ColecoVision

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For emulators, see ColecoVision emulators and Emulators on ColecoVision, and for system information, see ColecoVision.
"The arcade quality video game system."

This early console was much beloved for its bright pastel graphics, almost-perfect arcade ports, and optional adapter that allowed you to play Atari 2600 games. For comparison, that would be like Nintendo releasing an adapter that allowed you to play Xbox games on the Wii. You'd think something like that would be illegal, and as it turned out, it was. But anywho, the ColecoVision had a decent library, some games of which are listed below.

In fall 2014, AtGames Digital Media released a plug-and-play console they deemed the ColecoVision Flashback. The Flashback contains an ARM chip that emulates 48 games licensed from Coleco Holdings and 12 homebrew titles. (A special edition of the Flashback, exclusive to the American chain Dollar General, includes Antarctic Adventure as its 61st title.) Due to licensing issues, not all of the system's core titles made it onto the Flashback; did anyone believe Nintendo would allow Donkey Kong on another console these days? Indeed, only a subset of the games in the below list are included in AtGames' release.

The list

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This icon indicates a game is included in the ColecoVision Flashback.

Cover Title Genre Description Screenshot
Cabbage Patch Kids: Adventures in the Park Plaformer Don't let the name fools you, this is a difficult platformer and one of the best for the Colecovision. It is actually a reskinned port of Athletic Land, originally on the MSX. It's basically a Pitfall! clone where you need to make your way to the exit of the park before sunset but bouncing balls, bees and jumping fishes won't let you leave in one piece.
Donkey Kong Platformer OK, not the best version now, but it's still a must have for the Coleco collection and was the very best available at the time.
Donkey Kong Junior Platformer Best version available at the time! If you're gonna own Donkey Kong might as well get this too!
Fortune Builder
Sim A milestone of it's generation, this was one of the predecessors to city-building games like SimCity. A stunning achievement in its own right.
Frenzy
Run and Gun The more difficult sequel to the 1980 arcade hit Berzerk receives its only offical console port. Frenzy expands upon its prequel by offering two types of walls (one that reflects shots, and one that is composed of destructible blocks), two different varieties of enemies (skeletons and tanks), and different rooms in between the mazes. The ColecoVision port is quite accurate to the arcade original, although the original's voice samples have been replaced by an original musical score.
Illusions Maze An early example of video games being art, this maze-like game might confuse some but it's one of the essential titles of the ColecoVision, and one of the very few exclusive games.
Jumpman Junior
Platformer Should probably be called, "NOT Mario Bros." this game is an interesting little tribute to Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. in a lot of ways. Some say is superior, and it does indeed have a good amount of solid levels (for a ColecoVision title). A good game in any matter.
Ms. Space Fury
(homebrew)
Platformer A joke on two arcade classics at once, Ms. Pac-Man and Space Fury. This game is a really solid two-player homebrew platformer with 20+ levels to explore. Despite it being on the ColecoVision, it has a lot of features you'd see in the more high powered arcade games back in the day including a title screen and a high score screen.
Q*Bert Puzzle Oh c'mon you've heard of Q*Bert haven't you? You have to jump on all the blocks until they're the same color to advance, but watch out for the pesky snakes! The guy who made this game said himself that this is the best port.
Q*Bert's Qubes Puzzle This unique little sequel only made it to two systems: this and the 2600, and of course this one is technically far superior (although Q*Bert for the MSX, in spite of the title, has gameplay styled around Qubes instead of the original). More than likely the best game on the system!
River Raid Shoot 'em up A classic but this time it's on ColecoVision. You fly down a heavely guarded river to destroy enemy bridges and as if the enemies weren't enough you will need to refill your fuel on destructible fuel stations while being harceled by them.
Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle Platformer FUCK YEAR SMURFS! One of the most memorable and worthwhile titles for the system. A solid early example of the platforming genre.
Steamroller
(prototype)
Maze An interesting maze game by the same creator of Beamrider, it was cancelled due to the collapse of the console market back then, and only came out decades later. You roll around a 3D-ish road with a steamroller, fixing potholes and crushing little heads popping beach balls. If you fail to fix a pothole, it becomes a manhole, and if a beach ball falls into a manhole, it turns into a beach bomb! Also, you better avoid the enemy steamroller.
review
Tarzan Action In this game you play as fucking Tarzan running around punching gorillas and shit. It plays kind of like one of the more old more realistic platforming games like Prince or Persia or Pitfall, but the screen is always frantic and there's always enemies and obstacles to avoid. One of the best titles for the system, and actually a movie tie-in.
WarGames Strategy An early attempt at the strategy genre, this game is an exclusive ColecoVision title. There was a previous title in the same genre called War Room, but this game does it so much better than that game. Some might find it primitive, but like Fortune Builder this is an achievement in hardware and gaming for its time. Like Tarzan, this is also a movie tie-in, one of the best.
Zaxxon
Shoot 'em Up Sega's classic arcade up n' down altitude shooting game.

Videos

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Second Generation
Consoles Emerson Arcadia 2001 - Atari 2600 - Atari 5200 - Epoch Cassette Vision - ColecoVision - Fairchild Channel F - Mattel Intellivision - Magnavox Odyssey² - Bally Professional Arcade - Sega SG-1000 - RCA Studio II - Interton VC 4000 - Milton Bradley Vectrex
Handhelds Entex Adventure Vision - Nintendo Game & Watch - Milton Bradley Microvision
Computers Apple I - Apple II - Apple III - Atari 8-bit - Acorn BBC Micro - Commodore PET - Tandy TRS-80 - Tandy TRS-80 CoCo