Intellivision Masters Of The Universe: The Power Of He-Man

[profitsim]

Remember when He-Man flew jet ships in the cartoon?

pffft fuck this game man.

[DURAMATRIX112]

now this is what i call a video game!

[Luigi84289]

Best He-Man game. The atari game was dogshit compared to this.

[waynetech10]

Oh, and the epic sword duel at 13:20. I wish I had this game, back then.

[waynetech10]

Why is Skelator running, like a punk?

[joevox316]

@waynetech10 "Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot." Bruce Wayne, 1943

[EastCoastDude99]

I've always had atari instead of intellivision but I liked them both. But I could always differentiate the two simply by the sound effects without even looking at the TV regardless of the game. The two just had different sounds that identified each system. This game looks pretty sick for a 1983 game. Would love to play it right now.

[MattelAquarius]

Thanks for letting the tune play through!

[actorflaw]

I remember playing this game back in the day when the Tv series was on at the same time when this game came out. i always tried grab that sword in the castle for more time bombing skeletor having sword fights. those flying metor balls changing colors good times!!

[DruidVorse]

the music is like this:

PAPAPAPAPA-PAPAPAPOPAPA - PAPA-PAPA-PA- PA-PAAAAA!!!

[Scareglow666]

i want this

[waschbeckenfrisch]

AWESOME music

[NeoSquirrel]

Pretty awesome animation for an INTV game. Always wanted to get this game, too hard to find.

So there was no real end though to it? You just chase Skeletor around all day, bombing him and letting him run off? Oh well. Still, love the attention to detail that they gave ol' boneface his violet-colored hoodie.

[townparkradio]

@NeoSquirrel Yep. That's all you do is be an asshole to Skeletor all day until you run out of fuel. Then He-Man lands and goes "that was fun!". It's obvious He-Man even lets him escape over and over for shits and giggles.

[thatguyontheright1]

I wana get an intellivision to play this game.

[Sammy4549]

Aw man, I thought it was gonna be He-Man..

[devuurheer]

i recently bought intellivision lives for ps2 but this game is not on it im affraid : (

[cocazninnovation]

epic sword fights :]

[SkyfireTheFox]

Looks like a cool game - it reminds me of Defender and Chopper Command.

[bwashinski]

Fun game, for a little while, but it got boring quick. Same thing over and over. And that was me as a kid saying that.

[thebig1]

I had the Atari 2600 version which I thought was very good to.

[fatfoxclown]

the running was accurate to the show but I wonder what it would have been like if they had waited for the nes and the secret of the sword came out or the movie but using the toon instead but using the movie as a promo

[whit52489]

I have this game! I always thought I had a demo copy or something cause it just kept cycling over and over after you fought skeletor! I was always like "how do I beat this game?!?!"

[ggary04]

The absolute best intellivisiom game of all time I hope this comes out in the xbla Game Room

[geigeradius]

my last record was 998900 i dead for rockets green/gray the shield is over, and its imposible figth with skeletor, howewer its a great game.

[steveasat2]

I was quite stunned at the speed of the game. Clever design - it took me a while before I realized you were basically only moving in one dimension. And the secondary game is great. With the animations and the music, this is a really good package. Most licensed properties get bottom-of-the-barrel games.

[AssassinJordi]

That bomb-dropping sound effect is AWESOME.

[cujocujocujocujocujo]

Greaat Balls Of Fire!!!!!!!

[jdodo678]

i use to love this game.looks like shit compared to ps3

[rogerpenna]

I also played 8 bit computers (MSX).

Just imagine if you could go back in time and show yourself games from today like CRYSIS, NEED FOR SPEED SHIFT, GTA4, etc...

[actorflaw]

i so remember this game when i was litle kid. i'm not sure but i think this was the only game for He-Man at the time i don't nintendo made any newer He-Man games for a a very long unti the newer He-Man cartoon series was out.i remember these sound FX like it was yesterday. good times!!

[Johnlindsey289]

Who wants Angry Video Game Nerd to do a review on this and all He-Man games? that would rock wouldn't it? i mean his buddy Mike can be Skeletor or Hordak as he forces him to play these games.

[snkjack]

that guy is so overrated its retarded.

