Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

11 hours ago, bigdaddygamestudio said:

As I'm sure you know, this accessory is cheap and works and just sticks on to your controller making it a joystick. Been around since the 80's. Worked well just had to be careful when storing it or when throwing the controller at your brothers as we did back in the 80s.   Well not exactly throw, growing up with all brothers we never passed a controller civilly, instead you of course pulled the controller as far from the system as possible so when you let go it was like a rubberband and ziinged toward your brother.  You always scored extra if you could hit vour brother in the nuts doing that.  ahh good times.

 

What exactly have you been doing to that controller!?!? Whatever it is, stop before there’s a big mess!

7 hours ago, IntyFanMatt said:

Tommy,

 

Are you and your IE team still planning to attend E3?  Websites like IGN are not listing IE as an exhibitor...see link...

 

https://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/E3_2020_Exhibitor_List_and_Participating_Companies

I'm sure Tommy will soon provide a much better answer, but here's my take:

- IE will be there. Tommy even confirmed this a few pages ago. The only doubt is the number of Amicos available due to coronavirus.

- The problem is very likely coming from IGN. They are probably ignoring IE. Not that surprising.

18 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

The only one I'm familiar with is Twin Cobra.   

 

Any others worth checking out?

Snow Bros?  What the??!?!?   

 

 

Well, Slap Fight MD is noteworthy because it's pretty rare and it currently goes for about $400~$600, depending. It's a 2-in-1 port of Slap Fight for Japanese Mega Drive with both a port of the original Slap Fight plus an all-new Special mode, which is a completely different game and Yuzo Koshiro did the awesome music for the Special mode.

I'm sure almost everyone else would have mentioned this one first, but the EU Mega Drive version of Zero Wing is where "All your base are belong to us" came from. Music in this one is pretty good, too.

Neither of these Mega Drive ports got Genesis releases in the US, by the way.

1 hour ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Well, Slap Fight MD is noteworthy because it's pretty rare and it currently goes for about $400~$600, depending. It's a 2-in-1 port of Slap Fight for Japanese Mega Drive with both a port of the original Slap Fight plus an all-new Special mode, which is a completely different game and Yuzo Koshiro did the awesome music for the Special mode.

I'm in touch with Slap Fight MD's creator and he's a very nice guy. These days he creates reimaginings of very old Japanese computer games. He also designed pinball tables.

13 minutes ago, roots.genoa said:

I'm in touch with Slap Fight MD's creator and he's a very nice guy. These days he creates reimaginings of very old Japanese computer games. He also designed pinball tables.

Really? That's pretty damn awesome, and so is his game! Too bad I don't own a physical copy of it (but I might buy one on Wednesday, depending on a few things), but at least it got released on the Mega Drive Mini in Japan and Asia. I think they only made 5000 copies of it, so it's pretty rare, although about 6 or 8 of those are in Akiba right now.

Here's more information on M2's thing with Toaplan for anyone who wants more info:

https://www.gematsu.com/2019/12/m2-to-release-nearly-every-toaplan-game-for-console-starting-2020-in-japan

I forgot Hellfire, which I mentioned a while ago as having broken music on the Mega Drive 2/Genesis 2, is a Toaplan game, as well. It's another really good arcade -> MD/Genesis port, too. Toaplan games are really good in general, though.

2 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

 

I'm sure Tommy will soon provide a much better answer, but here's my take:

 

- IE will be there. Tommy even confirmed this a few pages ago. The only doubt is the number of Amicos available due to coronavirus.

 

- The problem is very likely coming from IGN. They are probably ignoring IE. Not that surprising.

Tommy said he was in negociation. Probably cost versus space on floor. ( Yes depending on how many consoles ).

Probably also negociating because IE can be a big thing for E3 as well. So they are looking for the best deal for ESA and IE. So nothing is officially signed.

EDIT : Quote from Tommy

Today marks the one year anniversary of this topic.  Yeah!  

I think you mean "this topic". 😇🖖🧩

23 minutes ago, IntelliMission said:

I think you mean "this topic". 😇🖖🧩

That's what I meant.

