Does everyone hate Intellivision or something?

[badbrad]

I have a decent INTV collection just for the sake of having one.

Plus, most of the boxes are gatefold, which is cool, and is seems that most of the time the boxes are there.

 

I've got 41 boxed games, and that's enough for awhile.

I never play it.

[chrisbid]

Thin Ice is like a cartoon version of Qix

 

When i was young, our family had an Intellivision, so i have a soft spot for the system. Burgertime was excellent, but so was Bump N Jump (my favorite game on the system in the day). Imagic had some incredible exclusives like Beauty and the Beast and Micro Surgeon. Plus games like Utopia were quite innovative for the time. I honestly dont find the INTV controllers any less comfortable than the standard VCS sticks, as they both had fire buttons that would tear up your thumbs after extended playing.

 

Oh, id also have to recommend the Intellivision Lives compilation for PC/Mac. There are some great videos on there, including a tech demo, where they blow up an INTV rendered Geroge Plimpton

[Big Player]

I love the Intellivision--now that is. Couldn't stand it back in the day, due to those Plimpton commercials and the general arrogance of INTV owners.

 

Actually my neighbor down the street had one and would invite me to play rather often. That's one advantage of all those two-player games. However, it's bad form to get better at the games than the owner.

 

I have hit the wall with Intellivision collecting. I have almost every common and uncommon game for the system. All that is left are the rare ones, which from what I hear are some good games. But they cost too much for me, unless they really are awesome and I will play them a lot. Stadium Mud Buggies does sounds cool.

 

The only systems I collect for are Intellivision, the 2600 and the Odyssey 2. Though if I can find a 5200 outside of eBay, I'll start collecting for it.

[Witchfynde]

 

BTW, for the person who listed Thin Ice on here, what do you do in that game?  I'm not familiar with it, this is the first time I've ever heard of it (I don't know a whole lot about Int. though).

 

In Thin Ice you are a penguin and the object is to skate around these dudes carving up the ice so that they sink into the water when you make a complete square. That's basically it, but it's pretty challenging. There is also an evil seal that chases you around, but you can sink him also if you're quick enough to carve out a square around him.

 

(laughs!) Sounds original! Who made it, do you know? (And that'll be the last question I ask about that game )

[+RangerG]

I actively collect for the 2600, 5200, Intellivision, Colecovision and the Odyssey2. However, I don't have an Odyssey2 and have never played it. I must say that I love the 5200 and the Colecovision for gameplay and the 2600 has the best nostalgia factor for me. Twice I have found Intellivisions and twice I have sold them after cleaning them up and then not playing them. I guess I'm one of those that doesn't really like the system. It honestly interests me the least of the major classic systems. The controllers hurt my hands (fingers) and so many of the Intellivision games can be found on the 2600. At least the Odyssey2 has unique games and characters (as does the Colecovision). Just being honest -- I feel the same way about the Atari 7800. I have had the system but I like to keep systems hooked and up and ready to play so I limit it to systems I really like to play and Intellivision isn't one. I do keep any Inty games I find that I don't already have because I may someday want an Inty collection. I'm sure if I had an Intellivision as a kid that it would be a different story. I had a TRS-80 color as a kid and I like those games and I know nostalgia is the only reason to love TRS-80 games (there are a few gems .

[chrisbid]

http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/....shtml#thin_ice

 

thin ice info

 

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

As described on the Arcade Network page, Mattel Electronics had a first-look deal with Data East for their arcade games. One day, Data East brought in a new game called Disco No.1 in which a roller-skating Disco Boy moved around a dance floor, trapping Disco Girls by skating squares around them.

 

 

 

Everyone agreed that the game was original and fun, but they also agreed that the theme was dated and sexist and that, technically, it probably couldn't be done for Intellivision.

 

 

 

Keith Robinson (TRON Solar Sailer), a fan of the game, wrote a proposal, dated May 28, 1982, for a new premise: Thin Ice. A mischievous penguin would skate around other penguins on a frozen lake. By completing squares around them, those sections of the ice would fall into the lake, dunking the victims. Between levels, a Zamboni would drive out to repair the ice.

 

 

 

In addition to writing the proposal, Keith programmed a demo showing that the game was feasible by limiting the skating penguin's movements to the borders of the screen's background cards.

 

 

 

Based on the proposal and demo, Thin Ice was given the go-ahead. After programmer Julie Hoshizaki completed the revised Lock 'n' Chase in August, she and graphic designer Monique Lujan-Bakerink began work on the game. Everything went smoothly, except for a brief fight with someone in Marketing who wanted to change the name to Arctic Squares, a play on Arctic Circle. (He lost, but not before some literature was released to the public using that name.) The game was completed on schedule in mid-May, 1983.

