Frenzy

In the brutal console wars of the early 1980s, the ColecoVision brought something no one else did: unmatched arcade fidelity. Its pack-in cartridge of Donkey Kong was so real, you could smell the burning oil. Zaxxon played with blistering speed and Venture with compelling depth. And because of its steering wheel and accelerator pedal, Turbo was as realistic as racing games got.

How was this possible? How could the same console also crush console and computer titles as diverse as the tense Choplifter , the dark Gateway to Apshai, and the fiery Montezuma's Revenge? And how could the ColecoVision do all this and stake its claim to history but last only two years on the market?

In Frenzy: The ColecoVision Games That Brought the Arcade Home, author Jamie Lendino investigates all these questions and more. He explores not just the dozens of cartridges that revolutionized home gaming then (and still look impossibly good today) but the unexpected history and tragic downfall of the ColecoVision, and its redemption decades later thanks to enthusiasts whose add-ons, mods, repair tricks, and homebrew titles are keeping this groundbreaking console alive for new generations.

Whether you experienced the ColecoVision's short, thrilling moment in gaming's spotlight the first time around, or you are just discovering it now, Frenzy will thrust you into the center of the action-no quarters required.