website/content/museum/teleng-colourstars.md

---
title: TELENG Colourstars
categories:
- Consoles
origins:
- United Kingdom
params:
  name: Colourstars
  image: /media/museum/photos/teleng_colourstars_1s.jpg
  company: /companies/teleng
  company_name: TELENG
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Colourstars
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Teleng
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: United Kingdom
  - label: YEAR
    value: ? Unknown
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Two detachable controllers with analog joysticks and a fire button
  - label: CPU
    value: None. Chipsets are located in each cartridge
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: Unknown (very blocky)
  - label: COLORS
    value: 'Yes'
  - label: SOUND
    value: yes, built-in speaker
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: Unknown
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Power in, TV RF video output, light gun connectors
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: Cartridges
  - label: OS
    value: 7 cartridges
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: External power supply (9v, 200ma, - -(o- + ) or 6 x AA/HP2 batteries
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      Kit : £28.90 (UK)\
      Assembled : £35.90 (UK)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  - software
  - links
  photos:
  - title: TELENG COLOURSTARS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/teleng_colourstars_1.jpg
  - title: DEFAULT CONTROLLERS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/teleng_colourstars_controllers.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: UK ADVERT
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Teleplay advert for the Teleng Colourstars

      Thanks to [Double Dragon Retro Mess](http://www.geocities.com/doubledragon0uk//Home.html) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/pubs/teleng_colourstars_pub-teleplay.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: STUNT CYCLE ACCELERATOR CONTROLLER
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      This special controller was used with Stunt Cycle game. Its unique vertical slider controls the moto cycle acceleration.

      Thanks to [Double Dragon Retro Mess](http://www.geocities.com/doubledragon0uk//Home.html) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/hardware/teleng_colourstars_stunt-cycle_controller.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: CARTRIDGE
    subtitle: ''
    text: 'This cartridge, based on the AY-3-8610 chipset from General Instrument, includes 10 pong games : solo squash, gridball, solo basketball, target, solo target, squash, hockey, tennis, basketball and football.'
    image: /media/museum/software/teleng_colourstars_ball_cart.jpg
  links:
  - title: INTERNAL LINK
    url: http://www.old-computers.com/magazine/view.asp?r=2&a=4
    text: Article comparing the different GI catridge based systems
  comments:
  - author: Jim Bragg (Australia)
    date: Wednesday 7th July 2021
    text: I started working at teleng in 1972 (Sth Ockendon UK) the games consul was under development then and was on sale in 1973.
  - author: Peter Shirley-Quirk (United Kingdom)
    date: Saturday 27th March 2021
    text: Found your interesting site just as I was listing one of these consoles. Thanks for the background info.
  - author: alan thompson (United Kingdom)
    date: Sunday 28th February 2021
    text: i have one of these games consul with several game pods.
  - author: Garry Grierson (United Kingdom)
    date: Sunday 17th May 2020
    text: |-
      I had one of these from when they came out, but didn''t start collecting the cartridges until much later.

      I would like to find a pin-out of the cartridge slot, to see if this could be used with a modern controller chip like the AT Mega.
  - author: wayne (United Kingdom)
    date: Wednesday 15th April 2015
    text: is there a av mod for these
  - author: Webmaster (France)
    date: Tuesday 9th September 2008
    text: Yes please, that would be perfect. We need pictures of the systems itself, boxes, cartridges, scan of docs or adverts, anything. Thanks again.
  - author: Lee
    date: Sunday 7th September 2008
    text: hi I have just found a teleng system still boxed and working in the attic do you require any photos or document images.
  related:
  - /museum/audiosonic-tele-sports-iv
  - /museum/bandai-tv-jack-5000
  - /museum/h-g-s-electronic-telesport
  - /museum/hanimex-sd-070-colour-programmable-tv-game-console
  - /museum/mbo-teleball-cassetten-system
  - /museum/palladium-tele-cassetten-game
  - /museum/polycon-pg-7-programmable-tv-games
  - /museum/poppy-9015
  - /museum/prinztronic-micro-5500
  - /museum/rollet-video-secam-system-4-303
  - /museum/s-h-g-black-point-fs-1003-fs-2000
  - /museum/sanwa-9015
  - /museum/unimex-mark-ix
  oc_id: 1199
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230614011053/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1199
    date: '2023-06-14'
---

This is a typical system using catridges based on the different chipsets developped by General Instruments in the late 70s. Each GI chips was able to generate several games, ball games for a start, then later car racing, motorcycle, submarines, tanks and shooting games.

The system has two detachable controllers with one analog joystick and one fire button each. A big numbered dial in the middle of the control panel is used to select the different games offered by each cartridge (10 being the maximum). Three option switches (A,B,C), a power switch and a RESET button can also be found.

The original fact with the Teleng Colourstars is its unusual design. First, it looks like a classic pong systems, but when looking closer, there is a cartridge slot on the right side of the system (unusual placement for a cartridge slot).

Seven games seem to have been released for the Teleng Coloustars: Ball/Paddle, Submarines, Space War, Wipe out, Stunt Cycle, Tank Battle and Road Race.

The Tank Battle game produced by the AY-3-8710 chip from General Instruments, is often missing from available cartridges for this type of systems (based upon GI chips). There is one good reason. All the other games use analog controllers whereas the Tank Battle must be played with digital controllers (like direction buttons for example). And all these video-game systems were designed with analog controllers and no numeric ones. However, some systems, like the Teleng Colourstars (and the [Polycon PG-7](/museum/polycon-pg-7-programmable-tv-games/), [Prinztronic Micro 5500](/museum/prinztronic-micro-5500/) or [SHG Blackpoint](/museum/s-h-g-black-point-fs-1003-fs-2000/)) offered optional digital controllers (pads with 5 buttons: directions and fire) with the Tank Battle cartridge...

The Stunt Cycle cartridge can normally be played with default controllers as it only require vertical movements for acceleration, but Teleng offered with the cartridge a special one made of a simple vertical slider, which is quite uncommon for this type of system.

The Teleng Colourstars was also marketed as the Mercury Commander, Sovriegn, Replay and Teleplay

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>