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February 13th, 2016 
Carl Williams 
The RETRO Video Game Systems team has been on a roller coaster ride since the very first announcement of their intent to launch a console. Formerly known as the RETRO Video Game System, now after acquiring a license to use the name “Coleco” they have renamed it the Coleco Chameleon. Earlier today, at the New York Toy Fair the RVGS Inc founder/mouthpiece/PR/marketing executive, Mike Kennedy, showed a little bit of gameplay for the Coleco Chameleon in a heavily edited video. Some interesting things are shown and now available for analyzation by the public. Video below.
What is shown in the video is hardwired into the prototype Super Nintendo controllers. According to their Facebook page, the controllers they will be using as the “official” Coleco Chameleon controllers contain many “options (Analog sticks) [which] aren’t working with these games at this time.” This is understandable as this is a prototype and not the final hardware. I do think it is poignant to point out that the “official” controllers do include all of the buttons that the SNES controller does so it is glaring that those are not being used here.
RETRO Video Game Systems Inc does, in that same post about the controllers, promise to show internal shots of the console and provide specs for the system. In their Kickstarter. Which will launch in approximately two weeks. This doesn’t mean that the toy fair event is done for the Coleco Chameleon team, there is still the rest of today (a good five to six hours) and most of the day tomorrow to reveal more information. If the date of the Kickstarter and that short video is the only thing coming out of this event then it is hard to call it a success. I stand corrected, there are more videos coming out so I will make sure to give them all their proper time in the limelight as they are made available.
As many on AtariAge/comments on the Chameleon video on FB have pointed out there is no power going to the LED on the console. Considering this is a prototype that is probably to be expected. According to RETRO Video Game Systems Inc comments regarding this issue, the console powers on when plugged in- obviously this will change before the unit is put into production.
For anyone interested in that cartridge, it has “Coleco Chameleon Prototype 1” printed on a white sticker as evidenced in this picture prior to the show.
So, has this made you a believer in the Coleco Chameleon? Will you be getting one? It is rumored that these won’t be hitting Kickstarter backers till sometime in 2017 (with a Kickstarter starting in less than two weeks). Is that a damper? It would give developers proper time to get games ready (games don’t just click together and work). Let us know in the comments.
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Many people on Atari Age are convinced that thing is simply a small SNES in a Jaguar shell. If I were the mouthpiece of ColecoVision, I’d be interested in disproving this idea. Something tells me we won’t get the satisfaction.
If you look at all of the evidence, it is pretty damning. The problem is, that evidence is scattered across many forums and threads/posts. If only someone would gather it all up in one single article and display it…
I will be absolutely amazed if they pull it off……..
Me too. Me too.
Well no surprise here lol. Went just as expected.
Exactly. I just hope those that supported this thing understand that not all ambitious projects are like the Chameleon. There really are some cool ambitious projects that deserve backing, this was just not one of them.