tremoloman2006 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I recently scored a like-new Tandyvision One. It is immaculate and doesn't appear to ever have been used. I was super excited to dive into the world of Intellivision. TrekMD kindly donated 3 games to me which arrived a couple of days ago. For the past two evenings, I've tried using my new Tandyvision One but I am struggling with the disc controllers. Night Stalker looks great but the controls IMHO are horrendous. The controller is uncomfortable, the fire buttons are stiff, and I find the disc impossible to control as accurately or smoothly as an Atari 2600 controller. Is it me or am I missing something? I want to love this machine but so far it is fighting me. She sure is a beauty though! Picture quality isn't so good on my iPhone but oh well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 It definitely takes some getting used to, especially for those of us who grew up with Atari joysticks. I've found it helpful to avoid using the hand controller as I would a gamepad (pushing the disc around with my thumb). Instead, I use my thumb or index finger to spin the disc around on its edges, which is best for games like Night Stalker, or I rock it back and forth with my index and middle fingers, which is best for side-to-side games like Astrosmash. For several of the four-direction games—Night Stalker, BurgerTime, and Lock and Chase are some that come to mind—try to get into the habit of "anticipating" turns. For example, if your man in Night Stalker is walking upward and you want him to go around an upcoming corner to his right, stop pressing UP on the disc shortly before he reaches the corner and spin it to the RIGHT instead. The man will continue to walk upward until he rounds the corner. Finding a comfortable way to hold the controller in such a way that your fingers curl up and rest naturally upon the side action buttons is the key to successfully using them, although in retrospect, they are indeed a bit too stiff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpmaul69 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I recently scored a like-new Tandyvision One. It is immaculate and doesn't appear to ever have been used. I was super excited to dive into the world of Intellivision. TrekMD kindly donated 3 games to me which arrived a couple of days ago. For the past two evenings, I've tried using my new Tandyvision One but I am struggling with the disc controllers. Night Stalker looks great but the controls IMHO are horrendous. The controller is uncomfortable, the fire buttons are stiff, and I find the disc impossible to control as accurately or smoothly as an Atari 2600 controller. Is it me or am I missing something? I want to love this machine but so far it is fighting me. She sure is a beauty though! Picture quality isn't so good on my iPhone but oh well... following up jaybird3rd a lot of games are not up down left right. take stadium mud buggies, you have to rotate around counter/clockwise. if you are pressing down then up your car will get confused and go a direction you dont want. takes a little getting used to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I'd like that Tandyvision if you're fed up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpmaul69 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I'd like that Tandyvision if you're fed up! yeah, i am jealous too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cmart604 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 That Tandy is beautiful! If you're really frustrated with it I'm sure there are many guys who would snap that unit up from you in a heartbeat. That said, the controllers do take some getting used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cparsley Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 To answer your question, it's you... Also, for Night Stalker, what can you mean by the fire buttons are stiff... The buttons and the numeric keypad, not the side buttons... Ok, rant over... yes, they ARE different from about 98% of what you've seen/used before. Don't yank them like a VCS stick, anticipate where you want to go (BT!, Night Stalker, LNC) definitely come to mind here, as the game remembers what u want until there is some new way to go.I If you need anything from anyone, just ask. We are a nice friendly bunch, just ask Voltron who we initiated not too long ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I have a Tandyvision and agree the controllers are difficult. The disc takes some getting used to but after a little practice they get easier. What I can't adjust to are the fire buttons. They're SO very ungiving and painful...after a half an hour session of a button masher game, my finger is in serious pain and has an indentation from where I was pressing. I've always advocated that 99% of the controllers out there are workable and all it takes even with the worst controller is practice. With the disc/control I would stand behind that. The fire buttons...not so much. There's no adapting to those things. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DZ-Jay Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Are the controllers on a TandyVision different from the Mattel Intellivision Master Component? