Games that should have been made for Intellivision

[BladeJunker]

The default character set is in GROM and has 213 characters. GRAM has the limit of only 64 user defined characters but can be changed throughout the program. The STIC works with these 8x8 characters/cards for the background. You're stuck with the limitations of the Intellivision graphics system regardless of the EXEC. See here for some technical information. http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/hardware/intelli_tech.html#systag

 

Edit:

I think intvnut explained an idea where you can program a smaller font by constantly updating the GRAM. However, if I understood it correctly, the small GRAM size would severely limit how much text you can display per screen. Multiplexing text sounds crazy.

-They mention multiplexing as an option but they don't go into any specifics other than titles that may have employed it. I know it's pretty slow on INTV but it seems as taboo today as it was in 1979 as far as information on it. On 2600 they have multiplexing threads for miles and miles.

 

-Is it the limit of 64 characters you figure won't work, can I use the same bitmap for foreground and background at the same time or do I need separate bitmaps. As far as I understand cards it doesn't have much trouble repeating a bitmap as much as it takes to change to a different bitmap pattern.

 

-Do you think the text width won't work because I could reduce it to 8 MOBs per line, or is the multiplexing top to bottom too much for the STIC?

 

-You wouldn't happen to know what was updating in the GRAM constantly in intnut's code? Thanks for the example I'll try to read that.

 

Here you can see all the GROM characters. http://wiki.intellivision.us/index.php?title=Graphics_ROM&oldid=14925

Thanks but I keep a PNG of all the characters along with the hexadecimal map on hand always for visual reference since I can't work a compiler. It's a pretty good set, plenty of patterns one could run into for any game.

 

At the very least I know the built-in font works. Maybe if I stick to abbreviated statements it could work.

[BladeJunker]

 

The EXEC doesn't really gain you anything here, at least not that I can think of (I'm not terribly imaginative though).

 

Given that you can store 96KB on a cart these days with very little effort - that's already a fair bit of text. And you can do all sorts of dictionary tricks, compression, etc to cram a lot more in. I wish I was more interested in this type of game because I've already whipped up a bunch of routines to store and quickly read back arbitrary text from ROM, inserting names and other variable bits into it. The bigger challenge (to me anyway) is to use a smaller font, so that you're not limited to 20 characters per line. Intellivision text is just a bit clunky to read.

Had to ask, funny something antiquated has such strict copyrights surrounding it. Heard Keith talking about the ownership of it but even bitd there wasn't anything to stop programmers from taking it apart other than lawyers lol. You wouldn't happen to know what Keith means by "official INTV games", I mean how and why would you use the INTV EXEC now? I listened intently but I didn't understand much other than how to get sued.

 

Funny you mention not being that interested in the genre, neither am I but I think for me it's just a matter of content style and a few nagging interface conventions to fix and then I'd like them. For example having a partial visual element increases my interest like the later day procedural rendered games on Apple II like King's Quest, Masquerade, or Mystery House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpg5vnhpEyI

 

I think the Keypad offers a good input device for games like this, either through word shortcut branch construction or text parsing through a phone like character input IE. 2=ABC, 3=DEF etc.

[GroovyBee]

 

The bigger challenge (to me anyway) is to use a smaller font, so that you're not limited to 20 characters per line. Intellivision text is just a bit clunky to read.

 

Good idea! I'll have a think about an example for that.

[+DZ-Jay]

-They mention multiplexing as an option but they don't go into any specifics other than titles that may have employed it. I know it's pretty slow on INTV but it seems as taboo today as it was in 1979 as far as information on it. On 2600 they have multiplexing threads for miles and miles.

 

It's not taboo, it just looks like crap and it's distracting, and so most people try to avoid it. Besides, there are other techniques that you can use -- including, changing game-play to fit the maximum of eight MOBs.

 

-Is it the limit of 64 characters you figure won't work, can I use the same bitmap for foreground and background at the same time or do I need separate bitmaps. As far as I understand cards it doesn't have much trouble repeating a bitmap as much as it takes to change to a different bitmap pattern.

