Intellivision vs. Colecovision: Which 1 you like?

[HP Atari King of Michigan]

I have played Intellivision before, but I've never played the Colecovision, but have seen it at a pawn shop (the same one where I bought my Atari 5200 and 7800). I was thinking of getting it. Would you recommend going for it or wait until an INTV comes around?

[shep]

I reccomend the Coleco. Visually it is a bit easier on the eyes, graphically speaking it looks better, and I think the games for it are awesome. It whomps all over the Intellivision in my opinion.

[+FujiSkunk]

Visually it is a bit MUCH MUCH easier on the eyes...

972597[/snapback]

 

There, fixed that for you.

 

I've never been a fan of the Inty's graphics, which to me look even more primitive than the Atari 2600's. It may be a more advanced system, but you can't tell just by looking at it.

 

The Coleco seems to have the Inty beat in the sound department, too.

[Avid Fan]

Colecovision all the way man

[supercat]

I've never been a fan of the Inty's graphics, which to me look even more primitive than the Atari 2600's.  It may be a more advanced system, but you can't tell just by looking at it.

972602[/snapback]

 

Intellivision can do better backgrounds, and it does not have the Atari 2600's two-sprite limit (though ironically M-network is the company that most often pushes it to three by using missiles as fake players). But the Atari 2600's "live" display is much more versatile than the "set up during vertical blank" displays of other systems.

[+remowilliams]

I love 'em both, and the INTY has some neat games not seen on other platforms - but I'd pick the CV over the INTY.

[J.Max]

Colecovision. Not even a competition.

 

That's like saying which has a better version of Pac Man? The 2600 or the 5200?

[RangerG]

In my opinion the Colecovision is one of the best of the classic systems while the Intellivision with its complicated controllers (with hard fire buttons) and library that duplicates many 2600 games has not aged well.

[Prodos8]

They both have their strong suits. However, I must admit the CV is the superior system from a hardware standpoint, having debuted several years after the INTY.

 

I don't have an actual CV, while I do have an INTY, so my opinion maybe be slightly biased, perhaps.

 

I do know that my kids 10 & 11, who have cut their gaming teeth on N64 and Playstation, will at least give the INTY a second glance (read: tolerate) when it comes to playability, while totally pooh-poohing just about any Atari 2600 game. They might very well do the same (tolerate) with the CV, go figure.

 

Oh, and as of late, since I discovered their discust with the Atari VCS games, I've sentenced them to 30-60 min session of playing it as a form of punishment, like time-out kinda. Who ever would thought this would be back in the day?

[jaybird3rd]

I'm going to have to put in a good word for the Intellivision here. Sure, the graphics are blocky, but that's the case on just about any classic console of that age. The 2600 and the Inty are both first-generation, late-70s platforms; if I remember correctly, the Colecovision is from 1982.

 

The Intellivision's biggest advantage over the Colecovision, in my opinion, is the larger library of original games that are unique to the system. Most of the memorable games on the Colecovision seem to be arcade ports or ports of games that are also available on other platforms. That may be one reason that it hasn't had as active an "afterlife" through emulation as the 2600 and the Inty systems have had; after all, why play ports (even if they were good ports for the time) through emulation when you can play the originals just as easily?

[Pixelboy]

I tried the Intellivision only once in my entire life, roughly two decades ago, and after 10 minutes of experiencing that awful controller, I promised myself I would never touch it again.

 

I'm a CV fan, but even if I wasn't, I'd still pick the CV over the Inty any day of the week.

[cimerians]

WHAT??

 

Colecovision.

 

End of story.

[DominiRican05]

Definitely Colecovision. I owned an Intellivision for maybe about a month, and it's funny because I was born in the early 80s so I had never seen an Intellivision until recently. I had been drooling for months over at the IntellivisionsLives site once I got my hands on a system from eBay, I was totally disappointed. The graphics sucked, and I'm not just speaking from a spoiled modern gamer perspective since I have a 2600 which I enjoy very much, but the Intv graphics looked worse than the 2600 and the controllers sucked royally. It's like using a calculator to play your games.

 

Although the Colecovision's controllers aren't much better at least it's a joystick (albeit short) versus a wishy washy disk and most games just use the action buttons not the keypad. Plus the graphics and sound rock!

[+remowilliams]

The Intellivision's biggest advantage over the Colecovision, in my opinion, is the larger library of original games that are unique to the system.

972781[/snapback]

That's why I love my INTY - B17 Bomber, Trucker, Microsurgeon, Swords and Serpents (just to name a few) - AWESOME!!