Hi Everyone!,

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of this thread!

One year ago today I "officially" joined AA and started this thread.  I figured I get a few questions, clear up a few things and then it would eventually get pushed down and forgotten.  It's amazing to think that in one year we already have over 8,000 replies and over a quarter of a million views.   And to think that about 90% is "positive" is always quite the accomplishment compared to some other threads that just keep bashing a system with constant negativity.  It's much more thoughtful to have intelligent and positive discussions and I just wanted to let everyone know that I appreciate it.  It's one of the reasons I continue to read and interact with folks here.  Much more fun to interact with folks who are interested in what we're doing and have a positive attitude... than the opposite.  

Special shout out to the mods for keeping this place "clean" from the senseless hate or constant annoyance of the passive aggressive trouble-makers whose only goal seemed to be trying to upset folks here. 

A bunch of folks have messaged me here over the past month or so wanting to know if there is still a discount code active for the current Intellivision Amico shop.  I thought it would be fun to set up a special Atari Age/Intellivision thread discount for all of you.  So I waited til the one year anniversary to have it set up.  I don't want this to come across as marketing or trying to sell you guys something... it's merely in response to various folks in here asking me... and me wanting to do something nice for anyone who may have been interested in getting some cool Intellivision branded stuff.  So you won't see me posting this on other social media... and not even on other parts of AA or the AA Facebook page, etc.  This is for the folks in here.

I decided to give everyone here 25% off anything in the store!  Just use the code: ATARIAGE25 when you checkout. 

Here is the Shop Link:  https://www.intellivisionamico.com/shop

For those of you who have been here since the beginning... Happy Anniversary!  For those of you just joining us... thank-you for your participation and I hope you'll stick around and pop in often.  For everyone in between... thank-you for your support and helping to make this an interesting place for not only Amico dialogue... but Intellivision in general.  I really felt like I've made some friends here... and although I've even met a few of you in person already.... I hopefully look forward to meeting all of you someday... and better yet.... playing couch co-op Amico with you!!

Thanks again!

20 hours ago, Atari_Master said:

Tommy,

 

With the Atari 2600 re-imagined games for Amico, will we see the exclusives from 5200 & 7800 get the re-imagined treatment on Amico?  As long as licensing isn't an issue of course.

I never owned an Atari 5200 or 7800 until much later (literally a few years ago... just to add to my consoles of the 70's & 80's collection) so I'm not aware of any exclusive games for the 5200 or 7800.  Feel free to post some videos of some of the games you think would be cool to remake.

20 hours ago, LePionnier said:

I did a first part of 3, page 283.

Now in vacation. Should be able to do it in March !

 

Yeah... we gotta get that on to it's own pinned thread.  So much great stuff and hard work you did on that post.

Have a GREAT vacation!! 

Tommy,

What do you think about my Smash Bros. idea for Amico?  The post was from a few days ago.

41 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

I never owned an Atari 5200 or 7800 until much later (literally a few years ago... just to add to my consoles of the 70's & 80's collection) so I'm not aware of any exclusive games for the 5200 or 7800.  Feel free to post some videos of some of the games you think would be cool to remake.

 

 

I don't have any videos but what about Zone Ranger on the 5200?  Or Gremlins?  I know Gremlins was also on the 2600 but the 5200 version looks better and the game play was different.  For the 7800, how about Ninja Golf?

19 hours ago, mr_me said:

According to blueskyrangers.com, Mattel showed a joystick at ces jan 1984, meant to be a regular intellivision peripheral.

 

No prototype intellivision iii was built (only existed in the lab), any images would have been of a mock-up.  According to blueskyrangers.com the intellivision iii was a mattel marketing driven project so the joysticks might have been their idea.  Mattel cancelled the Intellivision iii in 1983 anyway.

HOLY CRAP!!  I have that in the back room of Intellivision!!  I thought it was just something that someone made.

JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!   I'm totally screwing with you guys!!  (Cmart just shit his pants).  

