The new and emerging Atari will relaunch the games of the legendary Mattel console
Decades before SEGA and Nintendo touched each other’s noses, the second generation of consoles was in a constant dispute between two titans: the legendary Atari and an Intellivision backed by none other than the toy company Mattel. Time passes, brands adapt to it and from today, the unimaginable for those who tinkered with video games more than four decades ago becomes real: the legacy of both pioneers is united into one under the umbrella of an emerging Atari.
Through an official statement, Atari announces both the purchase of the Intellivision brand as 200 titles and franchises from the Intellivision Entertainment catalog, being a historical epilogue to the first console war. And what does this mean for both?
- To begin with, and accompanying the announcement, work is being done on the relaunch in physical and digital formats of classics that debuted on Mattel consoles. And not only that, since it opens the door to resurrecting historical franchises.
- But, in addition, a reinforcement has been announced to the Amico console and the Amico Home appthe family video game platforms heirs of the Intellivision legacy, which will receive the Atari classics.
The rivalry between Atari and Intellivision dates back to the late 70s and early 80s, establishing direct competition both in terms of the commercial image of both consoles and in terms of consolidating their catalogs. In fact, you could almost say that they invented hiring a famous actor, in this case George Plimpton, to compare what each console offered. Logically, always for the benefit of Intellivision.
The case of Intellivision, whose name comes from the concept of intelligent television, is unique given that as a gaming platform it lasted until 1990 after passing from the hands of Mattel to going free starting in 1984 under INTV Corporation.
A curious move, but also very well calculated: exactly a month ago Atari resurrected Infogrames with the vision of publishing its legacy and exploring the possibility of taking advantage of several of its sagas, so it seems that more than two isolated events it seems that it is giving It forms an initiative that, just as things look, will delight those nostalgic and in love with retro games.
From the best times of both to the present, it has rained a lot, but all’s well that ends well: with a joint and unified legacy, the possibilities of accessing more not-so-forgotten games through current platforms is an extraordinary incentive.
It may not have been the most expensive acquisition in the video game industry, but ending a rivalry that has lasted practically 45 years in this friendly way is a great victory for the players. When will there be an Intellivision Mini that is not Flashback?
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