Colecovision Vs. Intellivision - which would you reccomend?

[Kamino]

Ok, so i recently got an atari about a month ago...this after years of swearing that i'd never go older than nes/sms.....
so now i want to get into the other side of the classics...the bloody complicated controllers of either intellivision or colecovision....
as far as i can see they both had pretty much the same games, and while eventually i may wind up with both systems, i'd like to get some gamer insight around here....
so lay it out on me. what's your pref, which one had the better version of jumpman, etc etc!!!
oh, and one other thing.
intellivision controls! I've heard rumour that you CAN open up an intelli and replace the controls...but coleco has actual ports..can someone clear the dust here and speak the truth about controllers?

[Mr. Smashy]

I've heard that Intellivision controllers are more prone to breaking than the Colecovision ones. There's also the issue of controller inlays for Intellivision games (which may not always be easy to find).

I like them both just fine.

[Captain Wrong]

Coleco. Hands down.

Not only was it a stunning maching for it's time, it had tons of really fun games based on obscure coin-ops. I can appreciate the INTV, it just seems to me like it hasn't aged as well as other consoles. Ahead of it's time, don't get me wrong, but the Intelivision games, for the most part, just aren't as fun to play unless you had one growing up.

[IntvGene]

as far as i can see they both had pretty much the same games, and while eventually i may wind up with both systems, i'd like to get some gamer insight around here....

Well, there are only about 25 games overlapping the libraries of both systems. And while Coleco is the pretty much the undisputed king of the arcade ports, generally the INTV has better sports and two-player games. I personally think that they complement each other well, and would only recommend owning both of them. Most of the great INTV titles can be purchased on the cheap (even complete), and really shouldn't be missed.

If you buy a system in decent shape, you really shouldn't worry about the durability of either. Getting at the INTV controllers does require the opening of the base system (assuming you buy an INTV I or III). But, it's not exactly difficult. Opening up the base of the Colecovision is a bit of a pain, but not really a regular problem.

GO FOR BOTH!

[Kamino]

well in response to the sports and 2 player gaming...
i'll be doing NEITHER of those on either coleco or intv.....i'm a solo player 24/7 and reserve sports for EA sports on genny!

[chrisbid]

this is coming from an INTV fan, but the coleco has aged a bit better. The nice thing about the INTV is that most of the first party games are common, and the boxes make them highly collectable.

[omnedon]

Oranges don't bruise easily, but apples are nice and crunchy.

My collection would not be a collection without both. I play both.

Getting reliable units is getting harder and harder however.

I have a spare refurbished Inty 1 right now. MTE-201 diagnostic cart tested and everything.

[QBert]

I had both when I was young. I remember playing and liking the Coleco more. I dont have a Coleco right now, but I do have the Intellivision. True it has better sports and 2 player games as mentioned, the game play as I recall was way better on the Coleco. Lets not forget the awesome driving wheel and pedals for Coleco too.

But if you can get both, I would.



Qbert

[Red Warrior]

I'm gonna have to say Intellivision here. Yes, I grew up with one, but from what I've seen, the INTV has one of the most unique game libraries of any system. Where else can you play games like Night Stalker, Advanced D&D, Utopia, Shark! Shark!, Tower of Doom, and one of my favorites... Thunder Castle? I still play these games even today. They're so easy to just pick up and enjoy. As far as I'm concerned, the Intellivision has aged better than even the Sega Master System.

[tyranthraxus]

There is really little to decide,the Coleco crushes the INTV. While both
have troubled controllers that look like giant cell phones the CV at least
has some options. The easiest being a 2600 stick in port 1 and a CV stick
in port 2 to use the number pad. That will work for most games that need
1 button.

The INTV has aged very badly, most of the games aren't woth playing.
Sports games age terribly and the INTV never got many arcade ports just imitatiions. There are some classics I admit but they are few and far
between.

