Here's my Intellivision:

[Aswald]

The only problem is, controller #2 does not work. Since Auto Racing and Las Vegas Blackjack/Poker require at least an initial input in order for you to play those games, I literally had to take apart the controller and manually connect the three contact points in order to do so. Hopefully, I'll have it properly repaired soon.


http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/SirGusPhotos/040.jpg


And these are the games for it. I'm not sure if the person who sent them to me wants me to identify him here- but they were greatly appreciated; thanks!

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/SirGusPhotos/038.jpg


Now, here is the main reason I posted this:

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu219/SirGusPhotos/039.jpg

I've heard of odd things being found inside of old game systems, but this is the first time it's actually happened to me. The little sword was jammed inside near the on/off switch, and the RF-RF cable connector was just sort of rattling around in there.

[rpepper9]

Um, Ok....


Oh, now I get it, this is one of those evolving posts, with more photos and information being added later.

[portnoyd]

That's weird. The system isn't wrapped in tinfoil.

[Aswald]

That should do it.

[Aswald]

Um, Ok....


I get it, this is one of those evolving posts, with more photos and information being added later.


Oh, yes. To finish it- including resizing the photos- here took no more than 5 minutes. At the other place, I spent an hour just getting that far (resizing the photo simply never happened). I would've been there until closing before I would have finished it.

[Steve W]

Well, your anonymous benefactor sent you some decent games. Night Stalker, Astrosmash, and Utopia are good'uns. Make sure you print out overlays for Utopia and download an online manual for it. And Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack was where I learned to play poker, back in the day. Until I found a couple strip poker games on the Amiga, but that's another story. :)

[Aswald]

Here's a quick review for the games:

Night Stalker: This ugly, crude-looking game looks like one of those trash games for the 2600 you used to see. It's so ugly and dark, it's almost evil. Sound is just as crude, and the characters look like they're from 1975 more than anything else. It's also one of the most insanely addicting games you'll ever play. By the time the Black Robot with the Sanctuary-Destroying shots appears, you'll realize what "hopeless" really is.


Space Armada: When the VCS Space Invaders came out, Mattel had to come up with something for the Intellivision. This was it. Two options, blocky (yet good) graphics, and merely decent sound, but it's great. As you progress, the invaders gain new abilities and weapons, hitting a UFO regenerates shields, and where you hit an invader determines if the explosion can zap another, too. I really like this one.


Auto Racing: You've seen it in several episodes of "Knight Rider," perhaps. This game was well ahead of its time, with options and graphics that easily matched arcade games of that era. Once you get the hang of the weird control scheme, you'll wonder why the Intellivision did not sell more consoles back then in spite of the price and lack of arcade titles.


Las Vegas Blackjack/Poker: O.K., the CV blackjack game itself is better- it allows up to 4 players, insurance, and splitting, as well as five-card Charlie. Beyond that, this game, with FOUR card games- including draw poker!- is the better cartridge. The dealer is also a good deal less mechanical. The ability for both sides to bluff is also something the CV version lacks. Still one of the best.


Space Battle: If the battle scene looks vaguely familiar, maybe you remember "T.V. Pix," a phone-in contest on WPIX television circa 1981. You send out trios of ships (little squares) to enemy squads, and then shoot them from a first-person viewpoint. Simple, but fun.


Star Strike: George Plimpton, I presume? Inspired by "Star Wars," this game is amusing, but a bit simplistic. Still, the shaking screen is a remarkable special effect. "the destruction of an entire planet..." Intellivision-style.


Utopia: I'm just starting to figure this one out, but it was a remarkable "Sim"- style game, long before the first Sim game existed. You run an island, and must out-do your opponent, while dealing with pirates and natural disasters. This was one of those games that forced parents to redefine their view of "video games." Think of it as a cross between Monopoly and Stratego.


Triple Action: You could think of this as the Intellivision's version of the VCS Combat cartridge, with a racing game besides. Based loosely on the sort of arcade games you saw in the 1970s, and with then-decent graphics. It was fun, actually, and made us VCS owners wonder why Combat didn't look this good. Proof that many things are relative after all?


Baseball: "YeeerrrrrOuuuut." Don't even compare it to VCS Home Run; this game is what gave Intellivision owners a chance to make fun of VCS owners. It was not until CV SAC Baseball came out that a better console version existed...and it was still a bit close.


Skiing: Video Skiing. You could even jump obstacles. Tough to get the hang of, but once you do, it's good.


AstroSmash: Quite possibly one of the most basic slide-and-shoot games ever, it introduces new enemies as your score increases. That cymbal-sound in the background makes it seem even more frantic. Great for some mindless destruction.


