Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

7 hours ago, justclaws said:

Interesting indeed. (I've never owned the super-expensive systems, or a Sega or a Sony)
I'm English. Lots of the systems on the list were either super-rare or never released in UK.

2 (2600, and Intellivision*)
1 (Jaguar)
1 (N64)
3 (Gamecube, Xbox, Xbox-360)
2 (Wii, Wii-U)

It would be interesting to see the others there too, like the Videopac/Odyssey, Atari 7800, 5200, XEGS.
1 (7800)

* I didn't know the Intellivision was originally more expensive than the Colecovision. In UK as a kid, they were super-rare.
The pricing on all those older consoles is also crazy, these days. I think I'm never going to get to touch most of the rarities.

No we need the same for hand-helds.  
Also the popular computers for gaming. 🙂 Vic20, C64, Spectrum, ST, Amiga. They were "consoles" for many people. 😕 

Exactly. I grew up with an amiga. Up until the Ps1 was released (was my first console) the amiga was all you needed, the consoles didnt come close. The c64 ruled also

bought a 48k speccy here in oz (they werent released here) but its at home here, its pal country baby!

Intellivision Quest is a cool name. 

On 1/12/2021 at 10:40 AM, IntelliMission said:

 

How many consoles have you tried from each row?

3 (4, technically, but one was lost in a move)

4

4

4

4 (XB360 red ringed and died for the last time in 2020. Will replace)

3 

3 hours ago, Loafer said:

Howdy to fans of Rescue on Fractalus.  Although Tommy has said he’s not a fan of first person perspective games on Amico, I personally would love to see this.  I’m such a huge fan of this game

 

But speaking of remake, please do check out version 1.0 released recently. This also work in VR (and is AMAZING) but normal 2D is fantastic too.  Luke (the dev) has done an awesome job, also with support from the original devs.  Oh boy I’d love to see Lucasfilm games pick this up

 

 

 

I remember a LucasArts game similar to Rescue on Fractalus but for the Atari 800 and titled "Behind Jaggi Lines".  Same game?

8 minutes ago, tripletopper said:

I remember a LucasArts game similar to Rescue on Fractalus but for the Atari 800 and titled "Behind Jaggi Lines".  Same game?

Behind jaggi lines was an early WIP version of rescue on fractalus released on pirate boards before the games actual release. So basically, yeah

1 hour ago, Silverbot said:

I remember this as Behind Jaggi Lines on my old Atari 800XL. What’s this version from? Looks really nice 👍😀

This is the pc version.  It is free, so try it out 

https://www.lsdwa.com/projects/fractalus/
 

Hello, Tommy Talarico.

Yesterday, I put 100% down on a black Amico...

All because you said that you were unaware of the Netrogames project Keith and I were working on and that your "no ads" pledge within 24 hours of my letter

despite being the only letter talking about ads in gaming, if similar pro-consumer, pro-family rules were in place, just like a $10 game limit with fair and balanced play, no pay-to-progress, no paid stat boosts/cheap character downloads. There could be pro consumer limits on ads like 

It was a couple coincidences that one can reasonably draw from my perspective.  I apologize (both in the sense of "I'm sorry." And "I can explain") how there was no ill will towards Amico generated in my own without my particular circumstances happening that appeared to me true, but I trust you say is reasonable to assume from my perspective, but not true from yours.

And I apologize to Atari Age posters for posting things that sound crazy to an outsider.  I hope I appear more sane when you see the details.

You said wait 2-3 years before online is considered.

I hope if you consider online, consider my method

Want to program each Amico game individually to add online?  Or want to do all single screen games on all consoled at once?  

I will be on twitch doing the "1up review" (in the pinball and pre-crash video game sense of the term before Super Mario Bros forever altered the meaning from "player one is up" to "add one life" though when chatting with both my IRL friends and possible URL friends, is that being truly alone? Only in the gameplay sense.). I answer "if you have no parents, kids, siblings or friends that you can visit locally,  is this game worth buying now or should you wait until Netrogames gets invented?". You say there's enough single player action in all the games, where a single player will never be cheated with no bots and (when you add it) no online play.

