Cardapter - lets atari 2600 carts work with the VIC ?

dave01253 · Post by **dave01253** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:13 am

I found this scan of a magazine advert. It's called a Cardapter.

Was it ever made?

http://www.tomheroes.com/Video%20Games% ... dapter.htm

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:20 am

No, it was never made. That's probably one of the most famous pieces of vapour ware in Classic video game history.

Cardco was one of the most prolific makers of VIC-20 peripherals, though.

gklinger · Post by **gklinger** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:02 am

Kind of makes you wonder though. They had to have gone past the idea phase to have bothered with running ads. I tend to think they made a few working prototypes and ran the ads and then Atari's legal department sent a letter and yadda yadda yadda, no can do.

Someone somewhere has one of those things. I'm sure of it.

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:50 am

I can't even wrap my head around how this gadget would work. Or was it basically an Atari 2600 on a cartridge, using the VIC's sound and output?

Maybe we've got our next hardware project

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:08 pm

Schema wrote:I can't even wrap my head around how this gadget would work. Or was it basically an Atari 2600 on a cartridge, using the VIC's sound and output?

That's how most of them worked: the ColecoVision Atari adapter, the Intellivision "System Changer" and even the 2600 compatibility mode inside the 7800. They were all basically stand-alone Atari 2600s that used the host system's controllers and power supply (and that's about it).

gklinger · Post by **gklinger** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:14 pm

Reminds me of the Spartan which was an Apple II compatibility add-on for the 64. Upon closer examination one would realize that the 64's role was as little more than that of a keyboard. Interesting nonetheless.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:02 pm

In the case of Colecovision, aren't controllers quite different from the Atari style? I understand the pinout internally is converted to work with Coleco's own 2600 implementation, but still.

In a similar way, there is a Colecovision module for the creatiVision and Laser 2001/Salora Manager computers. It is ultra rare (just if those systems wouldn't be rare enough as they are) but at least one CV module has been obtained and tested. In that case, at least all participating systems share the same graphics and sound chips, just the CPU differing.

channelmaniac · Post by **channelmaniac** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:09 pm

Pansies!

Coleco took on Atari and won that suit.

I guess these guys didn't have deep enough pockets.

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:11 am

carlsson wrote:In the case of Colecovision, aren't controllers quite different from the Atari style? I understand the pinout internally is converted to work with Coleco's own 2600 implementation, but still.

I'm not quite sure what you're asking here, but Atari 2600 controllers will work in a ColecoVision (you just won't have any number pad) and vice versa.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:44 am

Aha. I got the impression ColecoVision controllers both had a different connector and different kind of steering. Perhaps I'm partly mixing it up with Intellvision; I haven't seen or played much of either although today I do own two partly broken "Intys" that someday I'll try to merge into one fully working one. I have also assembled a reasonable lot of games for it, but perhaps I'll get bored and sell it all once I get it to work.

d0c · Post by **d0c** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:44 am

Schema wrote:I can't even wrap my head around how this gadget would work. Or was it basically an Atari 2600 on a cartridge, using the VIC's sound and output?

Maybe we've got our next hardware project

i hope so, this sounds cool to have for the vic20

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:19 am

carlsson wrote:Aha. I got the impression ColecoVision controllers both had a different connector and different kind of steering. Perhaps I'm partly mixing it up with Intellvision; I haven't seen or played much of either although today I do own two partly broken "Intys" that someday I'll try to merge into one fully working one. I have also assembled a reasonable lot of games for it, but perhaps I'll get bored and sell it all once I get it to work.

Yes, Intellivision controllers were quite different beasts alltogether - 16 direction disc, three fire buttons, number pad - and the first models couldn't be disconnected from the console (without opening it up).

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:07 am

hey, there are phone numbers to the AD... we can try to ask them

PS: The idea for the new hardware project is not too bad

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:53 am

As for a brand new hardware project, it could be just as interesting to make a TMS9918/19 (or later) video cartridge expansion, perhaps combined with a Z80 CPU and an SN/AY sound chip - voila, something similar to a Coleco/MSX/whatever on a chip.

Actually just sticking with some video interfacing like a home brewn 40/80 column interface in colour would thrill me slightly more than trying to wrap an Atari 2600 around a VIC-20.

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:18 am

I'm still waiting for the "new" owners of the Coleco trademark (www.coleco.com) to release a ColecoVision-on-a-chip DTV or portable.

They've been mentioning something like that for a few years now, but I think the "crest" of those plug-n-play games might be waning.

Strange that they released a portable with a whole bunch of Sega Genesis games in it, though (got good reviews and was only about $50US).