• Tag Archives Coleco

  • Computer Warehouse (1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    commodore_power-play_1984_issue_12_v3_n05_dec_jan-034

    Source: Commodore Power Play – December 1984/January 1985

    Sure, there wasn’t an internet to speak of in 1985 but there were still plenty of places like today’s Newegg to order your computer stuff from. You just had to pick up a phone and call.

    The above ad is from the December 1984/January 1985 issue of Commodore Power/Play and is for one of many such places in the 1980s called Computer Warehouse. A Commodore 64 and disk drive would cost you over $400 then (and really, what other kind of computer would you want?) but prices would fall quickly over the next couple of years.

     


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  • Dragon’s Lair (Coleco ADAM)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    The Coleco Adam was a very short-lived computer system based largely on the ColecoVision video game system. Because of its short-lived nature and ability to play ColecoVision games, there were really very few games made specifically for it. One of the few was a port of the arcade game Dragon’s Lair. Released in 1984, the port for the Coleco Adam was the first home port of Dragon’s Lair but others would follow in a couple years. A ColecoVision port was apparently in progress but was never completed.

    The arcade game used a Laser Disc for full motion video. As the player controlling the protagonist Dirk, you had to time all your moves perfectly to avoid death. The Adam port obviously didn’t have a laser disc and was really only loosely based on the arcade game. You still controlled dirk and still had to time things just right but no full motion video and the levels were somewhat different. There were a total of nine levels in this version with the last being the confrontation with the dragon, Singe.

    All things considered it wasn’t a bad port or a terrible game. It just isn’t my favorite type of game. Even the arcade based laser disc version wasn’t really my cup of tea. I find the whole memorizing the timings of specific moves for specific levels to be annoying and frustrating. However, there is no doubt that Dragon’s Lair was revolutionary for its time. Given the fact that there are officially endorsed emulated versions of the arcade game, there probably really isn’t much of a reason to seek out the Adam version unless you are a collector and just love the Adam.

    Screen shots above are all from the Coleco version of the game.


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  • Rocky Super Action Boxing (ColecoVision)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Rocky Super Action Boxing (Coleco, 1983)

    http://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/171630803446/theactioneer-rocky-super-action-boxing-coleco

    If the ColecoVision had a fatal flaw, it was that many of the games released by Coleco looked beautiful (for the time) but played awful. Rocky Super Action Boxing is one such game. The graphics were very well done for the time period (1983) but the game play left something to be desired.

    Rocky Super Action Boxing was the first game based on a Rocky license and it was based on Rocky III. It was released exclusively for the ColecoVision in 1983 and was also compatible with the Coleco Adam. An Intellivision version was apparently planned but never released. The game lets you select either Rocky Balboa or Clubber Lang and you can play against the computer or another player. There are four difficulty levels that each correspond to a number of one-minute rounds (from two to fifteen). There is a point system in which you are rewarded points on where you hit your opponent (guard, head, body) so you can win based on points or via knockout. Moves consist of head shots, body shots, defensive moves for each, and ducking. Then of course you can also move around the ring to a limited degree.


    So what’s wrong with the game? While the graphics look great, movement is slow and the control is relatively unresponsive. This makes it very hard to plan out attacks and defenses in any kind of remotely strategic manner so, like many poor fighting games, it devolves into a button mashing contest. Only die-hard ColecoVision or Rocky collector’s should seek this one out.


    If you do want to play this one the only way you can is on a ColecoVision system or via emulation. It hasn’t been re-released in any form that I am aware of. While there is no direct sequel, there was another game based on the Rocky movies released in 1987 for the Sega Master System that was simply titled Rocky. It was also a very flawed game but better than this one.





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