 

But the INTYs controller sucks worse than just about anything ever made.

[+Random Terrain]

The Intellivision's biggest advantage over the Colecovision, in my opinion, is the larger library of original games that are unique to the system.

972781[/snapback]

That's why I love my INTY - B17 Bomber, Trucker, Microsurgeon, Swords and Serpents (just to name a few) - AWESOME!!

 

But the INTYs controller sucks worse than just about anything ever made.

972881[/snapback]

When I saw Microsurgeon and Swords and Serpents in a catalog, I wanted an Intellivision really bad because those games looked so cool, but you can't find them in any classic collection. I hate copyrights sometimes.

 

But for the most part I wanted a Colecovision more.

[JB]

I find the INTV controllers interesting, mainly for what they represent in controller "evolution."

 

Everyone thought more buttons was a good idea, and latched onto a roughly similar design(the wisdom of a phone pad is qustionable at best, but ...). However, only Mattel fielded a device that actually resembled the future of gaming.

 

 

For better or worse, the INTV has the first gamepad.

[+Random Terrain]

For better or worse, the INTV has the first gamepad.

972890[/snapback]

Yeah, it was the world's first anti-ergonomic gamepad. Besides not having the money to buy one, the controller was a big reason to scare me away. I tried to play it at Woolco different times, but it was always too hard to use.

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

Colecovision.

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[joeybastard]

This is no competition. The CV is 1000x better than the INTV. Better controllers, better overall library, better graphics and new homebrews still coming out for it. The INTV has some good games but not worth waiting for, IMHO.

[Lord Helmet]

I'm along with the crowd here. Colecovision. Hands down. The games are WAY better. Especially if you like classic arcade games (the CV has many, the inty has a few). Plus the CV has some nice homebrews both released and in development, the inty does not, as far as I know. (It would be cool to see what some of todays homebrewers could do with the inty though )

 

I will disagree with Joeybastard on the controller issue...both systems have crappy controllers. I actually prefer the inty disc to the Coleco "thumb-bustin" knob. The fire buttons suck on the Coleco, and suck worse on the inty.

 

If the inty had decent fire buttons, the controllers wouldnt be all that bad. Id love to build a custom inty stick, but all of the spare parts I have lying around have 8-way pads or sticks, and the inty is 16.

 

...maybe I could just mod an existing inty pad with better fire buttons

Edited November 28, 2005 by Lord Helmet

[Foxsolo2000]

Had to be the Colecovision. I owned both the Intel and Coleco and I had to admit that I played the Coleco more than the Intel. The only thing that let it down was the joysticks which were more cosmetic than anything else but if you managed to get hold of a Super Controller it made for far easier game play

[Omegamatrix]

I wouldn't give up my Colecovision for anything. It was a short lived system due to the crash, but has lots of good arcade ports. My intellivision however I gave to a friend for his birthday. IMHO the Colecovision has aged better of the two.

[JB]

For better or worse, the INTV has the first gamepad.

972890[/snapback]

Yeah, it was the world's first anti-ergonomic gamepad.

Like I said... the future of gaming.

[Lord Thag]

Depends. Certainly, the CV is prettier and plays Arcade games VASTLY better. If I want to play Spy Hunter, Donkey Kong or Mr Do!, it's the CV all the way. Action games are (almost) always better and faster on the CV.

 

INTV has more 'thinking man' games, even if they are uglier. Games like the 2 AD&D games, Utopia, Sea Battle, Sub Hunt, Swords and Serpents and the like. A lot of good two player stuff too, as well as gads of fantastic original titles that you can play nowhere else like Diner, Thunder Castle, White Water and Tower of Doom. The Imagic selection on this system is fantastic. In fairness, the CV does have a couple of great RPG/Strategy games like Gateway to Apshai (best game on the CV actually).

 

I guess it kind of depends what mood I'm in. Arcade/Action and it is the Coleco. RPG/Strategy and it's the INTV. BOTH systems require that you have a decent sized colection of their respective libraries to give a fair estimate.

 

I tend to play my intellivision more, due to the ton of unique titles. Arcade stuff tends to get split between the 5200/NES/CV.

 

I never get caught up in the 'which system has better graphics' debate. I mean, come on, if you're going that route go play your xbox. Good games are good games. I base my likes /dislikes on the quality of the titles, and in my book, the systems are about equal in this regard, depending on your tastes.

 

Which is what it comes down to anyway.

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

I tend to play my intellivision more, due to the ton of unique titles.

 

Uhm... so how do you manage to use the controler for longer than 10 minutes?

 

Greetings,

Manuel