Testing a 1981 Coleco Alien Attack Electronic Handheld Game

TL;DR

1981 Coleco Alien Attack handheld restored and tested; functions but has unintuitive controls.

Summary

Key Claims

• The Coleco Alien Attack handheld required Dremel work on corroded battery contacts to achieve continuity and function

  high confidence · Host describes taking a Dremel to contacts, spring, and base due to green and brown corrosion/rust

• The restored Alien Attack handheld is worth approximately $40

  medium confidence · Host states 'the working alien attack appears to be worth about 40 bucks' based on market assessment

• The game's control scheme requires holding down buttons to move, which is unintuitive

  high confidence · Host repeatedly discovers and comments on counterintuitive button-hold mechanic: 'You got to hold the button down to move. How not intuitive is that?'

• The device produces both video and sound output

  high confidence · Host states 'I do love that we got video and sound though'

Notable Quotes

• “You got to hold the button down to move. How not intuitive is that?”

  Mike Dust (Pinball Shenanigans host) @ ~2:00-2:15 — Captures frustration with poor UX design of 1981 handheld game; central complaint about gameplay mechanics

• “the working alien attack appears to be worth about 40 bucks”

  Mike Dust @ ~7:15 — Valuation assessment; establishes secondary market price point for functional unit

• “I did have to take a Dremel to these contacts, the spring and the base there, cuz they were pretty green and brown corrosion and rust”

  Mike Dust @ ~0:20-0:45 — Documents restoration process required to make non-functional unit operational

Entities

Topics

Sentiment

positive(0.72)— Host expresses satisfaction with successful restoration and functional device despite criticism of control design. Tone is upbeat and entertained throughout gameplay testing, though frustration evident with UX mechanics.