Coleco's Chameleon classic gaming console has launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to bring back old-school games from the 1980s and 1990s. Retro Video Game Systems Inc. wants to build a new console that includes new non-upgradable cartridge games including Super Nintendo and indie developers' titles.
The company's Kickstarter campaign will start on February 26. It only raised about $80,000 of its $1.9 million fundraising goal on Indigogo last year, according to Engadget.
Chameleon was introduced this weekend at the New York Toy Fair. It ran short demos of classic video games and retro-style titles made by indie developers, according to Gizmodo.
Last year the system was known as Retro VGS but it has been renamed Coleco Chameleon. In the 1980s Coleco made mini-arcades and handhelds for games such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Q-bert.
Retro VGS was originally purchased the tooling kit from the Atari Jaguar gaming system. Technical and crowdfunding issues during the prototype's development caused the project to be stopped.
The developer's Facebook page shares that people can get a Chameleon system if they pledge $135 or more. That gets them a controller and cables such as HDMI jacks for different displays.
Many of the classic games to be launched for Chameleon were never released in the United States. Meanwhile, the number of games rolled out for the console's launch will be low.
The unit will feature 4 USB slots in the front of the system. That will allow gamers to plug in their USB controllers or keyboard.
Retro VGS will also ship with its own controller that is basically a Nintendo Wii U Pro controller. The developer shares that the system could later read other brands' cartridges and old-school controllers.
A big benefit is that games will not have to download a Day One patch. They can play video games as soon as they get the console.
In addition, Chameleon games will not have downloadable content (DLC) on the cartridges' launch date. Besides not requiring a patch the fully-developed games will also not require updates.
Coleco was founded in 1932. It is well-known for its ColecoVision gaming system and Cabbage Patch Kids dolls.
Here's Donkey Kong for ColecoVision: