Coleco Telstar Arcade
 | |
| A Telstar Arcade from the tennis side, with the steering wheel and shift lever behind, the pistol in its holster and Cartridge No. 1 on top | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Coleco Industries, Inc., Amsterdam, New York[1] |
| Type | Cartridge-based home video game console (first generation) |
| Released | 1977[1][2] |
| Intro price | US$59.95 with AC adapter, switch box and Cartridge No. 1 (tested December 1978)[3] |
| CPU | None; each cartridge holds its own MOS Technology MPS 7600 game chip[2][4] |
| Memory | None in the console |
| Storage | Triangular plug-in cartridges[2] |
| Display | Colour, RF output on VHF channel 3 or 4[1][5] |
| Sound | From the console[3] |
| Input | Two paddle knobs with slam buttons, steering wheel and two-speed shift lever, pistol[6] |
| Power | Telstar 9 V AC adapter Model 6041-200MA (included)[1][7][8] |
| Dimensions | About 18 in on each side, 4 in high plus projections[3] |
| Weight | 4 lb[3] |
| OS / Firmware | — |
| Model no. | 6175 |
The Coleco Telstar Arcade (model 6175) is a cartridge-based TV game made by Coleco and released in 1977.[1][2] Its console is triangular, with a different set of controls on each side: two paddle knobs and slam buttons for ball games, a steering wheel and shift lever for driving games, and a pistol in a holster for shooting games. The games come from silver triangular cartridges that plug into the top, each holding its own MOS Technology MPS 7600 chip. Cartridge No. 1 (Road Race, Tennis and Quick Draw) came with the console, and three more were sold separately.[2][6][4] It runs from Coleco's 9 V AC adapter, which was included.[1][7]
History
[edit | edit source]Pong-Story calls the Arcade one of the earliest systems to use cartridges containing a dedicated game chip, and describes the MPS 7600 as a customised microcontroller: a frame processor run by a small program in ROM, 512 words for the eight-game Pong chip.[2] MOS Technology's own 1976 specification for the MPS 7600-001 describes a mask-programmed series in which each version plays its own set of games.[9] Coleco's guide for model 6175 is dated 1977, and its order form priced the extra cartridges at $25 each.[1][10] Video magazine tested an Arcade in December 1978, when it sold for $59.95 with the adapter, switch box and Cartridge No. 1, and further cartridges for $19.95.[3]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]| Part | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game chips | MOS Technology MPS 7600, one in each cartridge[2][4] |
| Picture | Colour; black and white on a black-and-white set[1][11] |
| TV output | Game cable to an antenna switch box; channel 3, with a selector under the console for channel 4[5][3] |
| Sound | From the console; the television's volume is turned down[3][5] |
| Power | Telstar 9 V AC adapter Model 6041-200MA in a jack on the Quick Draw panel[7][12] |
| Size and weight | About 18 in on each side, 4 in high plus projections; 4 lb[3] |
The three panels
[edit | edit source]| Panel | Controls |
|---|---|
| Tennis and game selection | Left and right paddle knobs, left and right SLAM buttons, RESET, game selector knob (positions 1 to 4), SKILL switch (1 pro, 2 beginner), ON-OFF switch, game cable[6][13] |
| Road Race | Steering wheel, speedometer and tachometer dials, shift lever (1 low gear, 2 high gear)[6][14] |
| Quick Draw | Pistol socket, REMOTE socket for the controllers supplied with other cartridges, TARGET STARTER button, pistol holster, AC adapter jack[6][15] |
Cartridges
[edit | edit source]| Cartridge | Games | Chip (Centre for Computing History) |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 (with the console) | Road Race, Tennis, Quick Draw[1] | MPS 7600-002[4] |
| No. 2 | Tennis and hockey for two or four players, handball, Jumping Target and Quick Shot; two extra controllers for the REMOTE socket[16][17] | MPS 7600-001[4] |
| No. 3 | Bonus Pinball and Deluxe Pinball for one or two players, Shooting Gallery, Shoot the Bear[18] | MPS 7600-004[4] |
| No. 4 (model 6114) | Naval Battle, Speed Ball, Blast-Away[19] | MPS 7600-003[4] |
Pong-Story notes that Cartridge No. 3 has the same games as the Telstar Gemini.[18] MOS Technology specifies the MPS 7600-001 as a P-channel chip for a single supply of -6.5 to -9.5 V, with a crystal-controlled clock near 3.58 MHz.[9] No schematic of the console or of a cartridge has been found; Pong-Story shows both sides of a Cartridge No. 1 board.[2]
Games on the first cartridge
[edit | edit source]Road Race is played on the Road Race side. The car must start in low gear (1); a crash stops it, and it restarts only in first gear after a penalty of three to six seconds. Tennis is played to 21 points with the knobs; the skill switch sets the ball speed and the slam buttons add "English". Quick Draw uses the pistol: the player draws when the outlaw appears, and a game is 21 shots.[11][17]
Power
[edit | edit source]The Arcade came with Coleco's Telstar AC adapter Model 6041-200MA, plugged into the jack on the Quick Draw panel and into a 120 V outlet, and Coleco told owners to use no other.[1][7] The Model 6041 label reads 117 V 60 Hz input and 9 V DC 200 mA output.[8] Coleco's Cartridge No. 4 sheet asks for the adapter to be unplugged from the wall when the game is not in use.[19] No battery compartment is mentioned in Coleco's guide.