 

The Intellivision graphics are "character based." That is, once you define a character, you can assign it to any number of resources at once, such as MOBs and background table (BACKTAB) locations.

 

Think of GRAM not as "custom graphics," but as "extended character set" equal in function to the GROM. The GROM character set is defined once, yet you can repeat letters as much as you can, and even assigned them to MOBs. So it is with GRAM, except you get to define the characters yourself.

 

-Do you think the text width won't work because I could reduce it to 8 MOBs per line, or is the multiplexing top to bottom too much for the STIC?

 

The multiplexing will probably be most annoying. However, the biggest problem in reducing the character size is maintaining legibility.

 

Personally, I hate the GROM character set; it's clunky and blockly, and hard to read when in mixed case. I typically just replace it with my own character set, though I've mostly kept the size.

 

What intvnut has mentioned before is to use GRAM as a "bitmap" in which to "draw" text composed in a buffer. That way, you are not defining a character set, but are in fact drawing the text in a compacted area. (Well, the compact character set is indeed defined in the cartridge ROM, just not copied directly to GRAM as a set. It is instead composited in a buffer to write the text as needed, then blasted into GRAM in a single block-copy operation.)

 

Again, the biggest challenge, apart from graphics RAM availability, is in maintaining legibility at such a low resolution.

 

-You wouldn't happen to know what was updating in the GRAM constantly in intnut's code? Thanks for the example I'll try to read that.

 

I don't know exactly what you mean by "updating in GRAM constantly." In my game at least, all sprites are constantly animated by cycling GRAM. This works whether they are displayed in MOBs or BACKTAB. I typically assign a single card (well, actually two for a single-colour, 8x16 double-vertical resolution MOBs; or four for a two-colour, 8x16 composite sprite) to each sprite, and cycle it as needed to animate it throughout the game.

 

This works whether they are used in MOBs or BACKTAB. For an example of both, take a look a the Christmas Carol animation sequences, when there are more than two moving sprites on the screen, a third and fourth are likely drawn in BACKTAB and still animated. The jack-in-the-box on the fourth cut-scene is a good example.

 

Another example is during the "Boss Level," where the Ghost is frozen in an ice-cube, which looks like a blue block with eyes. His eyes are constantly moving, darting left and right, and shaking in confusion. This is all accomplished by cycling a single GRAM card assigned to that BACKTAB location.

 

-dZ.

Edited March 21, 2016 by DZ-Jay

[mr_me]

Had to ask, funny something antiquated has such strict copyrights surrounding it. Heard Keith talking about the ownership of it but even bitd there wasn't anything to stop programmers from taking it apart other than lawyers lol. You wouldn't happen to know what Keith means by "official INTV games", I mean how and why would you use the INTV EXEC now? I listened intently but I didn't understand much other than how to get sued.

 

Funny you mention not being that interested in the genre, neither am I but I think for me it's just a matter of content style and a few nagging interface conventions to fix and then I'd like them. For example having a partial visual element increases my interest like the later day procedural rendered games on Apple II like King's Quest, Masquerade, or Mystery House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpg5vnhpEyI

 

I think the Keypad offers a good input device for games like this, either through word shortcut branch construction or text parsing through a phone like character input IE. 2=ABC, 3=DEF etc.

 

The EXEC is copyrighted code so if someone wanted to produce an Intellivision compatible machine or distribute a complete Intellivision emulator that played the original games they legally cannot. The Flashback is officially licensed. I suppose someone could write new Intellivision games that ran on Intellivision hardware with a different EXEC but it wouldn't run the original games. Back in the day, the third party games from Imagic, Activision, etc used reversed engineered Intellivision knowledge (mattel did not share or license anything). The reverse engineering had to be done a certain way to be legal (you have to be able to prove that no trade secrets were stolen). So although programmers could figure it out or had prior knowledge from working for Mattel they legally could not use their own knowledge. Even Mattel programmers started figuring out the Colecovision but were ordered to stop so it can be reverse engineered legally. The Atari VCS has no embedded software, so as far as I know there is no legal issues there. In the last few years some people have taken Keith's games and published them on cartridge and/or distributed them electronically, maybe Keith is referring to that.

