Color Dreams
| Industry | Formerly Video games Currently Electronics (as StarDot Technologies) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| Defunct | Template:End date and age |
| Fate | reorganized as StarDot Technologies |
| Successor | Wisdom Tree StarDot Technologies |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Dan Lawton (founder/co-owner) |
| Products | Various Nintendo Entertainment System games IP cameras (as StarDot Technologies) |
Color Dreams (operating as StarDot Technologies) is an American company initially recognized for creating unlicensed NES titles before transitioning in the mid-1990s to developing IP cameras and surveillance solutions.
History
Rather than obtaining official licensing from Nintendo, Color Dreams circumvented Nintendo's 10NES lockout system to release unauthorized NES games. Their debut release, Baby Boomer, appeared in 1989, followed by additional games such as Captain Comic, Crystal Mines, and Robodemons.
Due to criticism regarding the quality of their releases, Color Dreams introduced the Bunch Games imprint in 1990 to distinguish these offerings from their primary brand. Under this label, they published English-language versions of titles originally developed by Sachen.
In 1991, the company launched the Wisdom Tree label dedicated to Christian-themed video games, which became their most commercially successful division with popular titles like Spiritual Warfare and Bible Adventures. Wisdom Tree also produced the only unlicensed SNES game released in North America, titled Super 3D Noah's Ark.
While Wisdom Tree remains active in distributing religious-themed games, Color Dreams withdrew from the video game market in 1996 to focus on digital camera technology under the StarDot Technologies name.
Cancelled projects
One notable unreleased Color Dreams title was a game inspired by the film Hellraiser. This "Super Cartridge" incorporated an additional processor that improved graphics by altering cartridge RAM invisibly to the NES CPU, enabling advanced visual effects such as fully animated backgrounds and palette swaps for expanded color use. Nevertheless, due to delays in production, development challenges, a limited audience for unlicensed horror-themed games, and expensive manufacturing costs, this project was ultimately discontinued.
Legacy
In August 2011, Ken Beckett, programmer of Crystal Mines, made its source code publicly available under a custom permissive license. Although the original artwork remains proprietary and restricted to personal non-commercial use, Beckett allows reuse of the code in other creations provided proper attribution is given and sufficient modifications are made to ensure distinction from the original title.
Video games published by Color Dreams
The following list includes titles developed primarily for the Nintendo Entertainment System unless otherwise noted.
- Baby Boomer (1989)
- Captain Comic (1989; also known as The Adventures of Captain Comic)
- Crystal Mines (1989)
- Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu (1989; developed by Joy Van)
- Metal Fighter (1989; U.S. adaptation of Joyvan Kid, developed by Joy Van)
- Raid 2020 (1989)
- Challenge of the Dragon (1990)
- King Neptune's Adventure (1990)
- Menace Beach (1990)
- P'radikus Conflict (1990)
- Pesterminator: The Western Exterminator (1990)
- Robodemons (1990)
- Silent Assault (1990; U.S. version of Raid, developed by Joy Van)
- Captain Comic II: Fractured Reality (1990; MS-DOS exclusive)
- Operation Secret Storm (1991)
- Secret Scout in the Temple of Demise (1991)
- Crystal Mines II (1992; Atari Lynx exclusive)
- Free Fall (prototype)
Under the Bunch Games Label
- Castle of Deceit (1990)
- Galactic Crusader (1990; U.S. adaptation of Incantation, created by Joy Van)
- Mission Cobra (1990; U.S. edition of Sidewinder, developed by Joy Van)
- Moon Ranger (1990; produced by Odyssey Software)
- Tagin' Dragon (1990; U.S. version of Colorful Dragon, made by Sachen)
Under the Wisdom Tree Brand
- Bible Adventures (1991)
- Exodus (1991)
- King of Kings: The Early Years (1991)
- Joshua & the Battle of Jericho (1992)
- Spiritual Warfare (1992)
- Bible Buffet (1993)
- Super 3D Noah's Ark (1994; available on Super NES and MS-DOS)
- Sunday Funday (1995)