The Coleco Gemini is an Atari 2600 clone manufactured by Coleco Industries, Inc. in 1983.

Technical specifications

* Processor: 8-bit 6507 * CPU speed: 1.19 MHz * RAM: 128 bytes * Resolution: 160x200, 128 colors

History

In 1982, Coleco released Expansion Module #1 for its ColecoVision video game system. With a custom-made clone of the Atari 2600 TIA chip and off-the-shelf components, the module enabled the ColecoVision to be compatible with Atari 2600 software. Later that year, Atari, Inc. sued Coleco for

patent infringement A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...

, and the companies wound up settling out of court, with Coleco becoming a licensee of Atari's

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

Gemini vs. 2600

The main difference between the Coleco Gemini and the Atari 2600 is the controller design. The Coleco Gemini controllers (dubbed the 'Dual Command') featured an 8-way

joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the control column, it is the principal control devic ...

and a 270- degree paddle on the same controller (the joystick was at the top of the controller, and the paddle was at the bottom of the controller). To play paddle games on the 2600, a Y-connector could be used to connect a joystick and paddles to the controller jack at the same time, rather than physically swapping controllers. The Gemini was more compact than the large faux- woodgrain or gloss black-trimmed consoles sold by Atari at the time. The Gemini also had a different game included with the system. Atari was including its 1982 version of ''Pac-Man'' along with ''

Combat Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...

'' (1977). The Gemini initially came bundled with Coleco's 1982 port of '' Donkey Kong'', but at some point also included ''

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

'', '' Mouse Trap'' and ''

Front Line A front line (alternatively front-line or frontline) in military terminology is the position(s) closest to the area of conflict of an Military, armed force's Military personnel, personnel and Military technology, equipment, usually referring to ...

''.

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...

also offered a version of the Gemini with both ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Mouse Trap'' included as separate cartridges.

References

External links

vidgame.net
(archived version of page)
Video review and tour of the console
{{Atari 2600 1980s toys Atari 2600 hardware clones Gemini