Newcomer to Intellivision here

[Dire 51]

A co-worker, knowing of my love of gaming, recently offered to give me all of his classic pre-crash consoles and games. I jumped at his offer, and last night he delivered the first batch: 20 Intellivision games (all loose, most with manuals). The system itself will be following, along with a VCS and games, once he gets them out of storage.

Now here's the thing: my experience with the Intellivision is pretty limited. I only knew a few people that had one way back when, and two of them I met at the dawn of the 16-bit era, so playing Intellivision wasn't exactly high on our list. I do remember that I wasn't thrilled with the controller.

Anyway, here's what I got:

Pitfall!
The Dreadnaught Factor
Happy Trails
Frogger
Fathom
Atlantis
Demon Attack
White Water
Centipede
Shark! Shark!
Night Stalker
Astrosmash
Lock 'N' Chase
Sharp Shot
Buzz Bombers
Burgertime
NFL Football
Major League Baseball
Skiing
Auto Racing

Several of them I used to own for the VCS, so I don't think I'll have a problem playing them. But some of the others I may have a problem with. Didn't some of these come with plastic overlays for the controllers? I've yet to see a single overlay here; they may be with the system. And on a side note, can any Intellivision enthusiasts give me any personal recommendations?

I'm looking forward to actually sitting down and playing these. More experience with the Intellivision has been a long time coming, I think.

[jb143]

As for playing the games(single player games anyways). Do what the programmers did. Hold a controller in each hand using 1 for the disc and the other for buttons. Since I started doing it that way it became so much easier to control.

You can also find the manuals and overlays on several different websites to learn how to play the games.

[Dire 51]

Interesting. I didn't even know you could hold the controller like that and be able to play the games properly.

[Greg2600]

Intellivision Overlay scans are everywhere!

http://www.hotcom.com/intellivision/
http://www.intellivision.org/IntellivisionOverlayChecklist.html
http://www.tomheroes.com/Video%20Games%20FS/video%20games/intellivision/intell%20overlays/overlays.htm
http://www.intvfunhouse.com/
http://www.steverd.com/overlays.htm


PS: You got really good games in that list. That said, I don't have an Intellivision, only the hand held TV-25 game unit. I was never a big fan of it as a little guy, and didn't think the graphics were that much better than the 2600. The controls certainly weren't! For the most part, most of the common games have slightly better sprites than the 2600, and much better backgrounds.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I would start by going to the "Video Game Critic" Web site and clicking on the Intellivision section. You can sort by letter grade. This guy is a great reviewer.

[DeputyMoniker]

A co-worker, knowing of my love of gaming, recently offered to give me all of his classic pre-crash consoles and games. I jumped at his offer, and last night he delivered the first batch: 20 Intellivision games (all loose, most with manuals). The system itself will be following, along with a VCS and games, once he gets them out of storage.

Now here's the thing: my experience with the Intellivision is pretty limited. I only knew a few people that had one way back when, and two of them I met at the dawn of the 16-bit era, so playing Intellivision wasn't exactly high on our list. I do remember that I wasn't thrilled with the controller.

Anyway, here's what I got:

Pitfall!
The Dreadnaught Factor
Happy Trails
Frogger
Fathom
Atlantis
Demon Attack
White Water
Centipede
Shark! Shark!
Night Stalker
Astrosmash
Lock 'N' Chase
Sharp Shot
Buzz Bombers
Burgertime
NFL Football
Major League Baseball
Skiing
Auto Racing

Several of them I used to own for the VCS, so I don't think I'll have a problem playing them. But some of the others I may have a problem with. Didn't some of these come with plastic overlays for the controllers? I've yet to see a single overlay here; they may be with the system. And on a side note, can any Intellivision enthusiasts give me any personal recommendations?

I'm looking forward to actually sitting down and playing these. More experience with the Intellivision has been a long time coming, I think.

Until around 1990, we had one console in the house. An Intellivision. You have a few of my fav games already. Start with Atlantis, then night Stalker, and work your way into Burgertime. Burgertime has something in common with Pacman...learning the board and how the enemies move is going to make you a better player. You'll learn tricks & things...it's a lot of fun if you take the time to learn how to play it well. It happens to be the game I would take to my grave! (That's another thread.)
EDIT: Oh...and regarding what you said about the controller. Most people will agree with that. Also, get a hold of Tron: Deadly Disks.

[Astrosmash]

As for playing the games(single player games anyways). Do what the programmers did. Hold a controller in each hand using 1 for the disc and the other for buttons. Since I started doing it that way it became so much easier to control.

Second this - Tron: Deadly Discs became one of my favorite INTV games after switching to this method.

