coleco/Calico/CelecoVision's controllers are far worse than the 5200's for most games. Actually, I think the CV's controllers are second worst EVER, second only to Intellivision stock controllers. WTH were they thinking?! Hey, now! Someone hasn't been listening to Mr. Plimpton! Intellivision controllers are advanced. They're designed to give you sixteen directions of control, for more realistic sports and action games! And they each have four buttons, conveniently located on the side, unlike that stupid Atari joystick with its one button and eight directions. And let's not forget the keypad! With Atari, you have to buy one separately. But you get one built in to every advanced Intellivision controller. And...and... Oh, I can't do it. It's true; they're horrible. You can't use the keypad and the disc at the same time. The side-mounted buttons are awfully uncomfortable. And using the disc for action games can make using a broken stock 5200 controller seem like a pleasure. 1979 to 1984: the time of the crappy controllers. Mattel, Atari, Coleco....they all checked their common sense at the door and went with marketing talking points. It set back gaming for years, and wasn't fully corrected with a stock controller until (IMO) the Jaguar (but at least Nintendo, NEC, and Sega produced high-quality arcade-style joysticks you could buy separately). But honestly, I still do enjoy using all of those stock controllers (talking about Atari, Mattel, and Coleco, here -- I still hate the stock joypads from the NES). They're very quirky, and part of the experience. And they do shine when used with the games that were well-designed with the controllers in mind. Now if only I could convince my wife of that. Edited April 1, 2009 by Ransom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogstar_robot Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 In it's heyday, I very much envied Colecovisions. In the 82-84 timeframe there was nothing else like it. Compared to Intellivision and 2600, it had very strong arcade ports. Donkey Kong (where's the pie factory?!), Looping, Frenzy, Ladybug, Venture and others just wowed me by pretty much looking and acting like the arcade games in a way that 2600 games of the time just couldn't. In that timeframe, I only encountered one 5200 though I thought that Pac-Man looked GREAT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) What's so interesting to me though is that other than Donkey Kong and Zaxxon, the CV didn't have ports of any popular arcade games. Atari had tons of popular arcade games. Yet the CV became the hot system to own. There's a business/marketing lesson in there somewhere I think. On a personal level, though, I'd loved both Venture and Lady Bug at the arcade, so I was just blown away when I saw that I could play them at home with the CV. That was when it became a "must have" for me. I was terrible at DK and didn't waste quarters on it (I'm still terrible at jumping games to this day), and Zaxxon never interested me. So having those less popular but still strong games was what brought me to the CV. I wonder how many other kids felt the same way at the time? Edited April 1, 2009 by Ransom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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