Repair
[edit | edit source]Coleco's guide says the Arcade contains no serviceable parts and that opening it voids the warranty. It does give a cartridge care procedure: reseat the cartridge, clean the contacts with a pencil eraser, and lift any depressed console contacts.[20] Coleco also sold replacement cartridge latches, pistols and adapters by mail.[10] The repair guides are:
- Coleco Telstar Arcade General Maintenance: the cartridge contacts and latch, the adapter, the wheel, shift lever, holster and pistol, the switches and the channel selector.
- Coleco Telstar Arcade Troubleshooting Guide: Coleco's chart, the game's normal oddities, and reference values from MOS Technology's data for the MPS 7600.
- Coleco Telstar Arcade Capacitor Replacement Guide: what is known about the capacitors in the console and cartridges, and how to record them.
Documentation
[edit | edit source]Coleco's installation instructions (Guide No. 58024 C), the Cartridge No. 4 rules (Guide No. 76659 A) and MOS Technology's MPS 7600-001 specification are hosted here; see Coleco Telstar Arcade Documentation.[1][19][9]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
RESET, the game selector knob, SKILL and ON/OFF switches on the tennis panel -
The Road Race side: wheel, dials and shift lever -
REMOTE and PISTOL sockets and the TARGET STARTER button -
Cartridge No. 1 in the top of the console, beside the latch
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Coleco Telstar Gemini, the dedicated pinball and shooting console with the same games as Cartridge No. 3
- Coleco Telstar Combat!, Coleco's tank battle console of 1977
- Category:Coleco
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Coleco Industries, Telstar Arcade Installation Instructions and Game Rules, Model No. 6175, Guide No. 58024 C, 1977, p. 1, File:Coleco Telstar Arcade Installation Instructions (Guide 58024C).pdf: three video games; Cartridge No. 1 plays Road Race, Tennis and Quick Draw; each game in colour; automatic digital display scoring; audio sounds; other programmable cartridges available; AC adapter included.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 David Winter, Pong-Story, "Coleco Telstar Arcade" (retrieved 2026-10-18): released in 1977; triangular case with a side each for Pong games, target shooting and car racing, with a wheel and gear box; interchangeable cartridges, each containing a MOS Technology MPS-7600, a frame processor driven by a small program in ROM (512 words for the eight-game Pong chip); silver triangular cartridges that connect horizontally on top of the console; four cartridges, the first sold with the system and the others for $25; photographs of the component and solder sides of a Cartridge No. 1 board with its MPS 7600.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Berger-Braithwaite Labs, "Coleco Telstar Arcade Video Game", VideoTests, Video, Spring 1979, pp. 53 and 55, Internet Archive scan (retrieved 2026-10-19): tested December 1978; the cartridges "did not always slide into place easily on the first try" and needed wiggling to seat; the channel 3 or 4 selector is on the bottom of the console; the game did not seem to operate exactly on frequency and needed re-tuning; the sound comes from the game unit, not the TV, and its volume cannot be changed; the power must be turned off during cartridge changes "to avoid 'blowing' a cartridge"; the knob on the game selector never lined up with the numerals; balls could hang up or pass through walls in some games; suction feet; 18 inches each side, 4 inches high, 4 pounds; $59.95 with AC adaptor, switch box and Cartridge 1, further cartridges $19.95; energy consumption given as 9 volts.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Centre for Computing History, "Coleco Telstar Arcade", reference CH66264 (retrieved 2026-10-19): released in 1977; four cartridges, the first supplied with the console; Cartridge 1 chip MPS 7600-002, Cartridge 2 MPS 7600-001, Cartridge 3 MPS 7600-004, Cartridge 4 MPS 7600-003.