[Johnlindsey289]

@snkjack

Oh come on, he's a genius and points out what games are bad and good. He's like a god on the net to gaming geeks like us.

[snkjack]

i'm guessing you're one of the people who buy his merchandise? guy just complains about anything now.

[Johnlindsey289]

@snkjack

Well he reviews the worst games of all time you know! and he points out about which games are good and which ones are bad. Ever played Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for NES? Worst game for NES ever.

[devuurheer]

@snkjack yeah the beer he is drinking is just  water not real beer at all .... what a fony

[circutracer150]

I totally and completely agree!

AVGN ROCKS!

[spikeriley]

I agree. This shooter is not what a He-Man video game should be.

[jorgencream]

cool that it is he man and you can kind of see him and someone that looks like skeletor with the wind raider, but... this game sucks.

[JAREDJAG1982]

I have this game too. great game and vid.

[cutdafukup]

this was my shit....sound fx are so dope

[Symos]

Would have been disappointing if Mattel didn't make a game of one of their francises for their own console.

[FedorovAvtomat]

Probably the best music on the Intellivision.

[NukeOTron]

Sound: GAH. This almost outdoes the NES! However, it's obviously one sound at a time... Great 8-bit rendition of the He-Man theme, though.

Graphics: Outdoes the 2600, but then again, almost anything can. Nice walking detail, but it looks like a blue guy shooting radioactive tumbleweeds at a gold guy with a shield.

Gameplay: At least it uses TWO buttons by the looks of the flying segments.

[vidman1976]

This was one of my favorite games I used to play, it was so much fun! :)

[onesogreat77]

what system was this on

[superpcenginegrafx]

Intellivision.

[darthgill]

This was one of my favorites on the intellivision

[8motozero8]

This was one of my favorite, because it had really good sound and music. I love the intro music to the Skull mountain stage.

[daveheel]

i never saw this game. it looks sort of like defender. god, i loved defender but was never good at it.

[Maybyn]

this totally rocks...remember playing this with my friends...about 25 years ago...damn I'm getting old.

[19Bigfoot85]

man! this game does have good music!

[artman40]

And sound effects too! Gotta love the bomb's bzzhzhzhz sound!

[cyberdude1987]

You gotta admit the tune sounds really catchy!

[nearearthobject]

I use to play the crap out of this game!

[chrisc0128]

omg im in love

[imjoeimjoe]

omg im surrounded by nerds

[gaarax9]

who isn't these days on youtube

[m1omg]

That only proves my point that graphics and sound chips, HW acceleration...are MUCH more important than bitness of the CPU, did you know that PS1s CPU was less powerful than 33 mhz 386 and that it hsd just 2 mb ram?yeah, but it had about 5 additional data decoding, sound accelerating, graphics accelerating, coprocesor chips that launched its way as the best console of the 32-bit that actually susceeded (sega saturn and N64 were good but unsuscessful)

[OceanBlueKirby]

I've known of the PlayStation's capabilities from reading the back of the box and a few Internet sources on them (I still have my good old friend and the one that it came in). Capabilities aren't necessarily a factor that make a console succeed, but the way it's marketed and the quality of games are overall what determine the popularity for it(and it did have some outstanding titles such as Spyro the Dragon, Gran Turismo, Toomba!, Final Fantasy VII, and Metal Gear Solid).

[texformer]

He Man's space ship dropped deuces on the bad guys? That's far out man!  :)

[m1omg]

And about the "chunks" not being an accurate term, no, it is, as the data usually flows either serially or paralelly, in 8-bit CPUs it flows in 8-bit chunks.

Jaguar was crap from the beggining and it was not due to any "bad programming", that piece of junk actually contained Motorola 68000 as "controller"=ACTUAL CPU for these oh-so-powerful 64-bit chips that were all clocked at less than 25 Mhz.

[OceanBlueKirby]

Chunks can sound as if the data is being thrown out in bunches together into the execution, in result would probably make a mess of the execution. Words such as streams, signals, or releases could be more helpful in the correct comprehension. Regardless of its processing abilities, the reasons that many consider the Atari Jaguar a failure was because of its awkward controller had too many buttons to deem practical, unwise handling in the market, and poor quality games.

