Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

2 hours ago, Michael Garvey said:

I have a huge question about this Lord Rayken.

 

What is he a Lord of?

 

Did the Queen give him the title of Lord or is he from The House of Lords?

 

Perhaps he is from another European country which still has nobility .

 

So many unanswered questions. 

 

I wish I was nobility. 

 

I would be Baron Von Garvey - I'd wear a red scarf and a monocle every where and have a cigarette on a long stick like they did in the old days.

 

Oh and have a coat draped over my shoulders but not actually on me.

Maybe he got his lordship through here... https://establishedtitles.com/products/lordship-title-pack

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj74cqyxbPoAhWGt-wKHWHLD44YABABGgJwag&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQOD26ovAEqbLUY9xhE5kl8YqYKIreCKeRhygJQRnQ6GT-fl1SIdcibUY3WTjpWE5r5383uYnRoPj2YQvCXw3orA&sig=AOD64_0EIOstm95QIrBhdKpXY_mBtYdDxA&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiR3sKyxbPoAhWJtZ4KHRgKANAQ0Qx6BAg2EAE&adurl=https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj74cqyxbPoAhWGt-wKHWHLD44YABABGgJwag&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQOD26ovAEqbLUY9xhE5kl8YqYKIreCKeRhygJQRnQ6GT-fl1SIdcibUY3WTjpWE5r5383uYnRoPj2YQvCXw3orA&sig=AOD64_0EIOstm95QIrBhdKpXY_mBtYdDxA&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiR3sKyxbPoAhWJtZ4KHRgKANAQ0Qx6BAg2EAE&adurl=

20 minutes ago, AtariSociety said:

At 1st I thought this picture was mousetrap, the game.  It is not.

But... then thought... Mousetrap the game on Amico would be a neato idea.

Using the controller to try and guide the marble through the mazes to catch that damn mouse!

I could see some fun things from it... and yes, at the end you have to yell MOUSETRAP into the controller to win the game!

TJ

I thought Tommy mentioned that he wanted to get games like this (Clue, Life etc.al.) on Amico but could very well be mistaken.

This reminds me that I need to become a Duke of Sealand eventually.

24 minutes ago, YerOut said:

I thought Tommy mentioned that he wanted to get games like this (Clue, Life etc.al.) on Amico but could very well be mistaken.

 

So many fun games... How about Operation!  Using the controller to use tools to get to the funny bones.  Would be a hoot!

Especially for us ADULTS that may partake in something before we operate!

No really... it is allergies and why my eyes are red!

TJ

Another fun game that I played as a kid... well I played it because my nextdoor neighbor was a cutie pie... was Which Witch.

Like Mousetrap you have dice to roll and marbles, well in this case a steel ball you drop down the chimney and if that ball takes the route to the room you are in, boom! in gets you.

So many fun ways board games can be used with an Amico controller to roll dice... drop balls down chimney, etc...

TJ

54 minutes ago, YerOut said:

I thought Tommy mentioned that he wanted to get games like this (Clue, Life etc.al.) on Amico but could very well be mistaken.

 

Clue would be awesome with those controllers !!

There is a newer card game called 5 Minute Dungeon (there is also 5 Minute Marvel that is the same game, just different theme) that could work great on the Amico due to the controllers. It is a co-op speed game where each player has a set of cards in their hand with symbols on them such as sword, arrow, sheild, plus some special cards. A stack of shared dungeon monster cards are in the middle. All players work as a team to lay cards that match the symbols on the dungeon monster cards (like two arrows and a sword). You have 5 minutes to make it through the stack so you have to go as fast as you can. Each player also has a character special ability that they can use. Quite a fun game. 

https://wiggles3d.com/5md/

6 minutes ago, Cranker said:

Clue would be awesome with those controllers !!

I am happy the Amico is a family friendly console but I guess this rules out Spin The Bottle and Truth or Dare game on it... 

Ah to be a teen again!  One can dream!