[Pantechnicon]

You've got a good list of titles there with which to start. I highly recommend that you don't merely glance over the Burgertime cart, either, as Intellivision has one of the better home ports of that game.

Two titles I don't see in your list that are easy to find yet are worth looking for are Star Strike and Boxing.

[wufners]

I still find Snafu to be a kick to play. It's more fun with two players, but is worth it for the music alone.

Beauty and the Beast has also aged quite well for me.

Advance Dungeons and Dragons and Thunder Castle are also favorites of mine, but I suspect nostalgia is playing a large role in this.

[icbrkr]

Utopia is a personal favorite. That and hunt down B17 bomber and an Intellivoice.

[AB Positive]

I gotta say, the INTV is not a favorite system of mine, at all. Then again I'm an odd gamer and my favorite pre-NES systems are the O2 and 5200. That being said...

Burgertime. I've played many versions and you really just don't get a better version than on the INTV. If there's an INTV needing testing and I'm going to do it... I pop that sucker in asap. Even with the dreaded disc it's awesome - sound and graphics really go well, I just love it. Definitely give it a try.

[tcv]

I had an INTV II for awhile.

I played AD&D: Realm of the Minotaur. (At least, that's how I remember the title.) It was sort of a first-person dungeon crawler.

My friends and I played the heck out of Utopia, which really surprised me today because I have very little interest in strategy games. At its heart, that's Utopia's genre.

And n'thing Tron: Deadly Discs. It was awesome.

Other games I recall liking were B-17 Bomber, Space Spartans, Astrosmash.

Have fun!!

[jcalder8]

I love the Intellivision. It's the one system I've seriously thought about getting a complete collection for.

Those are some great games that you got with the system.

[Dire 51]

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations, everyone. I may have to pull out my copy of the DP Classic guide to see what else is out there.

All this makes me wish I still had that copy of The Empire Strikes Back someone had given me years ago... got rid of it at one point because I didn't have an Intellivision.

On a side note, does anyone think that the Intellivision Lives! comp for the PS2 is worth picking up? I might just get that so I can play some of these games when I have my PS2 hooked up.

[Sanriostar]

The Fathom you have is one of the respectable rares for the Inty! Good Start! While everyone else is going to mention the easy commons to get (and you should get them) here's the rare carts to hunt down:


Thin Ice
Diner
any Imagic titles
Thunder Castle
Lady Bug
Venture
River Raid (it's different than the 2600)
Sewer Sam

So there's some White Whales to catch; that'll feed your collecting bug for a bit.

[Greg2600]

I would start by going to the "Video Game Critic" Web site and clicking on the Intellivision section. You can sort by letter grade. This guy is a great reviewer.
Second that, I love his website! www.videogamecritic.net

[ryborg]

I still find Snafu to be a kick to play. It's more fun with two players, but is worth it for the music alone.

I'll also vouch for multi-player Snafu. It's one of the few INTV games I still regularly play on the system.

[tcv]

Second that, I love his website! www.videogamecritic.net

I noticed the cart he lists as AD&D's "Treasure of Tarmin" is the one I recall as "Realm of The Minotaur." I've seen this in other places as well. Is my memory wrong? Did I read the phrase as a kid and think it the title? (I wasn't that young.)

[Greg2600]

I noticed the cart he lists as AD&D's "Treasure of Tarmin" is the one I recall as "Realm of The Minotaur." I've seen this in other places as well. Is my memory wrong? Did I read the phrase as a kid and think it the title? (I wasn't that young.)
That was the "working title." http://www.intellivisiongames.com/gamepage.php?gameId=3

[tcv]

That was the "working title." http://www.intellivisiongames.com/gamepage.php?gameId=3

AH!! Thanks.

[Arcade Antics]

Very impressive haul for an INTV lot of that size.

My pick for best game on that list? The Dreadnaught Factor.

And Tron Deadly Discs is a must-have, luckily it should cost you all of 50 cents, complete. :) If you play only one game for the INTV, it should be TDD.

[Dire 51]

The Fathom you have is one of the respectable rares for the Inty! Good Start! While everyone else is going to mention the easy commons to get (and you should get them) here's the rare carts to hunt down:


Thin Ice
Diner
any Imagic titles
Thunder Castle
Lady Bug
Venture
River Raid (it's different than the 2600)
Sewer Sam

So there's some White Whales to catch; that'll feed your collecting bug for a bit.
Hmmm. Not sure how much collecting I'll be able to do (what with money being tight and all), but I'll keep an eye out for those.

On the subject of Imagic titles, I remember playing Microsurgeon once and I remember thinking it was pretty cool, but I remember very little about the game itself. Can anyone offer any thoughts on it?


