Mattel Intellivision fans, do you care what happens to the Amico?

[fsuinnc]

aside from the name, it doesn't seem like it has anything to do with Intellivision. Maybe a couple of remakes. When it was announced I assumed most of what it is offering but thought we would see updated versions of all the classics along with some way to play the actual classics. Maybe even see a way to play all the awesome homebrews that have come out in the past few years on new hardware. I realize the appeal of the classics and homebrews, anything from the original days, would have a limited appeal but what's the point of using the name if you not going to support the that group of fans.

 

I feel I'm expected to be behind it because I liked the original but that doesn't really make sense if it's nothing like the original. 

 

I'll assume the pandemic played a major role in the delays but the delays have played a major role in my interest waning. 

[Intymike]

5 hours ago, fsuinnc said:

aside from the name, it doesn't seem like it has anything to do with Intellivision. Maybe a couple of remakes. When it was announced I assumed most of what it is offering but thought we would see updated versions of all the classics along with some way to play the actual classics. Maybe even see a way to play all the awesome homebrews that have come out in the past few years on new hardware. I realize the appeal of the classics and homebrews, anything from the original days, would have a limited appeal but what's the point of using the name if you not going to support the that group of fans.

 

I feel I'm expected to be behind it because I liked the original but that doesn't really make sense if it's nothing like the original. 

 

I'll assume the pandemic played a major role in the delays but the delays have played a major role in my interest waning. 

Hm, remakes like Astrosmash, Night Stalker, Skiing, Dungeons & Dragons, Safecracker, Bomb Squad?
Seems a lot of fan service here.

Also the originals are announced to be playable.

An the controller is as close to the original as you can do it today.

 

[Jaxivision]

The new games are too fancy.  I like the charm of the simplicity of the old games.

[Arnauld]

I was half excited about it at the very beginning. I like the design of the console and the hardware seems OK, especially the controllers (assuming that they work as well as advertised). But I have basically no interest in the games, which honestly just look like something between Flash and low to mid-budget Wii or mobile games. I personally think that this 'low budget' approach would *not* be a problem if they had a pleasant retro feeling. Unfortunately, I haven't seen anything that caught my eyes so far.

 

Also, I've nothing against the bring family and friends together again motto, but it seems like it only translates into "you're not going to see this or that kind of game on this system". I wish it was more like let's make cute and very simple games with top-notch gameplay again.

 

I didn't pre-order anything, nor do I plan to buy the system anytime soon. I really hope that the extra development time will be used to improve the software and I do wish that the system will be successful enough to survive more than a few months so that better games have a chance to see the light of day. But right now, my expectations are very low.

[+SoulBuster]

I am still excited about the Amico. I cannot wait to play all of the games.  I will probably purchase everything they have on day one, but I will probably not collect material games.  The only console that I have ever collected originals for is the Intellivision Classic.

 

Only disappointed about the delays, but consider that it was covids fault, not theirs.

[+Special Teams]

More and more I'm realizing I'm not in the target demographic for the system.  When it was announced, there were the endless possibilities of what the games could look and feel like - but as others have said, the flash/mobile feel isn't the retro look or gameplay I imagined.

 

Which brings me to my second observation - the majority of the games really do look like they are designed specifically for group "couch" play and not for solo play.  Currently, I'm a casual gamer that plays retro systems by myself in short spurts, and most of the time it feels like Amico marketing isn't speaking to me.  I pre-ordered the Founder's Edition and hopefully I can find some games to enjoy.

[+intellivotion]

Intellivision and its amazing world is part of my childhood and I grew up keeping on playing it for four decades; Intellivision Amico will be released in my advanced adulthood. The Intellivision is, in many ways, a life companion; Amico will be a cool device to have and play, without any kind of sentimentalism though.

But I do care about Amico, the way you would for a rock band for youngsters which takes inspiration from a classic one.

The delays? Microsoft is having problems with Xbox Series X in many countries because of the global chip shortage. I would be surprised if Intellivision Amico wasn't affected by the same issue. I'm a patient customer.

