How was having an Intellivision like? (I never had one but the games look very original)

[IntelliMission]

As an European who started playing videogames in the late 80s, I didn't know the Intellivision existed until 2012, thanks to Classic Game Room reviewing the Intellivision II, some Intellivision games and the famous controller.

 

I forgot about it for years, but after the initial Amico trailer I was interested in discovering more about this console, as games looked pretty original for the time and many were focused on multiplayer. So, I watched this video that shows some seconds of gameplay of 150 Intellivision games and was pleasantly surprised about the quality and huge variety of the games.

 

However, I have never played the system, so I wanted to ask you guys... how was having an Intellivision like? Were the games as fun as they look? What were your favorite games? Was the controller as bad as they say? I remember reading that you can not press a directional button AND another button simultaneously... is that true?

Edited September 5, 2019 by IntelliMission

[IntelliMission]

Some users have already shared their experiences in this other thread:

 

Flojomojo said:

 

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It was interestingly different.

 

ASalvaro said:

 

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I got an Intellivision for Christmas in 1981 and I loved it and I love the controllere..they were perfect for playing games like Baseball or the Intellivoice games but where the controller really shines was playing Burger Time...you can easily guide the chef around with the disc and it controlled much better than the NES version...having the Intellivision in 1981 was a huge deal because it was the top of the line at the time..I had just about every game released for the system up until 1984 including rare games like Congo Bongo and the ECS computer add on..one thing I will say is that I also had an Intellivision 2 and I did not like those controllers at all...the membrane keypad was terrible and the controller cramped your hand 

 

 

[IntyFanMatt]

13 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

As an European who started playing videogames in the late 80s, I didn't know the Intellivision existed until 2012, thanks to Classic Game Room reviewing the Intellivision II, some Intellivision games and the famous controller.

 

I forgot about it for years, but after the initial Amico trailer I was interested in discovering more about this console, as games looked pretty original for the time and many were focused on multiplayer. So, I watched this video that shows some seconds of gameplay of 150 Intellivision games and was pleasantly surprised about the quality and huge variety of the games.

 

However, I have never played the system, so I wanted to ask you guys... how was having an Intellivision like? Were the games as fun as they look? Was the controller as bad as they say? I remember reading that you can not press a directional button AND another button simultaneously... is that true?

Intellivision was my first system as a kid, and I have always loved it since.  The games had better graphics and were more complex than Atari games, and in my opinion, much better overall.  Some of the games still remain as all time favorites for me, so it has definitely had a lasting impact personally.

 

So to answer your questions...absolutely YES the games were incredibly fun, and challenging too.  I have always loved the controller...I think the disc was a genius innovation that was a pre-cursor to the modern D pad, and it worked great for many games.  I never understood the hate that the controllers got.  I think they allowed for more complex gameplay and variety than any other system at the time.  My hands have never hurt playing a game, unlike what some people say.  It is true that you cannot press the disc and a gamepad button at the same time, but that never affected me or bothered me at all.  It was just one those things you got used to quickly and does not hinder gameplay much, if at all.

 

I know I'm a fanboy, but Intellivision will always be a great system to me, I have lots of fond memories of it. I still love the games and my son and I enjoy playing many of the great multi-player games together to this day.  If you are curious, you can pick one up on Ebay and give it a try...I think you'd be intrigued.  But DO NOT get the Inty II...the controllers are much worse.

Edited September 5, 2019 by IntyFanMatt

[IntelliMission]

Thank you so much for your message! Really informative.

5 minutes ago, IntyFanMatt said:

So to answer your questions...absolutely YES the games were incredibly fun, and challenging too.

What were your favorite ones? (I have just added this question to the thread)

[IntyFanMatt]

15 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

Thank you so much for your message! Really informative.

What were your favorite ones? (I have just added this question to the thread)

No prob, here are 15 of my favorites:

BurgerTime

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain (my profile pic)

Tron Deadly Discs

Thunder Castle

Dreadnaught Factor

B-17 Bomber

Utopia

Lock N Chase

Night Stalker

Space Battle

Sea Battle

Sub Hunt

Space Spartans

MLB Baseball

Dracula

 

The top 3 are still 3 of my all time favorite games on any system.

There are more good ones, but these 15 would be at the top of the Inty library for me.  Hours of fun!

Edited September 5, 2019 by IntyFanMatt

[nick3092]

The controller (at least the non-Intv II controller) was not as bad as most people make it out to be. You just had to learn to "roll" the disc, vs treating it like a D-pad. It worked great for Burgertime, which was one of my favorite games.  And for Sea Battle as well, another favorite game to play against a 2nd player. I will say the side fire buttons were a little awkward at times. But spend enough time with any controller, and you'll find something to complain about.