Imagine those games on an Amico.

hahaha

TJ

58 minutes ago, AtariSociety said:

So many fun games... How about Operation!  Using the controller to use tools to get to the funny bones.  Would be a hoot!

Especially for us ADULTS that may partake in something before we operate!

Yes that's a really good Idea "Operation" with motion control.

And if you have complications, the screen are zooming in, and then it's "Microsurgeon" ! 😮😀 WoW ! 

Below is my understanding of video game dimensions (with some further granularity), as well as some of my thoughts on all this. Feel free to argue (or flat out correct me) if anyone feels different on any of the below. I am not in the industry and would not be considered a “gamer” by anyone who is, but would like to try and confirm/understand things from a common frame of reference (pun intended). 

Purely 2D (8 bit/4KB) - No 3rd dimension interaction or out of plane cues (i.e., no inclusion of vantage point art style)

     - Top down - original Night Stalker, Pong, Pac-Man

     - Side view/Scroller - original Astrosmash, Pitfall, Burgertime

2D (16 bit/4-16KB) - No 3rd dimension interaction but could have some 3D visual queues 

     - Top down - Armor Battle, Auto Racing (i.e., house roofs)

     - Side view/Scroller - Tron Deadly Discs, Space Battle (alien ships appear to advance and retreat but is still purely on a 2D plane as you do not miss a shot based based on their perceived distance)

2.25D (16 bit/16KB) - very limited 3rd dimension interaction

     - Top down - Golf (ball gets bigger/brighter to represent height in order to clear trees), Baseball (fielder cannot catch ball when ball is bigger/brighter), Bump and Jump

2.5D (16 bit thru modern computing) - isometric view (i.e., 2D representation of 3D space) or simulated movement toward vantage point

     - Top down - new Night Stalker

     - First or third person perspective - take your pick of any early 3rd person auto racing game

3D - 3rd person fixed, non-player controlled camera (modern computing) - Avatar can move in all 3 planes but camera cannot be manipulated by user to change vantage angle (but could include multiple views, like behind car, closer behind car, or in car) - I’d like to point out that this is where serious issues start with non-turn-based, single screen local multi player.  This is also the start of where real video/processor computing power starts to be required and associated game development time (and therefore money) starts to go up exponentially

     - Some of the mid-series Tomb Raider and racing games come to mind

3D - 1st person, player-controlled camera (modern advanced computing) - 1st person view perspective, with many titles that include 3rd person player controlled camera. This is where computing horsepower really gets crazy and all but kills true single screen, local multi player game play (just due to the perspective alone).  Also requires separate directional input for camera controls and secondary toggle input for 1st person movement in the 3rd dimension (i.e., strafe).

I may not have things 100% accurate and i’m sure others could have included better examples, but believe I am close to the mark from the 1,000 foot level. 

So to bring in some relevancy, given the above and assuming you’re mission was to bring back affordable, single (main) screen local multi-player, what point of the dimensional and hardware spectrum would you focus on?

As I said before, gaming became less important to me about the time the original Doom came out. I loved that game, but after a while it became too much solitary time for me, and while the FPS only got better (graphically) they are too singularly focused and too similar in game style to hold my attention (or money).

There are some great advantages to going back a bit on the gaming continuum; cost (HW & SW), game mechanic simplicity, multi-player, and my personal belief, a wider range of games that can be made. 

IE is more about retro style gaming (2.5D) than being a system that just plays old games, and while I understand Tommy’s reasons and decision to delay the old titles, I feel there is adequate retail space and consumer understanding to include the original games closer to Amico launch. Those titles could be in a different e-store location that could adequately differentiate the “vintage” titles. With the difference in tv screen ratios between then and now, those games could also include a cool side banner to further differentiate them. I would also love to see original old school non-intellivision titles as well, as the current generation may not have other hardware that plays them faithfully.  One last idea is to include the vintage versions with each remake so everyone has access to play the originals from which the new games are being re-made.

3 hours ago, AtariSociety said:

well I played it because my nextdoor neighbor was a cutie pie...