The CV has a better lineup of games that you've actually heard of. The
graphics are quite impressive over the 2600 and INTV. Some of the later
games I think compete with the NES graphics. Games to try: Pepper II, Ladybug, Qbert, Frogger, Miner 2049, Burgertime (also good on INTV), Zaxxon, Mr Do, Tapper and Montezuma's Revenge.

If you are interested in arcade games then you will be extremly happy
with the CV.

[hu6800]

Ok, so i recently got an atari about a month ago...this after years of swearing that i'd never go older than nes/sms.....
so now i want to get into the other side of the classics...the bloody complicated controllers of either intellivision or colecovision....
as far as i can see they both had pretty much the same games, and while eventually i may wind up with both systems, i'd like to get some gamer insight around here....
so lay it out on me. what's your pref, which one had the better version of jumpman, etc etc!!!
oh, and one other thing.
intellivision controls! I've heard rumour that you CAN open up an intelli and replace the controls...but coleco has actual ports..can someone clear the dust here and speak the truth about controllers?

The Telstar

[tholly]

i never played a coleco and i have a intelli, so i am gonna go with that just because i own it. it is a fun little system. the overlays pose a problem and the controllers arent the easiest things to use though

[kelma66]

I used to have a great CV setup when I was a teenager, but Ma disposed of it all or somethin... but I recently got into collecting CV games and such again.

My buddies had INTV which was cool and Odyssey2 (which had some great unique stuff), but i preferred the arcade ports like LadyBug, Donkey Kong, Mr Do, etc.....
plus all the adaptors, like #1 (Atari game adaptor), #2 the rolller controller,#3 ADAM, etc....

I have thought about collecting some of the other systems, but I started with CV.

[Arcade Antics]

Coleco. Hands down.

Not only was it a stunning maching for it's time, it had tons of really fun games based on obscure coin-ops.

EXACTLY.

If you're only gonna get one, make it the ColecoVision. But really, it's easy and inexpensive to pick up an Intellivision too. Or an Intellivision II, too.

And the Intellivision II has removable controllers, but it won't play a few of the games (Donkey Kong, Venture, Carnival).

[Red Warrior]

Actually, the best Intellivision to get is the Sears Super Video Arcade. This Intelliclone plays every game in the Intellivision library (unlike the Intellivision II) and also has removable controllers. The INTV II model won't play games produced by Coleco such as Donkey Kong, Carnival, and Mouse Trap.

[Aswald]

ColecoVision.

Aside from the fact that it has over 150 games available for it, of all sorts (Lord of the Dungeon and Fortune Builder, among many others), it is currently enjoying some pretty excellent homebrew support. Within the last year or so, we've seen Bejeweled, Space Invaders/Space Invaders Deluxe, and now, Sky Jaguar. That first and last both boost the variety of games available for the CV. It also has an excellent selection of really fine arcade-to-home translations.

However, unless Blockade Runner is any good, or Phaser Patrol is found and made available, Intellivision, with B-17 Bomber and Space Spartans, has the advantage in first-person shooters.

[wberdan]

i like video games of all shapes and sizes ( i even honestly love the adventurevision), but i hate the intellivision.
i just dont like it one bit-


as for coleco, that system has a lot of games, and there are some great games still being found/developed.
i would say the most fun lies in the colecovision, although i am somewhat biased from having a CV and not an INTV as a kid

willie

[Raccoon Lad]

I had a Coleco and loved it for several years, then I managed to get an Intellivision, but neglected it for some time. I eventually managed to get a bunch of games for said intellivision, and when I went away to college, the Intellivision was the only system I took. I wanted to give the 'ol intelly a fair shot, and even though I LOVED the voice module, the intellivision never really grew on me.

I still think about getting rid of the Intellivision, but I'd never part with my Colecovision.

[atari_overlord]

I did not grow up with either. I Now have both and have played a ton of both for the last 2 years or so. The Colecovision is the way to go. I went through about 13 controllers before I found a really responsive good one. But LADYBUG and VENTURE make all the searching worth it. I really dig the colecovision sound in games. Truly an amazing system for its time.

[RedBeans]

ColecoVison was cool, but Intellivions had Deadly Discs of Tron!!!!