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidLikesIntellivision Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I only started playing Intellivision after Voltron sent one to me! I played for too many years with keyboard and d-pads, so I'm really enjoying the disc! Yes, side buttons aren't good and I'm yet to master the keypad of the Intellivision 2. For the side buttons I simply don't expect to receive any touch feedback, I think this mental atitude is important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 That's pretty much the worst aspect of the INTV. The disc is horrible to control. Heaven forbid you lose an overlay. The side buttons and keypad are just awkward. It's the games that keep me coming back. Treasures of Tarmin is way ahead of its time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intvnut Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 What I've noticed is that on Intellivision I style units (and that includes the TandyVision and Sears SVA), the stiffness of the side buttons varies rather noticeably, and that in most cases they loosen up a little with time and feel much nicer. I guess since I grew up with the machine, I find I prefer the controllers to most home systems with a joystick. Very few Atari-style joysticks are kind to my wrist after extended game play. And the Epyx was absolute murder, although on my TI Home Computer, it was usually better than what it replaced. I think Sega and Nintendo were onto something when they came up with the D-Pad approach. Now if only those could do 16 directions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltron Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 th I only started playing Intellivision after Voltron sent one to me! I played for too many years with keyboard and d-pads, so I'm really enjoying the disc! Yes, side buttons aren't good and I'm yet to master the keypad of the Intellivision 2. For the side buttons I simply don't expect to receive any touch feedback, I think this mental atitude is important. same here, my issue with intv two is the tactile feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Are the controllers on a TandyVision different from the Mattel Intellivision Master Component? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrekMD Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 You have to get used to using the controller. It is not left, right, up, down necessarily. I have noticed that if roll the disk in the direction I want to go, things work just fine. It just uses different mechanics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D. Head Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I guess what hasn't been mentioned is that, despite the "like new" condition of the console, the controllers themselves mey actually need a little help. My barely played original Inty started having trouble shortly after I got it with the contacts at the disc specifically. I swapped controllers (hard wired) and the other control was good for a long time before having a few issues. Refurbing them is not for the faint of heart, but there folks around who do a good job, I have heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intvnut Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I guess what hasn't been mentioned is that, despite the "like new" condition of the console, the controllers themselves mey actually need a little help. My barely played original Inty started having trouble shortly after I got it with the contacts at the disc specifically. That's a good point. If you can get your hands on an Intellicart or CC3, you can run my "handdemo" test program to see how the controllers are behaving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DZ-Jay Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I guess what hasn't been mentioned is that, despite the "like new" condition of the console, the controllers themselves mey actually need a little help. My barely played original Inty started having trouble shortly after I got it with the contacts at the disc specifically. I swapped controllers (hard wired) and the other control was good for a long time before having a few issues. Refurbing them is not for the faint of heart, but there folks around who do a good job, I have heard. That is true. My own Master Component has one hand controller that works better than the other. I noticed it while testing Christmas Carol: the left controller (player 1) has trouble detecting the "South" and "South East" positions. It works, but it seems to hesitate. dZ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 You suck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Games For Your Intellivision Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 I've demonstrated D2K at game shows, and notice that people who have no idea about the Intellivision are really clued on how to use the controller..... They push their thumb in the middle of the disc....and mash it around.....not the edges.....or they try to control things with the keypad.......or hold is sideways like an NES controller...... I think someone should give a demonstration on how to use the Intellivision controller on youtube....even the classic game room guy doesnt know how to hold the controller....no wonder he moans incessantly about the Intellivision controllers..... The Intellivision was my first video game system, so I never had other controllers dictate how I thought they should operate....I just used them, and they are my fave controller.....go figure.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DZ-Jay Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 You suck I suck? Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tremoloman2006 Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 Thank you guys for all your input. I'll give the controller another shot over the weekend. Like I said, I want to like this system and I'm open minded. It's just that the control was so bad for me. I don't have overlays nor the original manual so I had nothing to go by. I'll give it some time over the weekend. I'm dying to get "Lock N Chase" as that is one of my all time favs on ANY system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-SectionSamurai Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Here's a link with text versions of INTV manuals. http://www.digitpress.com/library/manuals/intv/index.html Check intvfunhouse.com for scans, including overlays. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stc2009 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Another source of manual info etc is http://www.intellivision.us/library/library/index.htm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I suck? Why? Lol, not you dz, the thread maker. He asked a question in the title and I answered him! The intv controllers are great. It is user error if they can't figure out how to use it. Intv players are are just a little more intelligent than most others. Intelligent television ......duh!?!?! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.