How can I make new ColecoVision cartridges

[GreatNorthWeb]

i always wondered...and now I know. good vid. thanks for posting.

[Ese1Pac]

now to make snes and n64 cartridges :)

[j7512]

Would be better if you soldered in a ZIF socket instead of soldering it onto the PCB. That way you can pop out EPROM Chips.

[newcoleco]

@j7512 I've used ZIF sockets during my first years of developments of ColecoVision projects. The problem I had with this solution is that the eprom chip with the ZIF socket are then too big to fit perfectly in the casing, doing a pressure that leaves a gap that Coleco fans don't appreciate in general. So, I'm not using ZIF sockets anymore, but it's true that it's a good suggestion to avoid soldering directly a non-working eprom chip.

[j7512]

@newcoleco Oh right I thought these were just for testing and fun I didn't know you were selling these. If that's the case then yes by all means just solder it.

[4real0316]

Awesome work. It's good to see other obvious fans of the Colecovision. My 12yr old loves to play Defender on the Colecovision, even though I have it for about 3 other consoles. SEGA was way ahead of their time on the Colecovision. Too bad their ingenuity is wasted making only software these days. If any one else would shell out hard earned cash for a new SEGA console give me a thumbs up. Who knows maybe someone at SEGA corp. is paying atention to us old fans.

[Cryptocracyz101]

nice...

[sonicbinho]

where did you get this memory chip?

[newcoleco]

@sonicbinho These chips are 27256 eproms which came from (usually) good old PC motherboards and graphic cards. Keep in mind that recycling eprom chips doesn't always work, they may not be erasable or reprogrammable. eBay is my usual source for these eprom chips, but I know also some friends who can provide me some chips if I need it.

[sonicbinho]

@newcoleco alritgh, thx you ^^

[AzureKiraZx]

Men what chips did you used? 74?? or 70??

[VideoGameWorkshop]

where do you get the plastic cartridges from ive always wondered that

[newcoleco]

@VideoGameWorkshop In this video it's an old Donkey Kong cartridge I've used to put in my game.

[RaulBillieJean]

cool

[averagemale2000]

really cool work, dude not only made the cartridge art work, but programmed the game and burnt it on a chip.. that is what I call dedication for the arts, the art of computing... thanks for posting and putting all your time into these works of art.

[johnwx777]

I've never seen something like this.I thought it was much complicated and not possible to do it yourself.Now i'm not sure if i ever gonna try it but it's nice to know it's actually feasible.

[yoodledoodle14]

Can I do this for N64 Cartridges?

[gladier1]

How do u make your lables

[ST0PM0SS]

actually you could make a sticker instead of glueing it

[newcoleco]

@ST0PM0SS : Sure. I did try various options and the better quality and color rendering was when I didn't print the labels myself... too bad that I did discover that fact fater paying tons of dollars for ink. Some professional services do offer to print these labels as stickers as well, like the very special and transparent ones for GhostBlaster.

[TheGreatCorneliuski]

Where did the program come from before it went on the chip?

[newcoleco]

@TheGreatCorneliuski : Programmed by using a special devkit I've developed during years on a PC computer running under Windows.

[ojoesopen]

Do you sell any of your games?

[newcoleco]

@ojoesopen : Jeepers Creepers is supposed to be re-releassed eventually at AtariAge web site, but they seem to concentrate on new Atari releases at the moment.

[ivanelmasterzx]

interesting!

[WatchVenusSpa]

Where did you get the materials for the casing? It's not like you can get blank cartridges!

Awesome stuff as always!!

[newcoleco]

In this video, the cartridge came from one of the numerous Donkey Kong cartridges I did own for my projects. I do also use brand new casings, like the transparent ones I'm using for my incredible game GhostBlaster.

[RealDonnyK]

Nice work! Looking good.

Where do you get these transparent cases?

[newcoleco]

Try searching for this keyword : teampixelboy

If you find a web site talking about ColecoVision, you're at the right place... well, you may not get transparent casings but try anyway.

[Luigi84289]

I don't konw why everybody always used such big honkin' cartridges, the nes ones set a new standard for useless unused space.

[newcoleco]

It's not the case for Coleco.

A ColecoVision cartridge was made in a way to handle up to four ( 4 ) eprom chips of 8K each, that can fill up the space inside. For a cost reason, the vast majority of the games was about 16K, using only 2 eprom chips. And in this video, instead of four ( 4 ) chips of 8K each, I'm using only one ( 1 ) of 32K ( = 4 times 8 ).