 

If you want to see what Intellivision narrow/proportional text might look like, check out some screen shots of the Tutorvison http://www.intellivisionlives.com/media/newsletters/news030715.html. Keep in mind that the Tuturvision is a modified Intellivision and is very rare. It has an updated EXEC (backward compatible) but its technical specs are unknown.

 

 

edit: Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't any Intellivsion game have to use a small portion of the EXEC to run, even if all the EXEC routines are otherwise not used.

Edited March 21, 2016 by mr_me

[+Tarzilla]

In this day and age, there is no reason to use any of the EXEC for any reason. In simplistic terms, it isn't anything but a collection of library routines and coordinator to execute code at the apparent 1/3 speed of what you can do without the EXEC. There are no magic routines in it that can do things that you wouldn't be able to do otherwise. The EXEC was added to allow programmers to have a library of common routines to call so they could save on cartridge space.

 

Simplistically, a trick is used to jump out of the EXEC at the start and never return.

[First Spear]

The last n-messages on this thread should really be in the Programming Subforum. I am concerned that the expertise shares here will be "lost" shortly, and the next person to come along with similar questions won't have the benefit of this awesome info.

 

What would it take to have a piece of a thread moved to another place?

 

 

FWIW I use Paint Shop Pro for graphics, zooming and pixel grids of any size can be done without the danger of "antialiasing". Concerning text, which has been discussed a bit on the Programming Subforum (see what I did there?), because there is plenty of storage on a modern Intellivision cart one thing you can do is pre-generate all of the text you need and then swap it in/out as needed. I wrote a simple Win32 called Inty Letterpress that lets you create text using TrueType fonts (no antialiasing) and save it to bitmaps that IntyColor can then process into code. It's rough but this thread has motivated me to finish it.

Edited March 21, 2016 by First Spear

[mr_me]

I think if you're discussing game ideas it doesn't hurt to understand how the Intellivision works and its limitations. I'm not a programmer but I like to try to know how things work. I haven't even imagined looking into Intellivision programming.

[+DZ-Jay]

In this day and age, there is no reason to use any of the EXEC for any reason. In simplistic terms, it isn't anything but a collection of library routines and coordinator to execute code at the apparent 1/3 speed of what you can do without the EXEC. There are no magic routines in it that can do things that you wouldn't be able to do otherwise. The EXEC was added to allow programmers to have a library of common routines to call so they could save on cartridge space.

 

Simplistically, a trick is used to jump out of the EXEC at the start and never return.

 

The EXEC is much more than a mere collection of "library routines." It is an entire framework and programming model for Intellivision games, including calling and storage conventions, and object models. The reason it is not suitable for more modern or sophisticated games is that some design decisions made at its creation assumed a more limited capability of the hardware. This is why it runs at 20 Hz instead of 60 Hz.

 

In context, it was the right decision, for it was being designed at the same time as the very first games; and there wasn't a "video game industry" to speak of, so there wasn't much collective experience available other than what the programmers brought with them from previous endeavors.

 

I have immense respect for the EXEC and its creators, and I want to make sure to dispel the myth that the EXEC is unnecessary, useless, or antiquated in principle. It is only in its original implementation that this is so. As I understand it, the Blue Sky Rangers even have mentioned that a newer version of the EXEC was created later on (especially by those who left Mattel). This version ran at 60 Hz and is statically-linked with the game source during assembly.

 

I myself have a similar generalized framework in the works, though it is significantly different from the EXEC, and much more sophisticated. IntyBASIC provides something similar, though much more limited than the EXEC. There are other examples, I'm sure.

