Intellivision II questions and observations

[+save2600]

Just received one of these yesterday and was wondering what was up with the power button. Seems it turns the console on and allows resets, but never shuts it off to safely remove and reinsert a game cartridge. Is this "normal" for the INTV II?

 

It also does not play a majority of my Coleco games. Only Lady Bug and DK Jr. work on it. The other games just give me a blank green screen. I've read about the lockout code, but was surprised that such an iconic game as DK was blocked Just thought there were only a few games affected by this. Oh and the manual for Mousetrap depicts both the INTV II and INTV I systems as working, but the box has a sticker on it that reads: "NOT for INTV II". lol

 

Controllers are better than I expected, although the side buttons are kinda strange as you don't really "push" anything in. Barely touch the hard plastic and you're firing shots or whatever. Also like the smaller disc pad. Because of the smaller pad and sensitive side buttons, these controllers may actually be better at the arcade type games though. Seemed like it for the few minutes I tried 'em out anyway. Might not be so ergonomic as others have pointed out though.

 

What also strikes me odd is the fact they didn't integrate the speech module inside the thing. I know the little system was all about cost reduction, but seems that would have been a logical step to take and maybe more developers would have had more of an incentive to program for it. Plugging in that big brown bastard next to this system would be really stupid looking. lol

 

Machine sports excellent RF output too!

 

All in all, kind of a cute if not quirky little system.

Edited October 17, 2010 by save2600

[edintv]

Hi,

 

You described very well known features of the system.

 

Yhe power button shut down the system if you hold it long enough, buy i´ve seen a console with a malfunction that can´t power off that way.

 

In a attemp to limit the "unlicensed" third party games, thay added a code in the software. the only company affected was Coleco (and Mattel himself, but only a few minor differences in a few titles)

 

About the intellivoice, the IntvII was a low cost version of the console (from 300$ to 60$ I think) and i remember rrading that the Intellivoice was an already cancelled project (tha´s way only 5 games) 2 big reasons for not include the module in the design.

 

The controllers has pros and cons, as a kid i only had and Itnv 1 and my hand are used to it, and i think the classic Atari controller is the one with poor design that make my hand in pain after playing a while.

[jaybird3rd]

Just received one of these yesterday and was wondering what was up with the power button. Seems it turns the console on and allows resets, but never shuts it off to safely remove and reinsert a game cartridge. Is this "normal" for the INTV II?

As edintv says, the combination power/reset button does not power down the system unless you hold it down; I think you're supposed to hold it for three seconds. It's apparently possible to reduce that amount of time with an internal modification (replacing a resistor, as I recall), but I've never tried it.

 

Controllers are better than I expected, although the side buttons are kinda strange as you don't really "push" anything in. Barely touch the hard plastic and you're firing shots or whatever. Also like the smaller disc pad. Because of the smaller pad and sensitive side buttons, these controllers may actually be better at the arcade type games though. Seemed like it for the few minutes I tried 'em out anyway. Might not be so ergonomic as others have pointed out though.

The Intellivision II controllers aren't nearly as bad as their reputation would suggest. The Intellivision II is my main Intellivision gaming system, and the controllers don't really bother me. People seem to have some funny ideas about how Intellivision controllers should be held/used, and I think that's what accounts for a lot of the bad reviews.

 

What also strikes me odd is the fact they didn't integrate the speech module inside the thing. I know the little system was all about cost reduction, but seems that would have been a logical step to take and maybe more developers would have had more of an incentive to program for it. Plugging in that big brown bastard next to this system would be really stupid looking.

There was some talk about doing that (Don Daglow mentioned this during one of his CGE keynotes), and it is unfortunate that Mattel decided against it. There was a mockup made of an Intellivoice II, which was designed to match the Intellivision II, and I think it would have also included multiple languages. It was pictured in Mattel's January 1983 catalog, but it was only a painted block of wood; no working prototype was ever made.

 

I really wish they had at least included the Intellivoice in the ECS Computer Adaptor: there was plenty of room for it, and it would have made the Computer Adaptor more useful. As it is, there are only a few games that can take advantage of it, which is also very unfortunate.