Well TJ, I guess every red blooded boy coming of age had that cutie pie next door.  Mine was SueAnn.  Hadn't seen her in almost 50 years. When I did see her, I thought "YIKES!" . Then I looked in the mirror and thought, "Now I understand."  Back on subject, I'm sure Tommy will chime in today on what we can expect from board games on  Amico.  The controllers seem to have been designed with these games in mind.

Tommy, any assessment if the resolution, touch sensitivity, screen size and computational performance of the controllers will allow for the ability to utilize them for card games that require having more than a dozen or so cards “in your hand”, say like for Gin Rummy?  

Speaking of controllers it got me thinking. The way it can be held so many different ways is great and the ambidextrous nature of it is great for right and left handed people.

So long way to the question, how will the buttons be labeled? Is it a simple A and B? Each button labeled with a different # or letter? Will the letter/numbers switch in game I instructions based on how we hold it?

14 hours ago, IntelliMission said:

That's interesting, because I find FIFA 98 is the most overrated soccer game I've ever played. Spanish magazines gave it 9/10 and I didn't understand it. Goal Storm 97 (the American version of Winning Eleven 97, known in Europe as International Supestar Soccer Pro), released a year before in Japan, blew that game out of the water, and ISS 98, released at the same time than FIFA 98, was even better. Even International Superstar Soccer/Jikkyō World Soccer (1994), for the Genesis/SNES, was a much more playable game than FIFA 98 and offered a great balance between passing/dribbling and attack/defence.

 

I'm not saying FIFA 98 is the worst soccer game ever made: It's certainly better than the FIFA games before it (97 was abysmal) and it had a great 3D engine. But I didn't like it even as an arcade soccer game (ISS Deluxe/Pro were simulation, but by 1997 there were several great arcade soccer game in the arcades, such as Tecmo World Soccer '96, Goal! Goal! Goal!, Soccer Brawl or Versus Net Soccer).

 

By the way, a few weeks ago I asked Tommy the same question specifying that he could only choose one single game and he answered Super Mario Bros. 🤓

I was using Tommy's criteria of games I've spent the most time with.  When I was in college, we had an N64 in our apartment and a copy of FIFA 98.  We played the hell of it almost every single day.  It was my first real experience with 3D sports games, and I was blown away.  The real fun was always in slide-tackling the goalie and getting the straight red card.  Fun times.

I came across this on Google.  Someone a few days ago showed a green one on here.  So, thought I would do yellow.

13 minutes ago, YerOut said:

Well TJ, I guess every red blooded boy coming of age had that cutie pie next door.  Mine was SueAnn.  Hadn't seen her in almost 50 years. When I did see her, I thought "YIKES!" . Then I looked in the mirror and thought, "Now I understand."  Back on subject, I'm sure Tommy will chime in today on what we can expect from board games on  Amico.  The controllers seem to have been designed with these games in mind.

 

Yeh, mirrors DO NOT LIE!

haha.

My neighbor was Treesie.  oh and Kim... oh oh and Leah.  hahaha

Yeh I am to grips what I look like.. and since I am normally bearded for my other job (Santa and Fly Fisher Customer Service Dude) I look older.

So when I see folks from my past, I don't judge as I look like a Haystack Calhoun now. (Google that if it does not make sense)

Then again the ladies in their 60s and 70s think I am OK looking so all is good.  hahahaha

TJ

7 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Mike Mika is able to get more out of the chip and levels by faking the 3D. He's an old school programmer and loves the art of programming... taking directly to the metal (as they say) excites a lot of these types of highly educated folks who find a ton of joy in their craft as opposed to just throwing scripts on top of each other in Unity (which is typical in a lot of the new generation of folks doing games in Unity).  Night Stalker isn't even done in Unity.  It's Mike's own personal engine.  He is a god.

 

 

Now this is something we definitely agree on.

17 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

Speaking of controllers it got me thinking. The way it can be held so many different ways is great and the ambidextrous nature of it is great for right and left handed people.

 

So long way to the question, how will the buttons be labeled? Is it a simple A and B? Each button labeled with a different # or letter? Will the letter/numbers switch in game I instructions based on how we hold it?

