Intellivision Amico - Tommy Tallarico introduction + Q&A

1 hour ago, Cranker said:

So you can play Mario party or any other digital game on the second system,  but only use the profile of the person who bought the game ? Did you verify that ? That is super irritating and leaves people who go digital stuck. I want another system but they don’t make it tempting. I guess everyone can use my profile on the second system. Sheesh 🙄 

I started it with my profile, then you can play. 
 

For a final test I fired up a game on the primary system first with my profile (Super Mario Odyssey) and then tried to play Super Mario Party on the second system with my profile, and no go. So if person who purchased game is on primary, you can’t play with their profile on secondary. 
 

Basically the second system is good if you have multiple copies of games, but dicey if you want to bounce back and forth. 
 

Im laughing in how many comments there is about the switch. At this rate the Amico will be at my home by the time the switch is figured out.  This is me included lol🤣🤣🤣

28 minutes ago, Oldfool said:

I started it with my profile, then you can play. 
 

For a final test I fired up a game on the primary system first with my profile (Super Mario Odyssey) and then tried to play Super Mario Party on the second system with my profile, and no go. So if person who purchased game is on primary, you can’t play with their profile on secondary. 
 

Basically the second system is good if you have multiple copies of games, but dicey if you want to bounce back and forth. 
 

So to be clear , You can play your games on both systems as long as the primary system is being used by a profile that did not purchase the game and the secondary is not playing the same game as on the primary system ? Sheeeesh !!! 
 

I am tempted To buy a second switch just to play clubhouse games with 2 systems but I might regret it .

Tommy,

That was a good interview you did with Generation Zen.

@Tommy Tallarico I also want to add to my last post, that If you do like the idea of a Speedrunners style game, i have a dev in mind who would be a good fit. Jamie Fristrom. He designed the momentum based swinging mechanics in Spider-Man 2 on ps2/xbox. Then he made this 2d co op space shooter called schizoid for xbla, then made a game called Energy Hook that was like Spider-Man 2s swinging mixed with a trick system. I read that he got burned out on being an indie and works as a programmer on minecraft now. Heres his game that wasnt great but with the right help (sound design, art direction, animations) and a Speedrunners template i think that a new project would have potential. Aesthetically i think it would match the Amico and you would already have the name Energy Hook that is simple and fits with the rest of your library. Anyway just some thoughts from an average joe!

I would like to put a plug in for a game along the lines of Affordable Space Adventures, which was for the Wii U. It was able to use the extra screen in the gameplay, along with cool couch coop where different people had different assignments on the ship. 
 

A game where each person has their own unique screen and task for the good of the whole would be a great couch coop. (Sorry about lack of links to any video, I am just an Oldfool). 

Hey I think the vcs might actually make it out. Nah I just decided to build it myself.  Heres my progress.  Just so you know I'm going to be doing 4 of these in 4 different colors. With 4 different wood veneers.  Had to keep busy till my Amico gets to my house.  Dont worry Tommy I'm not go into business against you. But Atari I'm coming for you ha ha ha

On 6/6/2020 at 12:08 PM, Swami said:

I saw a Youtube comment where someone said they thought Earthworm Jim would be a game to attract hypercasuals, but I've got to be honest. When I think of hypercasuals, it's people who were too busy for consoles and TV in their 20 and 30s, like I was, and never heard of Earthworm Jim or Duke Nukem until I got into retrogaming three years ago and then it was mostly Atari and ColecoVision, which is what I had as a teen. When Lukas talked about his mom's boyfriend in his 40's not playing consoles since the 2600, that was pretty close to what happened with me. Games I played 1999-2004 were one's I could play on my PC at work during lunch or before going home or going out at night. I think I had American McGee's Alice, Doom, a Microsoft Pinball collection and a couple others. 2005-2010 I was working 18 hours a day and didn't game at all. In the 90s when I was poor, I just played the free games like Tetris and Minehunter, except I'd play Mario Kart with my nephew when I'd visit home when he was 8-10.

 

I think those games are a big attraction for gamers and retrogamers and hypercasuals will enjoy them a lot, but I don't know that it will mean much to them. Although, all I hear about in the greater gamer scene regarding the Amico is about Earthworm Jim.

On 6/6/2020 at 7:48 PM, mr_me said:

Of the licenses announced so far, Earthworm Jim might be the most significant for the younger millenials that they are targeting. Less so for older millenials.

I'm in that demographic, and look what I got in the mail today! Excuse my typical trash-tier photography skills. I do have all of the other stuff that came with this like the Groovy! patch and the papercraft Jim, but there's way too much stuff to fit in one frame and I'm too lazy to take a second picture.

Earthworm Jim is a system seller for the Amico for my generation. You know how I know? Because it was a system seller for me and one of my friends is seriously considering getting one partially for Jim, as well. There is lots of talk about this game (mostly complaining that it's Amico exclusive and people reassuring the complainers by saying that it will come to other systems after Amico fails) elsewhere on the internet where the demographic skews younger (GameFAQs, etc.). I am very much looking forward to this game, and I hope it turns out to be great.