Hopefully we can say just as much as multiplayer groups won't be denied, neither would single players.

On 10/11/2020 at 9:24 AM, Tommy Tallarico said:

Definitely need to check it out!

 

Give me a week or so to catch up.

 

HAS IT BEEN A WEEK OR SO YET?!?! 😂😂

4 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

 

Amico is Charlie Daniels impersonator approved.

9 hours ago, Intellivision Master said:

 

The "other guys" version just looks like an upgraded graphics version of the original 2600 system.  While the Amico version is clearly a re-imagined version FROM the original arcade version.  Big difference.  I don't want updated graphics, I want an updated GAME with modern graphics.

5 hours ago, Swami said:

Amico is Charlie Daniels impersonator approved.

And on that note.. a classic little diddy I re-imagined... hahahaha  @Tommy Tallarico

The Devil Went Down to Brooklyn,

The Devil down to Brooklyn
He was lookin' for new games to play. 
It was on his mind, and he had to find
A system to make his day.
When he came across this young man
Playin' an Amico and playin' it hot!
Well the Devil jumped upon a garbage can
And said, "Boy, let me tell you what!"

I posted this over in the Amico Society group but thought I would post it here too.. as I am a firm believer in what this video shows.

Watch it... It WILL move you to help make the Amico the best video game console of 2021.

I look at it like this... watch this video if you can. It is fun. Just picture 

On 1/13/2021 at 9:03 AM, Silverbot said:

You can now preorder the Amico Controller on Amazon UK. 👍😀

 

 

That price seems too high. That is $82.12 US.

3 hours ago, IMBerzerk said:

The "other guys" version just looks like an upgraded graphics version of the original 2600 system.  While the Amico version is clearly a re-imagined version FROM the original arcade version.  Big difference.  I don't want updated graphics, I want an updated GAME with modern graphics.

I like Atari's interpretation.  It's warm glowing vectors, it pulls the grid and color schemes for an early 80s feel.  I think they did well.

I prefer Intellivision's reimagining being made by Stainless Games.

You know what though?  It's a friggin WIN for video games in 2021 that two distinct and unique takes on a game are being done for different consoles.  In the 80s and 90s we had entirely different *ports* of game titles on different systems - sometimes playing very differently with different levels or features based on system capacity.. in the 90s Capcom and Virgin were funding entirely different versions of licensed Disney games.  Two unique Aladdins with some serious pros and cons we're still enjoying 25+ years later.  It's fascinating, it is a real world case being made that CHOICE matters.  Microsoft and Sony forums are all about their exclusives and fostering an ecosystem for a back catalog, perceived value in perpetual subscription-based access to a curated library of goodies.  ::bangs head against the wall::  Whatever happened to "You should check out THIS system because its games are unique ::lists forty games::??  That's a jolt of differentiation the industry needs.  We're too dependent on wrapping our hopes and identities around what first party exclusives Sony or Nintendo will drop this year, putting our wishes into Microsoft to buy some massive studio and have it's own "killer non-Halo app".  This is overdue.  Atari and Intellivision can go make radically unique takes on classic games for a modern audience.  I applaud Atari for it, and would love to see a lot more like it.   

1 hour ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

 

I like Atari's interpretation.  It's warm glowing vectors, it pulls the grid and color schemes for an early 80s feel.  I think they did well.

 

I prefer Intellivision's reimagining being made by Stainless Games.

 

You know what though?  It's a friggin WIN for video games in 2021 that two distinct and unique takes on a game are being done for different consoles.  In the 80s and 90s we had entirely different *ports* of game titles on different systems - sometimes playing very differently with different levels or features based on system capacity.. in the 90s Capcom and Virgin were funding entirely different versions of licensed Disney games.  Two unique Aladdins with some serious pros and cons we're still enjoying 25+ years later.  It's fascinating, it is a real world case being made that CHOICE matters.  Microsoft and Sony forums are all about their exclusives and fostering an ecosystem for a back catalog, perceived value in perpetual subscription-based access to a curated library of goodies.  ::bangs head against the wall::  Whatever happened to "You should check out THIS system because its games are unique ::lists forty games::??  That's a jolt of differentiation the industry needs.  We're too dependent on wrapping our hopes and identities around what first party exclusives Sony or Nintendo will drop this year, putting our wishes into Microsoft to buy some massive studio and have it's own "killer non-Halo app".  This is overdue.  Atari and Intellivision can go make radically unique takes on classic games for a modern audience.  I applaud Atari for it, and would love to see a lot more like it.   