 

To be sure, a generalized framework and programming model is not absolutely necessary to create games, but it sure helps accelerating development and freeing the programmer to concentrate on the "fun stuff" rather than on the piping and wiring. Compare something as simple as the original bare-bones release of IntyBASIC with the latest version that supports constants, macros, playing music, scrolling, and many other "high level" operations that you no longer have to invent yourself.

 

These are also more than just a "collection of libraries"; to use IntyBASIC requires conforming yourself to its framework, its way of operating, its idiosyncrasies, etc. This may limit or constrain what sort of things can be done or how, but it brings with it a wealth of flexibility that you wouldn't have otherwise.

 

-dZ.

Edited March 21, 2016 by DZ-Jay

[+Rev]

You guys quit talking about MOBs, we don't need the Feds in here snooping around.

[BladeJunker]

It's not taboo, it just looks like crap and it's distracting, and so most people try to avoid it. Besides, there are other techniques that you can use -- including, changing game-play to fit the maximum of eight MOBs.

That bad huh lol?

 

The Intellivision graphics are "character based." That is, once you define a character, you can assign it to any number of resources at once, such as MOBs and background table (BACKTAB) locations.

 

Think of GRAM not as "custom graphics," but as "extended character set" equal in function to the GROM. The GROM character set is defined once, yet you can repeat letters as much as you can, and even assigned them to MOBs. So it is with GRAM, except you get to define the characters yourself.

Well it sounds like a character can be both BACKTAB or MOB at the same time, so (BACKTAB, MOB, BACKTAB, MOB:repeat) seems possible with a character set.

 

The multiplexing will probably be most annoying. However, the biggest problem in reducing the character size is maintaining legibility.

 

Personally, I hate the GROM character set; it's clunky and blockly, and hard to read when in mixed case. I typically just replace it with my own character set, though I've mostly kept the size.

 

What intvnut has mentioned before is to use GRAM as a "bitmap" in which to "draw" text composed in a buffer. That way, you are not defining a character set, but are in fact drawing the text in a compacted area. (Well, the compact character set is indeed defined in the cartridge ROM, just not copied directly to GRAM as a set. It is instead composited in a buffer to write the text as needed, then blasted into GRAM in a single block-copy operation.)

 

Again, the biggest challenge, apart from graphics RAM availability, is in maintaining legibility at such a low resolution.

That's kind of the issue with multiplexing on INTV, where was it used in specific titles, how much is too much, what is the best way? While not ideal compared to staying within the limitations it has occurred here and there but seems ill defined despite long passage of time.

 

Well the GROM font is a unique signature of the console but it is dated in style, in some ways I kind of wish it were more generic like most early home computer system fonts.

 

I think I understand what intvnut did in the broad sense the way you describe it, small buffer pre-process to large image rendering. While I could see how that would generate an arbitrary picture well it seems odd for text to not use a predefined set when that is how it works best typically.

 

I have a fair number of years practice at low res text legibility, the pitfalls, the strengths. Do you find legibility hard on INTV, to me everything is so big it is hard not to see every pixel? One problem I find on many early game systems is poor color pair selection when it comes to contrast, 2 colors so close in brightness level you can't separate them, annoying since it is entirely avoidable.

 

I don't know exactly what you mean by "updating in GRAM constantly." In my game at least, all sprites are constantly animated by cycling GRAM. This works whether they are displayed in MOBs or BACKTAB. I typically assign a single card (well, actually two for a single-colour, 8x16 double-vertical resolution MOBs; or four for a two-colour, 8x16 composite sprite) to each sprite, and cycle it as needed to animate it throughout the game.

 

This works whether they are used in MOBs or BACKTAB. For an example of both, take a look a the Christmas Carol animation sequences, when there are more than two moving sprites on the screen, a third and fourth are likely drawn in BACKTAB and still animated. The jack-in-the-box on the fourth cut-scene is a good example.

 

Another example is during the "Boss Level," where the Ghost is frozen in an ice-cube, which looks like a blue block with eyes. His eyes are constantly moving, darting left and right, and shaking in confusion. This is all accomplished by cycling a single GRAM card assigned to that BACKTAB location.

