Before Xbox and PlayStation battled for living room supremacy, the late 70s and early 80s saw fierce competition between pioneering home video game consoles as companies sought to dominate this nascent market. Fiery debates raged on schoolyards across America over the merits of the trailblazing systems from Atari and Mattel.
Now, decades later, we revisit that rivalry to guide you through an in-depth technical and gaming comparison of the graphics, controllers, peripherals and vast libraries of these retro titans – the fabled Atari 2600 and Mattel Intellivision. Grab your wood-paneled console, blow the cartridge dust away and let‘s rediscover which machine comes out on top!
Born to Game: The Rise of Home Video Consoles
Our journey begins in the labs of forward-thinking engineers who saw future entertainment centered around the television in every household. Their vision soon reached living rooms worldwide and kickstarted an economic and creative juggernaut.
Atari 2600
Atari trace their lineage to pinball machines experts Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, founders of Syzygy Engineering. After releasing the first arcade video game Computer Space in 1971, their newly incorporated Atari Inc. aimed to fuse advanced computer technology with entertainment for the masses.
Just six years later, the Atari 2600 Video Computer System (VCS) brought that promise to life. Using cutting-edge microprocessors and changeable cartridge media, the $199 console delivered video games straight into family rec rooms across America.
Despite initial supply chain struggles, the 2600 sold over 1 million units in just 12 months – and Atari‘s gamble paid off spectacularly. Over the console‘s 14 year lifespan, Atari 2600 sales exceed over 30 million as it hosted genre-defining titles like Space Invaders, Pitfall! and River Raid that remain influential today.
Intellivision
Not to be outdone, legendary toy company Mattel joined the console wars in 1980 with the testosterone-infused Intellivision. Marketed as the world’s first “intelligent television” costing $299, its tagline “Lets the Games Begin” captured Mattel’s sports-centric vision for richer home entertainment.
While retailing higher than Atari’s machine, Intellivision’s 16-bit graphics and stereophonic sound showed remarkable promise upon its debut. Arcade-quality sports titles like Major League Baseball and PGA Golf wowed gamers, shifting nearly 175,000 consoles within its first months despite limited distribution.
Unfortunately a combination of the 1983 gaming crash and aged hardware cut short Intellvision’s lifespan at just 6 years – yet it still managed to sell over 3 million consoles. Despite a small games catalog, Mattel’s machine held its own as Atari’s foremost rival for a time.
Now that we’ve explored the origins of both platforms, let’s examine the technical specifications enabling these trailblazing experiences:
| Atari 2600 | Intellivision | |
| Release Year | 1977 | 1980 |
| Retail Price | $199 | $299 |
| Processor | 8-bit 6507 @ 1.19 MHz | 8-bit 6809 @ 1.6 MHz |
| Memory | 128 bytes RAM | 1KB RAM / 6KB VRAM |
| Resolution | 160 x 192 pixels | 160 x 196 pixels |
| Colors | 128 pallete | 16 pallete |
| Sound | 4-channel Mono | 3-channel Stereo |
| Media | ROM Cartridges | Removable ROM |
| Best Selling Game | Pac-Man (7 million) | Major League Baseball (over 1 million) |
| Total Consoles Sold | 30 million+ (1977-1992) | 3 million+ (1980-1984) |
We can clearly observe Intellivision’s superior graphical and audio capabilities for the era, enabled by Mattel’s use of an enhanced 16-bit processor. However, Atari maximized efficiency within the 2600’s limitations to sell over 10X more consoles over a longer lifetime at a lower cost. But how did these technical differences actually impact real world gameplay? Let‘s compare some key titles across both machines for enlightenment!
Graphics Showdown: Bitmaps vs. Sprites
Game graphics may seem simple by today’s 4K standards, but in the early 80s every pixel mattered to fans eagerly comparing screens between competing consoles. Just looking at signature arcade ports of the era reveals major differences in visuals across our retro rivals:
Pac-Man
Atari‘s rushed Pac-Man conversion became infamous among fans for flickering sprites and an ugly, hard-to-read maze layout. Gameplay suffers across this botched port. By contrast, sharp colors and smooth scrolling make the Intellivision version easy to play for hours.
Space Invaders
Squinting harder! The iconic alien swarm suffers visual downgrades on Atari‘s 2600 as sprites lose their distinct coloring. Intellivision adds improved graphics with better shading, larger sprites, and vivid death explosions – overall much truer to arcade quality.
BurgerTime
Just look at that delicious shading on those massive burgers! Intellivision’s BurgerTime truly stands as a showcase title for its graphical capabilities. Smooth parallax backgrounds and bright, fast-moving sprites made this a perfect arcade translation.
As we just witnessed across some of arcade gaming’s iconic ambassadors, Intellivision‘s expanded colors, larger sprites, advanced sound and smoother scrolling do provide noticeably crisper, more vibrant visuals compared to Atari‘s 8-bit 2600 system.
Gaming Libraries: Quantity vs. Quality?
Of course a console must be judged by its game catalog – the breadth of digital adventures on offer to gamers. By the early 80s both Atari 2600 and Intellivision built impressive software libraries catering to all interests:
Atari 2600
As one of the longest serving consoles to date, the Atari 2600 amassed one of the largest and most beloved game libraries ever seen. By the time of its retirement in 1992, over 900 games filled every possible genre niche for the wildly popular platform:
- Action – River Raid, Demon Attack
- Adventure – Adventure, Swordquest
- Arcade – Missile Command, Centipede
- Racing – Indy 500, Grand Prix
- Sports – RealSports Football, Boxing
Combined with all-time classics like Pitfall! and genre founding titles such as Adventure, the Atari 2600‘s game breadth cemented its status as the must-own console of its era.
