The Intellivision Amico is a new family-friendly console set to launch in 2020. Intellivision announced the new console with a YouTube video that detailed the leadership team and the price of the console, games, and the controllers. While no software was shown for the system, remade classics and new titles were promised.
The Intellivision Amico is still early in development, as the trailer showcased only renders of the system and controllers. Intellivision CEO Tommy Tallarico wants the console to be under $180 and every game to be less than $8. Those titles are also being billed as console exclusive, and with no microtransactions or DLC. Adventure, Centipede, ToeJam & Earl, and Missile Command were highlighted as games that will be remade exclusively for the system. Intellivision’s plan for those titles is to have each rated E for Everyone, or at most E10+ by the ESRB. Intellivision plans to launch the Amico on October 10, 2020.
Intellivision held a keynote at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo this past weekend to announce the system. At the keynote, Tallarico said the company is “creating a console that parents want to buy, not that they were asked to buy.” He argued that most games on home consoles are created for the hardcore gamer, and that the Amico exists for gamers and non-gamers to play with together.
The Amico will ship with two wireless controllers featuring a full-color touchscreen, directional disc, and four tactile buttons. The controllers look similar to an iPod Classic, except with a touchscreen and a few more buttons on the side. Each controller also packs a gyroscope, microphone, speakers, and will support wireless Qi charging. Intellivision is also planning a controller app for smartphones, allowing people to use their phones as additional controllers.
The original Intellivision launched in 1979, and competed with the Atari 2600. Mattel sold the brand to INTV after a market crash in 1983. That company was formed by a former Mattel executive, and continued to sell consoles into 1990. The Amico will be the first new home console from Intellivision since 1990. More info and a mailing list can be found at their website.
