4th June 2020, 9:39 AM
Intellivision was my first game console, I've been playing it as long as I've had the motor functions to handle the controller, and I had a lot of games. So, I'll add to your comments with a different perspective from playing them before I ever played anything more advanced, with the games I owned and played. I won't have as much to say, since you've covered a lot of it.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Cartridge (aka AD&D Cloudy Mountain Adventure or Crown of Kings)
A tough, but rewarding game, in the sense that there are a lot of things you can do in this game that most other games of the time didn't attempt. There is an overworld map which you can explore thoroughly and which, like the action levels, are generated anew every time you play. The controls aren't that good (the INTV controller just lacks responsiveness, adding artificial challenge to fast twitch games like this). I think the gameplay features it offers are above and beyond, but it's difficult to play, and you pretty much have to read the manual and learn all the functions the game requires you to know, as the game itself won't tell you anything.
Personally, I am a much bigger fan of the system's other AD&D game, Treasure of Tarmin (or, Minotaur). It's a very different kind of game, also way more complex than other second gen games, and is definitely not accessible without a little outside reading. It certainly has flaws of its own, but it's a technological marvel (pseudo-first-person, randomly generated dungeons, dozens of enemies and items), and I personally still enjoy it a lot and consider it to be the best game of the generation that I have played. Both of these games, for their flaws and drawbacks, are easily the most involving and content-rich the INTV has to offer.
Astrosmash
I love Astrosmash. It's fast, it's fun, and the gameplay progresses nicely. Not much to say about it otherwise, in terms of complexity, it is on the extreme other end of the spectrum from Cloudy Mountain!
Atlantis
I think this is a good game, and graphically attractive. The problem is, I suck at games like this, and 30+ years of gaming experience has not made me better. So, it's good, but I don't really like it.
Auto Racing
Honestly, the fun I had with Auto Racing came from slowly driving my car around and exploring the environments. There are a few little hidden sections that you don't ever see if you stick to the tracks. I remember being impressed with the detail and graphics, but the controls are absolutely terrible, and it just isn't that much fun to play, even with a friend.
Bomb Squad
I have an Intellivoice, but I don't know why my parents bothered. Imagine trying to play this game as a four-year old. Even close to 40, this game is just a confusing mess, with terrible and obnoxious sounds that you literally have to endure because of the voice stuff. It feels like work the whole time and I think it's the worst INTV game I have played. Failing to save the city is almost a catharsis.
Burger Time
One of the system's best games, it does most everything right. My grandma was a total god at this game. Her playing Burger Time introduced little me to the concept of the number 1 million, because she could score that many points and still keep going. I think its biggest flaw is a flaw I mentioned before, the controls don't respond quickly enough and I lose lives on account of it.
Demon Attack
It's really good. The graphics are great, the enemies are interesting, and it's just a lot of fun to play. Probably the best game of its type, and definitely my favorite of the two Imagic games I owned.
Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack
By the time I was old enough to learn how to play poker or blackjack, this was absolutely not how I wanted to do it.
Lock N' Chase
This game is hard as hell, but I like it better than Pac Man. The gameplay has interesting wrinkles and the graphics feature more colors and objects.
LocoMotion
This is another one of those games which is obviously well-made, but just was not ever my cup of tea and I never got good at it. I love the little music clip which plays at boot, though.
Night Stalker
One of my favorites. It's so tense and dangerous, and with Demon Attack, one of the console's more atmospheric titles. It makes you think tactically pretty much every second. I wish it had more mazes.
Pinball
Another one of my favorites. Sometimes, I will play both players myself for kicks. I have not ever loved a pinball video game as much as I love this one. Unlike a lot of games from this era, you were not stuck playing the same, single board every time.
Space Armada
The very first video game I ever owned in my life! Unfortunately, it pretty much sucks. As ABF noted, even on practice mode, the difficulty becomes absolutely insane within a few levels, and I just don't believe it is worth improving your skill to the point where you can survive more than a few minutes of play.
Space Spartans
My other Intellivoice game. Not as thoroughly unplayable as Bomb Squad, but it too was exceedingly complicated for preschool me, and when I went back much later, I didn't care for anything about it.
Star Strike
This is the first game I ever 'beat', being the first game made to be beaten that I had. It's another game that I find to be really hard and not terribly rewarding, but it is neat to lose on purpose and watch the earth get blasted apart. If memory serves, missing any of the five 'target' ships you have to destroy means you're not going to win. It's been a really long time, though. I could be wrong.
Triple Action
I fucking love the biplane game, the other two are forgettable.
