Donkey Kong (VCS vs. Coleco)

[Living Room Arcade]

Putting 4k ROMS in 1982 into Perspective

 

Coleco Donkey Kong was released in July/Aug of 1982.  It was 4k. 

What ROM sizes did other Atari 2600 games released in 1982 have?

 

ALL Atari 2600 Games Released in 1982 (not including Arcadia Starpath)

Spoiler

			ROM SIZE
1	January 1982	Super Breakout 4k	4
2		Space Jockey 2k	2
3	February 1982	Haunted House 4k	4
4		Spacechase 4k	4
5	March 1982	Pac-Man [March/April] 4k	4
6		Barnstorming 4k	4
7		Grand Prix 4k	4
8	April 1982	Demon Attack 4k	4
9		Star Voyager 4k	4
10		Trick Shot 4k	4
11	May 1982	Yars' Revenge 4k	4
12		Space Cavern 4k	4
13		Cosmic Swarm 2k	2
14	June 1982	Defender 4k	4
15		Chopper Command 4k	4
16		Starmaster 4k	4
17		Lochjaw/Shark Attack 4k	4
18		Lost Luggage 4k	4
19		Racquetball 4k	4
20	July 1982	Demons to Diamonds 4k	4
21		Math Gran Prix4k	4
22		Donkey Kong 4k	4
23		Atlantis 4k	4
24		Cosmic Ark 4k	4
25		Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back 4k	4
26		Gangster Alley 4k	4
27		Planet Patrol 4k	4
28	August 1982	Berzerk 4k	4
29		Fire Fighter 4k	4
30		Riddle of the Sphinx 4k	4
31		Astroblast 4k	4
32		Space Attack 4k	4
33		Super Challenge Baseball 4k	4
34		Super Challenge Football 4k	4
35		Frogger 4k	4
36		King Kong 4k	4
37		Sneak'n Peek 4k	4
38		Word Zapper 4k	4
39	September 1982	Star Raiders 8k	8
40		Megamania 4k	4
41		Pitfall! 4k	4
42		Infiltrate 4k	4
43		Venture 4k	4
44		Room of Doom 4k	4
45		Armor Ambush 4k	4
46		Lock 'N' Chase 4k	4
47		Submarine Commander 4k	4
48		Threshold 4K	4
49	October 1982	RealSports Baseball 8k	8
50		RealSports Volleyball 4k	4
51		SwordQuest EarthWorld 8k	8
52		Final Approach 4k	4
53		Wabbit 4k	4
54		Mouse Trap 4k	4
55		Airlock 4k	4
56		Bugs 4k	4
57		Encounter at L-5 4k	4
58		Sssnake 4k	4
59		Warplock 4k	4
60		Beany Bopper 4k	4
61		Deadly Duck 4k	4
62		Fast Eddie 4k	4
63		Worm War I 4k	4
64		Frogs and Flies 4k	4
65		Challenge of Nexar 4k	4
66		Cross Force 4k	4
67		Tapeworm 4k	4
68		Jawbreaker 4k	4
69		Commando Raid 4k	4
70		Towering Inferno 4k	4
71	November 1982	Raiders of the Lost Ark 8k	8
72		Sky Jinks 4k	4
73		Guardian ??? 4k	4
74		Carnival 4k	4
75		Mines of Minos 4k	4
76		Alien 4k	4
77		Mega Force 4k	4
78		Turmoil 4k	4
79		Dark Cavern 4k	4
80		Bachelor Party 4k	4
81		Beat 'em and Eat 'em 4k	4
82		Custer's Revenge 4k	4
83		Amidar 4k	4
84		Coco Nuts 4k	4
85		Fast Food 4k	4
86		Condor Attack 4k	4
87	December 1982	E.T. 8k	8
88		RealSports Football 8k	8
89		Vanguard 8k	8
90		River Raid 4k	4
91		Gorf 4k	4
92		Wizard of Wor 4k	4
93		Fantastic Voyage 4k	4
94		Dragonfire 4k	4
95		International Soccer 4k	4
96		Spider-Man 4k	4
97		China Syndrome 4k	4
98		Cosmic Creeps 4K	4
99		Marauder 4k	4
100		Rescue Terra I 4k	4
		TOTAL	424
		AVG	4.24	k

Summary: 

Spoiler

In 1982, there were 100 releases for Atari 2600.  

2 games were 2k. They were: Space Jockey and Cosmic Swarm.  

7 games were 8k.  There were: E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, RS Baseball, RS Football, Star Raiders, Sword Quest Earth World and Vanguard.

