Anyone here still own these back from their release in the 80's, or have been collecting them? Are they worth getting and still playing?
Coleco arcade tabletop games
Anyone here still own these back from their release in the 80's, or have been collecting them? Are they worth getting and still playing?
My Gaming Collection (Now at Google Drive!)
I have a few. Zaxxon, 2 Mrs. Pac-man, 2 Froggers, and a couple of others. They are cool and great conversation starters.
I think PDF has a complete set. I scored a few of them a couple months ago for around $20 each: Galaxian, Frogger, Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man. Frogger needs some spare parts. I may have to cannibalize the Pac-Man for them.
And yes, they are very fun/cool to play still and people, depending on their relative age, are immediately attracted to them by virtue of either familiarity or curiosity.
I've always enjoyed the Coleco tabletop units ...
I have Pac-Man, which is relatively accurate (considering the technology and when the things were made) and still pretty darn fun with the exception of the "siren-type" sound effect which can't be turned off without opening the unit and clipping the speaker wires (or adding a switch to them).
I believe they added a sound on/off switch in the subsequent Ms. Pacman unit.
I also have a Tomy TRON unit, a BanDai Crazy Climber tabletop ...
... and the re-worked/re-issued Frogger and Space Invader units from a few years back (2005 I think).
Frogger is excellent, and I believe the same playfield LED's as the original Coleco unit ... it uses a mirror and external light like some of the Nintendo Game & Watch era tabletop units so the batteries last forever in that one.
Space Invaders isn't as good or as fun ... and for some reason has over-sized invaders and multiple playfields (you need to move from the left screen to the right screen on one static display).
If you're in the market for tabletop units, I'd say go for it, but don't spend too much, as some of them are "worth" a lot, but if you stay vigilant you can find eBay auctions that end low. Also be sure that the battery compartment areas don't have any corrosion from batteries stored in them for umpteen years.
"And the book says: 'We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'"
Yep, I collected the whole set, plus the Parker Bros. Q*Bert:
Of those, the only ones I picked up in recent years were Donkey Kong Jr., Ms. Pac-Man and Q*Bert. The rest I've had since I was a kid. In fact, here's a photo of me getting the Zaxxon tabletop for either my 11th or 12th birthday (I forget which) from my older brother:
I love the display cabinet, the light cycles doing laps on the top ...
... and athletic top/shorts in the vintage photo!
Nothing says 80's like white stripes down the side of short-shorts.
Nice collection & great stuff!!
"And the book says: 'We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'"
Didn't a couple of these get re-released a couple of years ago when the plug-and-play craze hit? I seem to recall seeing Frogger at Spencer Gifts.
Anyway, I'd like to pick up a Galaxian if I could find one cheap. Always wanted one as a kid.
Yes they were, read my 1st response above for reviews.Originally Posted by Neil Koch
"And the book says: 'We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'"
I've only started buying them in the past couple of years myself. I found one out at the local flea market from the collector guy out there. Zaxxon, which I bought for $40. After that I started looking harder in thrifts for electronic toys like that. I've picked up a few handhelds since then, and last year I found a Coleco Donkey Kong in a thrift for something like $3. I wish I could find more in the wild.
There is a strong collectible market for these, I believe Sniderman has a full set as well and I know Videogamerdaryll had a whole slew of them at one time. In the Pictures section of my site I have images and descriptions of the tabletops I own, as well as the criteria in which they were obtained and a quick explanation of the different display technologies they use.
Condition is everything with these. Be sure to check for evidence of battery leaks (not just old battery corrosion) in the battery compartment, as they have a tendency to get up onto the PCB and display and kill it. The battery doors are also something that disappears from most of these. Lastly, the stickers on the sides, top, control panel and the like can wear off and become detached over time. If you're looking for these just to play then that isn't a problem but more than likely they're going to be display pieces as well - which is why condition is such a big factor.
Also check out MiniArcade.com and HandheldMuseum.com for more information on tabletop arcade games.
Last edited by InsaneDavid; 03-09-2008 at 03:59 PM.
I used to have a Frogger and DK, and I miss them, dearly.
I have no idea what happened to them, but I still have my battery door for Frogger, for some reason... Usually, those are the first things I lose.
Reason I asked was because I was looking at a few on ebay and was wondering what the DP folks thought of them, and advice on which to get, avoid, etc.
I did find a Pac-Man still at a low price, missing battery cover though.
Last edited by kainemaxwell; 03-09-2008 at 06:46 PM.
My Gaming Collection (Now at Google Drive!)
I have one; Galaxian. It's my only one and I've had it since....81 or 82 (can't quite remember).
Although the Frogger is the same game as the old Coleco one, the Space Invaders is simply the latest shell for the same Space Invaders they've been releasing for the past 10 years in so many different shells such as keychains, the Radio Shack dual screen, and several different other forms.
Incidentally I love old handhelds. They're my favorite nostalgic childhood toy.
.....
Last edited by DefaultGen; 03-12-2023 at 07:16 PM.
I love the look of the Zaxxon machine. Be nice to find gameplay pics though. Is there anything i could do to keep the stickers from peeling off over time (even if I get a unit in NM condition)? I take it if i get into picking one or two of these up, I should invest a perma power set too?
My Gaming Collection (Now at Google Drive!)
In the late 80's, my cousin gave me his Popeye one from Nintendo. I think my sister dropped it down the basement stairs not longer though, and we threw it out.
kaine, given the age, I don't know how durable the Perma power's are these days? I was contemplating them for the CV EM #2 Wheel, if I ever get one that works! As for the stickers, rubber cement is usually what I fix labels with.
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I adore my Donkey Kong tabletop. It's been with me my entire life, since I assume my parents bought it for my brother when it was new, which had to be roughly around when I was born. It was one of my very first gaming experiences, possibly THE first, and I still enjoyed playing it well over a decade later. I believe one of the very first things I asked about when I got online and registered my first message board account was related to it. It's taken a beating over the years, but it still plays fine and that's what's important. Can't remember the last time I played it, though, as I can't be bothered to by the blasted batteries for it. :P
A few days ago I was in a thrift store browsing thru the toy aisle. In the corner of my eye, I saw what looked like a blue Coleco tabletop arcade game. I got excited figuring I found either a Donkey Kong or Ms. Pac Man tabletop but when I picked it up, it turned out to be this:
Family Guy Pinball?!?? Ugh.
It'd be a fun project to take that family guy pinball case, rip out the innards and build your own micro mame project using a micro PC. For a screen you could either buy a small LCD or somehow use a PDA screen. Get some bitching artwork on the side of it and you'd have a pretty fantastic little arcade machine
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