So, it looks like a waste of space, but there is an historical and cost reason behind the conception of this cartridge shape.

[DarkPlagueStudios]

Does colecovision use assembly like atari does? Or is it easier to program on?

[newcoleco]

I don't have the answer, but this is what I know.

Atari2600 and ColecoVision are 2 completely different game systems... and there is not only one way to code new games for each one.

I personnaly code in C language, using my own stuff based on Marcel de Kogel's Coleco library. I did thank him for that in many games.

I know that some programmers do make new games for the Atari2600 with a special BASIC language called BATARI. You should take a look at AtariAge forums to talk with some of them.

[DarkPlagueStudios]

How hard do you find programming coleco games in C? It has to be a hell of a lot easier the assembly or basic.

[newcoleco]

Between C and ASM, I prefer to code in C. I'm getting faster a prototype and if it's not exactly possible in C, whatever the way I code it, well I can transform some parts into ASM coding.

If you take a look at my project GhostBlaster, you can find the source code and see that I did convert the entire game engine from C to ASM, not because it didn't work, but because I needed to optimize the rendering speed. But most classic games like tetris don't need to be coded in ASM at all.

[Bittergamer1886]

Can you show me how to program a game? I have many fresh,new ideas that I wrote down and made to blueprints!

[newcoleco]

I'll be back working on my Coleco programming kit after making the last videos about GhostBlaster project. After that, I wish to have time to start a programming tutorial video... but I can't promise anything.

[dallase1]

Why not just make a multi game cartridge that uses a SD Memory card and put the ROMs on that? That way you don't have to buy chips and circuit boards for each new game you make and you can have all the old games on one cartridge.

Intellivision has this, it's call Cuttle Cart 3.

[newcoleco]

The author of the Cuttle Carts did ask if it's a good idea to make a Coleco version. The major question was if Coleco owners will buy it because it's expensive and there is already an alternative called Atarimax USB Coleco Multicart. See MaximumRD review about it.

If you want Cuttle Carts for ColecoVision, I highly suggest you to send an email to the guy who can make them. Or you can buy a multicart at Atarimax web site for $140. Or you can buy sometimes CV games released in cartridge format.

[sinistermoon]

Well done!

[Skot4God]

OMG!!! Now i know what i can do with all those old ATARI game doubles i have!!! this sounds like fun!

Where do you get the blank ram chip?

[newcoleco]

Look at Atariage web site... there is a store section about atari games and stuff to make atari games, including hardware parts.

[Skot4God]

Thank-you! you are awesome! I love my Coleco, but the controllers are warped from age/use. My Atari 7800 came much later and is still in great condition.

I Learned long ago that the 7800=2600+5200, and i have games that are only on the 5200 that i have never ever seen anywhere else, and wonder if the cartridge JUST fit, would the 7800 play them...well, i can start by sordering and trying..or check that web site out.

[jdavidpagan]

i don't get it.

why would you want to make a colecovision cartridge?

am i missing something?

[newcoleco]

I give you a hint : HOBBY and FANS.

[jdavidpagan]

oh, cool.

[Delmoko]

Did u use Liquid Nails?

[newcoleco]

In this video, almost for all my coleco projects, I'm using a general purpose glue stick.

I did find this glue very effective, and it's also the solution some collectors are using to fix labels on their game cartridges.

[Delmoko]

what program/piece of equipment did you use to put the rom onto the chip? where did you get the eprom burner and how much was it?

[newcoleco]

It's easy to find an eprom burner. I bought mine at Batronix web site.

Note : This kind of information is already in the "more info" section.

[NOOBNUT08]

Can you show video of this being done with nes games???

[newcoleco]

you should ask to someone who actually manage to make nes games in cartridges. I can't answer to your request.

[FistedByTrisha]

That looks awesome dude, really professional

-takes hat off-

[mrbeanchannel]

wow, that is disturbing. I wish i could do that.

[dallase1]

Why not just do what was done for Intellivision with the cuttle cart 3 and just make a cartridge emulator that acepts Micro SD Memory cards and then just get all the ROMs of Coloecovision games and play them all that way using a menu system where you select from a list of all the games and then hit enter on the controller?

[newcoleco]

Q : Why not using a multicart to play Coleco games?

A : It's a question of choice.

