Demon Attack

[atarifan88]

I've never been much of a Demon Attack fan because I played this first on the Atari and I always preferred Phoenix because of the boss stage at the end. When I saw a pic of Demon Attack for the Intellivision, I was taken by the background graphics that added to the visuals of the game. Since I have this on Intellivision Rocks, I thought I would give it a try not having any expectations. All I can say is this is way better than the Atari version and dare I say it's more fun to play than Astrosmash and Space Armada! Glad I gave this one a try. To quote George Plimpton "It's the closest thing to the real thing", or at least closer than Atari!

 

One thing I was surprised by, I found the Intellivision version to have a boss stage at the end. Does anyone remember if the Atari version has that? I don't seem to remember and thought it just kept repeating the levels while speeding up gameplay...

Edited March 2, 2018 by atarifan88

[Recycled]

No boss stage in the VCS version.

 

Never played the INTV version. Always thought that boss looked great.

[Intymike]

The Intellivision version of Demon Attack leaves a pretty good impression compared to the other versions of this game.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki_Kpk3hzcU

[Ignorama]

Buts it not really a great game in my opinion. Its not bad, Imagic made a pretty good average quality, but its just okay.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Ignorama

[+save2600]

It's very interesting what Imagic did and didn't do with some of their games across different platforms like this. The TI version is different yet! Atlantis is another one, where the gameplay was totally changed up. The enhanced graphics make sense, but to change the gameplay so much from the VCS version? Valiant efforts, but both games play better on the VCS IMO.

 

And then there's Activision, who just said screw it and kept their cross-platformed games about as vanilla as can be. To a fault.

[Jinks]

My take atari wins. Intellivision does not play like demon attack. The AI looks broken with simple enemy movements. Also the single coloured sprites look lame.

[wolfy62]

I love the Intellivision version of Demon Attack!

[discgolfer72]

trs - 80 is the best demon attack https://youtu.be/zxgDCNa_Yj0

then c64 https://youtu.be/afdFhPTyRWE

then intellivision https://youtu.be/lZvFLKWkFjA

vic-20 https://youtu.be/NHssh4h6SUQ

ti/99 https://youtu.be/7u5CgBxU048

Atari 2600 / 8bit https://youtu.be/gOYpwbhaE4E / https://youtu.be/WZ2oSY6qdEI

 

 

intellivision would be second but the controllers just kill the gameplay

 

if the Atari versions had the boss then it would be a tough call for first or second place

 

I wish the game was

trs - 80 gameplay

with ti/99 speech

intelivision backgrounds

Edited March 3, 2018 by discgolfer72

[mr_me]

There is something about the controls with Intellivision Demon Attack that bothers me but I don't think it's the controller; I think it's the programming. I can play the Atari 2600 version with an Intellivision controller no problem. The graphics might have been nice for 1982 but the moon just takes up valuable vertical space. The best version of Demon Attack is Phoenix for the Atari 2600.

 

---------

Atari Demon Attack was first, the Intellivision version added the Phoenix like mothership. Then they all had to have the mothership. There's an interview with the programmer here. http://www.classic-consoles-center.at/interviews/interview-with-gary-kato

Edited March 3, 2018 by mr_me

[spacecadet]

I always thought of the Intellivision version of Demon Attack as the original. I confess I don't know when they each came out, but at the time I just remember thinking the Intellivision version was the definitive version of Demon Attack.

 

I played the hell out of that game at the time.

[+intvsteve]

That TI-99 version looks like a bad LSD trip! Wow. Like how replacement gun rolls up.

 

Interesting variations on the Demon Attack theme all around.

[wolfy62]

It is always funny to me that people have trouble with the Intellivision controllers.

 

I grew up with them,so they never bothered me and it was fun to work with them to make any game more challenging,such as Baseball and Sea Battle etc.

 

I love the Intellivision!!!

[mr_me]

The disc works well but the side buttons are not well suited for shoot-em-ups. However, if you look at that interview I posted earlier, the interviewer also mentions a control problem specific to Demon Attack.

[mckafka99]

Not to side track the topic but re: Intellivision controllers - I would love to see an updated version of this controller turned horizontally with keypad/buttons on the right and no side buttons

[+save2600]

Pressing one of the keypad buttons enables auto-fire. Side button to cancel. Cheesy solution, but at least it's there.

 

Was just reading the Intellivision Funhouse review of it... guess it's a fairly buggy game? Sprites get stuck in a pattern, game locks up, etc. I've never played it that long to notice any of that, but the wonky collision detection is obvious of course and this is where the VCS version really outshines it; control and hit detection are spot on. The TI version is a sloppy mess by comparison. Intellivision's somewhere in between.

[+JasonlikesINTV]

Demon Attack is probably my favorite Imagic game for the Intellivision. I can't remember if I have the VCS version, but if I do I'll have to give it a try.