Intellivision
Lacking the lengthy lifespan of Atari‘s machine, the Intellivision capped its game catalog at 125 titles by the end of its 6 year run. However, Mattel cultivated close relationships with experienced arcade developers, ensuring a steady stream of quality releases:
- Sports – MLB Baseball, PGA Golf, NASL Soccer
- Action – Astrosmash, Shark! Shark!
- Adventure – Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
- Arcade – Snafu, Lock ‘N Chase
- Racing – Thunder Castle, Dragster
With graphical showcases like Tron: Deadly Discs and Intellivoice narration in Bomb Squad, Intellivision delivered depth across its smaller yet impressively polished catalog.
Based purely on volume, Atari 2600 clearly delivers quantity, variety and influence through 900+ releases over 15 years service. Yet the Intellivision team focused on quality over quantity, ensuring meaningful exclusives that highlighted the console’s capabilities. Ultimately fans won big thanks to the friendly rivalry driving innovation on both platforms!
Engineering Play: Controllers and Control
Hardware design extends beyond internals to also shape that critical tactile bridge between player and game worlds – the controller. Both Atari and Intellivision engineered specialized input devices central to their gaming experiences:
Atari CX40 Joystick
The iconic one button, 8-way digital joystick providesresponsive control perfectly tuned for action and arcade titles of the era. Its plug-and-play design based on the VCS launch title Combat set standards still influencing modern gamepads. For pick-up-and-play simplicity, Atari‘s controller stands unmatched.
Intellivision Disc Controller
Pushing innovation further, Intellivision’s controller integrates a rotating thumb disc for 360 degree motion input alongside a 12-button keypad for advanced game controls. Plastic overlays customized controls by title. However, loose disc mechanisms saw reduced accuracy over time.
Here Atari gains points for elegance and reliability – sometimes basic is best! Yet Intellivision’s ingenious disc opened gameplay to new genres like flight simulators and RPGs. Both controllers suit the software catalogs perfectly.
Leveling Up: Peripherals and Add-Ons
No self-respecting console leaves itself static – accessory add-ons augment base hardware with new functions over time. But how did Atari and Intellivision fare with keeping gamers immersed and engaged?
Atari 2600 Peripherals
Atari and its partners flooded stores with dozens of joysticks, driving controllers, trackballs, keyboards and even gaming headsets to enhance 2600 gameplay. However, Atari never upgraded internals, limiting games to base console capability throughout its lifecycle. Accessories merely bolstered types of play.
Popular Pick: Atari Driving Controller – Better wheels for racing fans!
Intellivision Add-Ons
Ever the futurists, Mattel envisioned Intellivision as the centralized media hub for the modern living room. Toward that vision, they developed three major systemic expansions to radically augment console capabilities:
- Keyboard Component – Full QWERTY keyboard and cassette data storage enabled new software like educational titles and basic programming
- Intellivoice – Voice synthesizer hardware brought speech and narration to specially designed games
- Entertainment Computer System (ECS) – A complete personal computer upgrade module turning Intellivision into a full productivity platform
While forward-thinking, high costs and limited software support doomed these add-ons to market failure. Still, the attempt highlighted Mattel’s big picture outlook on home entertainment‘s evolution.
Popular Pick: Intellivoice – Hear your games talk back during play!
Intellivision’s big swings moved gaming toward a modern multimedia vision, one that Nintendo and others eventually realized. However, spotty execution hampered adoption. Atari smartly stuck to simply expanding gaming enjoyment from the 2600 console itself.
New Games, Classic Fun: Legacy & Emulation
So decades later, which machine wins our retro showdown? After rolling up our sleeves and digging into the tech specs, iconic games, controllers and add-ons across these pioneering consoles, the data reveals:
- ✅ Atari 2600 triumphs with deeper library & dominant sales
- ✅ Intellivision dazzles with ahead-of-its-time graphics and sound
- ✅ Both expertly tailored controllers to available games
- ✅ Atari peripherals augmented gaming; Intellivision sought fuller transformation
With over 30 million consoles sold producing 30+ iconic exclusives, the Atari 2600 proved itself the console of choice for both casual and hardcore gamers throughout the late 70s and 80s. Commercially and culturally, no system challenged its supremacy before Nintendo arrived.
Yet for a brief but brilliant period, the Intellivision showed off near arcade-quality visuals paired with innovative titles that hinted at future gaming possibilities. ItsController also foreshadowed genre expansions into simulators and roleplaying adventures.
Ultimately both platforms hold vaunted places in home computing history. Their friendly technology and software one-upmanship pushed gaming innovation faster and further, setting the stage for explosive growth in subsequent generations.
Relive the Classics Today
While production ended decades ago, modern hardware emulation keeps the Atari 2600 and Intellivision alive and kicking in pixelated glory:
Software Emulation
- RetroArch – All-in-one emulator for Windows, Mac, Linux
- Stella – Leading Atari 2600 emulator
- jzIntv – Accurate Intellivision environment
Hardware Emulation
- AtGames Flashback – Plug & Play HD Atari 2600
- Analogue Duo – FPGA Atari & Intellivision Recreation
Dust off that wood grain and rediscover the magic of 70s and 80s living room computing! Compare these iconic systems yourself to experience the origins of home video games firsthand. Just be prepared for some healthy debate afterwards over 2600 vs Intellivision superiority!
As always, comment below and follow for more visual tech history tours! Happy gaming trails…