Some gamers are also collectors and they want the games released in cartridge format. It's cool and it supports the homebrewer which is really appreciate.

The author of the cuttle cart did think if making one for the ColecoVision worth the time and money, because Atarimax already did a multicart ColecoVision cartridge with USB cable for about $120 each. See (soon) review by MaximumRD on the subject.

[fbaillargeon1983]

That is sooooo from Quebec, the photo was developped at familiprix, ah the geeks from montreal

[newcoleco]

You are from Montreal? I'm not.

[fbaillargeon1983]

No, but I mean familyprix is from Quebec, I am from Quebec city

[ScrewAttackEurope]

Can you get chips with larger memories, so you could make a multi-cart?

[newcoleco]

Yes, you can use a big memory plus a bankswitching system which is not difficult to do... but you need a new circuit board to support it, of course.

The first ColecoVision (multi)cartridge with a bankswitch system was build before year 2000, so it's not a new concept.

A menu plus games cartridge is normally a bank switching that react only once to a high-address access. The software to activate this must be run in RAM and disable all the interrupts to avoid glitches.

[newcoleco]

Atarimax 128-in-1 USB Coleco cartridge... I'm using it for testing my games but you can use it as a personal multicart too.

Before the Atarimax multicart did exist, I did participated to make one multicart by programming the software menu, that's all.

A bankswitching method can also be used to fit a bigger game inside a cartridge, if you split the game into many logical blocks. I've heard of one project before year 2000, but there is at least one big game that do exist at opcodegames web site.

[ScrewAttackEurope]

Ah cool, thanks for the info!

I've seen them on chase the chuck wagon, but are they normally quite expensive?

[newcoleco]

Yes, the coleco usb carts are expensives. Someone is trying to make his own version to create a kind of competition and maybe reduce the price of both products in the future, but I can't garanty it.

[electricmayhem47]

whats up with the music?

[newcoleco]

Nice music isn't it?

It's Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata and Fugue. During the montage, I was thinking of using a music to be played in background, nothing to distract, just something to add. Because the video is kind of mysterious, this Fugue fits just fine.

[bozwell1232]

its because the game is called jeepers creepers.

[JosephtheBlacksmith]

Whereabouts would you order these tools and necessities?

[newcoleco]

I did reply, but it seems that youtube don't like my answer. I did add some info in the "more info" section, but there is an update :

Visit atariage for new pcbs for coleco cartridges.

Visit opcodegames for new plastic casings (try contacting someone named Luc Miron).

Visit an electronic store for eprom chips or recycle old eeprom chips with an eeprom eraser. Both can be find on eBay.

[resettimanalt]

I gotta try this, but how do you program/make games?

[newcoleco]

You have to put time and energy in a project before seeing a significant result.

1 - know what the system can provide : video, cpu, sound, ram, vram, rom, bios. tech docs and my clips about 9928 vid chip.

2 - start from scratch or use a kit. My kit is based on one from Marcel deKogel.

3 - imagine which part is characters, which part is sprites, and sometimes which part is both.

4 - deal with non-maskable interrupt NMI. (not easy)

5 - split the engine into small parts to do.

6 - add sound.

[resettimanalt]

I'll look into this project once I get all the materials.

[newcoleco]

Give us some news when you can, and don't hesitate to ask questions.

Good luck in your projects!

[Froboz23]

Nicely done newcoleco. You get big style points for the background music and hotty android narrator. =)

TROGDOR from Atariage

[newcoleco]

Thanks Trogdor from AtariAge, Froboz23 from Youtube.

Because music is not the important thing I want to show in this video, I used one who can manifest its presence event at a low-volume. Also this music fits well with an obscure video like this one, with mysterious hands without any body or face visible. And the music also fits with the game used in this demonstration.

[FluffyGryphon]

Anyone know the name of this theme playing?

[newcoleco]

yes, it's a classical music by Johann Sebastian Bach named Toccata and Fugue... like specified in the "more info" section. ;-)

[FluffyGryphon]

Nevermind, I'm an idiot. I see it now.

[NoelBenson8029]

Pretty crazy stuff, I tried downloading an emulator for the coleco, I can't get it to work, and I don't think it would be quite as cool as using the old skool game anyway.

[newcoleco]

I have uploaded a new little video, it's about bluemsx emulator, where to find it and how to install it to play coleco games.

[wingnut4427]

Where do you get the parts & the memory chip & the device to put the info on the chip ? And what are the memory limits ?

