The Intellivision has never been the most popular system to collect for (though it certainly has its devoted fan-base). Unfortunately, it’s usually been overshadowed by the Atari consoles and various 8-bit consoles above that (NES, SMS, etc). But despite being overlooked, there are some really cool games for this system and it’s real shame that it doesn’t get the love it deserves. I just want to give an overview of the system, including the things I found interesting while collecting for it and my experiences in playing it.
There are two models of the Intellivision.
First, there’s the wood-grained-and-brass behemoth that is the original. It’s very large and the controllers are attached to the console (which was the common thing to do at the time). I’ve also never found one of these in the wild that works. Though they certainly are lovely things to look at, their enormous size doesn’t lend itself to shelves or sitting around the television.
(The original Intellivision in all it’s massively-huge wood-grained glory.)
Then there’s the Intellivision II – the 80’s redesign that’s much smaller and comes with detachable controllers (which use the same port design – 9-pin serial – as Atari 2600, but are not compatible due to a different pinout). I like this model more in pretty much all ways (except that the power/reset button is kind of awkward compared to the nice heavy-duty original). There are some cart compatibility issues (due to the company changing the internal hardware). It’s not supposed to be compatible with the original Intellivoice peripheral (I’ve not confirmed this yet).
(The Intellivision II – left – was smaller and abandoned the wood-grained 70’s vibe for a sleeker more-80’s theme.)
There’s also an Intellivision III (or INTV System III) – a late model version of the console with styling from the original console – though in a more compact form-factor. Much like the second version of the Master System or the third version of the Sega Genesis, it is uncommon to find this version because of a low production run and it being sold later in the console’s lifespan.
It’s hard to believe that the console’s lifespan was actually from 1980 through 1990 because in the later years the company and rights changed hands and production of games had dwindled (meaning most of us that were kids in the 80’s weren’t really exposed to the console in stores).
(The original Intellivision controller – left – and the Flashback controllers on the right)
One of the main issues people have with this system (both versions) is the controller. Like the Colecovision, it has a dial-pad built into the controller. And there’s a rotational pad instead of a directional pad (like on the later NES) or a joystick (like the 2600). The strange design is somewhat acceptable, but the side buttons being very small and hard to press (resulting in blistered thumbs) are not. And unfortunately there’s no way to use other controllers with the system – despite the similar DB9 connector shared by most consoles of the day.
There’s also the Intellivision Flashback console controllers – which went with styling of the original. But strangely enough, the pinout of the controller is different – meaning the flashback’s controllers won’t interchange with the original without a homemade adapter.
(There are many ways of getting into Intellivision on the cheap – including these collections.)
There are certainly solutions to the awkward controller. One can have an arcade stick made for the system for example (not really a cheap solution, but I’m very happy I went with the option personally). Or you could emulate the games on a Raspberry Pi (via the RetroPie project) or simply on PC and map a controller appropriately to your style. There’s also the Intellivision Lives! series on various consoles (i.e. PS2/GC) and handhelds (NDS).
(Collections with Intellivision games are abound on various console systems – including Gamecube)
The cartridges are usually smaller than Atari 2600 carts and have a trapezoidal slant on the end where the label goes.
(Most carts look like the one on the left, but there are longer carts that look like Donkey Kong on the right)
Like mentioned before, certain games won’t work on the Intellivision II – such as Donkey Kong and Carnival. Overall this isn’t really a big deal since the compatibility is still high. There’s also the fact that Donkey Kong for Intellivision is generally regarded as the worst port of the game (a rarity since it’s usually the other way around when comparing to 2600).
(Considered among the worst version of Donkey Kong on any home console – the Intellivision cart is also only compatible with the original version of the console.)
Usually the games are very affordable to collect for this console. The rare titles (many of which are more affordable on Atari 2600) can go upwards of $100, but most carts go for $3-5 – maybe less if you find them locally. Of course most people want to get the overlays for the controller – which may drive up the price. You may want to buy a Flashback just to get the included overlays. I’ve heard reports though that these overlays are missing – even in sealed Flashbacks from the factory.
(The types of overlays being made and sold today – including those you can get with the Flashback – if they’re actually included)
The Intellivision games are actually programmed very well and are usually visually better than the 2600. It also seems that developers knew about the awkward controls and often programmed in turbo fire as a dial pad button so that you didn’t have to blister your thumbs hitting the buttons on spaceship shooters.
There are a lot of Intellivision games that also show up on Colecovision and Atari 2600. Compared with Atari 2600 and Colecovision, the Intellivision ports end up being somewhere in the middle quality-wise (the Colecovision was more advanced, after all). Games that use the dial pad (like the system’s primitive RPGs) seem more open-ended due to the extended controls (that being said, I tend to stick to the arcade-like games). One of my favorites, the Intellivision version of BurgerTime is considered the best original home console port.
(Though it lacks the graphics from the arcade, this version of Burgertime is truly excellent to play)
There are a lot of neat exclusive titles for the Intellivision. Since Mattel made the console, of course there’s Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man – based after the wildly-successful Toy franchise of the time. This game is interesting because it’s primarily a shooter game instead of the beat-em’up you would expect from the toys and box art.
(This system has some truly interesting games – including He-Man, since the toy line was owned by Mattel)
There’s also Dracula – where you get to play as the legendary vampire himself (as both a humanoid and a bat). Many of the Imagic games (like Dracula) are similarly imaginative and fun. I’m a fan of the Imagic games for this other consoles (such as Atari 2600). Their signature silver carts also have an interesting handle design. The games are excellent overall – much like the Activision-developed games are on the 2600.
(Dracula might not look like much nowadays, but it’s miles ahead of the 2600 in graphics and it is fun to play.)
Another Imagic game, Microsurgeon, is a shooter where you’re flying ship inside the human body. I would have assumed this game was based on the movie Innerspace except that it came out before that movie.
(Microsurgeon is an interesting game with a bizarre art-style.)
Should you collect this system?
So should you collect for the Intellivision? I really want to say yes because it’s a cool system with some great games. But for most people the controller and obscurity of finding games and a working system will put them off of owning one compared to NES and Atari 2600. Though, if you manage to get past the short-comings and get used to the controls, you may really start to love it.
You will probably want to mod the video for composite and acquire an arcade stick made for the system once you get serious about the system. If you’re just curious about the games, I recommend trying out emulators or the Flashback re-release. (Just be aware that the audio isn’t really great on the Flashback and it doesn’t include most of the interesting titles, including the mentioned Imagic games).
(A composite-video-modded Intellivision)