Clones of Atari, Coleco, Intellevision etc..

[leatherrebel5150]

Is there any console clones of the atari, coleco, intellevision, or any other console of this era?

I've noticed that I see alot of clone systems that play NES, SNES, and Genesis games but nothing that plays the older systems.

And I know that there were the atari flashback games but I'm talking more about clone consoles that actually play the cartidges.

If there are not any then why not it seems like it would be a good idea.

[Greg2600]

Coleco made a clone of the 2600 called the Gemini.

[staxx]

Coleco Expansion Module 1 that plays Atari 2600 games

[fishsandwich]

Colecovision clones

http://www.colecovision.dk/clones.htm

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I believe that there were clones of the 2600 system in other countries around the time it was commercially available in the US.

There are certainly no shortage of bootleg software from other regions, so it would only make sense that they were pirating the system hardware as well.

[tom]

Here's a few VCS clones:
http://www.atariage.com/2600/archives/consoles.html

here's my own:
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=194790&g2_serialNumber=2

but there's quite a few more, even a VIC20 VCS adapter

.

[Akito01]

There's an interesting limitation when it comes to clones of these systems quite apart from market forces. I'm in the camp that would love to see such retro clones, as the failures rates of these pre-NES systems tend to be higher, and the controllers are in dire need up updating.

The problem I am talking about applies specifically to the Intellivision and ColecoVision. The Atari used off the shelf parts that enabled cloning even in that era, and could certainly be done now (and would love to see -I have a modded 2600jr, but the composite video signal is weaker than I'd prefer). The Intellivision and ColecoVision, however, incorporated operating systems. While the hardware architecture could be cloned with impunity, these OS are actually still owned. This is something that was touched on during Keith Robinson's interview on RetroGamingRoundup. The operating system necessary to actually run Intellivision games is still owned by his company, and one could presume that the rights to the Coleco operating system must still be held by someone as well. It would take creating an entirely new OS to run those games in addition to cloning the hardware.

It's certainly possible I'm mistaken in some of my assumptions. I do know that when it came to creating those plug-in-play Intellivision systems, it was easier and more economical for them to use generic NOACs and port those games to NES than use the original Intellivision game roms.

[lkermel]

I also have an 'Arabic' clone similar to the one Tom mentioned, but mine has a different box if I remember well...

[cheesystick]

The controller for that "Arabic" Atari clone in the picture looks cool. It looks like a copy-cat of the 7800 controller that didn't make it over to the states. Does it play well?

[leatherrebel5150]

Yea I saw alot of the clones mentioned from the 80's I was thinking more along the lines of modern clones for these systems, kind of like an FC twin with coleco and intellevision or something. Guess I'm out of luck:(

[Greg2600]

Legacy Engineering, makers of the Atari Flashback 2, were close to being commissioned to build another flashback that may have included the 5200. They also built a new 7800 for scratch for some kind of Atari promo. Opcode Games has been working on a possible Colecovision 2 system, for awhile now. Other than the 2600, Genesis, SNES, and N64, there's just not enough of a user base/following to clone the old cart systems and sell them.

[Trebuken]

Legacy Engineering, makers of the Atari Flashback 2, were close to being commissioned to build another flashback that may have included the 5200. They also built a new 7800 for scratch for some kind of Atari promo. Opcode Games has been working on a possible Colecovision 2 system, for awhile now. Other than the 2600, Genesis, SNES, and N64, there's just not enough of a user base/following to clone the old cart systems and sell them.

The Flashback 2 was recently recalled due to licensing/infringement issues. I work for a retailer and saw the recall.

All these systems had clones of a sort, but none recently that I am aware of. It is interesting that we do not see them. Coleco/Mattel had adapters for 2600 games. Why did they get away with it then and no one can now? May just not be financially realistic to make them...

[Greg2600]

The Flashback 2 was recently recalled due to licensing/infringement issues. I work for a retailer and saw the recall.
The license to sell the games/product ran out, so they had to be pulled.

[slapdash]

Here's a few VCS clones: [...] but there's quite a few more, even a VIC20 VCS adapter

I don't think that one (by CardCo, right?) was ever released. Has someone actually found one?

BTW, I don't think I've ever seen an Intellivision clone (outside the INTV, Sears and Tutorvision legal ones)... Are they out there?

[tom]

Dunno about that, I just happened to read an ad about it in EG which I got from a certain Mr and Mrs R Perry. Who are those I wonder???

[slapdash]

Ha, no clue...

But yeah, that ad was for vaporware as far as I know.

[martyg]

The Flashback 2 was recently recalled due to licensing/infringement issues. I work for a retailer and saw the recall.


The Flashback 2 was not recalled, as it wasn't in stores since 2006. What was recalled were pirate flashback 2 units that were being sold in stores recently.


The license to sell the games/product ran out, so they had to be pulled.

Huh? That is certainly not what happened. The only legit Flashback 2's over the past few years has been the Flashback 2+ which was available until very recently on Atari's website.



The problem I am talking about applies specifically to the Intellivision and ColecoVision. The Atari used off the shelf parts that enabled cloning even in that era, and could certainly be done now (and would love to see -I have a modded 2600jr, but the composite video signal is weaker than I'd prefer).

I'm not sure where you got that idea, that's just not accurate. The 2600 is not made with all off the shelf parts. It's graphics and sound chip, TIA, is a completely custom design done at Atari. What the issue was at the time was because it was hardware, some companies took the time to reverse engineer the TIA chip to produce clones. Such as with Coleco, who Atari sued and both companies wound up settling out of court with Coleco giving Atari royalties for every Coleco TIA sold in their product. Hence you had Atari making royalties off both the ColecoVision 2600 adapter and the Gemini.