Coleco Telstar series

The Coleco Telstar brand is a series of dedicated first-generation home video game consoles produced, released and marketed by Coleco from 1976 to 1978. Starting with Coleco Telstar Pong clone based video game console on General Instrument's AY-3-8500 chip in 1976,[1] there were 14 consoles released in the Coleco Telstar series. About one million units of the first model called Coleco Telstar were sold.[2]

Coleco Telstar series
ManufacturerColeco
TypeSeries of dedicated first-generation home video game consoles
GenerationFirst generation
Lifespan1976-1978
Units sold> 1 million (Coleco Telstar model only)
SuccessorColecoVision

The large product lineup and the impending fading out of the Pong machines led Coleco to face near-bankruptcy in 1980.[3]

Model comparison
Telstar models
Console Model and chip Release date Integrated games Description Size (height x wide x depth) Cite Picture
Coleco Telstar No.6040,
AY-3-8500		 1976 Two fixed paddles. Games are Pong variants. Unknown [4]
Coleco Telstar Classic No.6045,
AY-3-8500		 1976
  • hockey
  • handball
  • tennis
 Two fixed paddles. Deluxe wood case. Unknown
Coleco Telstar Deluxe
(a.k.a. "Video World Of Sports")		 model number unknown, AY-3-8500 1977
  • hockey
  • handballs
  • tennis ball
 Two fixed paddles. Brown stand case with wood panel. Made for Canadian market with French and English text. Unknown No picture available
Coleco Telstar Ranger No.6046,
AY-3-8500		 1977 Black and white plastic case, includes Colt 45-style light gun and separate paddle controllers. Four ball games, two target games. Special features of the four ball games include automatic serve and variable paddle and speed control for three experience levels (beginner, intermediate, and professional). Uses six C batteries or an optional AC adapter, light gun requires one nine-volt battery. 4 lb.
17.5×6×8 in.		 [5]:22
[6]:35		 No picture available
Coleco Telstar Alpha No.6030,
AY-3-8500		 1977
  • hockey
  • handball
  • tennis
  • jai alai
 Black and white plastic case, fixed paddles. The games feature an automatic serve function and variable settings for three skill levels (beginner, intermediate, and pro). Uses six C batteries or optional 9 volt AC adapter. 2.5 lb.
13.5×3.5×7.5 in.		 [5]:17
[6]:34
Coleco Telstar Colormatic No.6130,
AY-3-8500
Texas Instruments SN76499N (color)		 1977
  • hockey
  • handball
  • tennis
  • jai alai
 Black and white plastic case, detached wired paddles. Color graphics - each game is a different color. The games feature an automatic serve function and variable settings for three skill levels (beginner, intermediate, and professional). Uses six C batteries. 2.5 lb.
13×6.5×7.5 in.		 [5]:18
Coleco Telstar Regent No.6036,
AY-3-8500		 1977
  • hockey
  • handball
  • tennis
  • jai alai
 Black and white plastic case, detached wired paddles. The games feature an automatic serve function and variable settings for three skill levels (beginner, intermediate, and professional). Uses six C batteries. 2.5 lb.
13.5×4×8 in.		 [5]:18
Coleco Telstar Sportsman model number unknown, AY-3-8500 1978 Black and white plastic case, detached wired paddles, and light gun. Unknown No picture available
Coleco Telstar Combat! No.6065,
General Instrument AY-3-8700 Tank chip		 1977
  • Combat
  • Night Battle
  • Robot Battle
  • Camouflage Combat
 Four fixed joysticks (two per player). Games are variations on Kee Games' Tank. Uses six C batteries or an optional AC adapter. 5.5 lb.
15×8×10.5 in.		 [5]:23
[6]:37
Coleco Telstar Colortron No.6135,
AY-3-8510		 1978
  • Tennis
  • Hockey
  • Handball
  • Jai-alai
 In color, built in sound, fixed paddles. Games are Pong variants and feature variable settings for three skill levels (beginner, intermediate, and pro). Uses two nine-volt batteries or an optional AC adapter. 1 lb.
2×11.25×4 in.		 [6]:34
Coleco Telstar Marksman No.6136,
AY-3-8512		 1978
  • Tennis
  • Hockey
  • Handball
  • Jai-alai
  • Skeet
  • Target
 In color, larger light gun with removable stock, fixed paddles. Four Pong variants and two gun games. Uses two nine-volt batteries or an optional AC adapter. 1 lb.
2×11.25×5 in.		 [6]:36
Coleco Telstar Galaxy model number unknown, AY-3-8600 (games)
AY-3-8615 (color encoder)		 1977 48 variations of:
  • Tennis
  • Hockey
  • Handball
  • Soccer
  • Basketball
  • Foosball
 Separate joysticks and fixed paddles Unknown No picture available
Coleco Telstar Gemini model number unknown, MOS Technology MPS 7600-004 1977
  • Four pinball games
  • Two light-gun games
 In color, light gun, two flipper buttons on left and right sides of case, pinball launch button and field adjustment sliders on top, light gun. Unknown No picture available
Coleco Telstar Arcade model number unknown, MOS Technology MPS-7600 (each cart) 1977
Others
  • Eight-game ball and target cartridge
  • Five-game pinball and shooting cartridge
  • Battle game cartridge
  • Twenty-five game driving maze cartridge
  • Fifteen game action cartridge (including Break Thru)
 Cartridge-based, triangular case includes light gun, steering wheel with gear shift, and paddles, one on each side. 4 lb.
7.5×18×16 in.		 [5]:28
[6]:37–38

References
  1. "The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z: Coleco". Next Generation. No. 15. Imagine Media. March 1996. p. 31.
  2. Herman, Leonard (1997). Phoenix: the fall & rise of videogames (2nd ed.). Union, NJ: Rolenta Press. p. 20. ISBN 0-9643848-2-5. Retrieved 16 February 2012. Like Pong, Telstar could only play video tennis but it retailed at an inexpensive $50 that made it attractive to most families that were on a budget. Coleco managed to sell over a million units that year.
  3. "Coleco Industries. -ColecoVision History". www.colecovision.dk. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Kaplan, Deeny, ed. (Winter 1978). "The Video Games". Video (Buyer's Guide). Vol. 1 no. 1. Reese Communications. pp. 17–30. ISSN 0147-8907.
  6. Kaplan, Deeny, ed. (Winter 1979). "Video Games". Video (Buyer's Guide). Vol. 2 no. 1. Reese Communications. pp. 33–42. ISSN 0147-8907.
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