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DINA 2-in-1 / Telegames Personal Arcade

Bit Corporation had their stake in the videogame industry for years creating games for the Atari 2600. Being a Korea based company allowed them the ability to overlook copyright and patents. In the mid 1980's Bit Corporation created a line of computers (The Bit 60 and Bit 90) that were compatible with both Atari 2600 and ColecoVision cartridges. Around 1986 they went a step further and created a console called DINA 2-in-1.

DINA 2-in-1 was an impressive clone. This slim console could play both ColecoVision and Sega SG-1000 cartridges. It came equipped with Nintendo N.E.S styled control pads, and even had a built in game called "Meteoric Shower". Since the DINA control pads did not contain the numeric keypad of the actual ColecoVision controller, they were mounted on the unit itself. It also sported a "pause" button that could be used for SG-1000 games.

Elsewhere in the world Coleco was feeling the pains of the "Videogame Crash". Britain-based company Telegames eventually purchased the rights to the ColecoVision console, and bought most of Coleco's stock. Rather then selling Coleco's bulky unit, Telegames began manufacturing and distributing the Bit Corporation designed DINA 2-in-1. In 1988 the renamed DINA became the Telegames Personal Arcade. The unit was sold via mail order catalogs. The unit was even sold thru Telegames USA, a Texas-based videogame mail-order store. Retail price? Only $40USD.

As impressive as the Telegames Personal Arcade was for the price, it did have its share of flaws. The console was not compatible with all ColecoVision carts. Part of the reason was due to the lack of a second player numeric keypad. The Atari 2600 adaptor and other expansion devices were incompatible due to the positioning of the power and RF connectors. Some units had a manufacturers defect that cause the system to draw too much power into the motherboard causing damage after long term play.

All in all a good system that was sold by the Telegames mail order well into 1994.

  FACT: Telegames Personal Arcade was only advertised as a Colecovision alternative. Western gamers were never aware of it's Sega SG-1000 capabilities. Owners probably mistakened the additional slot as an expansion port. It is not known if the SG-1000 slot was disabled by Telegames. It sure must of pissed gamers off to find a "pause" button that didn't seem to work..hahahaha

 

EMULATION
   MEKA - A great emulator for both the ColecoVision and SG-1000 console. This emulator is Windows based, but there is a DOS version also available .


Games

Meteoric Shower

Donkey Kong

Congo Bongo

Zaxxon

Christopher "Dark Watcher" Hernandez © 2003 - 2007  
Hosted by Keith Bond (Webmaster for EFx2Blogs)