[+save2600]

Thanks guys. Yeah, the system does shut off after about 3 seconds of holding the button in.

 

Gave her a good bath and now she looks like new! Only other problem I've noticed is with Tron Deadly Discs. Game freezes up after a minute or two of playing. This is a Mattel release, so that shouldn't be happening. And yes, cart contacts are super clean.

 

Anyone notice any other glitchy problems with their INTV II?

Edited October 17, 2010 by save2600

[edintv]

Thanks guys. Yeah, the system does shut off after about 3 seconds of holding the button in.

 

Gave her a good bath and now she looks like new! Only other problem I've noticed is with Tron Deadly Discs. Game freezes up after a minute or two of playing. This is a Mattel release, so that shouldn't be happening. And yes, cart contacts are super clean.

 

Anyone notice any other glitchy problems with their INTV II?

 

Hi,

 

I recommend you that open the cart (I think your game probably has screws) and apply an erasor to the contacts, for my expierence, the only contacts who don´t give trouble are the ones who are shinning like a mirror. you can apply that erasor the legs of the chips and the tracks, i have recover 98% of my games with that method.

[+save2600]

I recommend you that open the cart (I think your game probably has screws) and apply an erasor to the contacts, for my expierence, the only contacts who don´t give trouble are the ones who are shinning like a mirror. you can apply that erasor the legs of the chips and the tracks, i have recover 98% of my games with that method.

 

No, the edge contacts are super clean. Even the female connectors in the machine itself. I happen to have another Tron Deadly Discs (poor label) and it does NOT freeze up like the other one. In fact, I just tested it in my INTV I system and discovered it's actually a defective cartridge as it freezes there too! lol Now to find the bum that sold it to me (just bought a bunch of Intellivision games here). lmao

 

Oh and of course, the Tron game with the decent label does not have screws. Damn thing is glued shut

[edintv]

I recommend you that open the cart (I think your game probably has screws) and apply an erasor to the contacts, for my expierence, the only contacts who don´t give trouble are the ones who are shinning like a mirror. you can apply that erasor the legs of the chips and the tracks, i have recover 98% of my games with that method.

 

No, the edge contacts are super clean. Even the female connectors in the machine itself. I happen to have another Tron Deadly Discs (poor label) and it does NOT freeze up like the other one. In fact, I just tested it in my INTV I system and discovered it's actually a defective cartridge as it freezes there too! lol Now to find the bum that sold it to me (just bought a bunch of Intellivision games here). lmao

 

Oh and of course, the Tron game with the decent label does not have screws. Damn thing is glued shut

 

For those with no screws, i use a small flat head screw driver, as a lever with small pressure until the cover lift up, clean the cart and reglue (with a soft glue, in case you need to reopen) I´m a expert on the technique and you can´t tell that the cart was open is you do it wrigth. is a common Cart, you can experimento on it. What is worse a non-working games or a working or a working one not mint?.

 

I'm 99% sure that your problem is cleaning in the cart you can practice some "emargency recoveries" on common cart to get ready for a failling Spiker..

[+save2600]

I'm 99% sure that your problem is cleaning in the cart you can practice some "emargency recoveries" on common cart to get ready for a failling Spiker..

Thanks buddy, but I cleaning cartridges long time. 30+ years now - so I know it's not that

 

The cart is now in the bin. I tried opening it very carefully to swap the boards, but ended up putting a gouge into it. Easier to just get a replacement at this point.

Edited October 18, 2010 by save2600

[jaybird3rd]

The cart is now in the bin. I tried opening it very carefully to swap the boards, but ended up putting a gouge into it. Easier to just get a replacement at this point.

When Intellivision cartridges fail, they seem to fail in some very unusual ways. Cleaning usually brings them back, but I've seen others where the chips themselves seem to have gone bad. Fortunately, Tron Deadly Discs is a common title, so the time you'd spend trying to recover it beyond a simple cleaning wouldn't be worth it; you might as well just replace it.

[edintv]

The cart is now in the bin. I tried opening it very carefully to swap the boards, but ended up putting a gouge into it. Easier to just get a replacement at this point.

