Comments 4

Re: New Game Footage Suggests The Intellivision Amico Will Struggle To Pull Families Away From Switch

Impaler-D

@Turbo857 Even if you believe analog sticks are more intimidating or frustrating to young children than a D-pad, (and I've seen NO evidence of this through my experience, not to mention joysticks having been a staple of gaming since the arcade and Atari 2600 days) this controller certainly doesn't look any less potentially confusing, with the developers of this console stubbornly basing it's design on the original Intellivision controller, which is pretty universally regarded as being awful. (I certainly don't relish the thought of playing Earthworm Jim with this... thing)

Even if I were to believe the Switch were too complex, or functionally more complex than an NES, for a small child, I would honestly rather just give them an NES Classic, SNES Classic, Genesis Mini or, again, buying a USB NES and SNES controller and firing up the Switch Online apps.

I just don't see these borderline Flash-browser/mobile games fostering the same sense of wonder, challenge, imagination and captivation as playing Super Mario Bros. for the first time.
Consoles like the Atari 2600, Intellivision and especially Colecovision were good for their time, but the NES was a game changer that introduced ageless game design and fun to the masses, it was the foundation of modern gaming; nothing in the Intellivision library can compare, even with shiny new graphics.
For that matter, even introducing your kids to simple touch screen gaming on their phone, tablet or set-top box would be more feasible to most than going out of their way to purchase this. (though I don't personally condone mobile gaming at all)

Re: New Game Footage Suggests The Intellivision Amico Will Struggle To Pull Families Away From Switch

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@Turbo857 "When you look at consoles like the Switch, Xboxes and Playstations, these consoles aren't targeted for children between the ages of 4-12 or even 5-15 really. They are for more experienced gamers who are used to the complex gameplay associated with multi-button controllers, load/install delays, high end graphics, and cinematic solo experiences"

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Lol What?

There's nothing more "intimidating" about the Switch than the NES that we started playing when we were 4-5 years old. (or the SuperNES, Genesis, N64, PSX, PS2, GameCube, or whatever your first consoles were at that age)

Obviously a parent is going to load up a game that's appropriate for their children and won't frustrate them, that's what parents are for, just as you wouldn't even throw this thing in front of a small child as their first game system without assistance and guidance.

And did you really imply modern consoles are too complex for 12 or 15 year-olds? Lol
Have you spent much time around kids?
Were you ever a kid yourself?
I've seen 10 year olds build things in Minecraft that put modern architects to shame.
My young family members are incredibly adept at games and competitive play, moreso than I was at that age.
I was more skilled at games at that age as well, since they were more of a singular focus when playing.

You have a very low opinion of kids, when most of these Zoomers could probably run circles around you.

Re: New Game Footage Suggests The Intellivision Amico Will Struggle To Pull Families Away From Switch

Impaler-D

Who would this appeal to?
Who is actually going to pay $150-$180 for this?
As I've said before, it won't take off and it won't even find a niche beyond the initial impulse purchases.

I love Earthworm Jim and Doug TenNapel's work but it's too bad the new EWJ game will basically be locked behind an ill-conceived paywall.
Hopefully by the time the game is finishing development, (it's not even a launch game) they'll realize this platform is going nowhere and make plans for a Switch port.
At the very least, the development of Earthworm Jim's comeback will be the one good thing that comes out of this console.