[OceanBlueKirby]

The technology, or at least it seems, wasn't "quite there" as most of the titles were polished 16-bit ports, which may possibly be that developers were not sure of how to utilize its 64-bit technology at the time (similar to CD-ROMs, which enhanced audio was virtually the only incorporation with the technology); if games in general were to be done within the same excellence as the titles of other systems, then it may have been the aspect to help the console succeed.

[OceanBlueKirby]

Also, though it can properly apply to some cases, comparing the Atari Jaguar to the Sony PlayStation is not the fairest contrast to perform for it, since the former can display only 2-deminsional graphics, and the latter is capable of truly rendering 3-D polygons (yet another factor for graphical capabilities, and does not downgrade the importance of bits).

[m1omg]

No, the bits ARE NOT IMPORTANT.

If they were oh so good then why N64 can be emulated on an 32 bit CPU and most of the time it actually utilised 32-bit instructions due to them being actually FASTER.

[OceanBlueKirby]

Programmers can find a way to create instructions for computer-based emulations (and perhaps actual copies for games as well) using codes similar to those used in PlayStation technology, likely to save time and effort. The reason that most Nintendo 64 titles had been/looked to be 32-bit was due to the amount of the space in the cartridges, which limited the amount of textures/ploygons, and the price to manufacture them, suggesting that developers might've had to find a simple way to cut costs.

[OceanBlueKirby]

You've also mentioned, M1OMG, that data flows in a bit number by "chunks." Since this is the instance, it could mean that without the streams of the biniary numbers for the computer to process or release, there would not be a execution, if at all, to perform, therefore not entirely putting down their significance.

[m1omg]

yeah, but when you have more chunks per second it dwarfs the advantage of more bits

and about same CPU basing I am sure that if they wanted an 64-bit they would use the G5 as a basis and not the old G3

[m1omg]

These are arguments just like rabid trekkies arguments in SW vs ST debates that SW technology is inferior because it is based on brute power and ST has all the pampered technobabble making it "more hi tech and thus better"

Really, the 64-bit CPUs started being an advantage only around 2002-2003, before the technology was that they actually were the same speed or worse.

[m1omg]

And PENTIUM 4 IS 32 - BIT, does this mean it is "lower technology = worse" than the feeble Pentium 1 perfromace level CPU of the N64?

It is much more effective in old hw to use higher external bus data bitness with lower bit size of the instructions, just like Pentium did, and Pentium CPUs are 32-bit.

[m1omg]

And that thing about only playstation rendering 3d polygons...are  you serious?yeah, jaguar did not have ACCELERATED 3D graphics, but was marketed as the best thing since sliced break 'cos its "64 bit, do the math".

[OceanBlueKirby]

I've stated not entirely, but being able to release more bit power at a fast pace can produce advanced desired results for a situation, as opposed to waiting upon the next set of small instructions to be dealt with in the processing. Again, the same G3 microchip (or whatever one would be used) can always be enhanced to fit any needs without going for a more sophisticated one, which a likely reason for that would be to cut costs

[OceanBlueKirby]

Even if a certain processor wasn't used in advantage (or standard) until a later time, it doesn't mean that it was not around sooner. CPUs in computer processors don't necessarily make the displays in games, however; that is for the graphics and sound cards to perform, and without the right equipment, this can cause the computer to lag or crash trying to perform it (this can happen in cell phone games, as well, from my experiences with a few of them such as Rally X from Namco).

[OceanBlueKirby]

I've found out that the Atari Jaguar's original games did not look much better than Super Nintendo titles utilizing the Super FX chip, but, particularly to Cyber Morph, with its power and correct programming, the 2-D sprites can look like 3-D polygons (in another case, a PC Engine Arcade Card title known as Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire also had objects that looked like 3-demensional figures, though its hardware had no rendering capabilities for them at all).

[OceanBlueKirby]

I understand that you're stating your (out-of-nowhere) views on the significance of bits, and that's fine if one sees an aspect greater than another (in the case of the technology comparison of Star Wars and Star Trek, surely), but what I'm trying to address are reasons/findings that most others (including myself) see bits as an important part of abilities and state some views that may have been overlooked in your findings (people discover that simple pixels are what define 8-bit graphics).

