Ransom

I'm going to have to give that another try. So many people like that game, but I've never understood why. Obviously I must not understand the game! Any pointers on getting the most out of it?

If only they'd ban the use of the word "Rare." It's amazing how many "rare" combat carts there are!

I just found the Angry Video Game Nerd about a month ago while doing a Youtube search for atari 5200 commercials. His 5200 review came up. I clicked on it, and...woah! That's one foul-mouthed motherf&@$er! I've now watched all of his videos (just watching one or two a day...I can't take more than that at once, simply because it gets too repetitive). I'd say he's a pretty good hobbyist filmmaker, writer, and actor. No, his reviews aren't 100% serious, but they are at least somewhat based in fact, and he has a way of dramatizing flaws that often gets an honest laugh out of me. I appreciate the fact that he's putting these things together, and that the technology exists today where anyone can do similar work for a very low cost, then share it with the world. That alone brings a smile to my face.

All of this is IMO... Donkey Kong is terrible on the Intellivision. It's probably the worst port of the game. (OTOH, Venture is quite good. Better than the ColecoVision version, even.) Pac-Man is good. I'd still rather play it on the A8/5200, but this version is well worth playing if you don't have one of those. Q*Bert is pretty good. Popeye...well, I'm not a good judge of this one, because there is NO platform on which I enjoy this game. Including the original arcade.

Ah! Thank you for the insight. I guess I came to the VCS just a little too late, because all the popular titles by that time were using the left controller jack for both joysticks and paddles. It was a pain in the kiester to remember that a couple titles required me to plug the controller into the right jack. But your explanation makes a lot of sense. You're right, if they could have standardized on Joystick1=Right Jack, Paddle1&2=Left Jack, then that would have been much more convenient. Thanks for opening my eyes!

Since the console was in the living room, yes, I did have to coil the cords up and put it all neatly away. Mom (and Dad!) thought the 5200 design was great when it comes to controller storage. But the size of the thing just absolutely blew it. The 2600 could be easily stored in our entertainment unit. The 5200? Ha!

I currently have 8 different systems permanently set up for videogame play (not including our Macs), but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate backwards compatibility. If anything, it means I appreciate it more! If the N64 played SNES and NES games, I'd be all over it. But as it is, I just don't have room for yet another system. So that one's off my list. And it's the same with many other perfectly good systems. Without BC, I'd either have a much smaller library of games to choose from, or my house would be cluttered up with systems in every room!

A great thing about Intellivision is that lots of the common games are very good. I do recommend you only buy the games complete in box. Having the instructions and overlays is often key, and having the box to store them in is handy. It shouldn't be too hard -- or too expensive -- to get the common games that way. Here are some of the games that I've found to be well worth the price: Beamrider - if you already have this for a two-button system, then don't bother with this one. Happy Trails - A nice puzzle game by Activision. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons - A close second to Adventure as the best action adventure game of all time. Astrosmash - A very fun shooter that actually adjusts its difficulty to your level of play Bump 'N' Jump - Probably the best console implementation of this at the time. Burgertime - Ditto Lock 'N' Chase - Ditto, plus it's just darned fun. Loco Motion - Another puzzle game, this one by Mattel, but similar to Happy Trails Shark! Shark! - Wonderful fun for two players SNAFU - Okay, it's just Surround, but it's fun! Space Armada - This Space Invaders clone is my second favorite behind the 2600 version; it gets challenging quick, but there are thoughtful touches to this one. Space Hawk - Asteroids, adjusted very well for the unique nature of the Intellivision. Star Strike - C'mon, you have to get this! It was their main arcade-style game used as a selling point! Tron Deadly Discs - Behind AD&D, this is my second most favorite game on the Intellivision. It's great fun, particularly at higher levels. Utopia - This has been called Civilization version 0.1. It was the first of the video games in that genre, as far as I know. As others have said, the Imagic games are all good on this platform. But I didn't mention any, since the best ones are the ones that are available for other platforms (where you might already own them) and the rest are not at the top of my list of Intellivision games. That said, it is worth checking out any of the Imagic games -- even ones you already own for some other platform -- because the Intellivision ones are often better, with more depth and better graphics. But it's not necessary to place a huge priority on getting them, in my opinion -- and many can be pricey.

I've always wondered this. I figure someone around here must know the answer! Why do some of the early games -- Slot Machine and Star Ship -- require the use of the right controller instead of the left? Was there a technical reason? Seemed ridiculous to me 30 years ago, and it still does!

