If you want a short answer to the thumbnail question, it's NO. Smart framebuffer chips for early 8-bit computers are very primitive and mostly geared towards text-based and CAD programs instead of games.
The video chip of choice for the HEC is the V9958 which combines a tile-based graphics engine and a game/demo-oriented smart framebuffer. However, HEC being HEC, these are still very good options for third-party add-on cards!