MiSTer FPGA Forum

Holy hell, I must thank the creators of the VTech CreatiVision.

I run a very small YT channel and enjoy a lot of the content on the MiSTer FPGA. I think at some point when I first got the MiSTer a couple of years ago ( now own two of them ), I worked through the entire set of consoles and simply downloaded BIOS files and Game files when needed. I have no memory of what I really did back then.

Anyways - I am a big fan of Rally-X and a I found an unofficial clone called Auto Chase - looked nice but how could I play it ?

I had spent enough money buying a Radafin setup to play the brilliant Skill Cycle.

Anyways, out of curosity I fired up the MiSTer and my god - it had the VTech CreatiVision there. All my problems gone in one go.

So after a blast with that game - there is actually a nice chunk of games for this system that seems on the surface to be the style of the early Atari's but with better graphics in the very least.

I am always delighted and still surprised that after a few years of owning the MiSTer some of these legacy cores deliver and surprise.

To whoever did the VTech CreatiVision, thank you for all your brillant and hard work here.

To anybody that has not played it - give that core ago - you may enjoy the content.

https://youtu.be/WczE9CYcr4A?si=b68-pb_0NH2Ax0_r

That would be Kitrinx.

They should have called this system, the CloneOVision - because it literally ripped-off everything of the era. From the console design, which is a blatant rip of the Colecovision - even the name "Creativision" sounds similar to Colecovision. The games are blatant rip-offs of arcade games of the era, and V-Tech were often told to withdraw titles because of this. So, instead of withdrawing them, they just changed the graphics, or slight changes to gameplay, such as their Pac-Man rip-off "Crazy Chewy", which was changed to "Crazy Chicky" where you now lay down dots, and ghosts are now foxes.
Then you have Defender, which V-Tech changed the graphics to underwater, and the ship was changed to a scuba diver, and aliens to fish.
Locomotive was a clone of Burgertime, with exactly the same game mechanics, but now you're building trains, not burgers.
Stone Age - was Sega's Pengo.
Chopper Rescue - was Sega's Zaxxon, only now the scrolling went the opposite direction.
Auto Chase - was Namco's Rally X, and one of the most blatant rip-offs in it's collection.

I mean, it's not a bad system, as long as you don't mind clones, and rip-offs. I would prefer to play the originals, or if I want home versions then the Colecovision offered one of the best ways to play these classic games, and they were mostly officially licenced versions.
Oh, and for a laugh, the Australian version was called the Dick Smith Wizard, lol. The adverts were hilarious, and slightly disturbing.

Flandango wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 1:58 pm

That would be Kitrinx.

I need to show my appricahtion - do you know if he has a Pateron on one of those Buy Me A Coffee links ?

Bristles wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 2:34 pm

They should have called this system, the CloneOVision - because it literally ripped-off everything of the era. From the console design, which is a blatant rip of the Colecovision - even the name "Creativision" sounds similar to Colecovision. The games are blatant rip-offs of arcade games of the era, and V-Tech were often told to withdraw titles because of this. So, instead of withdrawing them, they just changed the graphics, or slight changes to gameplay, such as their Pac-Man rip-off "Crazy Chewy", which was changed to "Crazy Chicky" where you now lay down dots, and ghosts are now foxes.
Then you have Defender, which V-Tech changed the graphics to underwater, and the ship was changed to a scuba diver, and aliens to fish.
Locomotive was a clone of Burgertime, with exactly the same game mechanics, but now you're building trains, not burgers.
Stone Age - was Sega's Pengo.
Chopper Rescue - was Sega's Zaxxon, only now the scrolling went the opposite direction.
Auto Chase - was Namco's Rally X, and one of the most blatant rip-offs in it's collection.

got to laugh at what they were able to get away with..

Reg wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 3:10 pm

Flandango wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 1:58 pm

That would be Kitrinx.

I need to show my appricahtion - do you know if he has a Pateron on one of those Buy Me A Coffee links ?

I am not aware of if she has a patreon or not, but she's the Admin of the MiSTer Discord Server, you can always pop on there and tell her Hi.

got to laugh at what they were able to get away with..

I mean, to be fair to V-Tech, the early 80s computer games industry got away with blatant plagiarism for years. Often, games would come with totally bizarre names, probably to try to hide from copyright, and strange artwork, yet the games were blatant rip-offs. The ZX Spectrum, C64, and Amstrad, all had their fair share of rip-offs. I remember on the ZX Spectrum, Bear Bovver by Artic, thinking this was a platform game, yet it was simply a Burgertime rip-off, lol. On the C64, we had the Guardian games, both quite good, but both were blatant Defender clones. The Spectrum had Invasion of the Body Snatchers - it's own Defender rip-off.
If I had the Youtube skills, I would love to do a whole series on this topic, as it fascinates me, especially as I grew up with these games.

I think what you meant to call it was "Dick Smith Wizzard".

It's a quirky little platform that is mostly off the shelf parts, but it had a library and basic interpreter and a really unusual keyboard/controller setup. I'm glad you're enjoying it

Kitrinx wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 6:17 pm

I think what you meant to call it was "Dick Smith Wizzard".

It's a quirky little platform that is mostly off the shelf parts, but it had a library and basic interpreter and a really unusual keyboard/controller setup. I'm glad you're enjoying it

I really am - do you have a Pateron or Buy Me A Coffee link pls ?

Reg wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 7:06 pm

Kitrinx wrote: ↑Tue Dec 12, 2023 6:17 pm

I think what you meant to call it was "Dick Smith Wizzard".

It's a quirky little platform that is mostly off the shelf parts, but it had a library and basic interpreter and a really unusual keyboard/controller setup. I'm glad you're enjoying it

I really am - do you have a Pateron or Buy Me A Coffee link pls ?

I don't take any money for my work, but I do appreciate the fact that you enjoyed it.

There is also a portable CreatiVision core for the Analogue Pocket, should you be interested in that.