[BydoEmpire]

The VCS game is one of my favorites on the system, definitely in my top 10. The motion of the demons is so cool, and it's not overly difficult. I did really enjoy the Inty version when I was growing up. I always thought the increasing pitch of the beeps added a lot of tension, and of course the boss stage was cool. I just don't play it much these days, though.

[fsuinnc]

Demon attack is one of, it not THE, best game on the Magnovox O2 (IMO). I think it is one of the best games of its kind on every platform I have played it. (I suck at it on all platforms). Some elements of it are not as good on the Inty as on the A2600, but it is a million times better than Space Armada and I enjoy it at least as much or more than Astrosmash. (and speaking of Space Armada. To this day, Mattel should refund your purchase price if you show up at their door with a Space Armada cart.)

[+BBWW]

I really like the Intellivision version of Demon Attack. It was a game I came back to over and over again.

[m-crew]

one of my favorite's as well...

[Blimpers]

...but it is a million times better than Space Armada and I enjoy it at least as much or more than Astrosmash. (and speaking of Space Armada. To this day, Mattel should refund your purchase price if you show up at their door with a Space Armada cart.)

 

Space Armada is one of my favorite games for the intv, although the disc and side buttons made it frustrating at times. IMHO, it was impressively innovative for its time when compared to Space Invaders. The 2600 version had some minor tweaks to the formula, but Armada changed up the enemy weaponry with some cool stuff whereas the other console's Invaders clones didn't seem to (memory hazy on that though).

 

For me, Demon Attack didn't live up to its marketing. Imagic had some of the best, and surely the shiniest, boxes out there. As a kid, the box art was mindblowing and I begged my parents to buy it for me. But for me, DA was a minor disappointment. Phoenix the arcade game was fun, though.

 

It's interesting that Mattel didn't decide to clone Phoenix (1980) instead of or in addition to Space Invaders.

[fsuinnc]

 

Space Armada is one of my favorite games for the intv, although the disc and side buttons made it frustrating at times. IMHO, it was impressively innovative for its time when compared to Space Invaders. The 2600 version had some minor tweaks to the formula, but Armada changed up the enemy weaponry with some cool stuff whereas the other console's Invaders clones didn't seem to (memory hazy on that though).

 

 

 

To each his own. I'm glad you enjoy Space Armada and I know you are not alone. Something about the aliens being so darn big just made me dislike the game without giving it much play. Maybe that's the only way it can look on the intellivision but it seems the aliens take up too much of the total screen area.

[+save2600]

I like how the UFO passes right through a top row of invaders in Space Armada.

[mr_me]

 

Space Armada is one of my favorite games for the intv, although the disc and side buttons made it frustrating at times. IMHO, it was impressively innovative for its time when compared to Space Invaders. The 2600 version had some minor tweaks to the formula, but Armada changed up the enemy weaponry with some cool stuff whereas the other console's Invaders clones didn't seem to (memory hazy on that though).

 

For me, Demon Attack didn't live up to its marketing. Imagic had some of the best, and surely the shiniest, boxes out there. As a kid, the box art was mindblowing and I begged my parents to buy it for me. But for me, DA was a minor disappointment. Phoenix the arcade game was fun, though.

 

It's interesting that Mattel didn't decide to clone Phoenix (1980) instead of or in addition to Space Invaders.

Atari had the rights to both Galaxian and Phoenix but we didn't see cartridges for these 1979 and 1980 arcade games until 1983. Why the delay? Atari was working on seven or eight Intellivision games but that did not include Galaxian or Phoenix. Maybe they thought with Intellivision Demon Attack already out they'd focus on other titles. By 1983, these "fixed shooters" were looking dated anyway.

 

http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/space.html#arcade

APh was working on an Intellivision Galaxian conversion back in 1980/81; there are no screenshots and it is unknown how much work was done. About the same time, Astrosmash was being programmed, originally as an Asteroids conversion; and there was Space Armada. Mattel was doing conversions without licensing and then changed their minds. I think Galaxian could be done on Intellivision but a Phoenix conversion would be tough as some screens have too many moving objects.

 

Space Armada might be a fine video game but it's not a good Space Invaders conversion. Not enough lateral movement and the aliens are too big. Atari even reduced the number of alien columns to get the correct action. I think a decent Space Invaders conversion is possible on Intellivision.

Edited March 6, 2018 by mr_me

[+DZ-Jay]

 

To each his own. I'm glad you enjoy Space Armada and I know you are not alone. Something about the aliens being so darn big just made me dislike the game without giving it much play. Maybe that's the only way it can look on the intellivision but it seems the aliens take up too much of the total screen area.

 

Same with me. It's a good game, but those aliens are just too darn big! Even when I was a kid, to me it looked like a "Fisher Price" version of Space Invaders.