I think it will be colors.

20 minutes ago, LePionnier said:

I think it will be colors.

I know the phone shows colors like red and blue, but didn't know if it was just an app feature.  Or if there's a different setup per configuration.

29 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

I know the phone shows colors like red and blue, but didn't know if it was just an app feature.  Or if there's a different setup per configuration.

Given the ambidextrous nature of the controllers, using right, left, top or bottom (or R1, L2) becomes ambiguous, unless those button names get reassigned for each orientation.  Think button color is a better option as green is always green, regardless of which button it is assigned to; that, and beyond the disc and screen, there are only 4 buttons on the controller used for game play, 8 for games that may use both, but that ups the complexity back up to PS/X-box levels with less ergonomics - so dont see that happening except for rare and specific purposed games.  

Just now, Starpaddler said:

Given the ambidextrous nature of the controllers, using right, left, top or bottom becomes ambiguous, unless those button names get reassigned for each orientation.  Think button color is a better option as green is always green, regardless of which button it is assigned to.  

That's why I was curious as to if each button was labeled a different letter, or in the color case 4 different colors, or are a certain two buttons one color/letter and another two a different letter/color.

6 minutes ago, MrBeefy said:

That's why I was curious as to if each button was labeled a different letter, or in the color case 4 different colors, or are a certain two buttons one color/letter and another two a different letter/color.

Oh, Got it - I think. I’d assume any button mirroring would be game specific and up to the game developer.  I’d also assume that any game only needing 2 physical buttons would mirror the others as made the most sense (i.e., by the 2 top buttons or the 2 side buttons) 

1 hour ago, Atari_Master said:

I came across this on Google.  Someone a few days ago showed a green one on here.  So, thought I would do yellow.

 

Cool!  Clue, Colonel Mustered edition.  Mr. Green edition previously shown earlier in this thread 🤢

I thought the buttons on the controllers had lights which could change color so it would be more about "hit the red button to fire" sort iof thing.  Which button is the red button? Any of them could be it.  Holding it horizontally to the right the ones at the top could be lit up red.  Horizontally to the left would have those top buttons red. Vertically could be the touchscreen lighting up red. Vertically upside down maybe the disk lights up red.

I could be wrong but that is how I imagine it will be.

Oh and any game could change any color at any time.

I maybe totally wrong but that's what I thought.

9 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

So hard to define these days.  A lot of the backgrounds are actually 2D "cards" set up to make it look 3D.  Old Genesis & SNES games did these kinds of "tricks" as well.  But weren't really considered 3D.

 

Mike Mika is able to get more out of the chip and levels by faking the 3D. He's an old school programmer and loves the art of programming... taking directly to the metal (as they say) excites a lot of these types of highly educated folks who find a ton of joy in their craft as opposed to just throwing scripts on top of each other in Unity (which is typical in a lot of the new generation of folks doing games in Unity).  Night Stalker isn't even done in Unity.  It's Mike's own personal engine.  He is a god.

 

I think the easiest way for people to understand is to say we don't really have any "open world" 3D.  That's how I try to define it as it's too difficult (and probably confusing for most) as to how each game is accomplished.  I would say about half of the examples you gave were correct...  so again... super difficult to define how we're pulling off certain things... and why.  I'm sure articles and interviews may be done in the future as to how certain things are done (and why).  It's all very interesting to the folks who are into it.

Yeah, shark shark looks like it has at least three layers of 2d background bitmap/tile graphics.  Not sure where that animation in the trailer might be used. The driving scene in safecracker looks 3d but is probably 2d tricks.

For me 3D is 3D modelling and graphics.  You could do a bowling game where every pin is a 3D model so the physics is accurate.  That's a 3D game.  Or you could fake it with 2D graphics.  Amico cornhole looks 3D but maybe it's faked with 2d animation.  Amico skiing is another that could be real 3D.

The fake 3d in night stalker is impressive and convincing.  If I didn't see the interview I would never have known.