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Coleco, Guide No. 58024 C, p. 3: switch box connections; "Always keep cartridge securely in console to protect electronic circuits"; when changing cartridges, set the ON-OFF switch to OFF, insert the lip of the cartridge into the console, press down, and secure it by pressing firmly on the word TELSTAR; push the latch away to remove; "Do not touch or tamper with contacts. Game contacts should not be left exposed."; a sound may be heard as soon as the game is turned on; factory set for channel 3, with the channel selector switch on the bottom of the unit moved carefully to channel 4 only if channel 3 reception is too strong; turn automatic colour control off.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Coleco, Guide No. 58024 C, p. 4: panel diagrams: the tennis and game selection panel (left and right slam buttons, left and right paddle controls, reset button, game selector knob, skill switch 1 pro and 2 beginner, ON-OFF switch, game cable); the Road Race panel (steering wheel, dials, shift lever 1 low gear and 2 high gear); the Quick Draw panel (remote receptacle for use with other cartridges, pistol receptacle, target starter button, pistol holster, AC adapter jack).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Coleco, Guide No. 58024 C, p. 2: three rubber suction cups pressed and twisted into holes in the corners of the base ("Do not press too hard so as to damage front of the unit"); the steering wheel snaps onto the steering post on the left side of the Road Race panel, its long slot lined up with the post; the shift lever snaps onto the shift post on the right side of the Road Race panel; the pistol holster fits with two pins and two screws; use only the Telstar AC adapter Model #6041-200MA, plugged into the AC ADAPTER jack on the Quick Draw panel and into 120 V household current.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Photograph by Evan-Amos, File:Coleco-Telstar-AC-Adaptor.jpg (public domain, from Wikimedia Commons): label "TELSTAR AC ADAPTOR MODEL 6041 ... INPUT: 117V 60Hz 5W OUTPUT: 9 V DC 200mA".
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 MOS Technology, Specification for Video Game Array MPS 7600-001, preliminary, rev. 1, June 1976, pp. 1, 2 and 8-12, File:MOS Technology MPS 7600-001 Video Game Array Specification (1976).pdf: a 28-pin P-channel MOS chip; a programmable series in which each version is mask-programmed with its own games; a frame processor with a 512-word ROM; crystal-controlled clock, 3.579545 MHz for full colour or 3.595314 MHz for a "rainbow" display, one of which is essential to stable operation even for black and white; a single supply of -6.5 to -9.5 V, with two VDD and two VSS pins that must all be connected; most designs battery powered from C or D cells; an AC supply needs adequate current and filtering, as sharp transients "may result in perturbations of the game display"; player controls are potentiometers, which "receive considerable abuse"; sound through a single transistor driving a speaker; slide switches in the control matrix need isolating diodes; target games need a trigger switch and a photoelectric circuit feeding the HIT input.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Coleco, Guide No. 58024 C, p. 8: 90-day limited warranty, voided if the registration card is not returned within 15 days; service for $5 handling and inspection plus advised charges, at the Telstar Division, 10 Park St., Amsterdam, New York; accessories from P.O. Box 1250, Gloversville, N.Y.: cartridge latch $1.00, AC adapter $5.00, switch kit $5.00, pistol $10.00, Cartridges No. 1 to 3 $25.00 each.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Coleco, Guide No. 58024 C, p. 5: switch off and latch the cartridge securely before play; hue or tint and automatic colour control; on black-and-white sets do not turn brightness and contrast to maximum; Road Race (game position 1): always start in low gear 1, press RESET once after the small cars appear, a crash stops the car and it restarts only in gear 1, with a 3 to 6 second penalty; Tennis (game position 2): the skill switch sets the ball speed; the game will not reset unless both paddles are within the court, and the ball always serves from a paddle; moving the serving paddle off the court calls time out; slam buttons; the first player to 21 wins.
- ↑ Photograph by Sintegrity, File:Coleco Telstar Arcade AC adapter jack.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons): the AC ADAPTER jack on the Quick Draw panel.