 

Many of the games were fun. The controller pad added a new dimension and a lot of flexibility to games. The intellivoice was a neat feature as well, but the games sometimes had to be scaled back due to rom size limits. But they still managed to make some fun games for it. 

 

 

[IntyFanMatt]

6 minutes ago, nick3092 said:

Many of the games were fun. The controller pad added a new dimension and a lot of flexibility to games. The intellivoice was a neat feature as well, but the games sometimes had to be scaled back due to rom size limits. But they still managed to make some fun games for it. 

 

 

Good point on the Intellivoice...it was a great add-on that had 4 games initially...3 of them I think are really good...Space Spartans, B-17 Bomber, and Bomb Squad.  I did not care for Tron Solar Sailer at all.  If you can get an Intellivoice, I would recommend that too!

Edited September 5, 2019 by IntyFanMatt

[SegaSnatcher]

My first experience with INTV was actually cleaning/fixing one up for my Brother a couple yrs ago.   To be quite honest the games I tried were hit and miss, but that is a given since it would have been well over 30 yrs since the INTV released, so not everything is gonna hold up.  I can say I was not the biggest fan with the controller, the disc pad was decent enough, but the side buttons really bothered me.  I kept thinking to myself, "Boy I sure would love to play these games on a NES controller instead".   I did enjoy Pitfall, Atlantis and Burgertime though.  

Overall, its one of those pre Nes consoles that has its nostalgia for some people who grew up with, but it definitely has some things about it that are best kept in 1980. I might have liked it more if there was a better controller option.  I do think the overall look of the console itself has some charm.  

[ASalvaro]

26 minutes ago, IntyFanMatt said:

Good point on the Intellivoice...it was a great add-on that had 4 games initially...3 of them I think are really good...Space Spartans, B-17 Bomber, and Bomb Squad.  I did not care for Tron Solar Sailer at all.  If you can get an Intellivoice, I would recommend that too!

lol Tron Solar Sailer was my favorite of the 4 but i liked them all! 

[mr_me]

The controller is one of the best things about the Intellivision.  You don't need to roll the disc, the disc is smooth so you can change direction 180d by quickly sliding across it.  Rolling it does let you adjust precisely.  The controller has four side action buttons that you can press simultaneously with the disc.  It's the keypad that interferes with everything else.  This is covered in the system instructions.

 

At the time the intellivision tried to distinguish itself with games that are more in depth and complex.  They use to say lifelike and realistic; not so much today.  But games like B17, Sub Hunt, Utopia, Tennis, PGA Golf show this.  Remember this was a time when virtually nobody had a computer or knew what a computer was.  Technology-wise intellivision was a revelation in 1979.  No video games home or arcade had the sprite animation, colourfull tiled background graphics, and sounds like intellivision.  That quickly changed as arcade graphics and sounds improved with every new arcade machine.

 

I think NBA Basketball, NASL Soccer, and Sea Battle are some of the best cartridges on the system.  They are for two players only however; I also like Biplanes in the Triple Action cartridge.  Space Battle, AD&D, Sub Hunt, Dreadnaught Factor, Deadly Discs, Thunder Castle are good for single player play.

Edited September 5, 2019 by mr_me

[nick3092]

24 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

I can say I was not the biggest fan with the controller, the disc pad was decent enough, but the side buttons really bothered me.  I kept thinking to myself, "Boy I sure would love to play these games on a NES controller instead".   I did enjoy Pitfall, Atlantis and Burgertime though.  

I think this is why most people hate on the controller. They grew up with NES and think it's the holy grail of controllers. And don't get me wrong, it's design is great and simple. Along with SMS and TG16, which were effectively the same. I will say NES controllers with the sharp edges can get uncomfortable over long sessions, which is where TG16 shines a little more with rounded edges, and semi cylinder grips on the back. 

 

But if you grew up on it, along side the 2600 stick and Coleco controller, you appreciated it for what it was. And when a game was programmed with the disc in mind (like Burgertime, you can smoothly roll the disc and climb ladders like no other controller), it felt great.

 

But if you grew up on a modern controller, you'll probably never truly like it. No matter how much someone tries to convince you. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by nick3092

[SegaSnatcher]

1 minute ago, nick3092 said:

I think this is why most people hate on the controller. They grew up with NES and think it's the holy grail of controllers. And don't get me wrong, it's design is great and simple. Along with SMS and TG16, which were effectively the same. I will say NES controllers with the sharp edges can get uncomfortable over long sessions, which is where TG16 shines a little more with rounded edges, and semi circle grips on the back. 

