The ColecoVision was distributed by CBS Electronics outside of the United States, and was branded the CBS ColecoVision. In Europe, the console was released in July 1983, nearly one year after the North American release.

The ColecoVision is a second-generation home video game console which was developed and released by Coleco Industries in North America in August 1982. The ColecoVision offered near-arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, and the means to expand the system's basic hardware. Released with a catalogue of 12 launch titles, which included the first home version of Nintendo's Donkey Kong as the pack-in game. With an additional ten games announced for 1982, approximately 145 titles in total were published as ROM cartridges for the system between 1982 and 1984. What really distinguished the ColecoVision from other systems of the era was its 32 sprite capability. It made it easier to design sprite intensive games like Slither.

Coleco released a number of hardware add-ons and special controllers to expand the capabilities of the console. The Expansion Module No. 1 allowed you to play Atari VCS games on the ColecoVision. Expansion Module No. 2 consisted of a steering wheel/dashboard unit and throttle pedal for use with driving games. One of the hand controllers fit into the dashboard unit, through which you then could change the gears. The Expansion Module No. 3 converts the game console into the Adam Computer, a personal computer developed by Coleco.

Coleco withdrew from the video game and home computer market in 1985 after the failure of the Adam computer to focus on their other product, Cabbage Patch dolls, which had become very successful.

Manufacturer: Coleco/CBS
Date: 1983

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH70793. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.