And the other 91 games were 4k.  (See list, above.)  

91% of the games released in 1982 had 4k ROMS.  

The average ROM size of games in 1982 was 4.24k.  

 

What if we just look at the home versions of arcade games in 1982?

 

Arcade Conversions Only

Spoiler

		ROM SIZE
1	Super Breakout 4k	4
2	Pac-Man [March/April] 4k	4
3	Defender 4k	4
4	Donkey Kong 4k	4
5	Berzerk 4k	4
6	Frogger 4k	4
7	Venture 4k	4
8	Lock 'N' Chase 4k	4
9	Mouse Trap 4k	4
10	Carnival 4k	4
11	Amidar 4k	4
12	Vanguard 8k	8
13	Gorf 4k	4
14	Wizard of Wor 4k	4
	TOTAL	60
	AVG	4.29	k

Summary:

Spoiler

In 1982, there were 14 arcade ports to Atari 2600.  

1 game was 8k.  It was Vanguard.  

The other 13 games were 4k.  (See list, above.)  

93% of arcade ports to Atari 2600 in 1982 were 4k.  

The average ROM size of Atari 2600 arcade ports in 1982 was 4.29k.  

 

Just to Put it into Perspective...

More than 90% of Atari 2600 games released in 1982 had 4k ROMS, including all of the arcade ports.  

You could say it was "normal" for an Atari 2600 game released in 1982 to be 4k.  

Edited April 27 by Living Room Arcade

[+SpiceWare]

On 4/26/2024 at 9:46 AM, zzip said:

I guess the same reason why when you need a winter coat in February all you can find is a few on clearance but plenty of swimsuits..

 

Have run into that a few times when visiting family up north.  Unexpected late spring cold fronts resulted in us buying a number of ill-fitted jackets/hoodies/sweaters over the years.

[Living Room Arcade]

Parents' Choice in 1982

Suppose you were a parent in 1982, and your household already had an Atari VCS and your kids wanted Donkey Kong. 

 

OPTION #1 175 USD 

Invest in a Colecovision system, which included Donkey Kong as the pack in game.

NOTE: Game included 3 levels from the arcade.  

  

 

OPTION #2 25 USD 

Just buy the Donkey Kong cartridge for your Atari VCS, which you already have.  

Note: Game included 2 levels from the arcade.  

 

 

7 Times Less Money

 

For about 7 times less money, parents in 1982 who already had an Atari VCS at home could give their kids Donkey Kong and their kids could enjoy 2 levels of the arcade game at home.  

 

What would you guys have chosen if you were the parents back in 1982?   

Edited April 28 by Living Room Arcade

[+cvga]

2 hours ago, Living Room Arcade said:

What would you guys have chosen if you were the parents back in 1982? 

Those Colecovision screens still look really good but we were relatively poor and had an Atari VCS so I neither my parents nor I even considered the Colecovision. Just finding Donkey Kong for the Atari wasn't easy. I was happy to have it and played it a ton!

[+KaeruYojimbo]

2 hours ago, Living Room Arcade said:

What would you guys have chosen if you were the parents back in 1982? 

This:

 

The kids get to play Donkey Kong and I don't have to listen to them whine when I kick them off the TV so I can watch Dallas.

[zzip]

18 hours ago, cvga said:

Those Colecovision screens still look really good but we were relatively poor and had an Atari VCS so I neither my parents nor I even considered the Colecovision. Just finding Donkey Kong for the Atari wasn't easy. I was happy to have it and played it a ton!

Yeah I knew asking for Colecovision that year was too much to ask..   It was a tough year economically with my parents worried about layoffs.   But after I took one look at 2600 Donkey Kong and said "no thanks".   There were plenty of other interesting games coming out to keep me busy anyway.     Still somehow I ended up with 2600 Donkey Kong in my library,  I don't remember how.   Must have been a later bargain bin deal.

[Flyindrew]

As limited as it is, 2600 Donkey Kong will always have a special place in my heart as the day I got it as a kid was a special day with parent and loved ones no longer here.

 

Anyways..for all the talk of the Colecovision port of Donkey Kong, little is ever said about the Atari 8 bit port of the game that was released barely 6  months after the Coleco port and destroys it hands down in every category.

[Goochman]

I had moved on to an Atari800 by the time DK for the 2600 came out.  I got to play it at my Nieces house and at first look thought "what a turd", but I kinda got hooked on it since the gameplay for the 2 levels was pretty good.  I put a decent amount of time into it trying to improve my score.