When Intellivision cartridges fail, they seem to fail in some very unusual ways. Cleaning usually brings them back, but I've seen others where the chips themselves seem to have gone bad. Fortunately, Tron Deadly Discs is a common title, so the time you'd spend trying to recover it beyond a simple cleaning wouldn't be worth it; you might as well just replace it.

 

Well, as i said, you need the experience to recover carts and better practice with commons first, when a Stadium Mud Buggies gets in your hands and presents problem, you need to know how fix it leaving the cart as mint as possible.

 

The only carts i cannot recover are the ones with bad chips as Jay says, but they just give you a blank screen

 

Mi most uncommon recoveries a completely rust cart (i mean rusted contact, tracks and chips) was a common title (sub hunt) but was really fun to get it to work. An Activision cart, Stampede, was assembly with the cart upside down. and the most groos: a cart with a roach egg on it.

[jaybird3rd]

Here is the worst one I've ever had:

 

 

This was a World Series Baseball cartridge that I got in a dud eBay lot earlier this year. I've successfully cleaned cartridges before, but I don't think any amount of cleaning could have brought this one back. It went into my scrap pile.

[+save2600]

Here is the worst one I've ever had:

 

 

This was a World Series Baseball cartridge that I got in a dud eBay lot earlier this year. I've successfully cleaned cartridges before, but I don't think any amount of cleaning could have brought this one back. It went into my scrap pile.

 

I've seen arcade stuff come in like that. A little bit of vinegar/baking soda mixture and a toothbrush helps take care of a lot of that corrosion - but if the acid or oxidation creeps into the actual chip or component, little you can do for it

 

I've never seen a console video game cartridge look as bad as that though! Oh wait - yes I have. 8-Bit Nintendo carts due to dummies blowing and spitting into their cartridges in order to get them to "work"

[edintv]

Here is the worst one I've ever had:

 

 

This was a World Series Baseball cartridge that I got in a dud eBay lot earlier this year. I've successfully cleaned cartridges before, but I don't think any amount of cleaning could have brought this one back. It went into my scrap pile.

 

I don´t have that game and Maybe i can do something with it, how much do you want for it?

[jaybird3rd]

I don´t have that game and Maybe i can do something with it, how much do you want for it?

Fortunately, I still have it, along with both controller overlays. I'll PM you.

[+cmart604]

Here is the worst one I've ever had:

 

 

This was a World Series Baseball cartridge that I got in a dud eBay lot earlier this year. I've successfully cleaned cartridges before, but I don't think any amount of cleaning could have brought this one back. It went into my scrap pile.

 

 

WOW! Sorry to see you got screwed on that jay. That thing is awful looking. Of course it had to be a notable game like WS and not Blackjack. Bummer.

[icbrkr]

When I was a kid, I found out that a lot of carts, for some reason, need pressure applied to the carts from the top for them to not freeze/lock up due to connectivity issues on the cart port. In other words - a dictionary or some heavy book resting on the edge of the cart Still works today.

[Chuck D. Head]

When I was a kid, I found out that a lot of carts, for some reason, need pressure applied to the carts from the top for them to not freeze/lock up due to connectivity issues on the cart port. In other words - a dictionary or some heavy book resting on the edge of the cart Still works today.

Funny, I had to do the opposite last night on a few carts I was trying for the first time...I rested the end of the cart on something (in this case the loose intellivoice was handy) to get them to work... Morgan

[BassGuitari]

 

It also does not play a majority of my Coleco games. Only Lady Bug and DK Jr. work on it. The other games just give me a blank green screen. I've read about the lockout code, but was surprised that such an iconic game as DK was blocked Just thought there were only a few games affected by this. Oh and the manual for Mousetrap depicts both the INTV II and INTV I systems as working, but the box has a sticker on it that reads: "NOT for INTV II". lol

 

 

 

Just so you know (in case you don't by now), Zaxxon and Turbo will also play on the Intellivision II. So, all in all, an even half of Coleco's cartridges will play on an Intellivision II. (Donkey Kong Jr., Lady Bug, Turbo, and Zaxxon WILL PLAY; Donkey Kong, Carnival, Mouse Trap, and Venture DO NOT.)

 

The only one you might be missing out on is Venture, though.