Coleco Telstar series

Coleco sold over a million units at the price of $50 in 1976. Coleco was unaffected by a chip shortage that year, as their early orders meant it was entirely supplied. The large product lineup and the impending fading out of the Pong machines led Coleco to face near-bankruptcy in 1980. The first Telstar system included single control knobs for each player. It was sold as a bundle that contained the three internal ping pong style games Tennis, Hockey and Handball.

• Name — Coleco Telstar series • Manufacturer — Coleco • Type — Series of dedicated home video game consoles • Generation — First • Lifespan — 1976-1978 • Successor — ColecoVision • Units Sold — > 1 million (Coleco Telstar model only)

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 — *hockey *handball *tennis — Two fixed paddles. Games are Pong variants. — Unknown — • 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 — *hockey *handball *tennis *jai alai *target *skeet — 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. — — • Coleco Telstar Alpha — No.6030, AY-3-8500 — 1977 — *hockey *handball *tennis *squash — 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. — — • 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. — • 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. — • 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. — — • 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. — • 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. — • 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 6175, MOS Technology MPS-7600 (each cart) — 1977 — *Pack-in game (Tennis, road racing, quick draw) *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. — —