[thebig1]

Great graphics definetly better than the Atari 2600.

[OceanBlueKirby]

I've noticed that one your interests were in Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man, SuperPCEngineGrafx, and you've given this game 4 cheeses out of five (or six, for your case ;)) in the mini-review you had written for it over at LaZer Dorks. WOW, that really is a cool-sounding title theme for the intro of the show here! The sound effect for dropping a bomb-like projection for trapping Skeletor is pretty nifty, too.

[OceanBlueKirby]

The hack-and-slash stages aren't as exciting as the shooting ones, which in them looks like Skeletor fires "Cursied Shots" at He-Man in order to hold him back to prevent his defeat (but do not necessarily hurt He-Man). It seems that you've had some trouble in the later stages, yet it's understandable since they do get more difficult as the game progresses. The graphics are a work of art, and it surely looks to be one of the more revolutionary titles avialable for the time, as well.

[ifhgsfj]

EPIC TITLE SCREEN, Old Chum.

[LoticaStudios]

Some decent sounding music on a Intellivision. Great game!

[maj1986]

HA i LOVE IT

[eyesandteeth]

I am so stoked, my brother just picked up an Intellivision and this game!

[theblackhand2]

Ha! Ha! I use to play this game all the time. Ah. The Memories.

[cujocujocujocujocujo]

I still thinks that He-man is a fun game.Did they make a two?

Intellivision.....

[superpcenginegrafx]

Another Intellivion MOTU game was made, but wasn't released. The ROM in out there though.

[GunPoor]

it was released as "Diner" the sequel to Burger Time.

[howelldrake]

What a great looking (and sounding) game for the time. Why wasn't this on Intellivision Lives? Though dropping bombs on a running guy not shooting at you is a tad "Full Metal Jacket"... ehh?

[superpcenginegrafx]

The Intv people probably didn't want to pay additional licensing fees to Mattel.

[munchyman3]

Ah intellevision. This bring back memories......

[figureheaduk2]

IIRC the Intellivision was actually classed as a 16 bit machine

[ClassicTVFan82]

It was indeed classed as a 16 bit machine.

[OceanBlueKirby]

True, that it did have a 16-bit CPU, but due to its graphics, it can be (perhaps more accurately) as an early 8-bit video game console. Like the TurboGrafx-16, it can be catagorized in either bit number depending on the perception of the individual.

[m1omg]

I hate this consolists "bit numbers" as measurement of graphics and sound power of the console.The bit number of the processor had nothing to do with graphics or sound whatsover, the only reason why 16-bit systems that came after the later 8 bit systems were much more powerful was that they had more powerful processors and memory by order of magnitude, and newer 16-bit CPU enabled better performaces at low clockrates.

[m1omg]

For example the SNES CPU [an enhanced clone of the 65c816] was clocked at around 21.5 Mhz while it had better performace than Intel 8086 would have if it run theoretically at 80.6 Mhz (real 8086 run max. at 8 Mhz!), it is all about the efficiency of the CPU, memory, sound and graphics chip, nowadays there are still some 8-bit CPUs used in mobile devices due to their low power requirements, but they run at around 50 Mhz compared to old 80s consoles and computers that ran at 1-4 Mhz.

[m1omg]

btw these new 8-bit CPUs are also used in new enthusiasist old computers clones such as SPRINTER 2000, the ZX Spectrum clone that can run full Doom...

There is no reason why you cannot have a system with lower "bitness" that is better than the higher bit system for example N64 is much worse than 32-bit Xbox, Intellivision that is 16-bit is much worse than 8-bit NES etc...more bits justs means that the system can process data in 16-bit chunks instead of 8-bit.

[m1omg]

Only the marketing trickters found an easy way to mislead customers by this.While it is better to have more bit CPU at the same or higher clock speed and efficiency than the almost same CPU at the same speed but lower number of bits (compare ordinary Athlons performace with Athlon 64).

[m1omg]

, claiming that some super weak CPU is more powerful than some good lesser bits CPU just because it has more bits is blatant lie, for example Atari did exactly this with their "ultra powerful" suck ass Jaguar console that was 64-bit but 32-bit PSX laughed at it and even almost all Pentiums 4 were just 32-bit!