Very impressive haul for an INTV lot of that size.

My pick for best game on that list? The Dreadnaught Factor.

And Tron Deadly Discs is a must-have, luckily it should cost you all of 50 cents, complete. :) If you play only one game for the INTV, it should be TDD.
Only 50 cents? That's good to know. It seems to be one of the most recommended, so I'll definitely keep an eye out for it.

And The Dreadnaught Factor is really that good? I remember being intrigued by it when I saw advertised in the old Activision catalogs, but I never got a chance to play it.

[Arcade Antics]

On the subject of Imagic titles, I remember playing Microsurgeon once and I remember thinking it was pretty cool, but I remember very little about the game itself. Can anyone offer any thoughts on it?
It's definitely a cool INTV title. It hasn't necessarily aged as well as some of the other INTV games from a playability standpoint though. It tends to be a bit more tedious these days when compared with other games in the INTV library, whereas back then the novelty and great graphics offset the tedium factor.



Only 50 cents? That's good to know. It seems to be one of the most recommended, so I'll definitely keep an eye out for it.

And The Dreadnaught Factor is really that good? I remember being intrigued by it when I saw advertised in the old Activision catalogs, but I never got a chance to play it.
TDD is one of those wonderfully dirt common games that is still 100% playable today. Everything about it is excellent.

Dreadnaught Factor - I suspect this one is a "love it or hate it title." I've always enjoyed it, it combines blowing the crap out of things as quickly as possible with strategically knowing which objects on the ship to destroy and in what order. Plus the graphics are big, bright, and nicely rendered. Guessing that players who don't like it probably find it dull and/or confusing, so mileage may vary. :)

[tcv]

It's definitely a cool INTV title. It hasn't necessarily aged as well as some of the other INTV games from a playability standpoint though. It tends to be a bit more tedious these days when compared with other games in the INTV library, whereas back then the novelty and great graphics offset the tedium factor.

It certainly had the catchiest screen shots. I am fairly certain I played it a couple of times and thought it pretty good. Videogamecritic gave it a middle grade as I recall. (Can't get to the site at this moment.)

[YoshiM]

How is the INTV Dreadnought Factor compare to the Atari 5200 version?

[Dire 51]

It's definitely a cool INTV title. It hasn't necessarily aged as well as some of the other INTV games from a playability standpoint though. It tends to be a bit more tedious these days when compared with other games in the INTV library, whereas back then the novelty and great graphics offset the tedium factor.
Hmmm. I may have to see if I can snag a copy at some point, just to experience it again.


TDD is one of those wonderfully dirt common games that is still 100% playable today. Everything about it is excellent.
Excellent.


Dreadnaught Factor - I suspect this one is a "love it or hate it title." I've always enjoyed it, it combines blowing the crap out of things as quickly as possible with strategically knowing which objects on the ship to destroy and in what order. Plus the graphics are big, bright, and nicely rendered. Guessing that players who don't like it probably find it dull and/or confusing, so mileage may vary. :)
Sounds good to me... I do like blowing the crap out of things as quickly as possible. Is there anything out there it could be compared to?

[Pantechnicon]

I do like blowing the crap out of things as quickly as possible. Is there anything out there {The Dreadnaught Factor} could be compared to?

River Raid, with a little bit of Space Invaders' style gameplay mixed in, i.e. - The ship is constantly moving closer to your safe position as you strafe it.

And I'll add my voice to the chorus of those who say it's a great INTV title.

[Steve W]

I thought the 5200 version had better graphics but worse controls. Of course, that unfortunately applies to a good chunk of cross-platform games from that time.

I never got into The Dreadnaught Factor. Maybe it's because I've only played it in short bursts and I never bothered to read the instruction manual to find out exactly how it's played. Mainly because I only have a loose cartridge.

[Dire 51]

River Raid, with a little bit of Space Invaders' style gameplay mixed in, i.e. - The ship is constantly moving closer to your safe position as you strafe it.

And I'll add my voice to the chorus of those who say it's a great INTV title.
This does sound interesting. I hope I'll be able to play it soon.

[TVs Hasselhoff]

Having grown up with the Intellivision as my first system (yes, I was around when it launched), the list of titles you got is excellent, especially the Burgertime, Atlantis, Baseball, Astrosmash (one of the better selling games at the time, for any system) and Nightstalker (nothing really rare, but fun games).

VCS fans always put down the Intellivision's Demon Attack because it plays "slow," but it is a graphical jump over the VCS version, so you can pick what you like.