 

Pac Man on the other hand didnt provide any real satisfaction on the 2600 and after 2 games I never looked back.

[johannesmutlu]

On 4/28/2024 at 7:37 PM, Living Room Arcade said:

Parents' Choice in 1982

Suppose you were a parent in 1982, and your household already had an Atari VCS and your kids wanted Donkey Kong. 

 

OPTION #1 175 USD 

Invest in a Colecovision system, which included Donkey Kong as the pack in game.

NOTE: Game included 3 levels from the arcade.  

  

 

OPTION #2 25 USD 

Just buy the Donkey Kong cartridge for your Atari VCS, which you already have.  

Note: Game included 2 levels from the arcade.  

 

 

7 Times Less Money

 

For about 7 times less money, parents in 1982 who already had an Atari VCS at home could give their kids Donkey Kong and their kids could enjoy 2 levels of the arcade game at home.  

 

What would you guys have chosen if you were the parents back in 1982?   

Comparing the atari vcs with the coleco version, i must say the barrel stage of the vcs version actually doesn’t look bad at all, it’s not shortened in length, the coleco version just had the barrel stage shortened, why is that, does the colecovision have a lower resolution?

also while the rivet stage in the vcs version was badly recreated but it still does have the right color and you still have to clear out 8 rivets while in the coleco version, you only need to clear out 6 rivets and also the color of that stage is not blue, why is that? Did they ran out of memory and did they had to deal with a lower resolution?

the adam version (trough adam addon for the colecovision) is much better,

not mentioning the homebrew version of donkeykong for the vcs is much better as well. 

[zzip]

6 hours ago, johannesmutlu said:

Comparing the atari vcs with the coleco version, i must say the barrel stage of the vcs version actually doesn’t look bad at all, it’s not shortened in length, the coleco version just had the barrel stage shortened, why is that, does the colecovision have a lower resolution?

I think it just comes down to programmer choice,  since DK Arcade had a portrat-oriented monitor and home systems where landscape,  some home ports preferred to fill the screen horizontally, but not make it look squished vertically.   The Atari 8-bit also has 5 platforms like the Coleco version and several others do too.     When you try to fill the screen horizontally AND give it 6 platforms it ends up looking stretched and squished (See Atarisoft C64 port and 7800 port to see what I mean)

 

The better looking 6 platform ports don't try to fill the entire screen horizontally:

 

[jhd]

An interesting point that nobody has yet raised is that the Coleco clone system Gemini initially included Donkey Kong as a pack-in game. Clearly someone in marketing felt that it was worth highlighting. 

[Living Room Arcade]

On 4/27/2024 at 12:26 PM, Living Room Arcade said:

Putting 4k ROMS in 1982 into Perspective

 

Coleco Donkey Kong was released in July/Aug of 1982.  It was 4k. 

What ROM sizes did other Atari 2600 games released in 1982 have?

 

ALL Atari 2600 Games Released in 1982 (not including Arcadia Starpath)

