Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

On 5/4/2020 at 10:42 PM, Blarneo said:

Aiwa used to make some great bookshelf systems in the 90s. 

Then they just disappeared from the stores one day. Kinda like Panasonic.

I had an awesome Panasonic mini system with 4 stacked separates, w/bi-amp speakers. Cant find quality mini systems  like that these days. 

Hi Tommy,

I'm following this Amico Project since the beginning already and thought I might leave some feedback here. So the main reason for me buying the Amico will be that there are no gory games. I hate seeing that and it has gotten worse in gaming since the graphics got more realistic. I have a Switch too and I play it a lot, but the Amico has a whole different approach, which I gonna support.

And I really like the Galaxy Purple Edition. I know it's an exclusive version, but will there be a smilar version available in Germany?

14 hours ago, Intellivision collector said:

...

How many people know that Intellivision was going to release 3D glasses in ‘82 (I think) and the first game to use them was going to be Space Shuttle?  But, sadly, the crash happened. So this would fit with Intellivision’s legacy.

That would have been Hover Force 3D in 1984.  The cartridge was eventually released in 1986 (without the stereoscopic glasses).  Vectrex might have been first with stereoscopic 3D games anyway.

14 hours ago, Blarneo said:

I do collecting too, but my collecting is in the 16bit era and Dreamcast. 

I thought about my last post & what I remember from my teenager Intellivision experience. I don't think I was ever satisfied back then. The games and controls were never good enough. The 2600 was even worse, where most games with the arcade name on them was just a pale knockoff shell compared to the charm and visual treat the arcade games had. This was my actual thoughts way back in the early 80s.

 

Nothing affordable back then could match the arcade games of the time, and as impressive as it was in 1980, I was never blown away by Intellivision's capabilities, and especially the fact that it's sound chip couldn't do low bass explosions & there wasn't an arcade-like controller for the games on it (those side buttons! Don't get me started!). Home versions of arcade games always had something missing (even most Colecovision games), and somehow felt... I dunno, compromised. I felt cheated. 

 

It wasn't until 16bit that I was satisfied with home game systems capabilities, and began to not feel like I was ripped off by an Asteroids or Pac Man game that looked & played nothing like the originals. 

I agree that in the early 1980s, with few exceptions, home arcade conversions pale in comparison to the originals. Everyone was drawn to the graphics that improved regularly with new arcade releases, even more so than today.  At that time, the best home video games were those designed for the home. And they often offered a different kind of gameplay than the frustrating high score formula of arcade games.

The intellivision sound chip was used in lots of 1980s arcade machines (e.g. Gyruss, Popeye).  It was also ripped off by Yamaha.

20 minutes ago, mr_me said:

The best home video games during that time were those designed for the home. And they often offered a different kind of gameplay than the frustrating high score formula of arcade games.

 

The intellivision sound chip was used in lots of 1980s arcade machines (e.g. Gyruss, Popeye).  It was also ripped off by Yamaha.

Question: If the Intellivision sound chip was used in the Popeye game, then why was the Popeye conversion made by Parker Bros. so awful sound wise. The music cut off and restarted whenever another sound interrupted. 

The games that were designed for the home, at least to me, was a hit and miss kind of thing. 

Take Frog Bog for example. Looked really good for the time, and designed with the controllers in mind. But the game play was VERY shallow. Jumping between lily pads & catching bugs until dawn? That's it? Even back then I was imagining that there should be more, like side scrolling across lily pads, or climbing up a tree by jumping to a higher leaf. Being at risk of a bird nabbing us in mid air. Something more than just what we got. 

And let's face facts. 80% of the Atari games released by all those bankrupt Data Age/Spectravision type companies were made for home play. 80% of those sucked.

3 minutes ago, Blarneo said:

Question: If the Intellivision sound chip was used in the Popeye game, then why was the Popeye conversion made by Parker Bros. so awful sound wise. The music cut off and restarted whenever another sound interrupted. 

Most Intellivision cartridges made by third party publishers (other than atari, activision, imagic) were programmed by people that didn't know what they were doing.

I always thought Frog Bog was meant for young children.

1 minute ago, mr_me said:

Most Intellivision cartridges made by third party publishers (other than atari, activision, imagic) were programmed by people that didn't know what they were doing.

 

I always thought Frog Bog was meant for young children.

 

At $30 in 1981, Jumping until dawn, and that's it, is a complete rip off. Children's game or not.

Someone feeling ripped off by a video game purchase is something that has never changed.  

21 hours ago, Blarneo said:

For me personally, I hardly ever play online. I just don't like dealing with kids & tweeners who have no social filter on trash talk, get really obnoxious & need to be slapped. I guess I'm just a mean old man. I know I can mute them, but what's really the point of online otherwise? 

 

Also considering that supporting online would add significantly to the cost & time of game development, I personally would prefer not to have Amico dive into that market.

