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Intellivision 2 or 3?


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I asked my best friend to buy me an Intellivision console for my birthday (which was last month, some friend eh?) but I'm wondering which Inty model he should look for. I know the first model has non-replaceable controllers, so that's off the list, but what about the Inty II and III? Is the Inty III really a better choice? Also, I may try to track down an Intellivoice module later, so is it compatible with all three Inty models?

 

Thanks in advance for any help. :)

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I have a Sears Super Video Arcade with removable controllers. Is this considered a INTV II? I looks like the smaller white INTV II but I would think it would be small also. It is just as big as a regular INTV with a wood grain front.

 

It's pretty much the same as the original INTV.

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The I (and III I believe) has wimpy built-in power supplies that tend to go bad, especially if you like long

gaming sessions. It's big, has no reset, and controllers are hard to swap out.

 

The II is incompatible with 3-4 games, takes a four second button press to turn off, and has fire buttons

that are nasty to push.

 

There are hardware hacks to overcome a lot of these issues (and also use decent controllers), but you

need to love the library or the various hassles aren't worth it.

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Well, there are good and bad points to both. I personally prefer the I or III model, as the controllers are superior. I've never had one that broke, and I've been able to 'fix' any dodgy controllers with a little rubbing alcohol. My experience with the Intellivision is that it's built like a tank. The main problem I have with the I and III models is not the power supply, but the internal RF unit, which sends out interference when it gets old, causing staticy sound problems.

 

The Inty II has a nice small form factor, and the controllers are removeable, but the unit just feels ... cheap. The controllers are much worse from a gameplay standpoint (as well as durability), and the system can't play most of the Coleco games (no big loss). I hate having to hold the damn power button down to turn it off. It also uses a weird power supply that is impossible to find a replacement for, and in my experience, these are the units that burn out. In fact, I've only ever had Intv IIs burn out on me, never the other models. Still, the unit is set up for the ECS and VCS modules, which (while rare) add to the perks of owning a II.

 

That said, they both work fine for playing games. While lots of people dog on the inty, I love it.

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Well, my only real reason for acquiring an Inty is to play Utopia the way it was meant to be played, with a proper Inty controller.

 

Are the controllers detacheable on the Inty III? If yes, can they be used on an Inty II?

 

Thanks for all the info so far. :)

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I way way way way prefer my System III over the II. I have an original I somewhere as well, and it's between the III and II in terms of preference. The III is basically a I with a power-on LED; since it's a newer unit, released at the tail-end of the Intellivision's long lifespan, a used III is likely to have less worn controllers... I've had problems with the membrane keypad being worn on older Intellivisions... The II looks nicer with my grey-cased ECS and the system changer won't work with the I or III, so, it's worth keeping around, if not in regular use.

 

The controllers on the I and III aren't as removable as those on the II or the Sears Telegames Super Video Arcade (which allows you to simply unplug them); you can remove them after opening the case up, however.

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I'd get the first INTV if you want to use the INTELLIVOICE,i have 4 intellivoices,and none work in my INTV 2,the intellivoices have 2 screws on the bottom of the connector,and the INTV 2,doesnt have the room like the INTV(first one),in the cart port to accomodate it,when i tried ,the screws on the intellivoice dug into the cart port on my INTV2,even though i managed to push it in anyway,it didnt work.Thats my experience,other than that the INTV2 is great,1..its small..2removeable,replaceable controllers,exterior power supply(which are impossible to find in the wild,order one from ebay,or whatever,cause they're a rare breed!).I,d get both ,(INTV 1&2)if you can.Dont know nothing about the INTV 3,as i do not own one.The only thing i dont like about the INTV2 is that the on off/reset,is on the same switch,retarded design IMO.

Edited by Rik
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It also uses a weird power supply that is impossible to find a replacement for,

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong. I don't where that misconception comes from, but you do NOT need a 16.7 V power supply for the INTV II! Just get any 9VAC power supply that'll fit and you're good to go. There's just no reason to hunt down the original power supply when you can get a replacement at any Radio Shack or the like.

