Which one do I buy?

[~llama]

So. I want to get my first Intellivision.

 

Which one do I buy? The original, or do I spend the premium to pick up an Intellivision II or an INTV III? Which ones have the best and/or most durable controllers? I'm buying this with an eye towards (1) playing entirely too much Utopia and AD&D, which I love in emulation, and (2) writing games for the thing.

 

Thanks. Any game recommendations would be appreciated, too. I tend to stay away from sports and gambling games, which the Intellivision seems to have three million of.

[accousticguitar]

I would go with the Intellivision I. It's about the same as the Intellivision III, and they both have better controllers than the Intellivision II.

[oldjd]

I would go with the Intellivision I. It's about the same as the Intellivision III, and they both have better controllers than the Intellivision II.

Agreed.Original Intellivision Plus I dont like the flimsy overlays on the controllers for the Intell II.They dont hold up well,and power packs are expensive

Games,my fav is Burgertime,and while Mattel had the reputation for better play sports games,well....agree with op....there just not much fun

Edited November 18, 2010 by oldjd

[jaybird3rd]

Glad to see you're interested in the Intellivision!

 

First of all, I would skip the INTV System III unless you're going to get into hardcore Intellivision collecting. The only real differences from the original Intellivision Master Component are cosmetic: a black case instead of brown, a power LED, and so forth. They're more scarce than either of the earlier models, and thus more expensive, but they won't do anything for you in terms of playing games that the earlier ones won't.

 

So, that leaves us with the original Intellivision and the Intellivision II. Either one of them would meet your needs, in my opinion, but here is a quick rundown of the various tradeoffs involved:

 

Intellivision Master Component: It is the larger of the two consoles, and the hardware is reportedly less reliable than the Intellivision II. Its controllers are the most comfortable, although they are not replaceable without opening the console. It is a good cosmetic match for the Intellivoice, which was only released in a brown case, and you'll also get to play the games that are incompatible with the Intellivision II. The power transformer is built into the console, so there's no AC adapter to lose.

 

Intellivision II: It is smaller, lighter, and (reportedly) more reliable than the original Intellivision, and it is a good cosmetic match for the later Intellivision add-ons: the ECS Computer Adaptor, the Music Synthesizer keyboard, and the System Changer (the latter of which will not work with the original Intellivision without a modification to the console). The controllers can be replaced without opening the console, but they're also less comfortable, and you can forget about opening them if they need to be repaired. There are compatibility issues with certain games, mostly mediocre Coleco titles. The AC adapter is unusual, and somehow always seems to be missing from the used systems that show up on eBay, so you might have to spend some extra money to replace it.

 

So, there are good arguments for and against both systems. If I was in your shoes and had to choose only one, though, I would go with the original Intellivision: the controllers are better and more easily disassembled for servicing, the consoles are cheaper and more readily available, and the compatibility with the games is better.

 

As for game recommendations: you might want to start by browsing the INTV Funhouse to see which ones catch your eye. Definitely see if you can get a hold of some of the later INTV Corporation releases, if you can find them at a reasonable price: games like Thunder Castle, Tower of Doom, Diner, and Thin Ice are among the best ever made for the Intellivision. If you like AD&D, you'll really love Tower of Doom.

 

Among the more common first-party titles, I'd recommend Night Stalker, Snafu, Shark! Shark!, Lock 'n' Chase, Bump 'n' Jump, Astrosmash, BurgerTime, Loco-Motion, TRON Deadly Discs, and the more common Intellivoice games (B-17 Bomber, Bomb Squad, and Space Spartans). All of these can be had very inexpensively, and the Intellivoice module itself is also fairly common. Among the third-party games, my favorites are Beamrider, Dreadnaught Factor, and Happy Trails from Activision, and Atlantis and Microsurgeon from Imagic.