I have a white Retro Duo (plays NES and SNES games). Complete in box, includes manual, cables, controllers, and power supply. I bought it less than a month ago and used it just a few times. I then figured out how to make my SNES and NES fit into my classic console setup, so I don't need the Retro Duo any more. If you are interested, we can make a trade. Here are some of the things I'm looking for: - SNES "Battle Cars" CIB - NES "Bubble Bobble" CIB - 2600 "Chopper Command" CIB - 2600 "Bowling" CIB - 2600 "Brain Games" CIB - 2600 "Breakout" CIB - 2600 "Demons to Diamonds" CIB - 2600 "Flag Capture" CIB - 2600 "Game of Concentration" CIB - 2600 "Hangman" CIB - 2600 "Human Cannonball" CIB - 2600 "Night Driver" CIB - 2600 "Pac-Man" CIB - 2600 "Warlords" CIB - Atari 7800 (first release, with expansion port) For 2600 games, I prefer the Warner-era items. If you'd like to offer other interesting game-related items, I'm open to suggestions. I collect for Atari 2600, Atari Lynx, Atari Jaguar, Atari 8-bit, NES, SNES, and Intellivision. I will also accept cash offers and will only charge actual shipping. If you want references, I've traded with Big-O before. PM me your offer. Best offer wins!

I wouldn't describe myself as a purist. I have 6-switch and 4-switch models of the 2600, and they're nice, but I would like to add 7800 compatibility to my currently set up systems without losing the ability to play 2600 games. Since I'm running out of room, that would mean putting the 2600 away and setting up a 7800. As long as the games don't look so different that it's jarring, then I won't mind. If it's just a tiny shade off, I probably wouldn't even notice. But if green things show up as blue or something like that, I probably wouldn't care to use the 7800. When they call you back about that, let me know.

Love this game...just love it. Played it in as a ROM a few times, but I had to have the cart, so I bought it last week. What a wonderful port of one of my favorite games!

You're welcome!

Some random questions for my fellow AAers' amusement.... 1) How many video games is "enough"? 2) How many ports of a given video game is "enough"? C) Is Adventure for the VCS the best commercially released video game of all time? IV) Should the industry move to flash-based carts to solve the load time problem of modern games? E) If you spend more than five minutes per day thinking about your video game collection, do you have a problem? 6) Is it wrong to feel as though damaging a video game, box, or instruction manual is a betrayal of future gamers that should be punishable by public flogging?

Really! That's a surprise. That would definitely make it a non-starter for me. I thought the 7800 had a 2600 built in, essentially. It does. RT is trained to notice small random changes in things Seriously, you can find differences between models of 2600's, even of the same type. There are lots of variables in analog video Any differences, IMHO, are pretty negligible. As 128bytes noted, not all 2600's play games the same. I've noticed differences between my 2600 Jr. and light-sixer. Similar differences in color and sound could occur by moving the same Atari from one TV to another, the switchbox/coax adapter and cable you use, and certainly if you mod the Atari for composite video. Midnight Magic for example, on various Atari's and TV's the first level can range from deep purple to a medium pink. Ah, okay. I was imagining something much more extreme than that. Thank you for the clarification!

Sure! I go to Best Electronics.

What a great idea! I'll have to try that. Thank you!

Really! That's a surprise. That would definitely make it a non-starter for me. I thought the 7800 had a 2600 built in, essentially.

It could be. Here's an article on the controllers and how to do basic maintenance on them (cleaning them, etc.): INTV FAQ If you're comfortable opening up the console (I'm assuming you have an Intellivision I or III, where the controllers are hooked up inside the console, rather than an Intellivision II or the Sears model where they're hooked up to plugs on the outside), you can get at the controller connections by taking a few screws out. Here's another article on opening up the Intellivision. But first I'd try cleaning the controllers as explained in the first article I cited above. Good luck!

That would describe me. I'm particularly interested in Asteroids and Centipede for the simultaneous two-player features, but I would probably at least get all the classics as well (over time). Is there an article online that provides the instructions for these modifications? And if I plan on doing the mods, do I need to worry about which revision 7800 I buy?

Ah, thank you! Tigervision isn't a concern for me, but the Imagic ones are. But I guess they'll fit, they're just tight, so that's not much of a problem. Do the 2600 games look dim like that one website I liked to above said?

I agree that modern controllers are often used poorly in games, but in some cases it's a godsend to have so many buttons available. It makes it possible to play a more complex game on a console rather than a computer, without dumbing it down or requiring the user to jump through hoops. For example, the Baldur's Gate/Champions of Norrath/etc. games make great use of the Playstation controller, IMO. Every button is used, and there are clear distinctions between the types of buttons so it's easy to keep their functions straight in your head. But, yeah, for most games a 2- or 3-button controller would be more than enough, yet the designers seem to feel that if they don't use all the buttons in their games, then they've done something wrong.

I read on one webpage that the 7800 displays 2600 games dimly. Is that true? Here's the webpage: Lab Rat 7800 Fixes

Do you have any issues with inserting carts? I wish I could recall which ones gave problems.

How reasonable is it to expect a 7800 to be a full replacement for a 2600? I know about the issues with motherboard revisions and not being able to play some games, but as I recall from prior experience, I couldn't even physically put some carts in there...and some had to be jammed in there, threatening to break the shell. Is there some version of the 7800 that will physically fit all 2600 cartridges into its slot? If so, how do I identify that? Are there any other issues with using the 7800 as a 2600 replacement?