Edited August 29, 2021 by intellivotion

[+DZ-Jay]

2 hours ago, Arnauld said:

I was half excited about it at the very beginning. I like the design of the console and the hardware seems OK, especially the controllers (assuming that they work as well as advertised). But I have basically no interest in the games, which honestly just look like something between Flash and low to mid-budget Wii or mobile games. I personally think that this 'low budget' approach would *not* be a problem if they had a pleasant retro feeling. Unfortunately, I haven't seen anything that caught my eyes so far.

 

Also, I've nothing against the bring family and friends together again motto, but it seems like it only translates into "you're not going to see this or that kind of game on this system". I wish it was more like let's make cute and very simple games with top-notch gameplay again.

 

I didn't pre-order anything, nor do I plan to buy the system anytime soon. I really hope that the extra development time will be used to improve the software and I do wish that the system will be successful enough to survive more than a few months so that better games have a chance to see the light of day. But right now, my expectations are very low.

It's uncanny, but you have articulated my thoughts precisely.  I just didn't feel like spending the effort to write it.  Every word you wrote applies exactly to me -- spooky!

 

    -dZ.

[+cjherr]

13 hours ago, cmadruga said:

Frankly, who are all these people that make up the circus, both pro and con? Where did they come from?

 

We are the ones sticking with it for decades, creating web sites since the old modem age, reverse engineering old stuff, writing stuff, making and playing games... and will continue to do so. 

 

Will the Amico succeed? I hope it does, but if it doesn't... life will go on.

 

We already got a good thing going here on the classic scene, a new golden age. Anyone paying attention knows that.

Amen, brother. That statement brings it all into perspective. There is nothing more to say. Thank you. 

[fsuinnc]

6 hours ago, Intymike said:

Hm, remakes like Astrosmash, Night Stalker, Skiing, Dungeons & Dragons, Safecracker, Bomb Squad?
Seems a lot of fan service here.

Also the originals are announced to be playable.

An the controller is as close to the original as you can do it today.

 

Thanks for updating me. I hope that the originals are available.  The FAQ page just says "Many" of the originals will be in inexpensive bundles. It also says probably starting next year so I guess at this point it's hard to know the timing. I haven't followed the information much since the original delay happened so I could be way out of touch.  Do we know if the original games will be the original ROMs running in an emulator or if the games will basically be re-written to run on the new hardware?  Obviously, if emulation is used then there is always the chance to get new homebrews (for original hardware) into the Amico store. Again, not a great marketing point but would make me happy.

[fender1499]

Ordered the Founder’s edition and am excited about playing it. I hope it’s a great success for them!

[+fdr4prez]

3 hours ago, SoulBuster said:

I am still excited about the Amico. I cannot wait to play all of the games.  I will probably purchase everything they have on day one, but I will probably not collect material games.  The only console that I have ever collected originals for is the Intellivision Classic.

 

Only disappointed about the delays, but consider that it was covids fault, not theirs.

Interesting phrase that brings this to mind:

 

Coke = Intellivision

New Coke = Amico

Coke Classic = Intellivision Classic

[mr_me]

14 hours ago, Rev said:

Yeah, my excitement has iced over somewhat as well. 
 

The non blocky style GFX is not among my favorite style. I do like the overall look of Amico Night Stalker and Cloudy Mountain, probably because those look more retro than most.   
 

Blocky for the win!

 

Amico Night Stalker and Cloudy Mountain have two completely different graphic styles for the player.  Night Stalker has a modern looking but monochrome 2.5D style, while Cloudy Mountain has a blocky retro style that looks like sprites from Intellivision Football rather than AD&D.

 

1 hour ago, fsuinnc said:

Thanks for updating me. I hope that the originals are available.  The FAQ page just says "Many" of the originals will be in inexpensive bundles. It also says probably starting next year so I guess at this point it's hard to know the timing. I haven't followed the information much since the original delay happened so I could be way out of touch.  Do we know if the original games will be the original ROMs running in an emulator or if the games will basically be re-written to run on the new hardware?  Obviously, if emulation is used then there is always the chance to get new homebrews (for original hardware) into the Amico store. Again, not a great marketing point but would make me happy.