Venture
I always liked this game, the gameplay offers a lot of different obstacles to conquer. But even still, I also end up feeling that it could have provided a better objective and, perhaps, more variance in what you actually got to do.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Cartridge (aka AD&D Cloudy Mountain Adventure or Crown of Kings)
A tough, but rewarding game, in the sense that there are a lot of things you can do in this game that most other games of the time didn't attempt. There is an overworld map which you can explore thoroughly and which, like the action levels, are generated anew every time you play. The controls aren't that good (the INTV controller just lacks responsiveness, adding artificial challenge to fast twitch games like this). I think the gameplay features it offers are above and beyond, but it's difficult to play, and you pretty much have to read the manual and learn all the functions the game requires you to know, as the game itself won't tell you anything.
Personally, I am a much bigger fan of the system's other AD&D game, Treasure of Tarmin (or, Minotaur). It's a very different kind of game, also way more complex than other second gen games, and is definitely not accessible without a little outside reading. It certainly has flaws of its own, but it's a technological marvel (pseudo-first-person, randomly generated dungeons, dozens of enemies and items), and I personally still enjoy it a lot and consider it to be the best game of the generation that I have played. Both of these games, for their flaws and drawbacks, are easily the most involving and content-rich the INTV has to offer.
Astrosmash
I love Astrosmash. It's fast, it's fun, and the gameplay progresses nicely. Not much to say about it otherwise, in terms of complexity, it is on the extreme other end of the spectrum from Cloudy Mountain!
Atlantis
I think this is a good game, and graphically attractive. The problem is, I suck at games like this, and 30+ years of gaming experience has not made me better. So, it's good, but I don't really like it.
Auto Racing
Honestly, the fun I had with Auto Racing came from slowly driving my car around and exploring the environments. There are a few little hidden sections that you don't ever see if you stick to the tracks. I remember being impressed with the detail and graphics, but the controls are absolutely terrible, and it just isn't that much fun to play, even with a friend.
Bomb Squad
I have an Intellivoice, but I don't know why my parents bothered. Imagine trying to play this game as a four-year old. Even close to 40, this game is just a confusing mess, with terrible and obnoxious sounds that you literally have to endure because of the voice stuff. It feels like work the whole time and I think it's the worst INTV game I have played. Failing to save the city is almost a catharsis.
Burger Time
One of the system's best games, it does most everything right. My grandma was a total god at this game. Her playing Burger Time introduced little me to the concept of the number 1 million, because she could score that many points and still keep going. I think its biggest flaw is a flaw I mentioned before, the controls don't respond quickly enough and I lose lives on account of it.
Demon Attack
It's really good. The graphics are great, the enemies are interesting, and it's just a lot of fun to play. Probably the best game of its type, and definitely my favorite of the two Imagic games I owned.
Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack
By the time I was old enough to learn how to play poker or blackjack, this was absolutely not how I wanted to do it.
Lock N' Chase
This game is hard as hell, but I like it better than Pac Man. The gameplay has interesting wrinkles and the graphics feature more colors and objects.
LocoMotion
This is another one of those games which is obviously well-made, but just was not ever my cup of tea and I never got good at it. I love the little music clip which plays at boot, though.
Night Stalker
One of my favorites. It's so tense and dangerous, and with Demon Attack, one of the console's more atmospheric titles. It makes you think tactically pretty much every second. I wish it had more mazes.
Pinball
Another one of my favorites. Sometimes, I will play both players myself for kicks. I have not ever loved a pinball video game as much as I love this one. Unlike a lot of games from this era, you were not stuck playing the same, single board every time.
Space Armada
The very first video game I ever owned in my life! Unfortunately, it pretty much sucks. As ABF noted, even on practice mode, the difficulty becomes absolutely insane within a few levels, and I just don't believe it is worth improving your skill to the point where you can survive more than a few minutes of play.
Space Spartans
My other Intellivoice game. Not as thoroughly unplayable as Bomb Squad, but it too was exceedingly complicated for preschool me, and when I went back much later, I didn't care for anything about it.
Star Strike
This is the first game I ever 'beat', being the first game made to be beaten that I had. It's another game that I find to be really hard and not terribly rewarding, but it is neat to lose on purpose and watch the earth get blasted apart. If memory serves, missing any of the five 'target' ships you have to destroy means you're not going to win. It's been a really long time, though. I could be wrong.
Triple Action
I fucking love the biplane game, the other two are forgettable.
Venture
I always liked this game, the gameplay offers a lot of different obstacles to conquer. But even still, I also end up feeling that it could have provided a better objective and, perhaps, more variance in what you actually got to do.
YOU CANNOT HIDE FOREVER
WE STAND AT THE DOOR
WE STAND AT THE DOOR