Yes, the Color Computer 3 was, in many ways, the penultimate machine-of-the-line in the TRS-80 set. It's still an 8-bit machine, but it's a faster one than the earlier systems. It has a much improved graphics chip capable of 16-color 320x200 graphics and 4-color 640x200 graphics. The software overclock (known as the "speed-up POKE") was faster and not actually overclocking the processor anymore. (A large number of Radio Shack repairs done on TRS-80's was replacing a melted processor because somebody left the speed-up poke going too long.)
Unfortunately, it didn't release until 1986. By then, the Nintendo had started to revive the console industry, and the 16-bit machines had started to arrive. I remember that Radio Shack carried CoCo software for another two years or so, a brief flourish, and then it started to wane. Rainbow magazine was canceled in 1995, and when it ended, so did the CoCo community, at least until the advent of the Internet.
Unfortunately the CoCo3 community had a few problems. One, in order to SEE the high-res graphics, you had to get an RGB monitor. Tandy made sure you couldn't hook up a generic one; a special plug was needed that was only available on their unit. The other problem was there were two disk-based operating systems for the CoCo, OS9 and Tandy Basic. The schism of the two divided the community and made software development a real pain and not worth pursuing.
Still, I'm really glad to see that old obscure games like this can see the light of day today. And kudos to the developers of old for making them available!
FYI, Grimjak is Stu's chosen name in most CRPG's.
Yes, the Color Computer 3 was, in many ways, the penultimate machine-of-the-line in the TRS-80 set. It's still an 8-bit machine, but it's a faster one than the earlier systems. It has a much improved graphics chip capable of 16-color 320x200 graphics and 4-color 640x200 graphics. The software overclock (known as the "speed-up POKE") was faster and not actually overclocking the processor anymore. (A large number of Radio Shack repairs done on TRS-80's was replacing a melted processor because somebody left the speed-up poke going too long.)
Unfortunately, it didn't release until 1986. By then, the Nintendo had started to revive the console industry, and the 16-bit machines had started to arrive. I remember that Radio Shack carried CoCo software for another two years or so, a brief flourish, and then it started to wane. Rainbow magazine was canceled in 1995, and when it ended, so did the CoCo community, at least until the advent of the Internet.
Unfortunately the CoCo3 community had a few problems. One, in order to SEE the high-res graphics, you had to get an RGB monitor. Tandy made sure you couldn't hook up a generic one; a special plug was needed that was only available on their unit. The other problem was there were two disk-based operating systems for the CoCo, OS9 and Tandy Basic. The schism of the two divided the community and made software development a real pain and not worth pursuing.
Still, I'm really glad to see that old obscure games like this can see the light of day today. And kudos to the developers of old for making them available!
(Edit: Corrected date of Rainbow's cancellation)