Not my words "updating in GRAM constantly." but I think I get the gist of what intvnut was trying to do. I was surprised how much could be achieved through BACKTAB, they do similar stuff on the NES but it isn't as "transparent" as it is on INTV which has more solid color zones.

 

I'll try to keep the BACKTAB option in mind more often to reduce MOBs or when a "moving BACKTAB" is required.

[+Rev]

Never BACKSTAB the MOB.

[BladeJunker]

The last n-messages on this thread should really be in the Programming Subforum. I am concerned that the expertise shares here will be "lost" shortly, and the next person to come along with similar questions won't have the benefit of this awesome info.

 

What would it take to have a piece of a thread moved to another place?

 

 

FWIW I use Paint Shop Pro for graphics, zooming and pixel grids of any size can be done without the danger of "antialiasing". Concerning text, which has been discussed a bit on the Programming Subforum (see what I did there?), because there is plenty of storage on a modern Intellivision cart one thing you can do is pre-generate all of the text you need and then swap it in/out as needed. I wrote a simple Win32 called Inty Letterpress that lets you create text using TrueType fonts (no antialiasing) and save it to bitmaps that IntyColor can then process into code. It's rough but this thread has motivated me to finish it.

I hear you loud and clear, tangents occur but at least Tech Talk helps towards making "Games that should have been made for Intellivision" more possible with some discussion of how to marry the original games design with the INTV hardware limitations.

 

I'm basically done talking about boring old text unless someone has more to say about it.

[+Tarzilla]

I guess I should have bolded "simplistic terms" since we aren't in the Programming Sub forum. Those of us that have read "Your friend the EXEC" or started programming before IntyBASIC are fully aware of what it is or isn't and have respect for the concept and work that went into it. In the context that the EXEC was brought up in the last page worth of posts makes "in principle" irrelevant. For modern homebrews the EXEC can be ignored and there are no magic functions in it to help with fonts.

[mr_me]

I hear you loud and clear, tangents occur but at least Tech Talk helps towards making "Games that should have been made for Intellivision" more possible with some discussion of how to marry the original games design with the INTV hardware limitations.

 

I'm basically done talking about boring old text unless someone has more to say about it.

Here's a another discussion about smaller Intellivision text. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/232923-font-or-typeface-smart-creation/

[+DZ-Jay]

I guess I should have bolded "simplistic terms" since we aren't in the Programming Sub forum. Those of us that have read "Your friend the EXEC" or started programming before IntyBASIC are fully aware of what it is or isn't and have respect for the concept and work that went into it. In the context that the EXEC was brought up in the last page worth of posts makes "in principle" irrelevant. For modern homebrews the EXEC can be ignored and there are no magic functions in it to help with fonts.

Gotcha! I guess I should have paid more attention to context.

[GroovyBee]

 

The bigger challenge (to me anyway) is to use a smaller font, so that you're not limited to 20 characters per line. Intellivision text is just a bit clunky to read.

Here ya go!

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/250597-inybasic-displaying-a-4-pixel-wide-font/

[+Black_Tiger]

Donkey Kong 3. I love this game and always play it when I come across the arcade. Seems very doable as well.

 

Mario Bros would be cool too, but seems like it would be harder to pull off and with less of a pay off.

 

It would be neat to have some sort of Sinistar port with voice effects.

[BladeJunker]

Looking at Marc's Coleco box collection and thinking about Frenzy on Intellivision.

Pretty basic HUD really, Player 1 and Score. Single strip vertical stack. Colors were close, nothing terribly unique in the arcade game. Wall colors get a few errors in color here and there to get the walls thinner than 8x8 pixels. 8 MOBs seems like enough on average but if more needed the BACKTAB option seems doable, even the arcade game elements bleed into each other in color attributes. I notice when it does scroll everything becomes purple during the transition over.

Guess Intellivoice support would be welcome "Robot Attack!", probably better with modern memory costs, heard Berzerk arcade was $1000 a word yikes.


