Telegames Personal Arcade

Telegames Personal Arcade

Manufacturer	Telegames
Generation	Second generation
Retail availability	1986
Media	Cartridge

The Telegames Personal Arcade was the US version of Bit Corporation's DINA 2-in-1. This slim console could play both ColecoVision and Sega SG-1000 cartridges. It came equipped with Nintendo NES 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.

History

The videogame crash of 1983 affected Coleco. Texas-based company Telegames eventually purchased the rights to the ColecoVision console, and bought most of Coleco's stock. Rather than 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 sold through Telegames, Inc. via mail order for only $40USD.

Compatibility

The console is not compatible with all ColecoVision cartridges, partly from its lack of a second numeric keypad. Expansion modules for the ColecoVision are also incompatible, given the position of the Personal Arcade's power and RF connectors. Some units possess a manufacturer's defect that causes the system to draw too much power into the motherboard, causing damage after long-term play.^{[citation needed]}

The Telegames Personal Arcade was advertised as an alternative to the ColecoVision, leaving the function of the Sega SG-1000 cartridge port unexplained; whether Telegames disabled this additional port is not known.