🤣

Seriously though... I've never seen that picture before.  Is that a legit picture from marketing or a CES ad?  Or did someone just photoshop that later based on "rumors".  We have a TON of original documents and ads so I'm wondering if we have that.

Also... not sure if you were all aware of this... but there is an Intellivision history book that is coming out that is going to BLOW EVERYONE away.  The 2 guys working on it have been doing it for years and they have gone back and uncovered every story and interviewed hundreds of people about the original console.  They spent a day at my house and they have the most stories, research and documents I've even seen done on the original Intellivision.  It's actually pretty mind-boggling!  They are trying to get the book finished by 10.10 and I'll be promoting the heck out of it.  They are doing it more like a text book... but I've been talking to a number of different folks to make other Intellivision related books as well (like the Tim Lapetino Atari books... so amazing!).  Actually spoke to Tim about 6 months ago also (but he's too busy with other projects).

Anyway... just wanted to share that the definitive Intellivision history text book is being made and it's going to be awesome.

14 hours ago, Atari_Master said:

Tommy,

 

Do you have the license for these games on Amico?

 

Blockade Runner

Dreadnaught Factor 

Hover Force

Pole Position 

Q*bert

Sewer Sam

Thunder Castle

Tower of Doom

4 of them. 

But none of them have been started.  Not even sure they will ever be made... but we got them if we want them.

14 hours ago, Atari_Master said:

Tommy,

 

Will the Amico have an option for changing the difficulty in games?

Some games will... mostly in regards to what levels you want to play or start on.  Some games also allow for EASY, MEDIUM, HARD A.I. as well.

13 hours ago, IntyFanMatt said:

Tommy,

 

Are you and your IE team still planning to attend E3?  Websites like IGN are not listing IE as an exhibitor...see link...

 

https://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/E3_2020_Exhibitor_List_and_Participating_Companies

Yep.  We're still negotiating something super special with E3.  If everything goes as planned... there will be a huge announcement and press release from E3. 

5 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

 

I'm sure Tommy will soon provide a much better answer, but here's my take:

 

- IE will be there. Tommy even confirmed this a few pages ago. The only doubt is the number of Amicos available due to coronavirus.

 

- The problem is very likely coming from IGN. They are probably ignoring IE. Not that surprising.

We haven't "officially" bought or been given E3 space just yet... so we aren't listed anywhere.  It says at the bottom that they will be adding to the list as more companies are confirmed.  We're not confirmed yet. 

3 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

We haven't "officially" bought or been given E3 space just yet... so we aren't listed anywhere.  It says at the bottom that they will be adding to the list as more companies are confirmed.  We're not confirmed yet. 

 

 

How long did it take them to confirm you last year?

5 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

and Yuzo Koshiro did the awesome music for the Special mode.

If Yuzo-san did the music... then it MUST be amazing!!!

Steven... I know you're a big fan of this stuff... not sure if you ever saw this video I made about ten years ago.  This was a party that all the Japanese game composers threw for me when I went to Japan to promote Video Games Live.  Most of these folks appeared on stage with me.  The only 2 Japanese big game composers that weren't at the party were Uematsu and Kondo.  I had dinner with Uematsu the night before and Koji-san the night after. 

If you've never seen this and you're a fan of Japanese game composers... you're gonna FREAK!!!   These folks have never been in the same room together all at once and it was a HUGE honor for me to be the reason they did so.

Sad that there aren't more views on this video... but at least the moment was captured for history sake.  Every one of these folks are incredible!!!!!!!!

Quote

...

🤣
Seriously though... I've never seen that picture before.  Is that a legit picture from marketing or a CES ad?  Or did someone just photoshop that later based on "rumors".  We have a TON of original documents and ads so I'm wondering if we have that.