If you hear them talking about Shark Shark, Night Stalker, Astrosmash, Biplanes, etc.,  it's the new reimagined Amico games.  The emulated Intellivision games are expected to come later down the road.  Princess Quest made it to the evercade collection, so you might see Intellivision homebrews emulated on Amico too.

Edited August 29, 2021 by mr_me

[+cmart604]

Yep, can't wait for this. Looking forward to playing with my son and family. 

[+The Intellivision Gamer]

Just now, cmart604 said:

Yep, can't wait for this. Looking forward to playing with my son and family. 

Me too! Buy it all lol… times 2

[Sinjinhawke]

I ordered the Founder's Edition and I basically don't look into any of the information at all.  Too much drama out there so I patiently wait until I get my notice that it's ready.  Really looking forward to Cloudy Mountain.  My biggest concern is I may actually come to like Cornhole.  

[Papa Pete]

I was very excited at the start, and got two FE's because at that time I was looking for two things: 

1. To play remastered versions of classic games and most importantly

2. To be able to play many of the original 125 on controllers with digital overlays, against players from around the world who had as much love for these original games as I had. 

 

I wanted to play Sea Battle, MLB Baseball, NHL Hockey, Utopia, against other players all over.  Peer to peer is fine, but it was a solution that would allow us to play these two player games when there was no one remotely near us with whom we could do so.  As time went on following the initial announcement, it became obvious that this wasn't going to happen, at least not right away.  The door was never completely closed on it, but original games and possible peer to peer play was going to be in the second year (which would have been about now).  In chats and such, I heard everyone asking for all sorts of different games, and always thought to myself..."that's not an Intellivision game...why not ask for an actual Intellivision Game??!!"  I don't really care about Evel Knievel, or Finnegan Fox, because they're not Intellivision.  I mean, I'll try them and maybe I'll like them, but these games could have been anywhere.  It didn't take me long to realize that the focus wasn't truly on Intellivision, it was on family games.  Some of the biggest proponents of the system had next to no history with Intellivision.  But also, I completely understand that the reality is, for this system to succeed, it HAS to have a much broader target demographic than us Intellivision fans.  It's a necessary evil.  Kids games.  Family friendly content.  No online play.  I understand the need to be different, and I accept it, because it also means that if this system succeeds in these areas, I may just get more of what I want from it. 

 

That was long winded....am I still as excited about the system as I was?  Hell no, because it's no longer focused on giving me what I'm looking for, at least not right away.  But, I can accept that, and I still want it to succeed because it's still the best chance that we're ever going to have to expand upon the games that we all love, both by remastering them, and by hopefully opening up a world where it's easier to find other players for two player games.  I'm still hoping, and I'm still excited for it....but no...not as much. 

 

Oh, but you can be DAMN sure that I'm still excited about the next homebrew game that CMadruga is going to put out, though!  ?

[colormesticky]

Definitely. I care about some of the people involved enough that I want it to do well for their sake, so it's actually a little personal. But I also selfishly want a new swim around and look at fish game(s) so I have something to kill time with other than replaying Abzu for the gazillionth time.

 

I haven't preordered and don't intend to, because I plan to get the purple console after it's no longer exclusive to Gamestop. I have a different store I prefer to throw my money at.

 

Short version: Yeah, but in my usual filthy casual gamer sorta way.

[Keatah]

On 8/28/2021 at 3:07 PM, cmadruga said:

I did pre-order it, but am getting tired of the circus around it and all delays.

I still care, but my expectations are low. 
The platform does not occupy the same mental space as the classic one, which I am much more interested in.

Essentially the same. Though I do not do pre-orders. Especially on something that has yet to come to market and prove itself. Doesn't matter how many "industry veterans" are involved.

