Watch M2: Complete Works

M2: Complete Works is a documentary film that takes us on an insightful journey covering the history of video games, and the valuable and innovative methodology that went into preserving these games for future generations. Directed by Stephan Dweck, this film highlights the journey undertaken to create a comprehensive archive of games created exclusively on the Mattel Intellivision game console.

The documentary primarily features interviews with Coury Carlson, Mike Mika and Frank Cifaldi, experts and enthusiasts in the field of game development, programming and preservation. We get a glimpse into their personal journeys, the work that went into preserving old games, and the love and passion that drove them to do so.

The film opens with a background on the Mattel Intellivision - a gaming console launched in 1980 that revolutionized gaming by introducing new features such as a numeric keypad, directional pad, and play-by-play announcements. The film highlights the fact that Mattel Intellivision was a pioneer of sorts and paved the way for modern-day gaming consoles.

The primary focus of the documentary, however, is on the preservation of every video game ever released on the Mattel Intellivision console. The credit goes to Intellivision Productions, founded by Keith Robinson, a company dedicated to preserving and restoring old video games.

The documentary takes us through the painstaking process undertaken by the team to ensure that every game, including the rarest and most obscure titles, were accounted for and transferred onto modern-day hardware so that they may be enjoyed by future generations. The team achieved this by utilizing a cutting-edge technique that was designed to preserve the games' programming code and graphics into a modern-day gaming system.

One of the standout moments in the documentary is the journey undertaken by the team to secure and restore a rare game called The Music Machine. The game was so rare that the only known copy was in the possession of its creator, Stephen H. Landrum. The documentary highlights how the team went to great lengths to obtain the original source code from Landrum and then reverse-engineered it to create a replica of the game that could be played on modern hardware.

The film also shines a light on the issue of game preservation and the efforts of organizations like the Video Game History Foundation, which focus on the archiving of video games and their respective histories. We are given a glimpse into the valuable work these organizations do and the importance of preserving the history of video games for future generations.

Throughout the film, we also get an insight into the lives of Coury Carlson, Mike Mika and Frank Cifaldi, who are all video game enthusiasts and experts in their respective fields. Each of them has a unique story to share, and they all share a common passion for gaming.

Carlson, who runs a popular YouTube channel, details how he started in the gaming industry as a collector and enthusiast, which eventually led him to create his channel, where he shares his extensive knowledge and passion for video games.

Mika has been in the gaming industry for over two decades, during which he has worked on several high-profile games. He shares how his experience in the industry has given him a unique perspective on video games and how the preservation of games can benefit the industry as a whole.

Cifaldi, who is the founder of the Video Game History Foundation, has been at the forefront of game preservation for several years. He shares how his organization is dedicated to collecting and preserving games from the past, which has helped in creating a comprehensive archive of video games.

In conclusion, M2: Complete Works is a fascinating documentary that sheds light on the lesser-known aspects of video game preservation. The journey undertaken by the team at Intellivision Productions to preserve the history of video games is both inspiring and enlightening. The film takes on an emotional and nostalgic approach, paying homage to the pioneering era of video gaming, and aims to inspire a new generation of enthusiasts to take an interest in the history of video games.