 

One other recommendation: if you total up the games you would like to have and find that it would cost over $100 to get them all, you should seriously consider investing in a Cuttle Cart 3 instead. It's an excellent multi-cart that is compatible with nearly all the Intellivision games, and it will allow you to play games that are nearly impossible to find (or that were never released) on original cartridges. It is also a useful development tool, since it makes it easy for you to test new games on the original hardware!

 

EDIT: Here is the "Top 25" thread cmart604 referenced below.

[+cmart604]

So. I want to get my first Intellivision.

 

Which one do I buy? The original, or do I spend the premium to pick up an Intellivision II or an INTV III? Which ones have the best and/or most durable controllers? I'm buying this with an eye towards (1) playing entirely too much Utopia and AD&D, which I love in emulation, and (2) writing games for the thing.

 

Thanks. Any game recommendations would be appreciated, too. I tend to stay away from sports and gambling games, which the Intellivision seems to have three million of.

 

 

First of all. Excellent decision! I believe I saw you post in the programming thread earlier and I'm sure you discovered there are some great resources(people) here at AA. While not all of us are programmers there are many of us who most certainly will support(Paypal ) your homebrew efforts.

 

As for the systems the correct answer is get all of them, however if I was to pick one I would actually pick the Tandyvision version of the original. I find it to be more "solid" for lack of a better word. (Plus great dark woodgrain goodness).

 

The advantage of the INTV II and the Sears Super Video Arcade version is that the controllers are detachable and can be replaced easier (although you have to find replacements).

 

I find the controllers on the different versions of the original models (Mattel INTV 1, Tandy, Gte/Sylvania, Sears, INTV III and the Super Pro System) to be the most comfortable, with more "tactile" feedback from the buttons.

 

As far as writing games I think you'll likely want to get an Intellicart.

 

Game-wise, there are a lot of great games ex-sports and gambling, I'd suggest searching a thread from back in February entitled "Your Top 25 Intellivision games" where many of us weighed in. (Sorry about not linking to it, not my strength, and I suspect Jay will just do it. )

 

Welcome to the best place on the interwebs to discuss Intellivision.

 

 

EDIT: For the love of God, Jay beat me to it, and now you still don't have the thread link!

Edited November 18, 2010 by cmart604

[jaybird3rd]

EDIT: For the love of God, Jay beat me to it, and now you still don't have the thread link!

Fortunately, every post I write is a living document, at least until I can't edit them anymore!

 

I just added the link.

[+cmart604]

EDIT: For the love of God, Jay beat me to it, and now you still don't have the thread link!

Fortunately, every post I write is a living document, at least until I can't edit them anymore!

 

I just added the link.

 

 

Thanks buddy!

[OldAtarian]

Original but I'd go for the Sylvania or Tandyvision versions if you can find them for the same price. The INTV System III and Super Pro System versions don't seem to hold their value as well as the early ones.

 

If you want something even more unique, the Sears model doesn't look like any other Intellivision out there.

Edited November 18, 2010 by OldAtarian

[+remowilliams]

I prefer the III myself, but the I will do nicely as well. Just avoid the II like the plague unless you are a masochist when it comes to controllers...

[tz101]

I voted for INTV III for one reason: age.

 

Think about it. INTV III was sold in the later 80's so the capacitors, resistors, chips, etc. are less aged than on the earlier models. Generally, less problems on less aged electronic components. With all classic consoles it is only a matter of time, and INTV I and II have had more time for the components to begin to break down.

 

Pretty simple decision, really.

[jd_1138]

Whoever owns the rights to IntelliVision ought to put out an IntelliVision IV that can play all the old cartridges. It'd be cheap as hell in 2010 to do this, and have it look similar to II/III but of course even more streamlined.

 

I'd order one so fast that I'd dislocate my right hand in the process. Atari should do likewise, but I don't think Atari has their act together enough to cash in on nostalgia. All Atari has are some PC games that only work with Windows XP. I know that Atari/Intelly has those little game things with like 10 games built in, but a full console would be better.

 

I have never owned an Intelligent Television, but I want one, and I want one bad. I like the look of the Intelly 2 and that computer module thingy looks good, but the original looks cool too. I just checked ebay and received some sticker shock. A working Intelly is kinda pricey.