[OceanBlueKirby]

True, that the type and speed of the processor can determine the capabilities that a computer chip can perform, but the GPU is also a major factor for video game graphics (Though it had an 8-bit processor, highly clocked over the one for the NES, the TurboGrafx-16 had a 16-bit GPU, which in some significant part made it capable of high-resolution graphics at the time).

[OceanBlueKirby]

The only system that was in the 16-bit generation that had a slow clock speed was the Super Nintendo, while others were essentially faster than older machines. The best reason to state that machines are labeled as bits is simply that it's more of a generalization of what it can do, and the number represents the information that the chip can put out ("chunks" wouldn't be an accurate term, as data normally flows in a stream to and from the RAM known as a bus).

[OceanBlueKirby]

It also depends on the technology at the period, which is the reason that the 64-bit technology of the Atari Jaguar and sometimes CD-ROM formats were difficult to develop for in the earlier days. If consoles weren't able to be labialized in bits, how would they be categorized, then?

[m1omg]

By generations.

By your logic, the current Xbox360/Wii/PS3 generation would be called "128-bit" even through the Xbox360 and PS3 have 64-bit CPUs and the Wii has 32-bit one.

[m1omg]

And PS2 has 128-bit CPU, yet it would be classified as "64-bit" by your standarts.

Everyone can recognise the generations and no bitness nonsense is needed, you can recognise NES game from TurboGrafx even through the CPUs are both 8-bit.

And about the speed of the SNES CPU, do not be fooled, the frequency do not reflect the number of instructions per second as different CPUs calculate different numbers of instructions per clock and the instruction sets are different.

[m1omg]

For example, the MOS 6502 CPU and its derivates used in many 8-bit computers including Commodore 64 appears to be slower than Z80 by Mhz judging because computers with Z80 usually have 3.5 Mhz Z80 and MOS 6502 computers usually have 1 Mhz...Wrong, the Z80 calculates around 3-4x less instruction per clock cycle so the ZX Spectrum Z80 at 3.54 Mhz is actually a bit slower than C64s 1 Mhz 6502 and the ZX has no dedicated chips for graphics/sound, making it a lot crappier than C64.

[OceanBlueKirby]

Yes, generations are also a way to categorize them, but there can also be some confusion of these definitions since, particularly for younger folks whom have not lived to see the release of some consoles, it could be difficult to properly separate the 8-bit consoles by that system without a bit of research first (especially if a year-span were to be involved, as it can be hard to determine an equal separation).

[OceanBlueKirby]

By 64-bit standards, a few late Nintendo 64 games and 3D Nintendo DS titles are best fitted, perhaps to most folks, for the description of the bit number. Only early/beta PlayStation 2 titles can look this way, slightly at best.

[OceanBlueKirby]

There hasn't been any known sources containing the official information on the amount of bits the current consoles have for their processors, so they may not be within those low numbers (The Wii's IBM-made processor "Hollywood" is quite identical in capabilities to the GameCube's "Gecko", from the same company, which was stated to have 128bits, therefore making the Wii possibly 128-bit in definition, but it may be considerably 256 bits depending on the perception of people).

[OceanBlueKirby]

It's true that the amount of MHz persecond does not entirely define performance, but clock speed, not information calculation, was addressed in the previous points, so only the explanation that this factor was slower for the Super Nintendo compared to other systems at the time was needed. Saying that one console is a lot cruddier than the other wouldn't be the best way to phrase displays as facts since some may prefer the graphics type of the said-inferior machine than the superior one.

[m1omg]

"Hollywood" is based on a PowerPC G3 core, which is 32 bit.

I know it as the same CPU is used in older Macs.

[OceanBlueKirby]

Being based off of the "same CPU" does not gaurantee that the bit numbers will be the identical. The chips can always be enhanced to fit the manufactuer's execution desires.

[WorldChallenge]

Not to criticize it or anything, but if the NES is 8-bit this must be four bit.

[superpcenginegrafx]

This is a generation before the NES.

[m1omg]

Read my comments about "bitness" please, the number of bits has absolutely nothing to do with graphics,sound or speed.

