Intellivision Amico - What We Know So Far
Back in 2018, the Intellivision Amico was announced in a surprise YouTube video from Intellivision. Fans were beyond excited, especially for those who had the original Intellivision growing up. Now, three years later, the console is finally close to its release.
The original Intellivision from 1979 was meant to be a competitor to the ultra-popular Atari, according to TechSpot's Cal Jeffrey. The console was pretty ahead of its time in some ways, like its graphics and sound technology, but other things, like its keyboard attachment, weren't so hot.
Now, Intellivision is ready to reenter the gaming scene with a newer, updated console called the Amico. With plenty of unique games — and the potential for remakes of older games — people are ready to play.
The release for the console has been a bit up in the air though, and fans are still in the dark on an actual date they can purchase the Amico.
When is the release date for the Intellivision Amico?
The Intellivision Amico is supposed to release sometime in 2021. However, the console has been delayed multiple times, and there's not an exact release date at the moment.
The Intellivision Amico was supposed to come out in October 2020 after being announced in 2018. While the coronavirus pandemic had a massive impact on gaming in general, it hit Intellivision hard, and the company pushed back the release until April 2021. The Amico was again delayed until October 2021, a full year after the original date.
The latest delay was shared with those who pre-ordered via email. One user shared the announcement on Twitter, which explained that "unprecedented international component supply and logistics challenges" caused yet another delay for the console.
According to Intellivision CEO Tommy Tallarico (via VentureBeat), the latest delay was because of a chip shortage that has affected the entire electronics market.
What does the game list look like for the Intellivision Amico?
As you're waiting for the Amico console to be released, you can check out some of the games. The system itself will come with six titles already on it, and there will also be games available for gamers to purchase. According to Intellivision's website, additional games will be available to buy.
The games are fairly cheap, with none of them costing more than $10. The website also mentions that everything will be family-friendly, and there won't be any additional in-game purchases for any of the titles.
Intellivision posted a gameplay video of some of its upcoming titles. The list included "Pong," "Major League Baseball," "Farkle," "Pook," "Nitro Derby," "Breakout," "Missile Command," "Blank Slate," and "Battle Tanks," among others. Many of the titles releasing are legacy games from the original Intellivision, so gamers can relive the early days of gaming.
What are the Intellivision Amico's specs?
The Intellivision Amico has some interesting specs, particularly within the controllers that come with the system. The controllers, which are much different than those for other consoles, have a screen, microphone, and speaker on them. They also have gyroscope controls — i.e. moving the controller around can control a part of the game.
Additionally, there's also a disc-shaped pad instead of the standard up-down-left-right pad that most controllers have. The disc has 64 different directions on it, and it also detects pressure. With four shoulder buttons that the Intellivision Amico site calls "ambidextrous," the controls should be user-friendly for anyone and everyone.
The console itself doesn't have anything surprising when it comes to specs, but it's more than enough to run the games that Intellivision has shown off so far. With 2GB of RAM and 1080p (Full HD), the console won't struggle a bit. There's only 32GB of memory, but it can be upgraded using the microSD slot on the console.
How do you pre-order an Intellivision Amico?
The Intellivision Amico can be pre-ordered from two different places. You can either pre-order the console directly from Intellivision, or you can pre-order it from GameStop.
There are four colors you can choose from: Glacier White, Graphite Black, Vintage Woodgrain, and Galaxy Purple. The Galaxy Purple color is exclusive to GameStop, so you'll need to pre-order it from the gaming store. The Vintage Woodgrain is based on the original Intellivision design, which looked similar. Gamers can order the Vintage Woodgrain finish only on Intellivision's site.
If customers decide to pre-order with Intellivision, they can put down a deposit of $100. After that, they'll pay for the system when it releases in order to receive it. However, GameStop asks buyers to pay the full price of the console up front.
Each pre-order comes with a console and two controllers. While you can't buy additional controllers, you can download a free app on Android and iOS devices to turn your smartphone into a controller.