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IMO the choice hands down should either be the Intellivision I or III. The Intellivision II controllers are VERY cheap and shell out much easier than the I or III's do. I never understood what the appeal of the removeable controllers on the II were. They can be swapped out on the I or III, if need be, by just unscrewing the case (the controllers have an internal connector to the main board).

 

There are a lot of cool games besides Utopia too. Dreadnaught Factor is a blast. Give Burger Time a try too.

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I only owned an Intellivision II for a short while in 1984 before it started to malfunction with the games I bought for it. Besides its incompatibility with some Coleco-produced games, the one thing I didn't like about that model was having the Power and Reset button be one and the same, and having to hold down the button for several seconds in order to turn it off. The controllers themselves weren't much of a problem, though having been one who's played games with the Suncom Joy-Sensor for the 2600, it's too bad that INTV II pads couldn't have had a touch-sensitive joypad for controlling the action.

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It also uses a weird power supply that is impossible to find a replacement for,

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong. I don't where that misconception comes from, but you do NOT need a 16.7 V power supply for the INTV II! Just get any 9VAC power supply that'll fit and you're good to go. There's just no reason to hunt down the original power supply when you can get a replacement at any Radio Shack or the like.

I consider having the original power supply a huge plus as i consider it part of collecting for a system,no you dont need the original,AN EQUIVALENT WILL DO.But,just any ole 9VAC will NOTdo,its not the 9VAC you have to worry about ,its the mA rating you have to be carefull about,and overloading a console with a mA rating thats too high is risky,as i used any ole 9VAC supply on 2 of my consoles and fryed them both.Not saying you're wrong and im right,thats just my experience.

Edited by Rik
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... But,just any ole 9VAC will NOTdo,its not the 9VAC you have to worry about ,its the mA rating you have to be carefull about,and overloading a console with a mA rating thats too high...

Other way around, actually. You have to worry about too LOW an amp rating.

 

The power supply won't actually put out more current than the hardware is drawing, but if it's not rated for as many amps as are being drawn, Bad Things can happen.

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... But,just any ole 9VAC will NOTdo,its not the 9VAC you have to worry about ,its the mA rating you have to be carefull about,and overloading a console with a mA rating thats too high...

Other way around, actually. You have to worry about too LOW an amp rating.

 

The power supply won't actually put out more current than the hardware is drawing, but if it's not rated for as many amps as are being drawn, Bad Things can happen.

Yeah,i knew it had something to do with the amperes,electrical theory is sooooooooooo confusing!Thats why i dont screw around with power adapters,im no expert in ELECTRICAL THEORY,but have had bad experiences plugging in WRONG ADAPTERS,not just with gaming consoles,but other stuff as well.I'm fussy,so i want evertyhing original,if not possible,than an EXACT equivalent!

Edited by Rik
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Wrong, wrong, wrong. I don't where that misconception comes from, but you do NOT need a 16.7 V power supply for the INTV II! Just get any 9VAC power supply that'll fit and you're good to go. There's just no reason to hunt down the original power supply when you can get a replacement at any Radio Shack or the like.

 

That's not true. You get the wrong (low) amp rating or reversed polarity and it's 'pop goes the motherboard'. I've never tried a 9v power supply that had the right polarity and mA rating, but that sounds a bit hokey. Has anyone actually tried this and had it work?

 

Oh, and since this still seems to be coming up in this thread, the Intellivision I and III are *identical*, other than the labeling and different colored plastic. That's it. Pick a III if you prefer black over brown :)

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That's not true. You get the wrong (low) amp rating or reversed polarity and it's 'pop goes the motherboard'. I've never tried a 9v power supply that had the right polarity and mA rating, but that sounds a bit hokey. Has anyone actually tried this and had it work?

 

9VAC means you do not worry about polarity.

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