Editing Color Dreams (section)

==History==
While most companies that developed NES games obtained an official license from [[Nintendo]] to produce game cartridges, Color Dreams was unusual in that it developed NES games without an official license.<ref name="Weiss2009">{{cite book|last=Weiss|first=Brett|title=Classic Home Video Games, 1985–1988: A Complete Reference Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F01wiUr9LKQC|accessdate=28 February 2015|date=6 July 2009|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476601410}}</ref> To produce these unlicensed games, Color Dreams had to bypass the NES's "lock out" chip (the [[10NES]]).<ref name="woodyard">{{cite news|last=Woodyard |first=Chris|title=Nintendo Keeps Color Dreams Up Worrying Video Games|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=1990-10-24|page=5|quote=Color Dreams' games circumvent the Nintendo lockout chips and can therefore operate on the Nintendo system.}}</ref> The company successfully bypassed the system, developed a game (''[[Baby Boomer (video game)|Baby Boomer]]''), and released it in 1989. Several other titles followed in 1989 and 1990, including ''[[Captain Comic]]'', ''[[Crystal Mines]]'', and ''[[Robodemons]]''.

As a result of its reputation for releasing poor games, Color Dreams formed the label '''Bunch Games''' in 1990. Bunch Games was meant to be a label that Color Dreams could use to release lower quality games so that its reputation would not be damaged further. Using this label, Color Dreams published several English versions of games by [[Thin Chen Enterprise|Sachen]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NESWORLD.COM - COLOR DREAMS (UNLICENSED NINTENDO GAMES) |url=http://www.nesworld.com/colordreams.php |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=www.nesworld.com}}</ref>

In 1991, Color Dreams formed [[Wisdom Tree]] for the purpose of releasing [[Christian video games|Christianity-themed games]]. The Wisdom Tree label resulted in Color Dreams' best selling titles, including ''[[Spiritual Warfare (video game)|Spiritual Warfare]]'' and ''[[Bible Adventures]]''. Wisdom Tree is also noted for creating the only unlicensed [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] game to ever be released in North America, ''[[Super 3D Noah's Ark]]''.<ref name="Matulef">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-14-unlicensed-snes-game-super-3d-noahs-ark-to-be-reprinted|title=Unlicensed SNES game Super 3D Noah's Ark to be reprinted|last=Matulef|first=Jeffrey|date=14 January 2014|work=[[Eurogamer]]|accessdate=28 February 2015}}</ref> While Wisdom Tree remains active today and is still selling religious video games, Color Dreams left the video game business in 1996 to focus on digital camera development, now trading as StarDot Technologies.<ref name="Deforest"/><ref name="Gibson"/><ref name="stardot">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/Stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=8160347|title=Color Dreams, Inc.: Private Company Information|work=Businessweek|publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|accessdate=28 February 2015}}</ref>

===Cancelled projects===
One Color Dreams project that was never released was a game based on the movie ''[[Hellraiser]]''.<ref name="Deforest"/> The game cartridge, or "Super Cartridge" as it was called at the time, contained an extra processor that modified the tiles in the cartridge [[RAM]] without alerting the NES processor. This allowed for enhanced graphic effects rarely seen on the NES, such as a fully animated background running without the lag usually found with such tricks. The extra processor also performed [[palette swap]]ping between [[scan line|scans]] of the TV to give the illusion of extra color. Because of delays in production, development problems, lack of a market for unlicensed games based on horror movies, and the exorbitant amount of money it took to make each Super Cartridge, the project was eventually abandoned.<ref name="NESWorld">{{cite web|url=http://www.nesworld.com/colordreams2.php|title=Color Dreams|work=NESWorld.com|accessdate=28 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="gamasutra">{{Cite web |title=How a Hellraiser tie-in became Super 3D Noah's Ark |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/how-a-hellraiser-tie-in-became-i-super-3d-noah-s-ark-i- |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Legacy ===
In August 2011, Ken Beckett, the programmer of ''[[Crystal Mines]]'', released the [[source code]] under a custom [[permissive license]] to the public.<ref>[http://pdroms.de/nintendoentertainmentsystem/crystal-mines-source-code-nes-game Crystal Mines (Source Code) (NES Game)] on pdroms.de (Aug 26, 2011)</ref><ref>[http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?t=8057  Post subject: Crystal Mines Source Code Released] on nesdev.com (August 2011)</ref> Artwork is still proprietary, but can be shared for non-commercial, personal use.<ref>[http://gilgalad.arc-nova.org/vgscr/nes/Crystal%20Mines%20(NES)%2011151989%20Version.zip Crystal%20Mines%20(NES)%2011151989%20Version.zip] in "Crystal Mines License.txt" ''"Ken's license: - The name "Crystal Mines", the graphics, sound, music, and the levels are NOT open source. People other than me worked on them, and for that version of the game actually got royalties and still have ownership. It's OK to possess them for personal use, but they can't be reused in a new game or distributed for profit. - As the sole author of the code, I (Ken Beckett) will allow the source code for the NES version to be used in other works, provided that: A) Credit is given to 'Ken Beckett' in both the portions of re-used source code AND in the credits of the new game, and B) That the code is modified sufficiently such that the new game is not easily recognizable as being Crystal Mines with new graphics/sound/music. -Ken"''</ref>