2010s - NOTES
 DW FACTSby Dark Watcher with added content from Marriott_Guy |
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Bit Corporation had their stake in the videogame industry for years creating games for the Atari 2600. Being a Korean based
company allowed them the ability to overlook copyright and patents. In the mid 1980s Bit Corporation created a line of computers (the
BIT-60 and BIT-90) that were compatible with both Atari 2600 and ColecoVision cartridges. In 1986 they went a step further and
created a console called the DINA 2 in one (2-in-1). The 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 (pictured to the right). 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. An expansion port resides on the back of the console, but for the most part this was not utilized (described in more detail below). 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 only available for mail order through Telegames USA, a Texas-based videogame mail-order store. Retail price? Only $40 USD. 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 manufacturing defect that caused the system to draw too much power into the motherboard causing damage after long term play. FACT: Telegames Personal Arcade was only advertised as a Colecovision alternative. Western gamers were never aware of its Sega SG-1000 capabilities. Owners probably mistaken the additional slot as an expansion port. The rumor that the SG-1000 slot was disabled in models by Telegames is completely false. |
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 Above picture courtesy of Sega Retro |
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