Coleco Games and System Changer (Digiplay Intellivision I)

[Intellivision Brasil]

Hi.

 

I found information in an old Brazilian magazine about video games that intrigued me:

 

"In the USA, the first Intellivision required a small factory alteration in order to operate the System Changer and the Computer Module.
Digiplay informed us, however, that the first model launched in Brazil was electronically equal to the second and will dispense with these modifications.
That's why the national Intellivision found difficulties and even didn't play some cartridges created by Coleco for Intellivision.
This was a problem that occurred with Intellivision II. As in Brazil I is electronically equal to II, the problem is explained."

I have a Brazilian Intellivision I, but I don't have any Coleco cartridges to do the test and the System Changer was not released in the country.
Does anyone of you have a Brazilian console and have you tried using System Changer or a Coleco game?

 

Sergio

[+cmadruga]

I did have a Donkey Kong cart that never worked on my Brazilian Intellivision I, but I always assumed it was some defect with the cart.

Hmm...

[Sinjinhawke]

I'm sure Cmart has a Brazilian and the Intellivision from Brazil.  He could show you.  The game, not his Brazilian.  

[+DZ-Jay]

11 hours ago, Intellivision Brasil said:

Hi.

 

I found information in an old Brazilian magazine about video games that intrigued me:

 

"In the USA, the first Intellivision required a small factory alteration in order to operate the System Changer and the Computer Module.
Digiplay informed us, however, that the first model launched in Brazil was electronically equal to the second and will dispense with these modifications.
That's why the national Intellivision found difficulties and even didn't play some cartridges created by Coleco for Intellivision.
This was a problem that occurred with Intellivision II. As in Brazil I is electronically equal to II, the problem is explained."

I have a Brazilian Intellivision I, but I don't have any Coleco cartridges to do the test and the System Changer was not released in the country.
Does anyone of you have a Brazilian console and have you tried using System Changer or a Coleco game?

 

Sergio

My understanding is that the incompatibility with some Coleco games was done on purpose, and it was not the hardware to support the System Changer that caused it, but the software on the new EXEC.  It was a lame attempt at locking out third party software.

Could it be that the Brazilian Intellivision is not just "electronically equal" to the Intellivision II, but also used the same EXEC software in ROM?

 

    dZ.

[mr_me]

If it's "electronically equal" to an Intellivision II it would have to have an Intellivision II exec chip as it would have place for only one exec chip.  There were some French secam Intellivisions like this.  It's possible for Brazil as they first got Intellivision in 1983.

 

And to clarify what the magazine wrote, the alteration was required for the system changer but not the computer module.

 

 

[+DZ-Jay]

55 minutes ago, mr_me said:

If it's "electronically equal" to an Intellivision II it would have to have an Intellivision II exec chip as it would have place for only one exec chip.  There were some French secam Intellivisions like this.  It's possible for Brazil as they first got Intellivision in 1983.

 

You can be as pedantic as you'd like, but I thought it was important to point out that the compatibility problem with some Coleco games was not a defect introduced by adding support for the System Changer (which is what the original post suggested), but a conscious decision to change EXEC code to attempt to lock out third-party games.  That the new EXEC came along with the new board is incidental.

 

     -dZ.

[mr_me]

Here's a link to a photo of that secam intellivision.  It's an Intellivision II board that fits the original case.  The Brasil Intellivisions might be similar except in Brasilian pal.  As you can see it has an Intellivision II exec, and it wouldn't have been possible to fit the original exec chips.  Who made the boards for Brasil, Mattel or Digimed?

Edited August 23, 2023 by mr_me

[mr_me]

And regarding the System Changer, it's TIA chip is ntsc so not sure what happens when it goes through a PAL60 system.  Might work but in black & white

[Crash7]

I can't get any Coleco games, to work on my Super Pro System. The only one that I have to work is a CBS UK version of Venture. 

 

Even the UK version of Carnival doesn't work

[mr_me]

With the INTV Super Pro systems that have the Intellivision II exec, they should be "electronically equal" to an original Intellivision and not compatible with a System Changer unless modified.

 

In all cases, Coleco Lady Bug, Zaxxon, DK Jr, Turbo should all work as Coleco figured out how to get around the lockout.