UPDATE: Progress on the New Intellivision Console Going Smoothly

Today’s fans of old-school retro home console games have a reason to rejoice: the new console by Intellivision is shaping up to be an instant hit once made available to the public.

As we mentioned earlier this year, Intellivision had once again shown signs of life as Tommy Tallarico, the creator of Video Games Live and a veteran of the video game industry had purchased and was performing a rebranding of the famous company. He intended to develop a new Intellivision console to provide awesome games for those who enjoy the simplicity of old-school arcade graphics but didn’t have access to a local arcade.

At the time, we mentioned how Tallarico wanted to recreate the retro arcade feel with the company’s new console, claiming that the man himself was once a fan of these games. As Tallarico was growing up, he would enjoy playing Intellivision games with his parents and younger brother and was always impressed with the console’s cutting-edge graphics, gameplay mechanics, and ease to pick up and play. As someone who enjoyed all of these things, but had nowhere to partake of this hobby anymore, Tallarico felt that he needed to do something about it.

Enter the Amico.

A Brand New Console

Back in our previous article, we mentioned how the new Intellivision company was working on a new console. However, other than what was on the press release, we didn’t have much info on the specs, features, nor any of the critical parts of the project itself. Moreover, while most of the juicy bits are still under lockdown, we now have more information about the upcoming console, in the form of a trailer released by the company.

Here’s the trailer, which showcases most of the important details:

In case you can’t view it for some reason, let’s break it down:

After a short company logo splash screen, the video immediately jumps to the company’s history, naming some of Intellivision’s accomplishments from way back in the day, including the first 16-bit console, the first console to feature (heavily synthesized) voices, and the first console to feature digital distribution via the Intellivision PlayCable. Furthermore, the Intellivision was the first of its kind to feature licensing in most of its sports games, which its rival console, the Atari 5200, didn’t have. In this sense, instead of “Soccer,” “Baseball,” and “Football,” the Intellivision had fully-licensed titles that featured the names of real athletes, as well as the organizations’ names in the cover (MLB, PGA, NHL, etc.). Finally, it shows how the Intellivision, at the time, was the precursor of the infamous “Console Wars” which rage on to today as manufacturers hope to get you on their side. On a side note, this spat between Atari and Mattel evolved into the “Bit Wars,” an event that evaporated around the time that Playstation 2 entered the market and people stopped worrying about the “bits” a console could process like they used to.

Finally, after much preamble, we catch a glimpse of the new console, the Amico.

Now comes the fun part:

The Specs

According to the trailer, the Amico will have a state-of-the-art “21st Century 2D Chip and Architecture,” which we assume translates to modern hardware specially-designed to render 2D graphics. In this sense, the graphics are not simple due to limitations, but by design, which means that, despite their simplicity, there is a lot more going on under the hood. Furthermore, the console comes with an HDMI port, which means that, regardless of its graphics, it will feature HD support (up to 1080p, maybe?), which will make those 2D graphics look as crisp and clean as they can be. Additionally, as is expected from our electronic devices nowadays, the Amico has WiFi support so it can connect to your home’s network and download new software from the internet.

The Gamepads

The controllers are designed like the traditional disc-based gamepads of the old Intellivision console, but with a modern twist. The console includes two Bluetooth controllers, which feature a touchpad in place of the numerical keypad of the old gamepads. Just like the previous version, this one also has a positional disc to control the character’s movements. On each side, there are two tactile feedback buttons that will be used in many of the console’s games.

Additionally, each controller comes with force-feedback support, as well as a speaker and microphone. And finally, each gamepad has a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer which, in all honesty, we can’t guess how they’ll be used in these retro-themed games. Furthermore, if there are more players than controllers, they can each download a controller app on their smartphones, and freely connect it to the Amico. In this way, up to 8 players can join in the fun.

The Games

Every single one of the Amico’s games is console-exclusive, which means that you won’t find it anywhere else other than in the system. Furthermore, all these games will be designed with an E or E10 ESRB rating in mind. This rating, alongside balanced gameplay and design, will make just about any of the console’s games suitable for persons of all ages, from the youngest of the family, to the parents, grandparents, and beyond!

Want to know the best part?

Each game will be priced at $2.99 to $7.99, with no in-app purchases of any kind! In this day and age, these types of games are like the unicorns of the media; impossible to find. Nevertheless, the Amico will make this dream come true.

The console itself is advertised to be worth around $129 to $179 which, compared to the other alternatives in the market, is the most inexpensive console to date.

When it comes to the Amico, there’s a lot to take in, so we recommend that you take a few minutes and watch the entire trailer yourself. We promise that it’ll be worth it. The console itself is scheduled for release on October 10, 2020. Nevertheless, until the Amico finally releases, we’ll be here anxiously sitting on our hands to avoid chewing our nails off in anticipation.

Here at PrimeTime Amusements, we like to keep ahead of the curve in arcade game rental and sales and pride ourselves in providing the best service in the country. If you’re looking for a game in particular, or have a few questions about the industry, feel free to give us a call at 1.800.550.0090 or to swing by at 5300 Powerline Rd. Suite 210, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 33309.