▁the ▁Int ell iv ision ▁in ▁an ▁over view ▁of ▁older ▁g aming ▁cons oles , ▁remark ing ▁that ▁the ▁controllers ▁" w ere ▁as ▁comfortable ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁practical . ▁The ▁unique ▁disk - sh aped ▁direction al ▁pad ▁provided ▁un pre ced ented ▁control ▁for ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁the ▁numeric ▁key pad ▁opened ▁up ▁new ▁options ▁previously ▁un available ▁in ▁console ▁g aming ." ▁They ▁pra ised ▁the ▁bread th ▁of ▁the ▁software ▁library ▁but ▁said ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁genu in ely ▁stand - out ▁games . ▁ ▁In nov ations ▁ ▁Int ell iv ision ▁can ▁be ▁considered ▁the ▁first ▁ 1 6 - bit ▁game ▁console , ▁as ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁ 1 6 - bit ▁micro processor . ▁The ▁first ▁home ▁console ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁video ▁games ▁to ▁use ▁a ▁tile - based ▁play field . ▁ ▁It ▁allowed ▁for ▁the ▁display ▁of ▁detailed ▁graphics ▁and ▁colour ▁with ▁very ▁little ▁RAM . ▁The ▁Int ell iv ision ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁system ▁to ▁feature ▁download able ▁games ▁with ▁Play C able ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁Int ell iv ision ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁game ▁console ▁to ▁provide ▁real - time ▁human ▁voices ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁game play , ▁cour tes y ▁of ▁the ▁Int ell ivo ice ▁module . ▁The ▁first ▁game ▁controller ▁with ▁a ▁direction al ▁thumb ▁pad . ▁ ▁The ▁Int ell iv ision ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁game ▁console ▁or ▁home ▁computer ▁to ▁offer ▁a ▁musical ▁synth