The presentation for the Intellivision Amico began on the third day of E3 2021 with Tommy Tallarico providing some background information about himself. He did compose some of the best music in the industry including some of my favorites: Aladdin on the Sega Genesis and the 16-bit Cool Spot games.
The topic quickly changed to his upcoming console, the Amico, which is Italian for “Friend.” That seems like a logical naming choice, given the coach co-op nature of the console. He explains that he is not going to try to impress the audience with the technology behind the console. The console’s focus is fun and those games do not require a strong gaming background to enjoy. The games on the Amico are built for everyone to enjoy. (Why do I suddenly have the thought of John Hammond talking about the price of admission for Jurassic Park?). If you walk into the room and there is a free controller, feel free to pick it up and jump right into a game.
Using the knowledge obtained from the people involved with the Amico, the system was designed for the best games. The controller is a unique device, as was the original Intellivision’s controller. This one has a capacitive touch screen that can be tailored for each game. Tommy mentions that motion controls are better suited to casual players, so they are incorporated into the controller. Additionally, by utilizing the disc, the player has far better control than a traditional D-pad. Why you might ask? Well, a traditional D-Pad only has eight directions. The disc on the Amico has 64 directions and touch capability, so the harder the player presses, the on-screen interaction will change.
Did you know that you can take your games to a friend’s house? Yup; just like the Intellivision namesake. Just take the controller from one Amico and dock it with another. At that time, the games will be playable on the second Amico, as long as the controller from the first Amico is there. The controllers are charged by wireless contact charging. Simply place the controller on the dock, and it will charge.
The console has RFID, which is for a host of options, including gift cards. Physical media availability is on the horizon, even though the console is predominately digital. In fact, I have seen the physical media and it is something to behold. I even did a video:
DLC and Lootboxes are prohibited on the Intellivision Amico, but the console does feature a Leaderboard. I would love to know if my abilities were on par with the rest of the world.
So what makes the Amico stand out? Well, as Tommy clearly stated: all of the games must be “super fun to play,” and they are highly curated, all of them contain a single player and multiple modes, and all of them contain exclusive content. Of the games, my focus will be on what is called Retro Reimagined. These are remakes of games that I loved as a child. They have new graphics, audio and multiplayer, featuring couch co-op. There are other genres as well for edutainment, platformers, and some new ones. Did you know that they managed to get the original Ecco the Dolphin team together to create a new game called Dolphin Quest. Plus, who can forget the upcoming release of Earthworm Jim? Once again, they got the original team for the development of the game.
Whether your focus is on retro, modern, kid’s games, or good old family fun, the Amico has you covered. The console is set for release on October 10, 2021. for $250, American. Are you ready?
