18 Best ColecoVision and Intellivision Games for Handhelds

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The ColecoVision and the Intellivision were the two big rivals to the Atari 2600, and both punched above their weight. The ColecoVision was famous for near-arcade-perfect ports. The Intellivision leaned into deeper strategy and sports games. Both run through light emulators like blueMSX and FreeIntv, so any handheld can play them. The one quirk is the original controllers, which had number pads. Most games map fine to a D-pad and buttons, and emulators handle the overlays for you.

We frame all of this around games you already own and want to preserve.

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ColecoVision Classics

Donkey Kong (ColecoVision) — The pack-in game that sold the console. A famously close arcade port for its time.

Donkey Kong Junior (ColecoVision) — A strong follow-up port. Simple, tense, and fun in short bursts.

Zaxxon (ColecoVision) — An isometric shooter that impressed everyone. A showpiece for the hardware.

Frenzy (ColecoVision) — A fast, frantic maze shooter and sequel to Berzerk. Great pick-up-and-play.

Ladybug (ColecoVision) — A charming Pac-Man-style maze game. Colorful and addictive.

Cosmic Avenger (ColecoVision) — A smooth side-scrolling shooter. One of the console's launch highlights.

Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle (ColecoVision) — A surprisingly good platform adventure. A nostalgic favorite.

War Games (ColecoVision) — A tense strategic action game based on the film. Ambitious for its time.

Mr. Do! (ColecoVision) — A superb port of the dig-and-collect arcade game. Endlessly replayable.

Intellivision Classics

Astrosmash (Intellivision) — The console's signature game. A frantic, addictive space blaster and a perfect high-score chase.

Utopia (Intellivision) — An early strategy and simulation game often cited as a genre pioneer. Deep and calm.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain (Intellivision) — A clever action-adventure with real tension. A beloved classic.

Night Stalker (Intellivision) — A tense maze shooter with relentless enemies. Great for a quick run.

BurgerTime (Intellivision) — The arcade classic in a strong home version. Charming and challenging.

Major League Baseball (Intellivision) — A landmark sports game with real depth for its era. A fan favorite.

Astroblast (Intellivision) — A fast Missile Command-style blaster. Simple and gripping.

Tron: Deadly Discs (Intellivision) — A tight, fast arena combat game. One of the console's best.

Microsurgeon (Intellivision) — A wildly inventive medical simulation. Unlike anything else of its time.

A Note on Controls

Both consoles used controllers with number pads and overlays, which sounds daunting but rarely matters in practice. Most action games use the disc or stick and a couple of buttons. Emulators map these to a D-pad and face buttons, and they display the overlays on screen for the few games that need them. Set up your layout once and you are good to go.