Which Intellivision console to buy?

[Tidus79001]

I am looking to buy an Intellivision, and don't know the pros and cons of the different models. Which is generally considered to best model to own?

 

Intellivision Master Component - model 2609

Intellivision II

Intv System III

 

I'm looking forward to playing Jr. Pac-Man on this system

[mr_me]

I like the sears intellivision. I prefer the original controller design to the intellivision ii and on the sears unit they are detachable with straight cords. Be carefull with intv system iii, many have flat keypads.

Edited November 2, 2018 by mr_me

[Tidus79001]

I like the sears intellivision. I prefer the original controller design to the intellivision ii and on the sears unit they are detachable with straight cords. Be carefull with intv system iii, many have flat keypads.

Excellent information. I agree with your reasoning as to why the Sears version would be best to go with. Hopefully it will not be to difficult to get my hands on that model.

[mthompson]

+1 for the Sears branded Intellivision for the reasons mr_me stated. Easy to use Flashback controllers with it if you want (with adaptor cables).

[Hannacek]

I think the best way to go is Intellivision II because it has removable controllers. The best setup in my opinion is to find or make the adapter to make the Intellivision Flashback controllers work on the Intellivision II.

 

For whatever reason the ColecoVision Flashback controllers are complete junk, but the Intellivision Flashback controllers are pretty good. I'm not sure how that happened, because they were both made by the same company at the exact same time.

[mr_me]

All intellivisions have detachable controllers. With the original 2609, you have to remove the top cover to detach the controllers. I still find the original more comfortable than the flashback controllers but it's a good solution for intellivision ii.

 

It's a minor issue but the Intellivision II has a different sound chip that affects some sounds in a few games.

 

The difference between the colecovision and intellivision flashbacks was the lincensor.

Edited November 2, 2018 by mr_me

[Hannacek]

All intellivisions have detachable controllers. With the original 2609, you have to remove the top cover to detach the controllers. I still find the original more comfortable than the flashback controllers but it's a good solution for intellivision ii.

 

 

 

I don't consider opening up a console, taking the plastic covers off, and removing the 9 pin header for the controllers, detachable. Under that definition every component, resistor, and capacitor of the Intellivision is removable. Some require soldering, and some do not.

 

 

The problem with the original controllers is that they have been used, and are 30 years old. The Flashback controllers are nearly identical, except that they are not 30 years old.

[mr_me]

Chips that are socketed are removable too, although not as easy as the controllers. Anything soldered, is not easily removable.

 

If you want to use flashback controllers with an original 2609 intellivision there are adapter cables that anyone can easily install.

Edited November 2, 2018 by mr_me

[CharonPDX]

If you have an LTO Flash, an Intellivision II is great, since the LTO can bypass the "third party block" some games have on the Inty2. Without an LTO Flash, I'd go with an original, or if you can get one, a Sears. With an Inty2, I'd definitely get the Flashback adapter or a Sears controller. They keypad is nasty, and the side buttons are evil.

[+grips03]

Sears

[wolfy62]

I have been using an Intellivision 2 for 35 years,and it sounds like from what I have read here,I should get a Sears console and check it out!

 

I do use the Flashback controllers with the adapters on my Inty 2 of course.

Edited November 3, 2018 by wolfy62

[Miketage]

Sears definitely!

[mr_me]

The only thing with sears intellivisions is the exec titlescreens don't say mattel electronics presents.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

The only thing with sears intellivisions is the exec titlescreens don't say mattel electronics presents.

They do if you swapped the innards from a 2609 into one like I did many years ago.

[+Lathe26]

+1 Sears

[Tidus79001]

I purchased a Sear's Super Video Arcade off eBay. The console was listed as untested. When I powered up the console it would only display a black screen (tried multiple cartridges). I cleaned the unit out (blew a bit of dust that was inside the unit) and tried again, but still was getting only a black screen. I then decided to try not inserting the cartridge in all the way, perhaps about 1/4 millimeter from fully inserted into the cartridge slot (I found this to be a similar issue with the NES) and upon doing that the system was able to load the game without issue. Is this common? Is the cartridge port on the Sear's Video Arcade, and Intellivision consoles fiddly like this by design, or is my unit just a bit of an oddball? Overall not a big deal as I just need to remember that when I insert a cartridge.

Edited November 8, 2018 by Tidus79001

[CharonPDX]

Try using a cotton swab (aka "Q-tip") lightly dipped in rubbing alcohol on the cartridge slot and on the cartridges themselves to remove any corrosion/dirt. Worked wonders for my systems. Let them dry a good half hour before applying power again.

