Triple Challenge

INTELLIVISION CARTRIDGE [INTV #8700]

Release 1987

Produced by Realtime Associates for INTV Corp.

Includes code from the previously released USCF Chess, Checkers and ABPA Backgammon

Program: David Warhol

Package illustration: Keith Robinson


Instructions Posted Here

CATALOG DESCRIPTION (INTV 1987 SPECIAL EDITION)

Announcing a major software breakthrough! Three complete games -- Chess, Checkers, and Backgammon -- now together on ONE game cartridge! YOU get the savings!

  • Complete rules! Not "simplified" or "abridged!"
  • Play against a friend or against the computer!
  • Different play levels! Play any game at "Beginner" level, or crank it up for a real challenge!
  • Three different games and their variations keep the action fresh!
  • Three classic games of strategy on one cartridge!

CHESS

  • Seven levels of difficulty! It's chess for beginners, intermediates and very serious players alike!
  • Three ways to play! You against the computer, challenge another player or watch the computer play against itself!
  • Basic chess features! Capturing, castling, pawn promotion, en passant, check, checkmate, and stalemate!
  • Unique playing features! Take back the last move! Replay moves! Let the computer take your move!
  • Set up special board situations for study!

CHECKERS

  • "Bail Out" Button -- COMPUTER SUGGESTS MOVE, when you're stumped against the computer.
  • CLEAR button lets you change your move!

BACKGAMMON

  • Computer rolls dice...dice fall randomly, just like real game!
  • Computer keeps track of pip count!

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

Triple Challenge began as a quadruple challenge: the original concept was to put the four board games from the Mattel Electronics Strategy Network onto one cartridge. At the last minute, Reversi was cut to save money.


FUN FACT: This idea almost died due to cost -- Chess requires 2K of RAM onboard the cartridge, which was found to be too expensive for INTV. Then INTV's executive in charge of procurement, Roger Rambeau, found a company that was stuck with thousands of defective 4K RAM chips. The chips did each have 2K of usable contiguous RAM. Roger bought them for a song, making the cartridge possible.