Portable Sord M5 Gaming with ColecoDS

[+wavemotion]

https://github.com/wavemotion-dave/ColecoDS

 

I just checked in 8.4d with much improved Sord M5 support as I've finally figured out the last of the Sord M5 gremlins. The whole Z80 CTC timer channel 3 was the problem. This thing sort of accumulates a number of different possible interrupt triggers in a cascade style. The two most important of which are the VDP (interrupting on every frame) and the Keyboard (triggering on key presses). I've got that sorted out finally - and now the last of the Sord M5 holdouts are working fine (mostly SPC games like Jumping Jack and Drops which would refuse to play previously).

To celebrate, I've got a new SORD M5 keyboard graphic ready to roll.

 

The Sord M5 wasn't the most popular computer - only a couple dozen games and programs created for it... but there are some must-plays if you're a fan of the 8-bit 'Coleco-style' gaming. Namely Apploon and Up Up Balloon which are favorites of mine.
 

 

[carlsson]

Sord has serious plans to enter the US market under the brand/model name Socius M5, but apparently it never played out. Perhaps the market for 8-bit computers of the Colecovision style capacity quickly diminished, as even the MSX machines just barely make a presence in America.

[masschamber]

On 8/19/2023 at 11:38 AM, carlsson said:

Sord has serious plans to enter the US market under the brand/model name Socius M5, but apparently it never played out. Perhaps the market for 8-bit computers of the Colecovision style capacity quickly diminished, as even the MSX machines just barely make a presence in America.

C64 was already affordable by the time the MSX standard was ready, so that would have made it a much more uphill battle, plus 2 msx like computers had already failed in the US

Edited September 17, 2023 by masschamber

[carlsson]

True, but the M5 was 6+ months ahead of the MSX timing wise so it could have appeared at the same time as the Mattel Aquarius, Coleco Adam etc. While Commodore already was pushing prices, few people by Nov 1982 anticipated that they would slash prices by 1/3 within 8 months.

[mr_me]

Texas Instruments started the price war in 1982 by slashing the price of the TI994A.  Commodore responded, first by cutting the price of the vic20.  It ruined the market for others.

Edited September 18, 2023 by mr_me