[boxpressed]

I purchased a Sear's Super Video Arcade off eBay. The console was listed as untested. When I powered up the console it would only display a black screen (tried multiple cartridges). I cleaned the unit out (blew a bit of dust that was inside the unit) and tried again, but still was getting only a black screen. I then decided to try not inserting the cartridge in all the way, perhaps about 1/4 millimeter from fully inserted into the cartridge slot (I found this to be a similar issue with the NES) and upon doing that the system was able to load the game without issue. Is this common? Is the cartridge port on the Sear's Video Arcade, and Intellivision consoles fiddly like this by design, or is my unit just a bit of an oddball? Overall not a big deal as I just need to remember that when I insert a cartridge.

This is very common across all models of the Intellivision.

[blainelocklair]

Well, I own two Inty IIs. My main one is off getting recapped (done) and A/V modded (pending) for composite video and RCA audio. The reason I own two of them is because the number pads on my main controllers are starting to deteriorate, one of them badly. I bought the 2nd system just for the controllers, which are really nice. That's the rub with the Inty II: finding original replacement controllers in good shape. The mylar that has the numbers of the number pads on them are not replaceable. Well, they might be, if they were actually reproduced. They're not like the overlays, which are completely flat, of course. The mylars for the Inty II are moulded with frames around the numbers and bottom keys, making them impossible to source, to my knowledge. You'd have to do like I did and find one with good controllers and either resell #2 with the crummy controllers or keep it for parts. It was a cost-cutting system from Mattel, and it shows a bit in some areas.

 

As far as the A/V port mods go, they can be done, but so far it kind of looks like the mods might not be as effective as they are on the original Inty. DIfferent boards are being tried, but there's some experimentation going on with it. Apparently, getting A/V mods on the original Inty is a well-established and solid process.

 

I haven't played an original model Inty in a while, but I can tell you for sure that the numbers are hard to find while playing on an Inty II controller. Although the mylars have the raised frames around the numbers, it isn't much help. The original Inty controllers had the dome switch buttons, which I remember being very easy to find without looking. Last time I played an Inty, I found that the stuff that moved around and to which I needed to pay attention was on the TV screen and not the controllers. Better to look there than keep looking down for the numbers. On an aside, I'll have to look into that adapter to use the Inty controllers from the Flashback.

 

Another small negative is that the Intellivoice doesn't match at all, if you plan to get one. Works fine, just ugly together.

 

One big reason to get an Inty II, however, is if you plan to ever get the ECS hardware. It is a perfect match in style and color to the ECS products.

 

So, yeah, I'd follow the wisdom of the Elders and get the Sears Inty or a gen 1 Mattel Inty. I'm sticking with the II for the mod work done, but if I had it to do over again, I'd get the gen 1.

[IMBerzerk]

+1 on Sears model. I prefer the Inty 1 era, they're just classics.

[spacecadet]

I have owned an Inty 1, Inty 2 and Sears Super Video Arcade. They're all cool in their own ways. If I were going to own just one, though, it'd probably be just the regular old Intellivision 1. It's kind of the six switch 2600 of Intellivisions; it's the one that just feels the most "Intellivision-like".

 

The Sears Super Video Arcade is definitely cool because it just looks so, so retro (and did even at the time). I don't think the detachable controllers are that much of an advantage, though, because they can be really hard to find on their own. It's actually easier to replace controllers on a regular Intellivision 1 because they're just much easier to find, and it's really five minutes to open the system and replace them once you know how to do it.

 

The Intellivision II is cool just to see how much more modern it is, but functionally it's just not quite as good as the original model. The combined on/off/reset button is annoying to use, and the controller keypads suck.

[blainelocklair]

... and the On/Off/Reset dome switch on my spare Inty II just went out today. Guess I'll be placing an order at Console5.

[arcade124]

Bumping this to throw in that though I don't own a Sears model (only an INTV I right now), an advantage of its detachable controllers is the opportunity for extensions cables.

[mr_me]

It's not hard to turn a "hard wired" model into one that has external de-9 connectors. All you need are a couple of sega genesis extension cables and a knife.

Edited December 29, 2018 by mr_me

[Swami]

I bought an Inty1 and super pro off eBay that arrived this week. The Inty1 was $20 untested that I bought for the controller cords but it seems to work just fine. However, the reset button doesnt work on either. It works sometimes on the pro if I press hard five or six times and I feel a click each time. Probably just a cleaning issue and hopefully the button isn't dead.

I'm looking into the best path to make the controller type adjustable between different controller types. It does look like anything larger in size than the diameter of the cord itself needs to be removed from the cord in order to get it through the tiny cord entrance of the Inty1 and super pro.

I dont know how reversible the removal of the internal connector would be if you just wanted to switch from one original controller to a new original controller, if the first cord has to be replaced, as discussed in previous posts.

I can try using the cord already in there for the de9 external adapter and sacrifice an original controller cord (which I was expecting to do, but didnt expect the controllers on the $20 console to work anymore). I guess that isn't a problem as I can just play musical chairs with the cords of the remaining controllers when I need to. If I sacrifice both controller cords on the pro, at that point I'll have three original type controllers with no cord and three with a cord.