best model Intellivision and Nes

[Soviet Conscript]

alright. i suppose the title says it all but i'll elaborate.

i'm looking for the best all around model of the intellivision and nes, wether it be US, JP or EU. best in terms of all around reliability, compatability and a/v output quality.

the intellivison i want i'm planning to get eventually modded for composite/S-video. I have a ver. 1 i was gonna have done but i heard alot of people complain about the reliability of the first version. the second version seems to be sturdier and more compact but it has compatability issues with some games. now does anyone have any opinion of the Ver. III model? does it fix the problems of the previous 2 models or is it just a repackageing of the the Intellivision I?

next is the NES. origionally i was thinking of getting a toploader and haveing a quality A/V mod. but i was wondering if just getting a JP a/v famicom and a adaptor of US carts would be a better bet (is thier a jp to US cart adaptor?) this way i don't have to bother with the mod and still get the same compact toploading features of the model 2. am i also right in the idea that the jp famicom can take advantage of better sound chips such as with the JP version of castlvania III?

[bazariah]

alright. i suppose the title says it all but i'll elaborate.

but i was wondering if just getting a JP a/v famicom and a adaptor of US carts would be a better bet (is thier a jp to US cart adaptor?) this way i don't have to bother with the mod and still get the same compact toploading features of the model 2. am i also right in the idea that the jp famicom can take advantage of better sound chips such as with the JP version of castlvania III?


do that, it would be the best option

[BydoEmpire]

I have never played an Intellivision III, so I can't speak to that, but the controllers on an original Inty are better than the Inty II, although they're not removable. Not that you're going to see many extra Inty II controllers floating around, but at least you can swap them around if one or the other goes bad. The Inty II's controllers feel stiffer, and the keypad is a terrible, flat membrane. Not the nice pop-up buttons of the original.

[y-bot]

Intellivision II has cheapie controllers and an annoying power/reset button that you have to hold down forever to get it to turn off. If you find a model I that is working properly to begin with I don't think you'll have any issues.

y-bot

[diskoboy]

Intellivision - The original woodgrain model.
NES -The top loading model.

Alot of Coleco games are incompatible with the Inty II. The top loading NES has better pin connections.

[retroman]

i like the INTV 2, and the Top loader NES

[ApolloBoy]

For the Intellivision I'd go for the INTV II. Yes, the controllers suck (Intellivision controllers suck period), and you have to wait for it to shut off, but it's quite small and it doesn't have the same overheating problems that the original Intellivision has.

For the NES, I said it before and I'll say it again. AV Famicom with an NES>Famicom converter and a Famicom Disk System.

[ghostangelofcky]

does anybody have the sears intellivision?
I almost bought one a while back

[InsaneDavid]

Maintained. That's it. Seems hard enough to find systems that are this simple thing.

[Greg2600]

i like the INTV 2, and the Top loader NES

Top Loader NES doesn't have the cartridge connection problems (screen blinking) of the old one, but it doesn't have A/V out either, just RF.

[Steve W]

The original Intellivision 1 model didn't have the pin on the cartridge port for video input, so the first models couldn't use the System Changer (the Atari 2600 module). I believe they made a change at some point in the design for compatability. I've been wondering if they made that change when it came to INTV's Model III. I need to hunt one down and the System Changer so I can find out for myself.

[DeputyMoniker]

If you're interested in using a Jaguar controller, which I've seriously considered, despite my reluctance to stray from original equipment, then you should go with the INTV2. Swapping the controllers is as simple as plugging it in. As for purely aesthetic value, the model 1 woody is better IMO. Don't forget about the Tandyvision though, it treated me very well for 10 years before my dads girlfriend stole it. It never crapped out on me once and I played the hell out of it. I mean that. I played it more than you can imagine.

[FABombjoy]

I A/V modded my Inty 2 because I preferred the removable controllers & compact design, I also have the computer module hooked up all the time so horizontal space was a concern. The few incompatibilities don't bother me much. Also, you can mod the power button to shut the system off much faster. If you're going to have it A/V modded this can be done at the same time. No s-video on any Inty console, composite only.

The v1 & v3 Inty are mostly the same, just the v3 has a power LED & controllers with a different tactile feel. The Sears version has the v1 controller style but are removable. Also has a somewhat bizarre case design. The Tandyvision is a clone of the Inty 1 with more woodgrain and less cowbell.

NES: A properly refurbed original NES, or an A/V famicom w/ 60->72 pin converter. Famicom controller cables are short, so you'll need extensions. Can also use US-style controllers & accessories.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

I really like the Tele-Games Intellivision (Personal Arcade). It has great controllers (well, relatively great, which certainly isn't absolutely great since Intelly controllers suck) and they're even removable if you can think of any reason to remove them and mostly I just really like the design. Sears consoles always had cooler designs than the originals, in my opinion, even if it was only something small like using fake burled walnut woodgrain instead of fake pine. But the Personal Arcade is the best, that mix of woodgrain, gold metal and cream colored plastic is just so perfectly 1980. I think my grandmother has a hair curler set that uses the exact same aesthetic.

On the other hand, I think the Intellivision II feels and looks like total trash. Not just the controllers, which are unusable in my opinion, but the system itself also feels cheap and hollow and looks so generic.

As for the Nintendo, all I can say is that if you like the top-loader because it's compact as you said, you should keep in mind that there's nothing compact about an NES cartridge plugged into a 72-60 pin adapter plugged into a toploading system. There are quite a few things that are unstable about it, though.


...word is bondage...

[Soviet Conscript]

No s-video on any Inty console, composite only.

doh! if i knew that i would of snatched the composite modded intellivision that was in the buy/sell forum a few weeks ago.



As for the Nintendo, all I can say is that if you like the top-loader because it's compact as you said, you should keep in mind that there's nothing compact about an NES cartridge plugged into a 72-60 pin adapter plugged into a toploading system. There are quite a few things that are unstable about it, though.


eh, its a slight consideration but compact design was really just a minor plus for me. my main concerns are complete compatability and a good a/v output.

[vintagegamecrazy]

The INTV 1 is easier to use and more comfortable as well. The INTV II is much more versatile, you can mod it and much more if you have money to burn, Wico made a removable controller with a joystick that works well. My opinion is to keep both models and interchange when needed since both aren't cost prohibitive in any way.

[Soviet Conscript]

what kind of a/v connections does a sharp famicom have? can it take advantage of the extra sound capabilities on famicom games like castlvania III?

[ApolloBoy]

what kind of a/v connections does a sharp famicom have? can it take advantage of the extra sound capabilities on famicom games like castlvania III?

The Twin Famicom outputs standard composite and it also has an 8-pin DIN port for an RF switch. Yes, it'll work with special carts like Akumajou Densetsu.

[eastbayarb]

I'd have to say an A/V famicom because it looks like the toploading NES but uses the same port for video and audio as SNES/N64/Gamecube.

too bad there is no easy way to do RGB output though...