Coleco Telstar Marksman
Encyclopedia
The Telstar Marksman is a first-generation video game console
that featured a light gun
. It was released by Coleco
in 1978. Because it had manufacturer-set amount of games, it is considered a dedicated console
. It was part of a series of Coleco Telstar
Pong
-based consoles; it is essentially a Telstar Colortron bundled with a "3 in 1" light gun and two shooting games. The Marksman light gun is a pistol
that features an attachable stock and barrel. It is similar in this regard to the later-released Stack Light Rifle
and the Sega Menacer
. The elongated barrel included a simple aiming sight.
In addition to the light gun, the system featured two paddle
controllers built directly into the console. Its reported features included "on-screen digital scoring" and three different difficulty settings (beginner, intermediate, pro). It required two nine-volt batteries or Coleco's Perma Power AC adaptor to power the system.
, Hockey
, Handball
, Jai-Alai, Skeet and Target. The first four games are variations on Pong
, The last two games are single player
shooting games that utilized the light gun.
All of the games are incredibly simple compared to the games of today or even the early 1980s. The sports games were minor variations on Pong
, with differences in the number of paddles, players, and the main surface to bounce objects off of. Skeet consisted of aiming and shooting at a square that moved diagonally across the screen in one direction, while Target was a variation that made the same square bounce around on the screen.
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
that featured a light gun
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
. It was released by Coleco
Coleco
Coleco is an American company founded in 1932 by Maurice Greenberg as "Connecticut Leather Company". It became a highly successful toy company in the 1980s, known for its mass-produced version of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and its video game consoles, the Coleco Telstar and...
in 1978. Because it had manufacturer-set amount of games, it is considered a dedicated console
Dedicated console
A dedicated console is a video game console that is dedicated to a built in game or games, and is not equipped for additional games, via cartridges or other media.- History :...
. It was part of a series of Coleco Telstar
Coleco Telstar
The Telstar is a series of video game consoles produced by Coleco from 1976 to 1978. Starting with Telstar Pong clone based on General Instrument's AY-3-8500 chip in 1976, there were 14 consoles released in the Telstar branded series.-Models:...
Pong
Pong
Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
-based consoles; it is essentially a Telstar Colortron bundled with a "3 in 1" light gun and two shooting games. The Marksman light gun is a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
that features an attachable stock and barrel. It is similar in this regard to the later-released Stack Light Rifle
Stack Light Rifle
The Stack Light Rifle is a light gun that was manufactured by Stack Computer Services and created for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and the Commodore VIC-20. It was released in 1983. The rifle is bundled with three games on tape, High Noon, Shooting Gallery and Grouse Shoot for the Spectrum...
and the Sega Menacer
Menacer
The Menacer is a lightgun created by Sega for the Mega Drive video game console in 1992, as a response to the Super Scope by Nintendo.The Menacer is made up of three sections which can be disassembled...
. The elongated barrel included a simple aiming sight.
In addition to the light gun, the system featured two paddle
Paddle
A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing.-Materials and designs:...
controllers built directly into the console. Its reported features included "on-screen digital scoring" and three different difficulty settings (beginner, intermediate, pro). It required two nine-volt batteries or Coleco's Perma Power AC adaptor to power the system.
Technical information
- CPUCentral processing unitThe central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
: General Instrument AY-3-8512 chipset - Sound: One channel beeperBeeperBeeper may refer to:* Pager* Buzzer* PC speaker* Avalanche transceiver* Beeper, the debut single by The Count and Sinden...
- Display: 4 simultaneously displayed colors
Games
The console came bundled with six color games: TennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, Handball
American handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
, Jai-Alai, Skeet and Target. The first four games are variations on Pong
Pong
Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
, The last two games are single player
Single player
A Single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. "Single-player game" usually implies a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" usually refers to a game mode for a single player, where...
shooting games that utilized the light gun.
All of the games are incredibly simple compared to the games of today or even the early 1980s. The sports games were minor variations on Pong
Pong
Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
, with differences in the number of paddles, players, and the main surface to bounce objects off of. Skeet consisted of aiming and shooting at a square that moved diagonally across the screen in one direction, while Target was a variation that made the same square bounce around on the screen.