Coleco Combat used with modifications in Sears Tank ad mock-up?

[Fort Apocalypse]

(This topic branched off of another topic about Atari's Tank series.)

 

The following partial of an ad for the Sears Tank (Atari Tank II) shows what looks like a mock-up closely resembling the Coleco Telstar's Combat playfield.

 

Note: partial is of zoomed-in page scan from: https://vglegacy.com/pop-culture/sears/ and Combat is screenshotted from video:

 

 

[Fort Apocalypse]

Coleco Telstar Combat's variations per the commercial:

 

[BassGuitari]

The Telstar Combat used the AY-3-8700 chip, one of several dedicated game chips General Instruments marketed to home video game manufacturers. Any game company that wanted to use it could have, just as they did the ubiquitous AY-3-8500 "pong-on-a-chip." Ultimately, Coleco was the only outfit that actually had a product that used it*. If the unreleased Sears Tank console's [premature] catalog appearance is to be believed, it simply would have used this chip, as well. 

 

While the Atari Tank console never went anywhere (to my knowledge it never got past the mock-up stage), it's still notable for being the console that the iconic Atari joystick was originally designed for. 🙂

 

*The European PC-50x systems had a Tank Battle cartridge that used the AY-3-8700, as well. 

[Leonard Smith]

I have to say that the TANK game looks so awesome.  Especially with the CX-40 (or CX-10's since this would have pre-dated the VCS) joysticks  docked in the unit. 

 

Atari's industrial designs always looked good.  Everything they put out from the console and 8/16 bit computer line (exception being the XL line of 8 bits with that white/black/silver style scheme) to the Lynx and beyond were visually impressive and futuristic.  Compare their designs to stuff of that era like the NES, SNES, and SMS and you'll see what I mean.  

 

[BassGuitari]

7 hours ago, Leonard Smith said:

...Especially with the CX-40 (or CX-10's since this would have pre-dated the VCS)...

You might be surprised! "Tank II" was announced at the June 1977 CES at the same time as Video Pinball, Stunt Cycle, Ultra Pong, Ultra Pong Doubles, and the Video Computer System and its first six cartridges (as an aside, Star Ship was titled "Space Mission" at this point). And of all of those units, Atari actually released the VCS first.

 

Had it actually released, Tank II would have been a concurrent contemporary of the VCS. Judging by the release timeline of the systems Atari announced at the 1977 CES, Tank II would most likely have been released a few months after the VCS launched.

 

Alas, it was canceled less than a month after it was announced. 🙁

[Rob Mitchell]

Atari did use a General Instruments chip for their home version of Stunt Cycle (ay-3-8760-1).

 

It would be interesting if Atari had chosen the better GI chip (AY-3-8710) for their tank game which defines borders against which tanks cannot move.   The Coleco Combat which has the AY-3-8700 allows tanks to run over objects and go off the edge of the screen and not be seen until reset!

[SoundGammon]

Is there a video mod one can put in the Coleco Combat unit?