This is why I am super-excited to see what is in store for Burgertime. . .nothing has ever played like the Intellivision version, and in a bad way. I always felt that the NES version had a bit of a lag between command and action to the point it was essentially unplayable. The updated mobile and Switch versions while I haven't played them are too cartoony for my liking. So I really hope the Amico version can offer something special.

Why is Amico going to be the "dark horse" console of this decade? 

It has four of the five key elements, listed in the advertisement below, that made the classic 2600 into Atari's most successful product: Arcade classics, games with single player modes, priced to sell, and easy-to-use controllers.

Contrary to the advertisement below, the 2600 didn't necessarily have the fifth key element: "best games" (I'm looking at you, Pac-man port!). 
However, Atari proved that you can be known as "the best in the business" just by being popular.  It still happens all the time (I'm looking at you, Zoom!).

Amico may not be destined to offer the largest library, but at the least they will have quality games. 
After all, I dare say that one of many reasons why the classic NES was a success is because Nintendo pioneered the "seal of quality" concept.  

With the NES formula ("quality plus the other four key elements") , something that's slightly different than what this Atari 2600 advertisement boasts, Amico will become a success.    

3 minutes ago, skylinesandsunsets said:

It has four of the five key elements, listed in the advertisement below, that made the classic 2600 into Atari's most successful product: Arcade classics, games with single player modes, priced to sell, and easy-to-use controllers.

Contrary to the advertisement below, the 2600 didn't necessarily have the fifth key element: "best games" (I'm looking at you, Pac-man port!). 

Here is the fifth element.  Lol.

3 hours ago, Stoke said:

That price seems too high. That is $82.12 US.

No, that would be right, we always pay more over here in the U.K, the Amico is £250 to your $250, which means the controller will be for you $59.99. 👍😀

There are a few downloads I gotten refunds from were there was no warning about "no bots" (meaning it's purely multiplayer and and no one bothered making either a version versus bots or an online version).   I successfully gotten a refund for the 360 version of combat because it was advertised that it was Xbox Live compatible when it wasn't.  also got refund for a couple of games that clearly said one four players when they should have said two to four players.

As far as I understand it and correct me if I'm wrong, the only way to get a refund if you throw a quarter into a 70s arcade machine that's only 2-4 players and you're alone would be to go back in time so that the quarter comes back into your hand.

I never tried one of those machines, by the way. I arrived when only the ones from the 80s and early 90s were left.

On the Amstrad CPC, I used to have a darts game and a snooker game. Both were "only 2 players", so as a kid I lived that wonderful experience of playing against yourself. In the darts game it wasn't as bad, because you could still try to do a high score (not that I tried that as a kid, I didn't even understand how it worked), but in the snooker game it was pretty sad as you needed to interact with the other player (but I liked it as a kid better as it was easier to understand, go figure).

3 hours ago, Stoke said:

That price seems too high. That is $82.12 US.

You can work out here how expensive it will be in Europe... from listings in Germany. 😕 

Saturn (big German electronics retailer) - console, €272.93, and the extra controller €69.99.
MediaMarkt (bigger electronics retailer) - console, €272.93.
That works out at $331 for the Amico, and $85 for the extra controllers... so games need to be cheap.

Saturn: https://www.saturn.de/de/search.html?query=intellivision&t=1610658567344
MediaMarkt: https://www.mediamarkt.de/de/product/_amico™-first-edition-sonstige-konsolen-2651349.html

These packs are for "First Edition" model, so I am hoping the ordinary edition will be cheaper.