Tandy Color Computer II video game fun

[Tupin]

I wish it were easier to find CoCo software and ways to get it to my CoCo 2...

Really, I just want a CoCo 3. Those are surprisingly hard to find. I've found (and gotten) waaaaay more obscure computers than the CoCo 3, but it remains elusive...

[courtesi1]

I wasn't a fan of those analog sticks.

They are fairly rare but Wico sold an adapter that let you connect Atari 2600 connector joysticks to the CoCo.

Really, I just want a CoCo 3. Those are surprisingly hard to find. I've found (and gotten) waaaaay more obscure computers than the CoCo 3, but it remains elusive...

Cloud-9 was selling NIB CoCo 3's a few years ago for $50 a piece. Of course I didn't buy one ... one of a thousand regrets.

[Tupin]

Anyone know of a good archive of CoCo 2/3 software?

[Atarileaf]

Anyone know of a good archive of CoCo 2/3 software?

http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

You could also go here and download "Briza's Collection" which is over 624 meg of coco goodies - http://tandycoco.com/rsdos.shtml

They seem to have pretty much everything. Also, Cloud9 still sells coco 3's. They're now between $75 and $100 depending on how yellowed the unit is. That seems to be the going rate on ebay for a loose coco 3 as well.

[courtesi1]

Anyone know of a good archive of CoCo 2/3 software?

http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

edit: oops Atarileaf beat me to it

[Tupin]

http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/

You could also go here and download "Briza's Collection" which is over 624 meg of coco goodies - http://tandycoco.com/rsdos.shtml

They seem to have pretty much everything. Also, Cloud9 still sells coco 3's. They're now between $75 and $100 depending on how yellowed the unit is. That seems to be the going rate on ebay for a loose coco 3 as well.

Thanks, sounds like a good deal.

[Neb6]

What are you guys using for monitors? CoCo 2 is RF, the CoCo 3 has RGB - but monitors are hard to find and I hear the A/V on the CoCo 3 is not the greatest - or is that a myth?

Also, how hard is it to create cassette tapes of games to be loaded on a CoCo 2?

For the CoCo 3, I'm using the Color Computer 3 RGB cable and a Magnavox/Commodore 1084 monitor. The picture is crystal clear.

As for the CoCo 2, it's RF into a TV.


From what I recall, tape is pretty easy to use (and very robust) on these machines. I try to blot out any memory of what life was like before disk drives arrived on the scene.

[Neb6]

My old man had a 32k CoCo. I'm not sure if it was a model 1 or 2. I only remember playing a game called
Bug, that was a really bad PAC-MAN clone on a much larger map.

I wasn't a fan of those analog sticks.

MegaBug is pretty awful. Most of the good stuff is to be found on diskette.

As for the controllers. Yep, I don't like them much either. According to the guy who built my CoCo to Atari joystick adaptor, making the adaptor was inexpensive and simple.

[Neb6]

I wish it were easier to find CoCo software and ways to get it to my CoCo 2...

Really, I just want a CoCo 3. Those are surprisingly hard to find. I've found (and gotten) waaaaay more obscure computers than the CoCo 3, but it remains elusive...

I can think of at least three ways to get data from a PC to a Color Computer.

One of which is this one (from Windows 98se PC to native CoCo diskette):

http://www.voltage-control.com/cocotrns.html


Atarileaf has good video instructionals on two more methods (including the highly-rated DriveWire system).

[Atarileaf]

I remember using that method back in the late 90s to move coco files to a real coco. Unfortunately don't have a windows 98 machine anymore. I would think finding the old 5 1/4 drives would be problematic as they're probably as rare as hens teeth these days. Even back in 1998/99 I remember having to try a few different computer places to find a proper drive for my win98 machine.

[courtesi1]

Here's an interesting question ...

Lets say you load the image from the PC via the cassette wire. Do you have to do a special CSAVEM at that point to save the game out to a real cassette tape - if you'd rather load with that method?

I think I enjoy more games on the CoCo 1/2 than the 3. Nothing really interests me on the CoCo 3 - except maybe Shanghai and Photon. Most of the CoCo 3's games were more flash over substance IMHO.

[Atarileaf]

Here's an interesting question ...

Lets say you load the image from the PC via the cassette wire. Do you have to do a special CSAVEM at that point to save the game out to a real cassette tape - if you'd rather load with that method?

I think I enjoy more games on the CoCo 1/2 than the 3. Nothing really interests me on the CoCo 3 - except maybe Shanghai and Photon. Most of the CoCo 3's games were more flash over substance IMHO.

I would think you'd be able to do that, just remove the cable from your audio out and plug the wires into the cassette player and csave or csavem. Not a bad idea actually. Can you even buy blank cassettes anymore? Maybe a yard sale or thrift store? Or just use old ones you may have lying around and erase them.