I really never (or next to never) play online multiplayer against random people.  I only like to play against friends.  I was one person that asked about this for the Amico.  Not looking for random online multiplayer, but interested in playing against family and friends online, like a buddy who lives halfway across the country.  I do understand the added cost and other complications this would bring, not to mention going against the spirit of the Amico, so I'd be just fine with couch coop and keeping the games at a lower cost.  Fine by me.  I find even trying to play friends online can be tough anyway...hard to find times that work for both parties, so it hardly ever happens because of that...

Quadrunner.  You’re right about Hover Force.  I’d forgotten about it.  I was at CES the day the “day video games died”.  The atmosphere of sadness, fear, panic swept through the hall.  Mattel was demonstrating Space Shuttle, so that’s probably why I focused on it.  
Mattel’s 3D glasses sandwiched cinnamon oil between two lenses.  However, after about 4 months, the glasses would start leaking the oil.  As far as I know, they were never able to solve that issue, and the glasses were never released for sale.

Vectrex was, as you said, the system that successfully put out 3D games.  Their goggles used a spinning disc to create the 3D effect.

15 hours ago, Blarneo said:

I agree and it's exiting. I just see a few folks that want this to be a total retro colecovision/2600 repository, and I don't think that's going to happen, based on what we've been told.

 

I'm glad that they're redoing some of the older games, and most of the big name recognizable ones at that. 

When Tommy announced this system 2 years ago & he mentioned classic Intellivision games reimagined, I was intrigued by it. Then the inclusion of Imagic games is what sold me on it. I thought those games would be lost to time forever. What a coup! The further addition of Irem games to the console was just gravy to me.

 

But... Just something to remember... Sometimes our memories of good times past are more fulfilling than those times actually were. What we're about to see I'm hoping will exceed those memories.

There are endless possibilities, which is awesome.  I would love to see so many retro games (Intellivision, Atari, Colecovision...) reimagined, but there are so many new ones to be made also.  Let's have 'em all!  Plenty of room out there for so many good games.  I so love the fact that the games will be less expensive, so I can have a large library of games, more like the old days.  The games will be simpler, so you can play a few different games in one sitting.  And you might get tired of a game for a while, so you stay away from it for a while but then come back to it later...so psyched to have a nice big collection of simpler games again!  And playing with family and friends, talking trash, having fun...that's what gaming is about for me; it's a social thing...and what today's gaming really is not, for the most part... 

Tommy,  not sure if it would be possible, but it might be a nice tribute to Keith Robinson if his name or signature could be somewhere on the founder’s edition of the Amico.  For decades he was “Mr. Intellivision” - the heart and soul of Intellivision.  And, yes, I am championing him for the Patron Saint of videogamers for his kindness and warmth and playful sense of humor.  

25 minutes ago, Intellivision collector said:

Quadrunner.  You’re right about Hover Force.  I’d forgotten about it.  I was at CES the day the “day video games died”.  The atmosphere of sadness, fear, panic swept through the hall.  Mattel was demonstrating Space Shuttle, so that’s probably why I focused on it.  
Mattel’s 3D glasses sandwiched cinnamon oil between two lenses.  However, after about 4 months, the glasses would start leaking the oil.  As far as I know, they were never able to solve that issue, and the glasses were never released for sale.

Vectrex was, as you said, the system that successfully put out 3D games.  Their goggles used a spinning disc to create the 3D effect.

That must have been ces january 1984.

Mattel was using the ChromaDepth system.  A better solution to cinnamon oil was found.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChromaDepth

If you want to play Intellivision Hover Force in 3D today you can get the glasses here.

http://leftturnonly.info/three_dee.html

54 minutes ago, mr_me said:

Someone feeling ripped off by a video game purchase is something that has never changed.  

Well, then I guess it's pointless to continue this conversation. I'll move on to something where I don't get glib answers.

1 hour ago, Blarneo said:

At $30 in 1981, Jumping until dawn, and that's it, is a complete rip off. Children's game or not.

I remember feeling like that when I got Yars Revenge as a kid for the 2600. "Wait what? Two levels and that's it!?" 

Quadrunner.  Thanks for the info on the glasses.  I think ‘84 the first year that CES was held in Las Vegas in January. Prior to that it was in June in Chicago.   Getting old, memory is getting foggy.  The only other times I can remember that you could actually feel such a collective wave of emotion were when Kennedy was assassinated and 911. 

16 hours ago, BiffMan said:

There's also an app for that... 🙂

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mow.droidtower

I'm a failure.. Missed all of these apps.. I just stopped looking a years ago when there was one fan page called the Well of Souls and the Android App. I've even found a steam app that is free.

Who needs money? But seriously Tommy, I think a good number of us would love to see a version of it on the Amico.

A big thank you to all that clued me in on all the fun!