By the way, Tommy, the Amico, and the new game are mentioned a few times in the making of book there on the right. I haven't actually read any of the actual comic yet, but I did look through the making of book very briefly to see if it was going to cover just the comic or also include the games. Nice to see the Amico and the new game in there, so it's as up-to-date as it currently can be.

On 6/6/2020 at 11:59 AM, Intellivision Master said:

 

Fun fact, this is my brother's channel. One reason he pre-ordered the Amico that he neglected to mention was the months of me talking to him about it.  

Check out this guys YouTube channel  https://www.youtube.com/user/advicecream/videos All kinds of cool! 😀👍

8 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

Next week a new games/partnership press release.

 

Then another multiple game one about a week later.

Looking to get a new (and longer) Moon Patrol demo on Amico Club this month and hopefully Breakout as well.

 

The riots have pushed a lot of press back the last week or so.  That's across the board... not just us.

 

 

Thanks Tommy.  Yeah, I'm feeling it in NY as well.

Thanks for the update and that's fantastic news!   Just looking for a little sunshine in a cloudy sky, and that did it for me.

Stay safe!

22 hours ago, Tommy Tallarico said:

 

That was awesome!  The dude played it better than I ever did!  

 

The video that came on after it was even more epic!  Another tune I did for Aladdin (probably the most famous of the original stuff that was written).

And this guy NAILS THE CRAP OUT OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So cool to hear this stuff acoustic/live when I only had MIDI back then.
 

 

 

Stuff I mess around with on guitar is typically from The Terminator as it was originally played and written for guitar.

Usually this one:

 

 

Or this one (both on piano and/or guitar):

 

And this one (also from Terminator Sega CD)
 

 

 

I have fun with this one from Sonic that I did as well:

 

 

 

Probably pretty obvious that I was a kid from the 70's/80's and dig that classic melodic rock style (which is TOTALLY gone these days!).

 

Maybe I'll bring that back in some of these games. 

 

 

Totally gone?  Are you suggesting modern pop has killed off melody?  Just a stream of 2 or 3 constrained notes, totally dependent on a rhythmic layer to get to that all important hook?  Nooooooooo.....

::listens to recent hits::

No, I take that back.  Not that I'm going to go on some "the kids these days and their music, bleh!" rant - beats are great, lyrics are clever, but more melodic rock and pop and classical tunes.. an unrestrained YES PLEASE!  

13 minutes ago, Intellivision Master said:

 

I credited this group with the idea for the video as I heard it here first! I think something like this would be FANTASTIC on the Amico. Simple but fun gameplay that utilizes the motion controls and easily adds up to 8 people. 

20 hours ago, Cranker said:

I have been playing this for the last 2 days and find it really fun BUT am surprised at several things. I have one switch but was thinking of getting a second one because the game selection is so confusing And there are many I can’t play with only one switch. Only 3 games that you can play more than 2 players ? Bowling and darts among others only being 2 players ????? Each menu you select has different games that you can’t play. The layout is super confusing. You use the pro controller to get the game going but then must use only joycons to play ??  The casual gamer would not understand why certain games are not available in different modes. Such great presentation otherwise it’s a shame. And even if I get another switch to play the games that need 2 systems , Nintendo’s game sharing rules for people like me that are all digital make it almost useless to get a second switch. I would be getting it only for clubhouse games. Grrrrrrrr !!! I would already have multiple switches if Nintendo had reasonable game sharing rules. Am I not understanding something ? If I get a switch lite as a second system it seems I can not have and play my digital games on both ? Is this correct ? Can anyone confirm this ? I want a second one but what’s the point if I can’t have my digital purchases and use both systems at the same time. I get not being able to play  the same game at the same time but can I play one game and my daughter play another at the same time ? Someone please clear this up for me. This can’t be right ....can it ?

There is a word for all of this.

Hassle.

I am ever frustrated with presumptuous podcasters and those who must rent a second home in the comments sections of Amico videos insisting how easy and seamless the menus and forced intros and tutorials, the unnecessary configuration and misplaced customization and selection are.  It's never as easy as they present, because they're not new to the medium.  They are used to certain flows to access and play, and accept the screen before them as normal - because it's some iteration of the screen before them in accessing many games they've played for years.  And they purport everybody has loads of experience with similar interfaces and selection options and presume everyone participates in the digital age just as they do.  It's just not the case.  And for the population that does have experiences with these interfaces on a regular basis, they're not exactly enamored with them or not frustrated by janky navigation and obtuse control schemes that aren't apparent or user-friendly.

I don't know if Intellivision can create a better "turn on system and get to game" experience, but the fact that they're promoting simplicity and striving to not feature all these features by design, to maintain ease of use, is encouraging.  I may find the simple menu system still to be frustrating, but at least they're making a point to address this and attempt to make a system, and playing games on said system in somewhat predictable if less standard-encountered situations like you've pointed out here, hassle-free.

9 minutes ago, RetroAdvisoryBoard said:

 

There is a word for all of this.

 

Hassle.