[Keatah]

On 8/28/2021 at 10:35 PM, fsuinnc said:

aside from the name, it doesn't seem like it has anything to do with Intellivision. Maybe a couple of remakes. When it was announced I assumed most of what it is offering but thought we would see updated versions of all the classics along with some way to play the actual classics. Maybe even see a way to play all the awesome homebrews that have come out in the past few years on new hardware. I realize the appeal of the classics and homebrews, anything from the original days, would have a limited appeal but what's the point of using the name if you not going to support the that group of fans.

That's what I was hoping for too.

 

The 1st original games from the 1980 catalog are. They just simply are. They were new us kids back in they day. So why are they not allowed to be new to today's kids? Have today's youth's brains been re-wired to be incapable of enjoying the same stuff we did in 1980?

 

Furthermore, then why go through trouble to make games with the simplistic style and graphics of yesteryear?

 

On 8/28/2021 at 10:35 PM, fsuinnc said:

I feel I'm expected to be behind it because I liked the original but that doesn't really make sense if it's nothing like the original. 

Right. "Intellivision" is not a free pass to success.

[Villanovafan]

I was interested in it when I first heard about it but as time has gone by, My interest has faded and really have no desire to pick one up.

I hope they do well but I would much rather play my intellivision and pick up more homebrews here and there.

[+KylJoy]

Was super excited at first.  Bought founder's edition and still looking forward to it.  Also bought second console, too.  BUT...  The reworking of games like cornhole due to controller concerns me.  I guess the controllers are not going to be as good as hoped?  Uh oh....

 

My main interest is directly related to the original Intellivision and it's library as well as new titles that are similar to those in gameplay style.

 

I still want to plug my original carts (or a flashcart, LTO, etc.) into it.

 

I'm VERY disappointed about the timeline and delays.  I know it was not in their control, but DAMN...  The excitement is mostly gone.  I want my Steam deck now. 

[Rev]

13 minutes ago, KylJoy said:

Was super excited at first.  Bought founder's edition and still looking forward to it.  Also bought second console, too.  BUT...  The reworking of games like cornhole due to controller concerns me.  I guess the controllers are not going to be as good as hoped?  Uh oh....

 

My main interest is directly related to the original Intellivision and it's library as well as new titles that are similar to those in gameplay style.

 

I still want to plug my original carts (or a flashcart, LTO, etc.) into it.

 

I'm VERY disappointed about the timeline and delays.  I know it was not in their control, but DAMN...  The excitement is mostly gone.  I want my Steam deck now. 

Yes, Steam Deck looks great. 

[Keatah]

53 minutes ago, Villanovafan said:

I was interested in it when I first heard about it but as time has gone by, My interest has faded and really have no desire to pick one up.

 

48 minutes ago, KylJoy said:

I'm VERY disappointed about the timeline and delays.  I know it was not in their control, but DAMN...  The excitement is mostly gone.  I want my Steam deck now. 

 

This seems to be a problem with internet marketing. All sorts of hype is generated at too early a juncture. Then normal developmental delays accrue and the product morphs into something differing from the initial promises. Interest is lost. Attention turns to the next best thing.

 

Back in the 70's and 80's everything had more presence. More impact. And it happened in more "realtime" than it does today. Ads appeared on TV and in magazines. Games appeared in the store a month later.

 

1 hour ago, Villanovafan said:

I hope they do well but I would much rather play my intellivision and pick up more homebrews here and there.

So would I. I do emulation these days, but the same sentiment applies.

[Rowsdower70]

Not at all.   I was a huge supporter in the beginning, but so much has changed since then and for the worse.   I have zero confidence in their team and vision now, and the credibility of the entire project is in question now in my opinion. 
I feel like Tommy has mishandled almost every hurdle he's been given, and the console they got me excited about isn't even on the radar anymore.   
One of the biggest disappointments in modern gaming for me, because I was singing its praise and doing everything I could to spread the word.   I feel like an idiot.