Also... not sure if you were all aware of this... but there is an Intellivision history book that is coming out that is going to BLOW EVERYONE away.  The 2 guys working on it have been doing it for years and they have gone back and uncovered every story and interviewed hundreds of people about the original console.  They spent a day at my house and they have the most stories, research and documents I've even seen done on the original Intellivision.  It's actually pretty mind-boggling!  They are trying to get the book finished by 10.10 and I'll be promoting the heck out of it.  They are doing it more like a text book... but I've been talking to a number of different folks to make other Intellivision related books as well (like the Tim Lapetino Atari books... so amazing!).  Actually spoke to Tim about 6 months ago also (but he's too busy with other projects).

 

Anyway... just wanted to share that the definitive Intellivision history text book is being made and it's going to be awesome.

Supposedly, that picture is from a 1983 Mattel press kit.  https://atariage.com/forums/topic/227142-intellivision-ii-joystick/

And Keith did write that Mattel did show an Intellivision II "trigger joystick" at ces jan 1984.  It's not a big deal other manufacturers were already marketing a similar looking controller for intellivision.

I expect the book to be good.  The guys doing it are more than qualified and are doing a thorough job.

36 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

 

4 of them. 

 

But none of them have been started.  Not even sure they will ever be made... but we got them if we want them.

 

 

Thunder Castle, Tower of Doom, and Hover Force (because you own them).  Is the fourth Qbert?

20 minutes ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

Some games will... mostly in regards to what levels you want to play or start on.  Some games also allow for EASY, MEDIUM, HARD A.I. as well.

 

 

Good to know.  Thanks!

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

If Yuzo-san did the music... then it MUST be amazing!!!

 

Steven... I know you're a big fan of this stuff... not sure if you ever saw this video I made about ten years ago.  This was a party that all the Japanese game composers threw for me when I went to Japan to promote Video Games Live.  Most of these folks appeared on stage with me.  The only 2 Japanese big game composers that weren't at the party were Uematsu and Kondo.  I had dinner with Uematsu the night before and Koji-san the night after. 

 

If you've never seen this and you're a fan of Japanese game composers... you're gonna FREAK!!!   These folks have never been in the same room together all at once and it was a HUGE honor for me to be the reason they did so.

Sad that there aren't more views on this video... but at least the moment was captured for history sake.  Every one of these folks are incredible!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Thanks for the video Tommy.  It was cool.  🙂

1 hour ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

If Yuzo-san did the music... then it MUST be amazing!!!

 

Steven... I know you're a big fan of this stuff... not sure if you ever saw this video I made about ten years ago.  This was a party that all the Japanese game composers threw for me when I went to Japan to promote Video Games Live.  Most of these folks appeared on stage with me.  The only 2 Japanese big game composers that weren't at the party were Uematsu and Kondo.  I had dinner with Uematsu the night before and Koji-san the night after. 

 

If you've never seen this and you're a fan of Japanese game composers... you're gonna FREAK!!!   These folks have never been in the same room together all at once and it was a HUGE honor for me to be the reason they did so.

Sad that there aren't more views on this video... but at least the moment was captured for history sake.  Every one of these folks are incredible!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Damn, just about everyone is there. Looks like Sakuraba was probably the only major Japanese game composer missing aside from Kondo and Uematsu, unless there is someone I forgot.

As for Yuzo, he's one of only a very small handful of people that actually knew what they were doing with the YM2612 back then, and since Slap Fight MD is a very late game (by Japanese standards, as they abandoned the Mega Drive pretty quickly for Saturn), it's probably one of his most technically impressive works on the system. The others that I remember without too much thinking are you, Spencer Nilsen, Yamane (nice to see her there in the video), the guys at Sega who did the actual programming for the music in the Sonic games, and whoever the hell it was over at Masaya who did the (incredible) music for Gleylancer.

I'd love to pick your brain on the YM2612 vs SPC700 thing, but I don't want to get too far off topic.

So yeah, on topic, if you can get some of those awesome Toaplan games for the Amico, whether they are the arcade originals or the home console ports, that would be awesome. I saw you mention I think in the other thread that you have a Mega Sg, so try some of the Toaplan home ports (and definitely Gleylancer even though it isn't a Toaplan game!) if you can/have time. Just watch out for the YM3438 busy behaviour setting for Hellfire or the music will play at about 50% speed, which is obviously wrong.