 

But if you grew up on it, along side the 2600 stick and Coleco controller, you appreciated it for what it was. And when a game was programmed with the disc in mind (like Burgertime, you can smoothly roll the disc and climb ladders like no other controller), it felt great.

 

But if you grew up on a modern controller, you'll probably never truly like it. No matter how much someone tries to convince you. 

TG-16 Pad is pretty decent for sure, but its D-Pad isn't quite up to par with NES/SNES.  At least in my opinion.  

The 2600 was actually the first console I ever played.  The Joystick worked well enough for the types of games that were on the 2600.  I'd love a microswitched Joystick to play 2600 games these days.  

Might be cool if someone came out with an INTV PAD with that Circle Pad, but also standard face buttons like an NES/SNES.  A nice mix of nostalgia with better functionality.

[IntyFanMatt]

55 minutes ago, ASalvaro said:

lol Tron Solar Sailer was my favorite of the 4 but i liked them all! 

Yeah I know a few people like it...but only a few.  LOL

[nick3092]

24 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

I'd love a microswitched Joystick to play 2600 games these days.  

If only such a thing existed...

 

https://osgeld.fwscart.com/CX-40_Atari_2600_Tactile_Switch_Drop_In_Replacement_PCB/p5988195_19269795.aspx

 

Not sure if he's doing any more runs though.

[SegaSnatcher]

3 minutes ago, nick3092 said:

If only such a thing existed...

 

https://osgeld.fwscart.com/CX-40_Atari_2600_Tactile_Switch_Drop_In_Replacement_PCB/p5988195_19269795.aspx

 

Not sure if he's doing any more runs though.

Oh, I know they exist now, just haven't invested in one yet.  I was actually interested in this badboy.
 

 

[Blarneo]

2 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

how was having an Intellivision like? Were the games as fun as they look? What were your favorite games? Was the controller as bad as they say?

Since I was used to an Atari joystick before I bought mine as a teenager, the controller took some getting used to. But I did find that it worked quite well with most games. I didn't know this at the time, but if the game was designed for the INTV controller (like Burgertime or Lock N Chase) it worked flawlessly, but if the game wasn't, like Coleco's Donkey Kong, it was truly AWFUL! But Coleco's DK was a truly awful game. 

 

I also liked the fact that I can pause my games by pressing... umm... IIRC buttons 1 and 9, I think. The screen goes black & pauses the game.

[IntyFanMatt]

5 minutes ago, Blarneo said:

I also liked the fact that I can pause my games by pressing... umm... IIRC buttons 1 and 9, I think. The screen goes black & pauses the game.

Yup 1 and 9 together, but 3 and 7 will pause too.

[Blarneo]

4 minutes ago, IntyFanMatt said:

Yup 1 and 9 together, but 3 and 7 will pause too.

It was the first system that pauses games. It's nothing today, but was a big deal back then.

[Flojomojo]

Thanks for moving this topic to its own thread, this makes a lot more sense than putting it with Amico discussion. 

 

I think your experience with Intellivision depends when you came at it. Mine was $40 from a drugstore while the video game market was crashing out. It was great to sweep up all the titles I had read about for years prior. 

 

I liked the the depth of the strategic games like Sub Hunt and Treasure of Tarmin. The keypad added more to games like Las Vega Poker and Blackjack where other systems would just use a simple cursor. Imagic and Activision has unique exclusives. Not many arcade ports on Intellivision but Parker Brothers filled in some gaps. 

 

If you want to go on a deep Intellivision dive, listen to The Intellivisionaries podcast. It's kinda flabby (like episodes that run for 5 hours) but it's smart and filled with goodwill. Also lots of time with the delightful (and sorely missed) Keith Robinson, who held the rights until passing away two years ago. http://intellivisionaries.com/

[IntyFanMatt]

29 minutes ago, Blarneo said:

It was the first system that pauses games. It's nothing today, but was a big deal back then.

Absolutely 

[IntyFanMatt]

24 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Thanks for moving this topic to its own thread, this makes a lot more sense than putting it with Amico discussion. 

 

I think your experience with Intellivision depends when you came at it. Mine was $40 from a drugstore while the video game market was crashing out. It was great to sweep up all the titles I had read about for years prior. 

 

I liked the the depth of the strategic games like Sub Hunt and Treasure of Tarmin. The keypad added more to games like Las Vega Poker and Blackjack where other systems would just use a simple cursor. Imagic and Activision has unique exclusives. Not many arcade ports on Intellivision but Parker Brothers filled in some gaps. 