[jaybird3rd]

I voted for INTV III for one reason: age.

 

Think about it. INTV III was sold in the later 80's so the capacitors, resistors, chips, etc. are less aged than on the earlier models. Generally, less problems on less aged electronic components. With all classic consoles it is only a matter of time, and INTV I and II have had more time for the components to begin to break down.

 

Pretty simple decision, really.

You might be surprised ... the last INTV System III console that I worked on had an original Intellivision motherboard inside. It had a Mattel "Recertified" sticker on it with a date code, so I figure it must have come from Mattel's spare parts department (I wish I had taken a picture of it). Maybe that's one of the reasons it was cheaper for INTV to stick with the original Intellivision design for the System III: they already had a bunch of parts on hand!

[jaybird3rd]

Whoever owns the rights to IntelliVision ought to put out an IntelliVision IV that can play all the old cartridges. It'd be cheap as hell in 2010 to do this, and have it look similar to II/III but of course even more streamlined.

 

I'd order one so fast that I'd dislocate my right hand in the process. Atari should do likewise, but I don't think Atari has their act together enough to cash in on nostalgia. All Atari has are some PC games that only work with Windows XP. I know that Atari/Intelly has those little game things with like 10 games built in, but a full console would be better.

I heard Keith Robinson talking a few years ago about the possibility of a Flashback-style Intellivision console or portable. At that time, it was apparently too cost-prohibitive to create an "Intellivision-on-a-chip" in the same way the Flashback 2 chipset was created, because they would have had to re-implement a 1610 and a bunch of other unusual chips that wouldn't be used in anything other than an Intellivision. Robinson speculated that if an Intel-compatible processor with adequate graphics could be made small enough and energy-efficient enough to be used in a new handheld, something built around an Intellivision emulator could be made.

 

Perhaps that situation has changed with the newer programmable embedded systems-on-chips; if so, it might be time to revisit that idea. I'd love to see a true Intellivision handheld, too, built right into a proper sixteen-direction hand controller.

[OldAtarian]

Whoever owns the rights to IntelliVision ought to put out an IntelliVision IV that can play all the old cartridges. It'd be cheap as hell in 2010 to do this, and have it look similar to II/III but of course even more streamlined.

 

I'd order one so fast that I'd dislocate my right hand in the process. Atari should do likewise, but I don't think Atari has their act together enough to cash in on nostalgia. All Atari has are some PC games that only work with Windows XP. I know that Atari/Intelly has those little game things with like 10 games built in, but a full console would be better.

 

I have never owned an Intelligent Television, but I want one, and I want one bad. I like the look of the Intelly 2 and that computer module thingy looks good, but the original looks cool too. I just checked ebay and received some sticker shock. A working Intelly is kinda pricey.

 

 

Sounds like a good idea to me. I'd buy one with an LCD screen that I could fit in my pocket.

 

 

How high are the prices you are seeing? If you can find one with 20 or 30 games for $100 that's a pretty good deal. I've found two of them so far that were going for less than that. It's only taken me about two months and $300 to acquire two Intellivisions and most of the games. I'm down to only hunting for rares now. It's taking me a lot less money to complete an Intellivision collection than any other console I've owned so far, which is surprising. It seems to be a largely overlooked machine at the moment.

Edited November 19, 2010 by OldAtarian

[jd_1138]

Sounds like a good idea to me. I'd buy one with an LCD screen that I could fit in my pocket.

 

I wouldn't even need it to be portable or have its own screen, as long as I can connect it to my TV. Just a remake of the Intelly, on a new console. Which using today's technology should be cheaper. It could probably easily run on an Arm processor or another cell phone processor, in emulation.

 

How high are the prices you are seeing? If you can find one with 20 or 30 games for $100 that's a pretty good deal. I've found two of them so far that were going for less than that. It's only taken me about two months and $300 to acquire two Intellivisions and most of the games. I'm down to only hunting for rares now. It's taking me a lot less money to complete an Intellivision collection than any other console I've owned so far, which is surprising. It seems to be a largely overlooked machine at the moment.

