Coleco has been in the gaming industry for about 42 years now, first getting its foot wet in 1976 with the release of the Telestar, and throughout the years, the company has been deemed classic gaming brand to many. Today, Coleco announced through a Kickstarter that they would be bringing back their famous mini arcades with the release of Rainbow Brite: Journey to Rainbow Land (1983) and Robotech: The Macross Saga (1985) in their new line of Coleco Evolved Mini Arcades.
These mini arcades started as a way for players back in the 80s to experience the thrill of the arcades in the comfort of their own home. For years, gamers have asked Coleco to bring back these devices, and finally, the wait it over. The return of the mini arcades will also bring a bunch of modern-day improvements to these devices: full color display, a powerful new gaming chip set, revamped joystick and accurate action buttons, and a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack. As a nice little old-school touch, the mini arcades will have a colorful art wrap of their respective game.
Although the Kickstarter page states that these new mini arcades would only be shipped out if the campaign reached $30,000 in funding, the funding requirement has already been met, and it was impressively done in less than 24 hours. With over $32,000 in funding, and 29 more days to go in the campaign, there is still plenty of time for collectors to get their hands on some exclusive Kickstarter backer.
Early bird specials are still currently available for both arcades, with each being priced at $45 at the moment or $85 for the complete set. After early bird specials have run out, the mini arcades will then be priced at $55 each or $105 for both. For the ultimate collectors, there are a handful of limited edition, Kickstarter-only mini arcades that are available while supplies last. Priced at $200 each game, collectors can get either Rainbow Brite: Journey to Rainbow Land shot in a special metallic silver color or Robotech: The Macross Saga in a special metallic gold color. There is also a $400 pack for both games, but there is no discount for this selection. Hurry fast, however, as only 50 will be produced for each arcade game.
The Coleco Evolved Mini Arcades are expected to be shipped out around September of this year, and after the pre-order period has ended, the arcades will be priced at $69 MSRP for each individual arcade game.