"only knew a few people that had one way back when, and two of them I met at the dawn of the 16-bit era"

Funny statement, as the Intellivision IS a 16-bit system. You ain't getting Genesis or SNES color palletes, but it is 16-bit.


Most games aren't really expensive (a complete Congo Bongo not-withstanding), so make sure you grab some goodies like Tron Deadly Discs, Microsurgeon, Safe Cracker, Dungeons and Dragons Treasure of Tarmin, D&D Realm of the Minotaur (little harder to find), a voice module for B-17 and Bomb Squad (the Tron voice game was interesting), Utopia, and Motocross (dude, it had a track editor! how crazy is that?). I'll speak for Joe and throw in his endorsement for Horse Racing.

Some of the harder, but interesting, games to find are Dracula (with some of the goofiest box art ever) and the RBI baseball for the computer system.

I know I'm leaving stuff out.

As always, when playing the system, make sure it is well ventilated from the bottom, make sure you turn it off when done playing. I always felt the woodrain systems were the sturdiest, and you can change out the controllers if broken. Unscrew the top and the controller are connected to the console body by phone-cord type plugs. Very easy and handy, should something break.

[jb143]

"only knew a few people that had one way back when, and two of them I met at the dawn of the 16-bit era"

Funny statement, as the Intellivision IS a 16-bit system. You ain't getting Genesis or SNES color palletes, but it is 16-bit.


That's because the "X-bit eras" typically refer to graphics...and is also the source for all the contraversy with other systems. The Intellivision had a 16-bit processor but 8 bit graphics. Of course the debate will always go on.

[TVs Hasselhoff]

That's because the "X-bit eras" typically refer to graphics...and is also the source for all the contraversy with other systems. The Intellivision had a 16-bit processor but 8 bit graphics. Of course the debate will always go on.

What controversy? Intellivision was the best system ever created. It trumps all. Rock beats scissors. Period. ;-)

But I can see the point between graphics versus processor. I guess we should make reference to the Turbo-16, then. No need to derail this thread by adding THAT fuel to the fire.

And to the original poster of this thread, if you drive around and explore some of the areas off the paved tracks in Auto Racing, you'll find some neat little bits of tracks scattered here and there. One of the levels had a small loop course tucked away, but I can't remember which one. Nothing terribly detailed, I just thought it was fun to drive around and find what was off the courses.

[jb143]

The controversy I mentioned was in reguards to other systems. The Jaguar, TG16, etc... It usually comes into play becasue of the difference between CPU, graphics, and bus width.

But yeah, the Intellivision is a pretty fun little system and cheap to collect for. And getting use to the "different" controller is completely worth it.

[josekortez]

Are Intellivision systems hard to find in the wild?

I ask because I have located a lot of 20 Intellivision games that I can buy for around $20 or so, but I don't want to pay a lot for a working system off EBay right now. I'm sure they're not as plentiful as Nintendo and Sega systems by any means.

[Sonicwolf]

Get the game Star Strike, so you can witness Intellivision's most amazing visual effect ever, the 'total destruction of a planet'. (According to George Plimpton)

[Astrosmash]

Are Intellivision systems hard to find in the wild?

I ask because I have located a lot of 20 Intellivision games that I can buy for around $20 or so, but I don't want to pay a lot for a working system off EBay right now. I'm sure they're not as plentiful as Nintendo and Sega systems by any means.

I can only speak locally, but I've always had a lot of trouble finding Intellivision systems or carts in the wild around here. Atari 2600, NES and Genesis carts are plentiful and consoles come up often enough, but I've only rarely found anything for Intellivision. Fortunately everything I've wanted for it and couldn't find otherwise has come up cheap on eBay or other sites. Last time I looked the consoles aren't too bad pricewise either (the Model 1 anyway; not sure what Intellivision II's are going for).

I'd call 20 INTV games for $20 a good deal any way you cut it though.

[josekortez]

I can only speak locally, but I've always had a lot of trouble finding Intellivision systems or carts in the wild around here. Atari 2600, NES and Genesis carts are plentiful and consoles come up often enough, but I've only rarely found anything for Intellivision. Fortunately everything I've wanted for it and couldn't find otherwise has come up cheap on eBay or other sites. Last time I looked the consoles aren't too bad pricewise either (the Model 1 anyway; not sure what Intellivision II's are going for).

I'd call 20 INTV games for $20 a good deal any way you cut it though.

I might just pick those games up today assuming they're still there. I'm a sucker for any system with really cheap games.

[scooterb23]

I missed this the first time, but your Intellivision collection sucks until it has Bowling in it. In my not so humble opinion, it's THE best bowling game until you reach the Playstation era. Quite the technical accomplishment.