 

I am ever frustrated with presumptuous podcasters and those who must rent a second home in the comments sections of Amico videos insisting how easy and seamless the menus and forced intros and tutorials, the unnecessary configuration and misplaced customization and selection are.  It's never as easy as they present, because they're not new to the medium.  They are used to certain flows to access and play, and accept the screen before them as normal - because it's some iteration of the screen before them in accessing many games they've played for years.  And they purport everybody has loads of experience with similar interfaces and selection options and presume everyone participates in the digital age just as they do.  It's just not the case.  And for the population that does have experiences with these interfaces on a regular basis, they're not exactly enamored with them or not frustrated by janky navigation and obtuse control schemes that aren't apparent or user-friendly.

 

 

I don't know if Intellivision can create a better "turn on system and get to game" experience, but the fact that they're promoting simplicity and striving to not feature all these features by design, to maintain ease of use, is encouraging.  I may find the simple menu system still to be frustrating, but at least they're making a point to address this and attempt to make a system, and playing games on said system in somewhat predictable if less standard-encountered situations like you've pointed out here, hassle-free.

I completely agree RAB! I just saw this video the other day where Shigeru Miyamoto describes designing Super Mario Bros. level 1-1 and the whole thing was a sneaky tutorial for how to play the game without making you feel like that's what was happening, with nearly every move in the level designed to teach you everything you needed to know about the gameplay. It's genius. 
 

Pro controller? You could move the start and select buttons above the d-pad and have the touch screen in the middle. The buttons on the right would work like the 4 buttons on the sides of the amico controller. Would be really cool and could open up the possibilities for more 2d action games. Just a thought i had looking at the 8bitdo pc engine controller.

Hi All,  I am new to the forums here, and am very excited about the Amico system.  Tommy mentioned AtariAge in one of his interviews so came out here to check it out.  Back in the day I had an Atari 2600 and then the family moved onto the Commodore Vic20 one Christmas.  What a fun system that was!  The last system I really played in depth was the Neo Geo and had lots of carts for it but sold it all when it was time to furnish my own house.

Anyways, I have young kids now and am so looking forward to gaming with them on the sofa.  The older more simplistic games are what I enjoy and know my kids will love playing them, especially with Daddy and Mommy.

Some of my favorite games from the past:

Archon

Montezuma’s Revenge

Gorf

The Scott Adams’ word games like Voodoo Castle

Radar Rat Race

Pitfall

Missile Command

Champions of Krynn (SSI on the PC)

Metal Slug 3 (Neo Geo)

Magical Drop III (Neo Geo)

14 minutes ago, Bloodfire said:

Hi All,  I am new to the forums here, and am very excited about the Amico system.  Tommy mentioned AtariAge in one of his interviews so came out here to check it out.  Back in the day I had an Atari 2600 and then the family moved onto the Commodore Vic20 one Christmas.  What a fun system that was!  The last system I really played in depth was the Neo Geo and had lots of carts for it but sold it all when it was time to furnish my own house.

 

Anyways, I have young kids now and am so looking forward to gaming with them on the sofa.  The older more simplistic games are what I enjoy and know my kids will love playing them, especially with Daddy and Mommy.

 

Some of my favorite games from the past:

Archon

Montezuma’s Revenge

Gorf

The Scott Adams’ word games like Voodoo Castle

Radar Rat Race

Pitfall

Missile Command

Champions of Krynn (SSI on the PC)

Metal Slug 3 (Neo Geo)

Magical Drop III (Neo Geo)

Welcome and thanks for sharing.  

3 hours ago, SuperJeremyWorld said:

I completely agree RAB! I just saw this video the other day where Shigeru Miyamoto describes designing Super Mario Bros. level 1-1 and the whole thing was a sneaky tutorial for how to play the game without making you feel like that's what was happening, with nearly every move in the level designed to teach you everything you needed to know about the gameplay. It's genius. 
 

 

I remember the first time I played Super Mario Bros I went with my sister over to her friends house and her friend had a kid about 7 years old who asked me if I wanted to play. I was about 20 then. I tried to play and died each of the three lives after about 10-20 sec while this 7 year old is trying to tell me what to do. Maybe that was why I never bought another console in the 90s or 2000s: Pwned by a 7 year old. 🤣🤣

Super Hexagon

48 minutes ago, Bloodfire said:

Hi All,  I am new to the forums here, and am very excited about the Amico system.  Tommy mentioned AtariAge in one of his interviews so came out here to check it out.  Back in the day I had an Atari 2600 and then the family moved onto the Commodore Vic20 one Christmas.  What a fun system that was!  The last system I really played in depth was the Neo Geo and had lots of carts for it but sold it all when it was time to furnish my own house.

 

Anyways, I have young kids now and am so looking forward to gaming with them on the sofa.  The older more simplistic games are what I enjoy and know my kids will love playing them, especially with Daddy and Mommy.

 

Some of my favorite games from the past:

Archon

Montezuma’s Revenge

Gorf

The Scott Adams’ word games like Voodoo Castle

Radar Rat Race

Pitfall

Missile Command

Champions of Krynn (SSI on the PC)

Metal Slug 3 (Neo Geo)

Magical Drop III (Neo Geo)

Wow Archon, Voodoo Castle, Radar Rat Race - some really cool pulls from the past in there from the Commodore systems.