ColecoVision adapter for the Master System - available now!

[+Apocalypse]

Hi everyone,

 

I've been testing a lot of games lately, here's the result:

 

Working (some may be very difficult to play like Motocross Racer i.e changing gears, works but unpractical):

 

2010 - The Graphic Action Game (1984) (Coleco)
Alcazar - The Forgotten Fortress (1985) (Activision)
Antarctic Adventure (1984) (Konami)
Aquattack (1984) (Interphase)
Artillery Duel (1983) (Xonox)
BC's Quest for Tires II - Grog's Revenge (1984) (32k)
BC's Quest for Tires (1983) (Sierravision)
Beamrider (1983) (Activision) [!]
Blockade Runner (1984) (Interphase)
Boulder Dash (1984) (Micro Fun)
Buck Rogers - Planet of Zoom (1983) (Sega)
Bump 'N' Jump (1982-84) (Data East)
Burgertime (1982-84) (Data East)
Cabbage Patch Kids - Adventure in the Park (1983)
Campaign '84 (1983) (Sunrise)
Carnival (1982)
Centipede (1983) (Atarisoft)
Choplifter (1982-84) (Broderbund)
Chuck Norris - Super Kicks (1983) (Xonox)
Congo Bongo (1984)
Cosmic Avenger (1982) (Universal)
Cosmic Crisis (1983) (Bit Corp)

Dance Fantasy (1984) (Fisher-Price)
Decathlon (1983) (Activision)
Defender (1983) (Atarisoft)
Donkey Kong (1982)
Donkey Kong Jr (1982-83)
Dr. Seuss's Fix-Up The Mix-Up Puzzler (1984) (Coleco)
Evolution (1983) (Sydney)
Fathom (1983) (Imagic)
Flipper Slipper (1983) (Spectravideo)
Fortune Builder (1984) (Circuits and Systems)
Frantic Freddy (1983) (Spectravideo)
Frenzy! (1982-83)
Frogger (1982-83) (Parker Bros)
Frogger II - ThreeDeep! (1984) (Parker Bros)
Frontline (1983) (Taito)
Galaxian (1983) (Atarisoft)
Gateway to Apshai (1984) (Epyx)
Gorf (1981-83) (Midway)
Gust Buster (1983) (Sunrise)
Gyruss (1984) (Parker Bros)
H.E.R.O. (1984) (Activision)
Illusions (1984) (Nice Ideas)
Its Only Rock 'N' Roll (1984) (Xonox)
James Bond 007 (1984) (Parker Bros)
Jumpman Junior (1984) (Epyx)
Jungle Hunt (1983) (Atarisoft)
Ken Uston's Blackjack-Poker (1983)
Keystone Kapers (1983-84) (Activision)
Lady Bug (1982) (Universal)
Looping (1983) (Venture Line)
Memory Manor (1984) (Fisher-Price)
Meteoric Shower (1983) (Bit Corp)
Miner 2049er (1983) (Micro Fun)
Montezuma's Revenge (1984) (Parker Bros)
Moonsweeper (1983) (Imagic)
Motocross Racer (1984) (Xonox)
Mountain King (1983-84) (Sunrise) [!]
Mousetrap (1982) (Exidy)
Mr. Do! (1983) (Universal)
Mr. Do's Castle (1983) (Parker Bros)
Nova Blast (1983) (Imagic) [!]
Oil's Well (1984) (Sierravision)
Omega Race (1981-83) (Midway)
One on One Basketball (1984) (Micro Fun)
Pepper II (1983) (Exidy)
Pitfall II - Lost Caverns (1983-84) (Activision)
Pitfall! (1983) (Activision) [!]
Pitstop (1983) (Epyx)
Popeye (1983) (Parker Bros)
Q-bert (1983) (Parker Bros)
Q-bert II (1984) (Parker Bros)

Quest for Quintana Roo (1983) (Sunrise) [!]

River Raid (1982-84) (Activision) [!]
Robin Hood (1984) (Xonox)
Rocky Super-Action Boxing (1983) (Coleco)
Roc 'N Rope (1983-84) (Konami)

Sammy Lightfoot (1983) (Sierravision)
Sewer Sam (1984) (Interphase)
Sir Lancelot (1983) (Xonox) [!]
Skiing (1986) (Telegames)
Slurpy (1984) (Xonox)
Smurf - Rescue in Gargamel's Castle (1982)
Space Fury (1983) (Sega)
Space Panic (1983) (Universal)
Spectron (1983) (Spectravideo)
Spy Hunter (1983-84) (Midway)

Squish 'Em Sam! (1983) (Interphase)
Star Trek - Strategic Operations Simulator (1984) (Sega)

Star Wars - The Arcade Game (1984) (Parker Bros)
Strike It! (1983) (Telegames) [!]
Subroc (1983) (Sega)
Super Action Baseball (1983) (Coleco)

Super Action Football (1984) (Coleco)
Super Action Soccer (1984) (Coleco)
Super Cobra (1983) (Parker Bros)
Super Cross Force (1983) (Spectravideo)
Tank Wars (1983) (Bit Corp) [!]
Tapper (1984) (Midway)
Tarzan (1984) (Coleco)

Dam Busters, The (1984)

Heist, The (1983) (Micro Fun)
Threshold (1983) (Sierravision)

Time Pilot (1983) (Konami)

Tomarc the Barbarian (1984) (Xonox)
Tournament Tennis (1984) (Imagic) [!]
Tutankham (1983) (Parker Bros)
Up 'N Down (1984) (Sega)
Venture (1982) (Exidy)
War Room (1983) (Probe 2000)
War Games (1983-84)

Wing War (1983) (Imagic)

Word Feud (1984) (Xonox)

Zaxxon (1982) (Sega)
Zenji (1984) (Activision)

 

Games with issues:

 

Not sure if those games require a specific region (60Hz NTSC vs 50Hz PAL/SECAM), BIOS or controller.