[newcoleco]

eprom burner, bx32 by batronix. new pcbs (the circuits to be in cartridges) to support 27256 (limit 32Kbytes) memory chips are made by AtariAge, Harvey DeKleine and Philipp Klaus Krause (for mini cartridge version, check his colecovision web site).

some people are making special pcbs to go over 32KBytes, by using a bankswitch method to access different banks of, usually, 16K or 32K each.

[wingnut4427]

Nice ! thanks for the info :D

[TheReasonWhyGuy]

AMAZING

are the steps similar to an atari game

[newcoleco]

Thanks for the information.

I was assuming these steps to be basic enough to be related, similar, to make games for other systems.

[TheReasonWhyGuy]

O.O

Um

I said are the steps similar, meaning I didn't know :/

lol

[newcoleco]

Well, based on my knowledge, the steps are similar, yes. However, I never tried myself.

I notice my misunderstanding of your message, but too late. sometimes a question mark help. ;-)

[TheReasonWhyGuy]

True, but that's a pretty common issue on the internet? lol jk

"Well, based on my knowledge, the steps are similar, yes. However, I never tried myself.

"

Well the two systems are remarkably similar so it might work, maybe give it a shot.

[fixedgerald]

what program did you use to make the game?

[newcoleco]

To program a ColecoVision game, I use my own starter kit for Windows(+DOS). The kit includes the compiler, a variation of the Marcel's Coleco library, my personal library, and a couple of tools I programmed in VisualBasic.

For this particular project, I used the original version of the Marcel's Coleco library simply because the new improved version in the kit is not compatible.

A direct link to my Coleco web site is in my Youtube profile.

[Monodi91]

The hard thing is t get cartrisge packs

[bisexualbuffthug]

Sweet!! :)

[1blazemic1]

i made a dbz and naruto on my own systtem i made i spent over 50 bucks but they sell well in skool

[contraBOT1337]

u should make a video about that system it would be cool

[bigshrimpn]

I know for nes cartridges that you can use a product made a while back by Bung called the Multigame Doctor (MGD). What software and hardware are you using to burn these Colecovision games to the chips if I may ask?

[newcoleco]

It's an eprom burner, very simple to use, by Batronix. The software I use is made by Batronix and it does this "bleep" sound when it burns well the memory chip. I also use an eeprom eraser to erase the used eeproms I bought from the Internet, and some from old PC motherboards. The pcb I'm using came from many people, but this one in the video came from Harvey deKleine, a new ColecoVision homebrewer.

[slipknot5588]

where can i burn the games from?

[newcoleco]

If you talk about any binary files for ColecoVision, you can do a search on Google for that.

I have some of my projects in rom files available online, and not only at my web site.

The game showed in this video is available in public domain at my blog, the link is in the description of my other video.

[slipknot5588]

thanks and where can i get a new board from , (sorry to bother you with so many questions)

[newcoleco]

Actually, there are some new boards (aka pcbs) for sale at AtariAge web site. There is a model for ColecoVision cartridges.

But again, it's not the only source or way to got new boards, but it's probably to fastest and easiest way for you.

[slipknot5588]

thanks much mate, you think there's some for NES games?

[nopochoclos]

Wow! amazing, i have a Coleco Vision restored to new, can you make multicart? with lots of games inside and menu?....

I try to make a Cart beacause in my country is difficult to find it.

Greetings

[newcoleco]

Technicaly, I know at least 2 persons who can build multicarts. But, nobody can make a multicart with commercial Coleco games in it because Telegames (in UK, not in USA) still selling these games released for the ColecoVision.

[newcoleco]

You can have an empty multicart, by Atarimaxx. I use the multicart to test many Coleco projects at once. I'm sure you can find the web site easily.

[nopochoclos]

Yes Newcoleco i find it in october, but it is very expensive + shipping +

Taxes = VERY VERY EXPENSIVE! i am from Argentina...large travel...,

Here i cant find coleco carts :( ,because this i will try to do something...(sorry for my poor english),

Greetings

Fernando

[ErlenOrkenwinkle]

Pretty damn cool for sure. Although the video makes it seem like an easy process..am sure it isn't?

[newcoleco]

If you know how to solder, it's very easy. All you need is free time and the appropriate material.

[Peyoti]

WoW superbe comme tutorial!

[newcoleco]

Merci pour le compliment! :)

Désolé du retard de ma réponse.