  Reveal hidden contents

			ROM SIZE
1	January 1982	Super Breakout 4k	4
2		Space Jockey 2k	2
3	February 1982	Haunted House 4k	4
4		Spacechase 4k	4
5	March 1982	Pac-Man [March/April] 4k	4
6		Barnstorming 4k	4
7		Grand Prix 4k	4
8	April 1982	Demon Attack 4k	4
9		Star Voyager 4k	4
10		Trick Shot 4k	4
11	May 1982	Yars' Revenge 4k	4
12		Space Cavern 4k	4
13		Cosmic Swarm 2k	2
14	June 1982	Defender 4k	4
15		Chopper Command 4k	4
16		Starmaster 4k	4
17		Lochjaw/Shark Attack 4k	4
18		Lost Luggage 4k	4
19		Racquetball 4k	4
20	July 1982	Demons to Diamonds 4k	4
21		Math Gran Prix4k	4
22		Donkey Kong 4k	4
23		Atlantis 4k	4
24		Cosmic Ark 4k	4
25		Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back 4k	4
26		Gangster Alley 4k	4
27		Planet Patrol 4k	4
28	August 1982	Berzerk 4k	4
29		Fire Fighter 4k	4
30		Riddle of the Sphinx 4k	4
31		Astroblast 4k	4
32		Space Attack 4k	4
33		Super Challenge Baseball 4k	4
34		Super Challenge Football 4k	4
35		Frogger 4k	4
36		King Kong 4k	4
37		Sneak'n Peek 4k	4
38		Word Zapper 4k	4
39	September 1982	Star Raiders 8k	8
40		Megamania 4k	4
41		Pitfall! 4k	4
42		Infiltrate 4k	4
43		Venture 4k	4
44		Room of Doom 4k	4
45		Armor Ambush 4k	4
46		Lock 'N' Chase 4k	4
47		Submarine Commander 4k	4
48		Threshold 4K	4
49	October 1982	RealSports Baseball 8k	8
50		RealSports Volleyball 4k	4
51		SwordQuest EarthWorld 8k	8
52		Final Approach 4k	4
53		Wabbit 4k	4
54		Mouse Trap 4k	4
55		Airlock 4k	4
56		Bugs 4k	4
57		Encounter at L-5 4k	4
58		Sssnake 4k	4
59		Warplock 4k	4
60		Beany Bopper 4k	4
61		Deadly Duck 4k	4
62		Fast Eddie 4k	4
63		Worm War I 4k	4
64		Frogs and Flies 4k	4
65		Challenge of Nexar 4k	4
66		Cross Force 4k	4
67		Tapeworm 4k	4
68		Jawbreaker 4k	4
69		Commando Raid 4k	4
70		Towering Inferno 4k	4
71	November 1982	Raiders of the Lost Ark 8k	8
72		Sky Jinks 4k	4
73		Guardian ??? 4k	4
74		Carnival 4k	4
75		Mines of Minos 4k	4
76		Alien 4k	4
77		Mega Force 4k	4
78		Turmoil 4k	4
79		Dark Cavern 4k	4
80		Bachelor Party 4k	4
81		Beat 'em and Eat 'em 4k	4
82		Custer's Revenge 4k	4
83		Amidar 4k	4
84		Coco Nuts 4k	4
85		Fast Food 4k	4
86		Condor Attack 4k	4
87	December 1982	E.T. 8k	8
88		RealSports Football 8k	8
89		Vanguard 8k	8
90		River Raid 4k	4
91		Gorf 4k	4
92		Wizard of Wor 4k	4
93		Fantastic Voyage 4k	4
94		Dragonfire 4k	4
95		International Soccer 4k	4
96		Spider-Man 4k	4
97		China Syndrome 4k	4
98		Cosmic Creeps 4K	4
99		Marauder 4k	4
100		Rescue Terra I 4k	4
		TOTAL	424
		AVG	4.24	k

Summary: 

  Reveal hidden contents

In 1982, there were 100 releases for Atari 2600.  

2 games were 2k. They were: Space Jockey and Cosmic Swarm.  

7 games were 8k.  There were: E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, RS Baseball, RS Football, Star Raiders, Sword Quest Earth World and Vanguard.

And the other 91 games were 4k.  (See list, above.)  

91% of the games released in 1982 had 4k ROMS.  

The average ROM size of games in 1982 was 4.24k.  

 

What if we just look at the home versions of arcade games in 1982?

 

Arcade Conversions Only

  Reveal hidden contents

		ROM SIZE
1	Super Breakout 4k	4
2	Pac-Man [March/April] 4k	4
3	Defender 4k	4
4	Donkey Kong 4k	4
5	Berzerk 4k	4
6	Frogger 4k	4
7	Venture 4k	4
8	Lock 'N' Chase 4k	4
9	Mouse Trap 4k	4
10	Carnival 4k	4
11	Amidar 4k	4
12	Vanguard 8k	8
13	Gorf 4k	4
14	Wizard of Wor 4k	4
	TOTAL	60
	AVG	4.29	k

Summary:

  Reveal hidden contents

In 1982, there were 14 arcade ports to Atari 2600.  

1 game was 8k.  It was Vanguard.  

The other 13 games were 4k.  (See list, above.)  

93% of arcade ports to Atari 2600 in 1982 were 4k.  

The average ROM size of Atari 2600 arcade ports in 1982 was 4.29k.  

 

Just to Put it into Perspective...

More than 90% of Atari 2600 games released in 1982 had 4k ROMS, including all of the arcade ports.  

You could say it was "normal" for an Atari 2600 game released in 1982 to be 4k.  

If interested, here are the sources I used to make my lists.

Spoiler

This is where I found the ROM sizes: 

Hozer Video Games (click on Come On In and then click My Personal List on the left sidebar)

Hozer Video Games - Full Game List.pdf

 

That's where I found the release dates: 

@Random Terrain shares his lists of Atari 2600 Video Game Release Dates for 1982 (look down the right hand side bar for the list of games in 1982 in order of release by month.)  

Edited Saturday at 03:45 PM by Living Room Arcade