 

I saw Intelly some consoles for $80, just for the console and a few games. I guess that's not too pricey. Ataris are going for that or more. CV's seem to be cheaper. Right now, I have no classic consoles. I sold them all about a decade ago, so I'm like a thirsty man in the desert.

[chrisbid]

if you can find a sears unit, that is my favorite. the controllers are detachable and have straight cables. the only drawback is the lack of "Mattel Electronics Presents" on the titles screens.

[tz101]

the only drawback is the lack of "Mattel Electronics Presents" on the titles screens.

 

And why is that a drawback?

[~llama]

Just pulled the trigger on an INTV III with a bunch of games:

• AD&D
  
• AD&D: Treasure of Tarmin
  
• NFL Football
  
• Space Armada
  
• Astrosmash
  
• Tron Maze-A-Tron
  
• Utopia
  
• Tron Deadly Discs
  
• Major League Baseball
  
• Safecracker
  
• Microsurgeon
  
• NBA Basketball
  
• Demon Attack
  

 

Pretty good starter list, right? Plus I bought 3 games for $5 today at a local used game place (Pitfall, Snafu, and Beauty and the Beast). The only three INTV games they had.

 

I couldn't find an Intellivision I bundled with enough of the games I wanted to buy one, and the console I really wanted was the Sears Super Video Arcade, but the only one I found on eBay was out of my price range and came with 6 games, two of which were BurgerTime, which I figure I'll be able to find easily anyway.

[zylon]

Tandyvision!

[jd_1138]

Congrats on the Intelly purchase. Those Dungeons and Dragons games ought to be a blast. My brother and I had tons of fun with the version made for The Mattel Aquarius -- Intelly's sister console. We also had Discs of Tron, which was a blast.

[+cmart604]

Just pulled the trigger on an INTV III with a bunch of games:

• AD&D
• AD&D: Treasure of Tarmin
• NFL Football
• Space Armada
• Astrosmash
• Tron Maze-A-Tron
• Utopia
• Tron Deadly Discs
• Major League Baseball
• Safecracker
• Microsurgeon
• NBA Basketball
• Demon Attack

 

Pretty good starter list, right? Plus I bought 3 games for $5 today at a local used game place (Pitfall, Snafu, and Beauty and the Beast). The only three INTV games they had.

 

I couldn't find an Intellivision I bundled with enough of the games I wanted to buy one, and the console I really wanted was the Sears Super Video Arcade, but the only one I found on eBay was out of my price range and came with 6 games, two of which were BurgerTime, which I figure I'll be able to find easily anyway.

 

When I look at the list of games you got I'd say you've got an excellent intro to the INTV. Many of those games you'll find in the top 25 list we compiled earlier this year. Well done! Enjoy. I'm sure a few of us might be able to help you out with your next batch of games.

[jaybird3rd]

Pretty good starter list, right?

I should say! Not a bad set of games to start with at all!

 

I've still got a few loose Intellivision cartridges for sale here. They're all very common titles, but they're mostly ones that you don't have and they're incredibly cheap, so perhaps that can help you fill out your collection.

[tz101]

Nice find. And your system will last much longer because it has newer components inside

[ApolloBoy]

None of the above. Get one of these beauties instead:

 

EDIT: Whoops, didn't see that the OP already bought an INTV III. I guess I'll leave this here in case anyone else is asking the same question.

Edited November 26, 2010 by ApolloBoy

[~llama]

None of the above. Get one of these beauties instead:

 

EDIT: Whoops, didn't see that the OP already bought an INTV III. I guess I'll leave this here in case anyone else is asking the same question.

 

Yeah. I really wanted a Super Video Arcade but I couldn't find one that came with very many games. I figure there's always time to get one later--I just wanted to start my Intellivision collection off on the right foot