 

 

 

While Thin Ice was in the game testing process, the Marketing department suddenly got excited about heading in a new direction. Instead of going outside the company for cartoon licenses, they wanted to start developing original characters for the games, then spinning off those characters to other products. And they wanted to start with the penguin from Thin Ice.

 

 

 

From June 17 to June 30, a penguin-naming contest was held, with the winning name, Duncan, submitted by David Warhol (Mind Strike). The game officially became Duncan's Thin Ice and the cartridge size was increased from 8K to 12K so that Monique could add special animated title screens introducing Duncan and his penguin pals, Bobo, P.J., Minky and Norman.

 

 

 

Just as this new version was nearing completion, though, there was major upheaval in the management structure of Mattel Electronics. President Josh Denham was out, replaced by Mack Morris, who came to Mattel from Teledyne- Waterpik (and, earlier, from Breath Savers mints). Unfamiliar with video games, Morris brought in Jeff Rochlis, a former Mattel executive who had been instrumental in launching Intellivision, as a consultant. On July 15, 1983, sweeping through the Applications Software department like the Black Death through Europe, Rochlis briefly reviewed each game in development and gave it a thumbs up or down on the spot.

 

 

 

Luckily, he liked Thin Ice, but he thought the penguin was too cute. He ordered it replaced with a fisherman (Fishin' Sam) chopping at the ice with an ax. He also recommended changing the name to Iceman. Julie and Monique, less than thrilled, set about changing the animations.

 

 

 

But Rochlis's morale-crushing performance hadn't gone over well. The VP of Application Software, Gabriel Baum, told Mack Morris that Rochlis was no longer welcome in his department, and forbade Rochlis having any further direct contact with the programmers. Not long afterward, Rochlis was gone. Word was that Morris felt Rochlis was trying to grab too much power.

 

 

 

Once Rochlis was out, so was Fishin' Sam. Julie and Monique returned to completing Duncan's Thin Ice.

 

 

 

And, of course, as soon as it was done, Marketing came up with yet another brilliant idea. They had spent millions for the rights to the 1984 Winter Olympics license, yet, through bad communication, an original game using the license hadn't been developed. (An album of old sports titles was rushed into production as Go For the Gold.)

 

 

 

But why not change Duncan into Voochko the Wolf, the mascot for the Winter Olympics, and release Thin Ice as an official Olympics cartridge? Suddenly, with Go For the Gold, Mattel would have two official Olympics titles. The change was ordered on October 17; Duncan's Thin Ice would become Voochko on Ice. [Julie and Monique changed the "penguin pals" to Cossack dancers Ivan, Oskar, Misha and Bobo.]

 

 

 

Everyone connected with Thin Ice was disappointed; they had grown to love Duncan. So an unprecedented move was made: although Easter eggs in cartridges were forbidden -- you could be fired if found out -- VP Gabriel Baum gave permission for Duncan's Thin Ice to be hidden within the Voochko On Ice cartridge without Marketing's knowledge, even though it meant increasing the size from 12K to 16K. He said that if Marketing complained about the size increase, he would tell them it was necessary because of the last-minute nature of the change they had ordered. "They'll believe it," he explained, "none of them understand the technology."

 

 

 

[Gabriel had a low opinion of most Marketing personnel, and was particularly derisive of the deals they had made to obtain character and movie licenses. "When these people go to a meeting," he said, "they pull down their pants and walk into the room backwards."]

 

 

 

Julie, along with Group Leader Steve Ettinger (Hover Force), put together two versions: Voodun, in which Duncan was hidden within Voochko; and Dunvoo, in which Voochko was hidden within Duncan. Voodun was the one scheduled to go into production; Dunvoo was the version the programmers took home for themselves. To switch between Duncan and Voochko in either version, you pressed ENTER on the left hand controller, CLEAR on the right one, and pressed RESET.

 

 

 

But in January 1984, six months after the original Thin Ice had been completed, just as Voochko on Ice was about to manufactured, Mattel Electronics was closed down.

 

 

 

Finally, in 1986, INTV Corporation released Thin Ice. They went with the original 8K version -- no introduction screens, no hidden Voochko -- to save production costs. (The title screen still says "Mattel Electronics presents...") The game was introduced in the Fall 1986 INTV catalog.

 

 

 

FUN FACT: Early in production, David Warhol came to Keith Robinson, who was manager on the game, and said he had a friend who wanted to break into the video game field as a composer and was willing to write a theme for Thin Ice for free. Keith told him no; it was against Mattel policy to use freelancers, even if they were literally free. Following Keith's authority about as much as anyone at Mattel did, Dave had his friend write the music anyway. Dave coded it for Intellivision and Julie linked it into the game.