I was looking at the packaging for some of the older games. Not just Intellivision. Other systems as well. I miss the art. Love the colorful boxes. Even EA had some awesome boxes back in the day. Look at some of the original games on floppy disk for the C64 or other systems. Even the 3DO Multiplayer had some nice art on the boxes.  My original Adventure Cart (in box) is sitting at my desk. Still packing the receipt inside.

Then I got to thinking: You have some of the veterans possibly coming on board to help with certain games. If you could get some of the original EA team. 3DO had some fun stuff on their platform. Lucasarts. I know a lot of them are over at Doublefine. That company was purchased by Microsoft last year, but it would be amazing to have some of those games brought back and re-imagined. There are so many good game companies from back when it was a smaller industry. That just scratches the surface.

Gotta end it with: Wouldn't that be something?

18 minutes ago, woobman said:

I was looking at the packaging for some of the older games. Not just Intellivision. Other systems as well. I miss the art. Love the colorful boxes. Even EA had some awesome boxes back in the day. Look at some of the original games on floppy disk for the C64 or other systems. Even the 3DO Multiplayer had some nice art on the boxes.  My original Adventure Cart (in box) is sitting at my desk. Still packing the receipt inside.

 

Then I got to thinking: You have some of the veterans possibly coming on board to help with certain games. If you could get some of the original EA team. 3DO had some fun stuff on their platform. Lucasarts. I know a lot of them are over at Doublefine. That company was purchased by Microsoft last year, but it would be amazing to have some of those games brought back and re-imagined. There are so many good game companies from back when it was a smaller industry. That just scratches the surface.

 

Gotta end it with: Wouldn't that be something?

 

 

 

I was just thinking how cool it would be to have a new Yars revenge. More levels coop. There is also games on the magnavox odyssey 2 that could be bought and owned. 2 really interesting games on that system. Quest for the rings and Conquest. They had maps and game pieces. Kind of a board game and video game in 1. Also the magnavox odyssey 2 had its own unique box art that would be cool to have on the Amico.  Like special series. Imagic chrome series.  And the Odyssey series with original art. Im sure there is others just cant think of them now.  

Since the 3D glasses are available, maybe Amico will look into producing Hover Force, Space Shuttle or even some new game in 3D.  Wouldn’t that be something!

4 minutes ago, Intellivision collector said:

Since the 3D glasses are available, maybe Amico will look into producing Hover Force, Space Shuttle or even some new game in 3D.  Wouldn’t that be something!

I think the vectrex 3d was pretty cool. I would love to see something like that come out. Doesn't have to be like the modern 3d today way too expensive. Sega did it too and all work great 

12 minutes ago, Relicgamer said:

I think the vectrex 3d was pretty cool. I would love to see something like that come out. Doesn't have to be like the modern 3d today way too expensive. Sega did it too and all work great 

As this has been a few weeks of discovery for me.. I've been playing with emulators and getting them setup and working great. I discovered that there are some 3d settings in some of the emulators out there. I haven't tried yet, so I ordered a pair of Anaglyph red/blue glasses from Amazon so I can test. My Virtual boy is starting to act up a little. hence the need.   That being said, a 3D mode for some games like Skiing and others would be a fun little addition.

10 hours ago, Starpaddler said:

I had an awesome Panasonic mini system with 4 stacked separates, w/bi-amp speakers. Cant find quality mini systems  like that these days. 

I been eyeing getting a mini component system... In USA they did not seem as popular in the day as normal size units.  I got rid of most of my old components, the full size style, but still have my Kenwood Receiver and Technics Turntable.  I one day want to rebuild my system but would not mind getting a mini style.  They seem harder to find and more pricey too.  tj

On 5/5/2020 at 10:30 AM, Blarneo said:

For me personally, I hardly ever play online. I just don't like dealing with kids & tweeners who have no social filter on trash talk, get really obnoxious & need to be slapped. I guess I'm just a mean old man. I know I can mute them, but what's really the point of online otherwise? 

Yep especially for consoles. I think my last last online console game I played was Friday the 13th on the PS4, a fun game when it came out, but soon enough you get these tweeners in games that are so out of control.  When one killed me and screamed into my headset " I just raped you bitch, like I raped your mom last night"  and I kid you not, the kid sounded like he was about 10 years old... I knew then i was done with online.  As far as PC games I'm still part of a guild for 20 years but most of the time just trying to arrange play times with the guys is more work than its worth.  We are all in our 40 and 50s and 60s now and Im lucky to play a few times a year anymore with them. Maybe when I retire, maybe finding a handful of retired guys to play with a few times a week will be possible, but playing with strangers,  nah..  never gonna happen for me again

2 hours ago, AtariSociety said:

I been eyeing getting a mini component system

I recently got back in vinyl records, and that looks like its gonna be a giant rabbit hole for me.  I bought a decent player with decent speakers, and bought about 50 to 60 albums, so now of course I want to upgrade the player and speakers and I can tell this is gonna prove costly..  whats old is new again