The grid in the original is such an even layout that is makes me wish the INTV was 104 pixels tall instead of 96 lol. I kind of pinch the top or bottom passage thinner.


The overall graphics scale definitely benefits from double height resolution in the sprites based on how small they are, couldn't get much detail into them in default res, also it's nice they are only single color too.

Does Stern still own this property these days and do you think they want the money truck backed up to their offices for a INTV version?

[+Tarzilla]

Looking at Marc's Coleco box collection and thinking about Frenzy on Intellivision.

Pretty basic HUD really, Player 1 and Score. Single strip vertical stack. Colors were close, nothing terribly unique in the arcade game. Wall colors get a few errors in color here and there to get the walls thinner than 8x8 pixels. 8 MOBs seems like enough on average but if more needed the BACKTAB option seems doable, even the arcade game elements bleed into each other in color attributes. I notice when it does scroll everything becomes purple during the transition over.

 

 

Guess Intellivoice support would be welcome "Robot Attack!", probably better with modern memory costs, heard Berzerk arcade was $1000 a word yikes.

 

The grid in the original is such an even layout that is makes me wish the INTV was 104 pixels tall instead of 96 lol. I kind of pinch the top or bottom passage thinner.

 

The overall graphics scale definitely benefits from double height resolution in the sprites based on how small they are, couldn't get much detail into them in default res, also it's nice they are only single color too.

 

Does Stern still own this property these days and do you think they want the money truck backed up to their offices for a INTV version?

People need to rethink the "intellivoice should make Berzerk or Frenzy easy" line of thought that frequently pops up. Recreating the voice using the built in phonemes sounds totally off compared to the word based samples of the arcade. As well the pitch of some of the phrases in the arcade changes, something you can't do with Intellivoice phonemes as they exist currently without a lot of manual work.

 

There is no readily available tool to convert the original word samples to Intellivoice compatible samples (such as was used in B17 Bomber), if there was then Berzerk would have already been released.

 

Frenzy has a lot more moving objects than people think, to properly recreate things like the 4 ottos that can come out of the special zones at the same time, in addition to the main otto, the players 2 shots, multiple robot shots (diagonals as well as horizontal, vertical and bouncing), as well as moving robots, the programmer needs to be managing virtual sprites done using pre-shifted GRAM cards, along with the half card wide walls where the virtual sprite could be also drawn on. Otherwise programmers will take the lazy way out and just limit the number of robots or shots or omit the extra ottos in the special zones. Plus the limited vertical resolution is also a limiting factor. It won't feel like Frenzy unless the programmer has played Frenzy lots (arcade version) and is willing to put in the effort.

[BladeJunker]

People need to rethink the "intellivoice should make Berzerk or Frenzy easy" line of thought that frequently pops up. Recreating the voice using the built in phonemes sounds totally off compared to the word based samples of the arcade. As well the pitch of some of the phrases in the arcade changes, something you can't do with Intellivoice phonemes as they exist currently without a lot of manual work.

 

There is no readily available tool to convert the original word samples to Intellivoice compatible samples (such as was used in B17 Bomber), if there was then Berzerk would have already been released.

 

Frenzy has a lot more moving objects than people think, to properly recreate things like the 4 ottos that can come out of the special zones at the same time, in addition to the main otto, the players 2 shots, multiple robot shots (diagonals as well as horizontal, vertical and bouncing), as well as moving robots, the programmer needs to be managing virtual sprites done using pre-shifted GRAM cards, along with the half card wide walls where the virtual sprite could be also drawn on. Otherwise programmers will take the lazy way out and just limit the number of robots or shots or omit the extra ottos in the special zones. Plus the limited vertical resolution is also a limiting factor. It won't feel like Frenzy unless the programmer has played Frenzy lots (arcade version) and is willing to put in the effort.

Glad you're here, I enjoy all kinds of feedback, not just the positive stuff. Did someone say Intellivoice was easy, did I say that?