 

 

 

The theme, "Carnival of the Penguins," was so addictive and perfect for the game that Keith agreed it had to be used. He contacted Mattel's crack legal department and suggested they buy the rights for $100. They probably could have, but they procrastinated for months. By the time they got around to contacting the composer, the game had been demonstrated at a number of trade shows using the music; the composer was able to negotiate a payment of $1200 for the 15 second theme.

 

 

 

Thus George Alistair Sanger sold his first video game melody. He has gone on, under the nickname The Fat Man, to become the most famous composer of music for interactive media. He and his Team Fat have provided the music for Loom, Wing Commander, The 7th Guest and many other computer games.

[Brad2600]

George Plimpton can kiss my pimp arse!

 

INTV is darn cool in my opinion!

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I love the Intellivision. Especially the IMAGIC games. They're better than 95% of the first-party titles.

[Brad2600]

I love the Intellivision.  Especially the IMAGIC games.  They're better than 95% of the first-party titles.

 

Speaking of which, I'm bidding on a lot of boxed Imagic games for the INTV.

 

I would like to find Microsurgeon. It's not in that lot but I hear it is pretty cool.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I don't have a boxed one, but I do have a spare. Gimme a shout if you're just looking for one to play.

[Brad2600]

I have 2 copies of Beauty and the Beast loose..LOL.

 

It must be really common.

 

I'm always looking for spares of different games though. I'm really thinking about going for an all-boxed collection seeing how boxed games are cheap and easy on EBay.

 

Just a thought.

[JagMX]

intellivision is one of the ugliest systems ever made

 

 

 

but if i had it, id still play it

[Brad2600]

Nice to hear your 2 cents...LOL.

 

It is not bad looking. I actually think that the INTV2 is better looking and the controllers are detachable.

 

I love collecting games.

[liquid_sky]

it looks like an old heart shock device from the 70s

[Albert]

To me,  the intv (as well as the 5200 and 7800) are controller-project systems:  They don't become a whole lot of fun until you build an adapter to use genesis/2600 controllers.

 

Are there plans floating around on the net to attach better controllers to the Intellivision?? How many directions do the Intellivision discs support? It's more than eight, right?

 

..Al

[Brad2600]

The controllers are awkward though.

 

I tried playing SW:Empire Strikes Back with them and I could not control the plane that flies around with the controller thing.

 

I hope to come across an INTV2 someday so I can retire the INTV I have now.

 

It's just better controllers = more enjoyment of games.

[JagMX]

it looks like an old heart shock device from the 70s

 

yeah man, they kept those cool-looking 70's stlye colors with gaming - sweet deal

heart shock device - oh man i can just picture it

[JagMX]

Nice to hear your 2 cents...LOL.

 

 

anytime man

[Brad2600]

I do agree that the INTV2 looks like a heart starter...LOL.

 

I think that and a copy of Microsurgeon could fool a nobody into thinking that it really is a medical device!

 

LOL!

[liquid_sky]

imagine with the voucie add on

 

"matell electronics presents, HEART DEFIBRILLATOR!"

[Brad2600]

imagine with the voucie add on

 

"matell electronics presents, HEART DEFIBRILLATOR!"

 

Now that is funny!

 

[Artlover]

imagine with the voucie add on

 

"matell electronics presents, HEART DEFIBRILLATOR!"

 

Speaking of the voice add-on. Does anyone know if there is a schematic of that thing floating around? I haven't been able to find a real unit, and am thinking of just trying to build one. I would assume it's just a DAC of some sort.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Are there plans floating around on the net to attach better controllers to the Intellivision??  How many directions do the Intellivision discs support?  It's more than eight, right?

 

If I recall correctly, the INTV "joydisc" is a 16-position controller. I have a pair of snap-on gadgets made by Mattel that give you a real live joystick over the disc. The only problem is holding the controller for long periods of time with those snap-ons, which kinda blow the ergonomics of the flat controller all to hell. But for quick sessions of twitch games like Demon Attack, they're grand. It really only applies to lengthy-play titles like the AD&D games.

[Mock]

I own an INTV 1 & 2 and I play the 2 more than the 1 for some reason...but I do like to play Burgertime on it, so...I use them both from time to time. Not my favorite system, but I enjoy playing it every couple of weeks or so for an hour.

 

 

Why in the hell they ever decided to put phone cord type short curly crappy cords on them I'll never know. I hate that about the Colecovision, but I resolved it by purchasing 2 of the super action controllers.

 

 

Mock

[dougy76]

I love the Intellivision.  Especially the IMAGIC games.  They're better than 95% of the first-party titles.

 

Speaking of which, I'm bidding on a lot of boxed Imagic games for the INTV.

 

I would like to find Microsurgeon. It's not in that lot but I hear it is pretty cool.

 

Good choice. The Imagic games on the INTV are awesome! Microsurgeon is one of the best one's.