 

If you want to go on a deep Intellivision dive, listen to The Intellivisionaries podcast. It's kinda flabby (like episodes that run for 5 hours) but it's smart and filled with goodwill. Also lots of time with the delightful (and sorely missed) Keith Robinson, who held the rights until passing away two years ago. http://intellivisionaries.com/

Love the Intellivisionaries podcast. Listened to all of them. 

[SegaSnatcher]

I still need to try out the infamous B-17 Bomber. 

[spacecadet]

I was all in with Intellivision from the day they announced it. I wanted one really badly, and got one in Christmas 1980. I had begged my parents for it. I was like the kid in "A Christmas Story" only my ask was the Intellivision.

 

I loved the system and everything about it. I played it a *lot*. I can remember many Saturday mornings when I'd be up by myself with the system and all my games spread out all over the floor of our living room. I got really good at playing the multiplayer sports games by myself, with a controller in each hand. That was one weird thing about the original Intellivision; a lot of the sports games were two player only, I'm guessing because programming actual AI was either too difficult or would have required more chips and therefore greater cost. Later INTV versions of those games generally had single player modes added.

 

I then asked for, and also got, an Intellivision II in either 1982 or 1983. I remember my mom asking "are you sure you really want that?" both because I *had* an Intellivision already and because it had been a couple years and she probably thought I'd lost interest. But I played the hell out of that thing too. I played it through most of the crash of 1983 and 84.

 

To me the system was the first to show that game consoles could have complex games that were more than just "shoot this rock" or "shoot these aliens", although it had its share of games like that too. But my favorite game on the system is probably still Microsurgeon, which has a lot of different elements and is still unlike anything you're likely to see on a modern console. It definitely would not have been possible on earlier consoles.

 

I was a little jealous of one of my friends when she got a ColecoVision, though it still didn't have games like Microsurgeon or Utopia on it (that I knew of). It was mostly arcade games, though I had to admit it did those better than the Intellivision did, and I liked arcade games back then too. But I still kept playing my Intellivision until I got myself an Apple II and then an NES in 1985.

 

My favorite games were probably Microsurgeon, Demon Attack, B-17 Bomber, Star Strike, Burgertime, Auto Racing, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Major League Baseball, Pitfall!, Atlantis, and Demon Attack.

 

One thing about the Intellivision is that its library is actually pretty small for a successful console, so most people who had one had a *lot* of the same games, and today it's probably one of the easier systems to get a complete collection for too.

[IntyFanMatt]

18 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

My favorite games were probably Microsurgeon, Demon Attack, B-17 Bomber, Star Strike, Burgertime, Auto Racing, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Major League Baseball, Pitfall!, Atlantis, and Demon Attack.

 

One thing about the Intellivision is that its library is actually pretty small for a successful console, so most people who had one had a *lot* of the same games, and today it's probably one of the easier systems to get a complete collection for too.

Got Demon Attack twice there, you must really like that one lol. Just kidding with ya.

 

Microsurgeon is such a unique game, and I love it because of that. Just wish the gameplay was a bit faster...it is so slow!!

 

I agree it is a system that can be easy to collect for.  And the cool thing about it is that most of it’s small library was full of good to great games. Very few of the games are of poor quality, so I think that says a lot about the talented people working on the system back then. Many of them are now working on the Amico, so let’s hope they can duplicate that success.

Edited September 6, 2019 by IntyFanMatt

[ASalvaro]

1 hour ago, Flojomojo said:

Thanks for moving this topic to its own thread, this makes a lot more sense than putting it with Amico discussion. 

 

I think your experience with Intellivision depends when you came at it. Mine was $40 from a drugstore while the video game market was crashing out. It was great to sweep up all the titles I had read about for years prior. 

 

I liked the the depth of the strategic games like Sub Hunt and Treasure of Tarmin. The keypad added more to games like Las Vega Poker and Blackjack where other systems would just use a simple cursor. Imagic and Activision has unique exclusives. Not many arcade ports on Intellivision but Parker Brothers filled in some gaps. 

 

If you want to go on a deep Intellivision dive, listen to The Intellivisionaries podcast. It's kinda flabby (like episodes that run for 5 hours) but it's smart and filled with goodwill. Also lots of time with the delightful (and sorely missed) Keith Robinson, who held the rights until passing away two years ago. http://intellivisionaries.com/

The crash was an awesome time to pick up games cheap..every Monday I would go to Kay Bee toys because they would get a load of new Colecovision carts real cheap