Bomb Squad (Intellivision review)

Developer: Mattel

Publisher: Mattel

Released: 1982

Bomb Squad is an action game that requires use of the Intellivoice Voice Synthesis Module.

Your mission is to disarm a bomb within 30 minutes that's been planted by an evil terrorist. To do this you listen to instructions given by a disposal expert using the module's speech capabilities. The main objective is to figure out the bomb code which can range from 1-3 digits. Each digit is contained within a 4x5 grid and by repairing circuit boards one element of the grid will either light up or stay blank; this then allows you to guess the exact digit by its visual shape. The circuit repair screens make up the majority of the game and you replace parts using Cutters, Pliers or a Soldering Iron. The expert gives detailed instructions and you simply have to carry them out in the correct order. The game makes clever use of the Intellivision controller and while the button placement is awkward it works great once you get the hang of it. Trying to figure out the code is really enjoyable and I love that you don't have to be perfectly accurate when placing pieces onto the board. Dropping the wrong piece is terrifying though thanks to the sped up music and the fact that the bomb timer accelerates! It intensifies the action as you're constantly aware of the clock due to either a mistake or the voice samples that occasionally let you know how much time is remaining. The Intellivoice is crucial to the entire experience and I was impressed with its capabilities and how it smartly integrates with the gameplay. It completely guides you in everything you're doing (e.g. telling you how to approach each circuit board, or letting you know if you're slightly out of alignment when placing chips) and the clear voice samples have lots of personality.

Bomb Squad is a fantastic game that all Intellivision owners should experience and it's worth the price of the voice module alone. Compared to most other titles of its time it's incredibly advanced as it seamlessly blends multiple genres together to create some truly captivating gameplay.

 

 

Random trivia: The game manual has an error when detailing what digits make up the number seven! (5th column, 3rd row is incorrectly lit up).

The Electric Company: Word Fun! (Intellivision review)

Developer: APh Technological Consulting
Publisher: Mattel
Released: 1980

The Electric Company: Word Fun is a collection of three educational games that was released a year after Math Fun (Intellivision).

First up is Crosswords where each player has a random sequence of letters and you have to make words from them; the longer they are the more points you get. The words stay on the grid and the other player can add to them (i.e. use syllables) to form completely new words. It's surprisingly fun and doesn't outstay its welcome as the winner is declared after 20 moves. The letters on the side of the board for player 2 tend to blur into the dark background though and sometimes it's difficult to see whether you have a H, an A or an R as they all look alike! Next up is Word Hunt and each player controls a monkey who needs to run around collecting letters and dropping them off in the scoring area at the bottom to form words. There are only 15 letters on screen at once and the timer counts down from three minutes so it can be quite intense as you race each other to grab what you need! The sound effects take on a jungle theme but they're incredibly off-putting as you're trying to concentrate on making words. Lastly, there's Word Rockets. The objective is to complete the words scrolling across the top of the screen by moving your grounded vehicle, picking up the missing letter from a choice of four and firing it upwards to complete the word. This is probably the weakest game on the cartridge, mainly because it's difficult to read the letters due to the dark background and the crappy RF signal on the Intellivision! The game also lasts too long as it keeps going until someone eventually completes 50 words.

The Electric Company: Word Fun won't blow you away but it's a decent 2-player distraction for a few minutes. Although each mode is limited the developers should get credit for trying to implement some action to the gameplay; try it if you're looking for something a bit different.

Random trivia: This is one of a few games that do not work on the Intellivision II console due to an inadvertent bug in the system that was only supposed to stop early Coleco produced titles from working.

Lock 'n' Chase (Intellivision review)

Developer: Data East
Publisher: Mattel
Released: 1982

Lock 'n' Chase is a clone of the Arcade classic Pac-Man with a few unique gameplay elements thrown in for good measure.

You start off with five lives and you play a thief who is attempting to rob a bank. Your character automatically moves forward and you need to guide him around the maze, collect all the gold coins while avoiding the police and then reach the flashing exit to complete the level. Like in Pac-Man there are special items that occasionally appear (i.e. cash bags, hats, crowns) that will net you bonus points and you can also use the side-doors to escape the cops. The main thing that sets Lock 'n' Chase apart is that you can temporarily close two doors behind you by pressing the Side buttons on the controller; this adds some real strategy to the game as not only can you use it to deter or trap the police, you can also barricade yourself into a safe zone if you're skilled enough! The A.I. is pretty intelligent and they tend to swarm on you in packs rather than as individuals. Although there are four skill levels which affect the speed of the action each is very challenging and it's unlikely that you'll breeze through the first couple of levels without lots of practice. The Intellivision controller doesn't help matters as the directional disc isn't precise enough for making quick turns and it's easy to (for example) accidentally press Up-Left instead of Left meaning your commands are sometimes ignored. This is a hardware fault though and the actual game is great fun to play; the action is smooth and it's exhilarating when you manage to shut a door behind several cops who are hot on your tail! The sound effects are decent but the constant alarm noise does get a bit annoying after a while!

Lock 'n' Chase is an excellent example of a developer using the Pac-Man template and then adding some unique features to enhance the gameplay. While the Intellivision controller is an unavoidable issue the rest of the experience is top notch and the arcade action is perfect for high score chasers.

Random trivia: A handheld version of Lock 'n' Chase appeared on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1990 and the original Arcade version was released on the PlayStation Network in 2010.

Auto Racing (Intellivision review)

Developer: Mattel
Publisher: Mattel
Released: 1979

Auto Racing is a top-down driving game that was the main inspiration for Rally Speedway (1983, Atari 8-bit).

There are five tracks of increasing difficulty as well as five cars with different handling and acceleration. In the 1-player mode your challenge is to complete five laps in the quickest possible time. The first few tracks aren't too tough but things get really tricky in tracks 4-5 with the latter having some seriously sharp turns. Your car automatically accelerates and you can choose to brake at any point by pressing the Side-Down button. Steering is generally where people have issues but you don't need to constantly hold a direction; instead you only want to press the directional pad when needed. When you do come to a corner you should lightly tap the bottom left or bottom right of the d-pad to turn. This method works really well when you get used to it and before long you'll be whizzing around the tracks with ease. One problem is that the hud showing how many laps you've completed and your current time isn't displayed until you either crash or reach the finish line. It's a strange decision as having these stats available would help regular players to track their progress as they race. The 2-player mode is absolutely brilliant and resembles an early version of Micro Machines (1993, Mega Drive). The objective is to score 50 points and you get 2 points every time your opponent crashes or if you're far enough in front to reach the edge of the screen. In terms of negatives, the scrolling is very jerky at times which can be disorientating and the SFX range from mildly annoying (the screeching of your brakes) to a real nuisance (the sound of your engine).

Auto Racing is an underrated game with great depth and it's a shame that so many people dismiss it due to how badly the manual explains the steering controls. Once you get used to them you'll have a great time, especially in the 2-player mode which is very addictive.

Random trivia: The game has been re-released a few times such as on the Intellivision Lives! compilation (1999, PC) and on Microsoft's Game Room (2010, Xbox 360).