Atarimax's ColecoVision 128-in-1 Flash MultiCart

OK, here's an example of a solution in need of a problem: Atarimax is taking pre-orders for a $130 flash cart that lets you load up to 127 old school ROMs via USB and play them- on your dusty old ColecoVision (if it even works anymore). That's right, instead of building your own MAME cabinet or playing Smurf Rescue on your PC, Atarimax wants you to buy their ColecoVision 128-in-1 Flash MultiCart and load it up with over a hundred of the greatest non-Atari pixelated games in history. The MultiCart comes with a USB cable and software for transferring ROMs, and a handy reset button for changing games without turning off your ColecoVision. You better hurry if you want to pick one up "cheap," though, because the price goes back up to $150 on March 6th- oh, and did we mention that this little curiosity is BYOG?

[Via Retro Thing]

[Zack @ Feb 14th 2006 9:10AM]

Were there even 127 Colecovision games released? Anyway, it would be cool to have - if I could find myself an old system somewhere.

[Jeffler @ Feb 14th 2006 9:11AM]

But isn't 128 roms less than 2-3 mb?

Yay, 3 mb flash cart for 150! :P

[PodMonkeys @ Feb 14th 2006 9:44AM]

Wow! Talk about over pricing!
Very cool idea, but dayum!

[Jeff @ Feb 14th 2006 9:59AM]

"That's right, instead of building your own MAME cabinet"

MAME doesn't play Coleco Vision games.

Other emulators do, but you don't understand the appeal of playing games on the original console?

[Fuzz @ Feb 14th 2006 10:01AM]

I think I already have 128 Coleco Vision games, I just need a system that isn't broken to play them on. Oh, and a controller that actually responds without leaving permanent indentations in my fingers. That'd be cool.

[John Laur @ Feb 14th 2006 10:46AM]

Um; I have a working colecovision. And a MAME cabinet (see my URL) however I can assure you that no matter how "perfect" an emulator is, there is no substitute for playing on the original machine with the real controllers.

While I probalby won't be buying one of these flash carts, I don't think it's unfair to complain about the price. Obviously this thing took quite a bit of development work and with a very small market and small run quantity, the price is going to be necessarily inflated compared to the same product if 100,000 were going to be sold.

There are also many people who enjoy the challenge of developing for old systems (Homestar Runner RPG for 2600 or Grandtheftendo anyone?) and flash based carts are welcome at any price. Honestly, the process of programming for a very slow limited memory system with no memory protection will ultimately produce a better and more innovative programmer.

[DJ X StreAM @ Feb 14th 2006 12:15PM]

wasnt colecovision just a bunch of arcade ports?

i remember donkey kong, zaxxan, carnival. and they were all orginally arcades werent they? so the idea of a mame cabinet instead is valid.

[saboola @ Feb 14th 2006 1:10PM]

Make a NES version of this and I am at it.

[David @ Feb 14th 2006 5:23PM]

Considering how much the games are going for on eBay, the multicart at $130 is a steal.
There were more than 127 games made. I have 185 ROMs.
The cart is broken up in 32k segments and uses a 4mb chip. This way, all the games will work on the cart. Take a look at a review I did for the cart at my link.

[Tyre @ Feb 14th 2006 8:21PM]

#8 Agreed!

[gba flash @ Feb 28th 2006 4:05AM]

Nice to see that current consoles like Game boy and DS are not the only ones to get flash cards.