Intellivision Classics
(Activision for the PlayStation)
by Shane Yeager
Remember the Intellivision? Early ’80s, ugly, black controllers with a numeric keypad? Activision has resurrected the thirty most popular games of that system for the PlayStation game platform, all compiled onto a single CD, and identical to the system of the Flock of Seagulls-era. Sports games like Football and Boxing, arcade shooters like Sharp Shot and Space Battle, and cute diversions like Shark!Shark! and Snafu are all side by side on this disk. And at only $29.99, it comes out to be about a buck a game. Intellivision Classics offers more sports games than any other compilation, and the emulation technology makes you think you’re playing the original system. As if this weren’t enough, there are interviews with the original game designers and programmers in a special “video history” section. Bryant Bustamante (associate producer of the project) packed everything possible related to the ancient system onto Intellivision Classics.
Unfortunately, most of the games don’t translate well. Many sports games end up being far too slow, even on the fastest settings, to be enjoyable, and the interface of the PlayStation controller with the numeric keypad controller of the original Intellivision (which only appears on the screen, often obscuring much of the game) is sluggish at best. Many games require a second player, as the computer has no AI program for its sports games. Other games have only the briefest of instructions, and players must try to guess which buttons do what. For example, the full directions for Soccer are “Score the most goals.” That’s it. No listing of which buttons are used to pass or shoot, no clue as to how long the game will last. Feel like you can play the game from that information? To be fair, once you start playing the game, it’s quite simple to pick up, but the initial lack of information can be disorienting.
If you have the patience to sift through all the games, you’ll likely find a game or two you consider a gem. The sheer volume of games in the compilation, and their diversity, makes it likely you’ll find something entertaining, unless you’re looking for modern graphics. Sports enthusiasts should try the Tennis game, old time arcade residents should seek out Space Armada or Night Stalker, and strategy gamers should check out Armor Battle or Snafu. There’s something for everyone, but finding what you like may be a chore.