Sharp Shot: Four quick games, at least two action scenes from two others. The maze game is the only one of interest, although the Space Battle one is satisfying once in a while.

[cityside75]

Space Armada: When the VCS Space Invaders came out, Mattel had to come up with something for the Intellivision. This was it. Two options, blocky (yet good) graphics, and merely decent sound, but it's great. As you progress, the invaders gain new abilities and weapons, hitting a UFO regenerates shields, and where you hit an invader determines if the explosion can zap another, too. I really like this one.

Play far enough in this one and the UFO will actually come down from the top of the screen and destroy your shields and attempt to destroy you, displaying some interesting AI in the process. It took months of playing as a kid before I made it to that level and was a great example of the amount of depth held in those old Intellivision games.

[Aswald]

How far do you have to get before that happens? I've gotten no further than a few screens of the invaders dropping those violet bombs.

[cityside75]

How far do you have to get before that happens? I've gotten no further than a few screens of the invaders dropping those violet bombs.

You have to make it pretty far, if I recall the attacking saucer was not described in the instructions. I had made it to the last invader upgrades listed and thought that was it, so it was quite a shock when the saucer came down and started attacking.

It's been years since I've played (thinking about breaking it out after this though), but I think I can remember the sequence of invader upgrades. They add a new challenge every other board I believe.

-Level 3 - Brown exploding bombs
-Level 5 - 2 lines invisible
-Level 7 - Slow purple guided missles
-Level 9 - All lines invisible
-Level 11 - Fast guided missles that look like throwing stars
-Level 13 - Attacking saucer

Wow, I tried to verify this, but there's zero reference to this online anywhere that I can find. I'll have to pull the game out and upload a video of the attacking saucers to youtube or something.

[cityside75]

You have to make it pretty far, if I recall the attacking saucer was not described in the instructions. I had made it to the last invader upgrades listed and thought that was it, so it was quite a shock when the saucer came down and started attacking.

It's been years since I've played (thinking about breaking it out after this though), but I think I can remember the sequence of invader upgrades. They add a new challenge every other board I believe.

-Level 3 - Brown exploding bombs
-Level 5 - 2 lines invisible
-Level 7 - Slow purple guided missles
-Level 9 - All lines invisible
-Level 11 - Fast guided missles that look like throwing stars
-Level 13 - Attacking saucer

Wow, I tried to verify this, but there's zero reference to this online anywhere that I can find. I'll have to pull the game out and upload a video of the attacking saucers to youtube or something.

YES! I just played a few rounds emulated on my xbox and the order above is correct. I forgot that at level 11 the game throws you a bone and makes all invaders visible again. I did make it to level 13 and sure enough the saucer started attacking me and the shields. I'm excited that I was able to do it again after all these years!

Here's a snapshot of the last game I played. Notice the red saucer down by the shield.

[Steve W]

Auto Racing: You've seen it in several episodes of "Knight Rider," perhaps. This game was well ahead of its time, with options and graphics that easily matched arcade games of that era. Once you get the hang of the weird control scheme, you'll wonder why the Intellivision did not sell more consoles back then in spite of the price and lack of arcade titles.
There's two different versions of the control scheme, allegedly. The game's controls were changed somewhere in mid-production as the story goes. One version can steer by pointing the disc in the right direction, while the other can steer by rotating the disc to simulate a wheel. I really liked the game back in the late '80s when I first played it, but I have a hard time with it now. I also loved going off the track to explore. All the tracks exist on one giant looping level, along with a few 'anomalies' hidden off the beaten path. Great fun.


Space Battle: If the battle scene looks vaguely familiar, maybe you remember "T.V. Pix," a phone-in contest on WPIX television circa 1981. You send out trios of ships (little squares) to enemy squads, and then shoot them from a first-person viewpoint. Simple, but fun.
The game was based on Battlestar Galactica. Mattel had the rights to make a handheld game based on the show, but they didn't have the rights to a home video game. So they changed the name, but not the original graphics. It would have been even more awesome with Intellivoice digitized Cylon voices.


Sharp Shot: Four quick games, at least two action scenes from two others. The maze game is the only one of interest, although the Space Battle one is satisfying once in a while.
Sharp Shot was made for another phone-in TV show, which is why it's so simplistic. APh made the four games for that show, and later put them on one cart and gave it to Mattel to release. Later versions have a sticker on the box saying that it's intended for young children, if I recall.

[Sanriostar]

I've heard of odd things being found inside of old game systems, but this is the first time it's actually happened to me. The little sword was jammed inside near the on/off switch, and the RF-RF cable connector was just sort of rattling around in there.

I found 3 old crunchy Chee-Tos and a dead cockroach in my Inty when I did it's initial 'Back from the Thrift Store' cleaning. This doesn't surprise me in the least.