- ↑ Photograph by Sintegrity, File:Coleco Telstar Arcade tennis panel controls.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons): RESET, the game selector knob marked 1 to 4, the SKILL switch (1, 2) and the ON/OFF switch.
- ↑ Photograph by Sintegrity, File:Coleco Telstar Arcade Road Race panel.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons): steering wheel, dials, gear indicator and shift lever.
- ↑ Photograph by Sintegrity, File:Coleco Telstar Arcade Quick Draw panel sockets.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons): REMOTE and PISTOL sockets and the TARGET STARTER button.
- ↑ David Winter, Pong-Story, "Coleco Telstar Arcade Cartridge #2" (retrieved 2026-10-19): eight games (tennis and hockey for two or four players, handball, Jumping Target and Quick Shot); the cartridge came with two additional controllers for the four-player games.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Coleco, Guide No. 58024 C, p. 6: Quick Draw (game position 3): insert the pistol connector firmly, aligned with its key, and never force it; keep the pistol in its holster when starting; do not cock the pistol, fire using the trigger only; firing range depends on the TV; set contrast so that the background is grey and colour so that the score is pink or white; a brighter target area is easier to hit; wait for the score to go out before starting the target again; 21 shots per game; game position 4 and the remote receptacle are not used with Cartridge No. 1; Cartridge No. 2 (tennis, hockey, handball and target, eight games for 1 to 4 players, with remote controls) and Cartridge No. 3 (four pinball games and two target games).
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 David Winter, Pong-Story, "Coleco Telstar Arcade Cartridge #3" (retrieved 2026-10-19): Bonus Pinball and Deluxe Pinball for one or two players, Shooting Gallery and Shoot the Bear; uses only the console's knobs and pistol; the same games as the Telstar Gemini.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Coleco Industries, Game Rules and Operation of Telstar Cartridge No. 4, Model No. 6114, Guide No. 76659 A, 1978, File:Coleco Telstar Arcade Cartridge 4 Instructions (Guide 76659A).pdf: Naval Battle, Speed Ball and Blast-Away, each for two players; "Always be sure ON-OFF switch is in OFF position before changing cartridges. Always keep a cartridge securely in console to protect electronic circuits."; Blast-Away: do not cock the pistol, keep the gun in its holster when pressing TARGET START, set contrast for a grey background and colour so that the score is pink or white, and the space craft passes the boundaries when the TV is set too bright; "No game on position 4"; burn-in warning; unplug the Telstar AC adapter from the wall outlet when the game is not being played.
- ↑ Coleco, Guide No. 58024 C, p. 7: "Telstar - Trouble Shooting Guide" ("Be sure all connections to television and switch box are secure. DO NOT OPEN. THIS DEVICE DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY SERVICEABLE PARTS. Warranty is voided if opened or tampered with."); no game or faint picture: switch box at GAME and cable plugged in, antenna lead attached, AC adapter plugged into the wall (Telstar Model #6041-200MA only), ON-OFF on, channel 3 (or 4 if the game is set to 4), fine tune; stripes or dots: horizontal hold, colour intensity, fine tune and contrast; rolling, flutter, bottom line off screen or buzzing: vertical hold, TV volume down; a line moving across the screen: RESET, contrast; no ball, ball erratic or score not 0-0: do not place the game on top of the TV where it can get hot, disconnect the pistol, paddles must be on the court, press RESET until the score stops blinking; target does not appear when TARGET STARTER is pressed, or Quick Draw appears in all switch positions: wait for the score to go out, press RESET until the score stops blinking, press TARGET STARTER, the pistol should not be cocked, remove and reseat the cartridge and latch it; race car won't start, track outline does not move, or an audible hum accompanies the game sounds: gear lever in 1st gear, RESET until the score stops blinking, disconnect the pistol, remove and reseat the cartridge and latch it; all games appear on screen at the same time: turn the power switch off and back on, remove and reseat the cartridge. "Care of cartridge": if the game is erratic or the picture changes, remove and reseat the cartridge and latch it securely, clean the protective film off the cartridge contacts by rubbing with a pencil eraser and wiping clean, and check whether any game contacts are depressed, lifting them carefully with a pencil, nail file or thin blade; if the cartridge does not latch, press the latch forward, and if the latch loosens, wedge an eraser or small pencil behind it; keep the contacts free of sticky fingers, dirt and foreign substances.
