Seeing Atari launch new Intellivision hardware in 2025 is wild in the best way. These brands literally defined the First Console War, and now one is caretaking the other’s legacy. That’s not just a neat trivia nugget; it signals a more serious approach to preservation than we’ve seen from most “mini” boxes. Intellivision Sprint is a £99.99 retro-styled console with 45 built-in games, wireless controllers, HDMI, and USB-A expansion, with pre-orders opening 17 October and launches on 5 December (USA/Australia) and 23 December (Europe). I’m into the idea – but I’ve got questions that matter if you’re thinking about picking one up.
Intellivision Sprint is framed as a 45th anniversary machine: gold-and-black faceplate, woodgrain front, and controllers that nod to the original disc-plus-keypad setup. Two wireless pads is the obvious modern concession, and honestly, I’m fine with that – the original cords weren’t winning any awards. What will matter is whether the disc feels right. Intellivision’s 16-direction disc is the soul of the system; if the throw is mushy or the diagonals aren’t precise, games like Astrosmash, Night Stalker, or Tron-style movement simply won’t play correctly.
The overlays are a smart touch. Atari says “two controller overlays are included for every game,” which, if literal, is a mountain of plastic and very on-brand. More likely: a curated set, or thin cardstock editions. Either way, overlays matter because half of Intellivision’s design assumed you’d glance down at a keypad. If the console didn’t include a real keypad, overlays would be pointless — so I’m taking this as a hint the controllers do.
HDMI out is standard. What isn’t standard (and isn’t detailed yet) are the emulation niceties that separate a good nostalgia box from a dust collector: 4:3 output, CRT filters, integer scaling, per-game control mapping, and save states. PLAION’s recent retro hardware track record — the Atari 2600+ and THE400 Mini — suggests they understand the basics of latency and scaling, but those devices also had different goals (cartridge compatibility for 2600+, a curated mini for 400). Sprint looks closer to the “mini” model, so quality-of-life features had better be there.
The 45 included games lean into what Intellivision actually did better than Atari back in the day: sports and head-to-head strategy. Utopia is arguably the proto-god game — two players nudging islands toward prosperity while sabotaging each other never gets old. Sea Battle remains a tense tug-of-war of fleets. B-17 Bomber is historically notable for its voice synthesis on original hardware; if Sprint supports Intellivoice emulation, that’s a big preservation win.
The sports line-up — Baseball, Super Pro Football, Chip Shot Super Pro Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Super Pro Skiing — is very Intellivision. These weren’t pick-up-and-mash arcade takes; they expected you to use the keypad and overlays for play-calling and shot selection. If Sprint nails the controls, those games will still sing in couch co-op.
On the arcade-y side, Astrosmash, Shark! Shark!, Star Strike, Thin Ice, and Boulder Dash are smart picks. Boulder Dash, in particular, implies some successful third-party licensing beyond the core catalog, though I wouldn’t expect sacred cows like the AD&D-branded adventures unless Atari announces more packs. That brings us to the USB-A port: it screams “expandable library,” but the press materials don’t say how. Will Atari sell official game packs on USB? Will you be able to legally purchase and sideload? Or is it just for firmware updates and saves? Until they spell that out, consider the 45 games the real value proposition.
Collectors are obviously in the crosshairs — woodgrain sells. But there’s a legit audience beyond shelf candy. If you grew up with Intellivision or you’re a preservation nerd, this is a chance to play the catalog the way it was designed, with keypads and overlays, on a modern TV, without hunting for a fragile forty-five-year-old console. £99.99 is reasonable compared to other minis, especially with two controllers in the box.
Potential deal-breakers? Latency on the wireless pads, lack of robust video options, and a shallow approach to archival features. Also, Intellivision games are social by design; a lot of the fun is two-player contention. If your household isn’t into couch competition, the single-player value drops. And one elephant in the room: cartridge support isn’t mentioned, so don’t expect this to be an Intellivision 2.0 for your original carts. That’s fine if the emulation is tight and the library expands cleanly; less fine if it’s a locked box forever.
Atari’s 2024 acquisition of the Intellivision brand flipped a decades-old rivalry into a caretaking role. Since then, the company’s been on a preservation tear with Atari 50 content and refreshed hardware. Sprint reads like the first step in making Intellivision a living brand again, not a museum exhibit. After the high-profile Amico misadventure, a modest, focused, playable box with known classics is the right call. If Atari and PLAION follow through with thoughtful updates — think Intellivoice support, clean filters, and curated expansion packs — Sprint could be the platform that finally stabilizes Intellivision’s legacy for the long haul.
Intellivision Sprint looks like a smart, affordable nostalgia play that respects what made Intellivision unique: strategy, sports, and that infamous disc-and-keypad controller. I’m optimistic — with caveats about controller feel, latency, and whether the USB port leads to real, legal library growth.
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