If it was 4-bit it would be not capable of functioning more than a calculator as 4-bit CPUs can have just 16 instructions.

[kruncytheklown]

@WorldChallenge to be honest , the intellivision was 16 bit. It just so happens the last few games created for intellivision were pretty lame.

[thebig1]

@WorldChallenge This is 8 bit just as the 2600 was 8 bit. Its just that the nES had a more powerful 8 bit graphics chip.

[iguanadan]

@WorldChallenge 16-bit!

Intellivision can be considered the first 16-bit game console, as the registers in the microprocessor, where the mathematical logic is processed, are 16 bits wide.

(wiki)

[KaseyAkira]

What really gets on my nerves is when teeny boppers get online and start criticizing games that were made in the 1980s for having "bad graphics and sound". Its like they cant understand the concept of technological development.  For 1983, this game ROCKS! Compare it to some OTHER games that were released that same year, then criticize.

[andyradke]

I agree with you whole-heartedly. What these kids don't realize is that games likes these laid the groundwork for the stuff that's out today. Without Atari, there would've been no Nintendo Entertainment System. Without that, there would've been no Sega Genesis.  Without that, there would've been no Playstation. I think you get the gist. I for one love the old games. They're a great throwback to my youth. It's just pure ignorance when kids decided to bash games such as these.

[Osiris1st]

I remember thinking around this time how cool it would be if video games looked real. Now they look real and I hate it.

[DevilMaster]

LOL, a total Defender ripoff!

[BOX5]

never understood why he ma kept falling for that freak out move by skelator, skelly should have been a wide reciever haha yell

[DBR00]

I cannot believe that over 6,000 people viewed this!

[flamez34]

At least it kept the original cartoon theme song in the game. Yet the graphic's are pretty weak if you ask me.

[toptenmaterial]

consider that this dropped in '83, and then compare it to the atari 2600. intellivision was much more advanced. obviously it ain't no ps3 but it must have been revolutionary in it's day.

[flamez34]

No Question about that,Kid. Masters of the Universe was the joint back in the days. Everyone including myself owned a He-Man action figure back then.

[timbosforporn]

Wholly dumbass or something. Do you know this is back in 1983?

[flamez34]

I know that,asshole. I was born in 1977. So i grew up around this time,stupid mothafucka.

[melkor2301]

Seems to be a very hard game. Nice sound effects.

[7852230130]

looks just like defender. its based on the same platform!!!!

[DanHarkless]

I'd forgotten how nice the sound hardware sounded on the Intellivision -- thanks for the clips.

[CharlieBunns]

the power of weiner!

[larevs221]

i have this game but the intro is a bit different and it freezes up :(

[antdude]

Hmm, different than Atari 2600 I played.

[Baldur2]

Ist das schlecht...

[kloran]

yes it is!!

[pollodomingo]

the best time ever: the 80's. Videogames were funnier than now with all the eyecandy crap.

He-man was the best cartoon!! I still have my action figures!!!

[NinjaGhostScorpion]

Why does Castle Grayskull look like it's about to throw up?

[Extralounge]

I like the bomb sound effect!

[lwolf141182]

they should have named it the power of the windraider!

[molybdenumtop]

I like how they run in place while swordfighting.

He-Man and Skeletor alone together for all eternity, eternally incinerating each other. What would Dante have to say about this?

[morningtheftnyc]

i remember playing this video game when i was a young kid and i never, ever thought it was a beatable game.  i couldn't figure out if i won or not.

[mrtorturechrismorgan]

Nice... I still pop this one in the console and play it (my unit still works fine)

[geisler777]

Where can I go to dowload this to play it for myself?

[superpcenginegrafx]

I don't know, all my vids are made using real hardware and carts.

[OceanBlueKirby]

There is no known computer-based emulation avialable for the system, but a compliation named A Collection of Classic Games from the Intellivision can be purchased, which is available for the PlayStation. If you have any Sony console, you are able to do so through them.

[stbf]

um isn't this DEFENDER?

[MonkeySun]

Notice the music is from the show, but look at the copyright....it's from 1983.

[spiros81]

What a great game *lol+

At least, the title music is nice.