 

I heard about the whole Space Cunt origin, the auditions for the right kind of voice, telling that actor to talk a certain way, testing that voice through a screening process of review, cutting full scripts down to 20 words, then still needing on screen text to imply what is being said, and finally how much space it takes IE. equal or greater than the game ROM alone.

As far as there is no tool, I'm sad to hear that, what has it been, 30 odd years and nobody has looked into that, never ever? If there are any tools for the Intellivoice I'd be totally surprised if the voice source files wouldn't have to be recorded again to be optimal rather than using the originals.

 

And are you talking about arcade perfection recreated on an INTV, how often do any ports of the past match the arcade exactly? Even if a programmer tries their best it will still only be an approximation but that doesn't mean it won't still be a fun game to play. All those methods you mention are true for what it would take to get a lot of activity on screen but you make it sound like a bad thing if the INTV doesn't have the exact number of sprites as the arcade our whole universe will implode or something.

 

Let's get real this thread is for wishes and whimsy, not pragmatic conclusions. I mean "logically" for most people no home brews should exist, Christmas Carol, DK2, Space Patrol, and so on, and so on. I feel for you if you've been talking about Frenzy on INTV for 10-20-30 years without progress but to me it's just a little fun tinkering with these hardware properties. The legality of license seem like the greatest obstacle, not how many Ottos are on screen.

[Intymike]

, then still needing on screen text to imply what is being said,

 

 

I don't know any Intellivoice game that has on screen text for the spoken words (maybe Magic Carousel).

[+DZ-Jay]

As far as there is no tool, I'm sad to hear that, what has it been, 30 odd years and nobody has looked into that, never ever? If there are any tools for the Intellivoice I'd be totally surprised if the voice source files wouldn't have to be recorded again to be optimal rather than using the originals.

 

There are no tools available. There is at least one person that I know of that did the reverse engineering of the Intellivoice machinery and created a mechanism to convert sampled wave files into a format supported by the Intellivoice, but he has been reluctant or unwilling to share this tool, preferring to keep it proprietary for his own purposes.

 

Keep in mind that many programmers are still wrangling with the intricacies of the Intellivision just to get a simple game going. The community is still in its infancy, especially now when there is a resurgence of interest due to IntyBASIC. There isn't much maturity in the collective knowledge yet to reach the point where the Intellivoice becomes the focus. Hopefully that will happen, but it hasn't.

 

You are indeed welcomed to take on the effort.

 

-dZ.

[freewheel]

The legality of license seem like the greatest obstacle, not how many Ottos are on screen.

 

Given that people shamelessly sell original Mattel property as their own 'round these parts, licensing isn't exactly a huge obstacle. If someone wanted to make a Berzerk/Frenzy clone/port, that certainly wouldn't stop them.

 

But to answer your earlier question about this: yes, the rights are held by someone and yes, it would cost a small fortune to get a legit license for it.

 

The real reason these games don't exist on the Intellivision is simply that you only have so many people that are both capable and interested in programming for the console, and thousands of game ideas. And it takes months if not years to make a decent game, given that most people have day jobs.

 

I could whip you up a crappy Frenzy clone in a few hours, if you didn't care too much about details such as how many Ottos are on screen, how accurate the graphics are, how accurate the control is, how accurate the voice samples sound, how good the computer AI is, how much vertical resolution there is... you get the idea

[mr_me]

How was the Missile Domination voices done? That's not the proprietary system DZ-jay is referring to, is it? They are nothing like the Mattel voices from the 1982 games that originated from voice actors. The screen text supported voice BladeJunker mentioned must be the "yerrrout" in Baseball which isn't voice at all.

 

Synthesized voices like those in Missile Domination sound fine for a Berzerk game. Voices aren't even necessary for gameplay here, but would be nice. I'd rather see a Robotron game with dual disc and 16 direction fire than a Berzerk game with voice. Voice is good when used to enhance Intellivision gameplay, for example when the game uses lots of screen scrolling and providing text information is difficult.