If anyone knows PLMK.

 

DragonFire (1984) (Imagic) - Works but buggy sprites in upper left corner on MS2. Works fine on MS1 (different VDP).

Final Test Cartridge (19xx) - Works but fails the ROM check (expects an OG BIOS?)

Rock 'N' Bolt (1984) (Telegames) - Small graphic glitches (a few short lines on the moving floor)
Sector Alpha (1983) (Spectravideo) - Lots of graphic glitches in the ground part => game actually shipped broken, see there for a fixed ROM 

On 4/28/2023 at 5:41 PM, SiRioKD said:

Since Colecovision has the M1 wait state circuit as the MSX also has, could you try games like Defender which uses a very restricted timings? 

Defender does work (see above).

 

[digress]

 

[+Apocalypse]

6 hours ago, digress said:

 

Hi @digress

 

Is that a question/remark? Hyperspace button does also work (mapped as PAUSE + B1 + DOWN).

[digress]

I just meant try that version of the rom to see if it might work.

[+Apocalypse]

Both versions work just fine with the adapter.

That patch was to circumvent an issue with emulators not allowing to remap key 0, not to increase hardware compatibility anyway.

[RockLobster]

@Apocalypse Any fun updates for us?

 

[+Apocalypse]

I'm waiting for a CNC to rework shells (need an opening at the top obviously).

[CaptainBreakout]

Yikes!  If this works for the Power Base Converter... Sign me up!!!

[+Apocalypse]

It's not compatible with the PBC.

[RockLobster]

@Apocalypse Any July or August updates for us?

[+Apocalypse]

Oh yes, I reveived the CNC and programmed it to cut the shells, it's a perfect fit.

 

The PCB has been thoroughly tested, only two games have been found to show graphic glitches (but are still playable):

- DragonFire (1984) (Imagic) - Works but buggy sprites in upper left corner on MS2. Works fine on MS1 (different VDP).

- Rock 'N' Bolt (1984) (Telegames) - Small graphic glitches (a few short lines on the moving floor)

 

[+Apocalypse]

Case cover (subject to change).

[RockLobster]

4 hours ago, Apocalypse said:

Case cover (subject to change).

This is a great draft!   

 

I'm no artist but I was thinking something styled like the My Card box art where you show a hand plugging a CV shaped cartridge into your adapter would be great.

[+Apocalypse]

9 hours ago, RockLobster said:

I'm no artist but I was thinking something styled like the My Card box art where you show a hand plugging a CV shaped cartridge into your adapter would be great.

I'm wondering how I could achieve a similar result, I'd probably need a green background, appropriate light and right software to get rid of the background.

[fandenivoldsk]

@Apocalypse Do you know if mitsurugi_w from Arcade Projects still plan to make and sell these? Or are you going to?

[+Apocalypse]

@fandenivoldsk I'm only the creator, I don't sell anything. But to answer your question, yes absolutely, Mitsurugi_w will produce and sell them.

 

[RockLobster]

13 hours ago, Apocalypse said:

I'm wondering how I could achieve a similar result,

Asides from the images, probably the easiest path to have the cover look like a real SMS cover art is to manage the proportions.  That is, notice the amount of empty spaces where it's just the grid between each of the sample boxes above and compare that to your draft.  

 

You don't have to fill every sq inch with content (like Space Harrier and Ghostbusters) but try to ensure white space is used purposefully.  Otherwise:

 

• Increase the size of the title font
• Increase the sizes of the cartridges
• Bring everything closer together

 

Hope that helps!

[+Apocalypse]

@RockLobster Thanks for your feedback.

[Greg2600]

Great engineering on this device!  The Coleco to SG-1000/SMS conversions have been picking up lately as well on SMS-Power.

[RockLobster]

@Apocalypse How's it coming?  Any fun updates for us?

[RockLobster]

I hope this project isn't dead.  

[+Apocalypse]

On 9/12/2023 at 3:32 PM, RockLobster said:

@Apocalypse How's it coming?  Any fun updates for us?

On 10/3/2023 at 4:26 AM, RockLobster said:

I hope this project isn't dead.  

Hey! It's not dead, we've had the labels printed professionally on glossy paper.

In the meantime we're trying to setup a webshop.

[RockLobster]

2 hours ago, Apocalypse said:

Hey! It's not dead, we've had the labels printed professionally on glossy paper.

 

Well great!   Would the converter be firmware updatable?   ...or maybe a way to change palettes?  

 

Also, any estimate on release and ballpark pricing?

[+Apocalypse]

_{Firmware is updatable via JTAG, which isn't the most (end) user friendly interface.}

_{Colours are hard-coded in the VDP, no way to change them.}

_{I hope for it to be ready in the coming weeks.}

_{Price should be $65 for the adapter in box, with professionally printed label and a set of Arcade Projects/Darkdawg Arcade stickers as goodies.}

Cartridge cases are 1:1 copies of the OG ones, even the screws are a match.

All of that shrink wrapped for the ultimate unboxing experience. :)

[RockLobster]

29 minutes ago, Apocalypse said:

Firmware is updatable via JTAG, which isn't the most (end) user friendly interface.

It's not but at least it's accessible!

 

30 minutes ago, Apocalypse said:

Price should be $65 for the adapter in box,

 

Are you selling directly or via any of the usual retro resellers?