What's more hideous: Intv with add ons vs. Sega Tower of Power

[bluejay]

The Genesis is notorious for having bulky "life support" devices like the 32x and the Sega CD, but while I was searching for Intellivision controllers, I found this:

What a pile of crap. It doesn't even line up correctly.

So that got me wondering, is an Intv with a bunch of add ons worse than this?

Yes. I think so.

Edited April 20, 2020 by bluejay

[Magmavision2000]

Tower of power looks like when you just stack every lego you find in a toy box. The INTV with the add ons looks somewhat presentable.

[DragonGrafx-16]

Sega Tower of Power with as many Sonic & Knuckles carts stacked as you can find + the Game Genie... so like your picture but way worse...

 

Also is that a Master System card adapter?

Edited April 20, 2020 by DragonGrafx-16

[bluejay]

4 minutes ago, DragonGrafx-16 said:

Sega Tower of Power with as many Sonic & Knuckles carts stacked as you can find + the Game Genie... so like your picture but way worse...

 

Also is that a Master System card adapter?

I dunno. It's just a random photo I found online.

[Steven Pendleton]

1 hour ago, DragonGrafx-16 said:

Sega Tower of Power with as many Sonic & Knuckles carts stacked as you can find + the Game Genie... so like your picture but way worse...

 

Also is that a Master System card adapter?

 

1 hour ago, bluejay said:

I dunno. It's just a random photo I found online.

That is the XBAND, which lets you play your games online in 1994/1995 or so.

 

Anyway, the Intellivision is way worse. Genesis/Mega Drive tower is actually not bad in person. SuperGrafx with Super CD-ROM2 or SuperGrafx with the RAU-30 + IFU + CD-ROM2 is actually much more hideous than the tower is.

[jhd]

 

Does either agglomeration actually work? Frankly, I would be surprised if the Sega stack does (mainly because of the Xband and the 32X not cleanly passing all of the signals). 

 

I cannot quickly find a good image online, but there is also the option of the IBM PC Jr. with multiple sidecar expansions that almost double the width of the original case. 

 

 

[+fdr4prez]

 

 

14 minutes ago, jhd said:

 

Does either agglomeration actually work? Frankly, I would be surprised if the Sega stack does (mainly because of the Xband and the 32X not cleanly passing all of the signals). 

 

I cannot quickly find a good image online, but there is also the option of the IBM PC Jr. with multiple sidecar expansions that almost double the width of the original case. 

 

 

For that particular picture of the Intellivision "train" as we call it in the Inty forums, this will not work due to the last piece of hardware shown.

 

First device is the console, so that works.

 

Second device is the Intellivoice, and that works for the games that have voices

 

Third device is the ECS module, and that works for the games written to take advantage of it.

 

Last device is the PlayCable, and this does not work.  This was made back in the '80s for certain cable companies to download games to play at home.  This stopped working back in the '80s

 

 

Another possible "caboose" for the Intellivision train is the System Changer - Atari 2600 module

 

Or maybe the multiple cart selector

Edited April 20, 2020 by fdr4prez

[masschamber]

If I stack more 32xs do I get more bits?

[bluejay]

Just now, masschamber said:

If I stack more 32xs do I get more bits?

The ultimate tower would be:

 

1st floor: Sega CD model 1

2nd floor: Sega Genesis Model 1

3rd-10th floor: 8 32xs

11-20th floor: 10 sonic&knuckles

21-30th floor: 10 Game genies

31-49th floor: Whatever junk you can find

50th floor: Sonic the Hedgehog

[joeatari1]

[+intvsteve]

I had to vote for the Sega Tower of Doom simply out of architectural concerns. You absolutely need to build some kind of scaffolding around that thing so it won't tip over! That's waaaay harder than just grabbing another card table for the Intellivision Choo Choo / Fun Train.

[+intvsteve]

2 hours ago, fdr4prez said:

 

 

For that particular picture of the Intellivision "train" as we call it in the Inty forums, this will not work due to the last piece of hardware shown.

 

First device is the console, so that works.

 

Second device is the Intellivoice, and that works for the games that have voices

 

Third device is the ECS module, and that works for the games written to take advantage of it.

 

Last device is the PlayCable, and this does not work.  This was made back in the '80s for certain cable companies to download games to play at home.  This stopped working back in the '80s

 

 

Another possible "caboose" for the Intellivision train is the System Changer - Atari 2600 module

 

Or maybe the multiple cart selector

So here's an idea / question. Is the COMPRO VideoPlexer compatible with the System Changer? If so, could you put it after an Intellivoice, and then have the ECS in one slot and the System Changer in another? This would take things "to the next level"!

[+fdr4prez]

1 minute ago, intvsteve said:

So here's an idea / question. Is the COMPRO VideoPlexer compatible with the System Changer? If so, could you put it after an Intellivoice, and then have the ECS in one slot and the System Changer in another? This would take things "to the next level"!

I was also thinking about that.

 

You can have a non-ending chain of VideoPlexers and have all your carts connected as one plexer feeds into the next.

 

[S1500]

The TI-99/4A with sidecar expansions:

 

"Hold my beer"

 

 

[+intvsteve]

4 minutes ago, S1500 said:

The TI-99/4A with sidecar expansions:

 

"Hold my beer"

 

 

Awesome!

 

Too bad Mattel never delivered their RAM expanders. I'm guessing that's what some of those are? Not terribly familiar w/ the TI-99/4A.

[+fdr4prez]

Now the poll needs to be expanded to include more choices, but at least these look sleek together

[joeatari1]

Alright, how many bits in this one?

[joeatari1]

16 minutes ago, fdr4prez said:

Now the poll needs to be expanded to include more choices, but at least these look sleek together

I agree.  They do look nice together.  Almost sexy?  I like the silver and black color combo.

[BassGuitari]

On 4/20/2020 at 1:09 PM, joeatari1 said:

 

I think hitting the power switch on that thing would set it on fire. ?

[DragonGrafx-16]

1 hour ago, BassGuitari said:

 

I think hitting the power switch on that thing would set it on fire. ?

Remove everything except Bubsy and that would still happen... lol

[derFunkenstein]

An actual, non-comedic Sega Tower of Power that actually plays a game is a thing of beauty. The Intellivision + add-ons looks like a human centipede. 

[bluejay]

On 4/20/2020 at 12:34 PM, S1500 said:

The TI-99/4A with sidecar expansions:

 

"Hold my beer"

 

 

To be honest, I thought of including TI-99 and PCjr sidecars and those accessories that attach to the back of PC Convertibles(dunno what they're called) but they look like nothing compared to the monstrosities on the original poll.

[zzip]

Both look terrible, but the Tower of Power is frighting!

[EdgeOfPortal]

Hmmm... makes me wonder if an Aquarius and about 10 mini expanders would still function well. I can't try it though. I only own 2 mini expanders.

[BassGuitari]

5 hours ago, EdgeOfPortal said:

Hmmm... makes me wonder if an Aquarius and about 10 mini expanders would still function well. I can't try it though. I only own 2 mini expanders.

I don't see how it would be physically even possible to chain more than three since they'd square over on themselves. ?