This is a cool overview of all the Vectrex games! I recently added the homebrew game Vector Pilot which is a take on the arcade Time Pilot and is highly recommended!
Vector Pilot (time pilot), Vector Patrol (moon patrol) & Vectrexians (Galaxian) by Kristof Tuts are all MUST-HAVE homebrew titles! They really push the hardware to its limits. HIGHLY Recommend! 😎
Great recommendations, other great homebrew games are thrust based on the c64 version- it even includes a great rendition of the intro tune and protectors a great version of the classic defender.
Used to have one.. Well Still have it with quite a few games. When you turn it on though it only shows one dot in the center of the screen, but everything else works. The controller too lose it's spring in it so when you move it it stays (only up down, side to side still works well).
I have 2 of them. Great consoles. I own quite a few games with and without the overlays, plus a multicart that I picked up somewhere years ago that has all the games on it I think.
Minestorm 3D actually uses the 3D gimmick to add to the gameplay. Enemies can drift from the background into the foreground and can't be destroyed until they do, unlike the original, where everything can be hit at any time. It's a cool gimmick and works great with the 3D imager.
So I got the vectrex in 1993: long enough after everyone forgot they ever existed but before the internet had an obsession with classic gaming. I loved every game I played on it and my friends and I would play it over other SNES and even PS1 games at the time. It was totally unknown to everyone until recently. Glad to see them in all their glory again
I asked for a ps2 for Christmas and my mom came home with a vectrex she paid five cents for at the school auction. Was some what disappointed but me and my friends who all had Xboxes still played the hell out of armor attack and now it’s worth like $500 so I guess it ended up being a good deal lol
And remember that you're seeing the vectors converted to rasters through whatever screen you're watching this video on. The only way to truly see how awesome the games look is to own one.
CRT TV's were much smoother than any modern day TV. It's hilarious trying to explain to young people that certain aspects of old technology were actually superior than what we have today.
@@dsswooshy It's partially because the advancement of technology isn't always necessarily about making it "better", often it's about making it cheaper, easier to mass-manufacture, and more adaptable. CRTs have their advantages, but they're more expensive to make, harder to make, and resulted in a big clunky box of a display that took up a lot of space.
@@fearlesswee5036 Don't get me wrong, today's TV's are MUCH better than CRT's. But just highlighting not in every aspect. Motion clarity is king in CRT's. I'd still take a modern TV over a CRT though 🙂
The giant sombrero in Star Trek is a space station that you use your tractor beam to lock onto so it recharges your ship. Yes, I had this game and played it a lot.
4:30 Remember when 80s Comics was called CGR, Also I have heard claims that in the early days of classic game room they used bots to get more views, I hope That‘s not true but if you look at the Mario cart wii and Ben 10 review it wouldn’t be to hard to believe.
Mark was my favorite retro video gaming RU-vidr in the early days. I don't want to be judgemental with all that I've read but I do wish CGR continued on with no hiccups. Nothing lasts forever.
way I understand, youtube stopped being profitable enough to be a proper source of income so now he uses the channel as a sort of archive for his reviews of content that he sells on his publishing site
Loved the video, but how come you didn't use overlays for your in game footage? MAME supports overlays for vectrex, its easy to find and setup. It would have made a big visual difference as that is how they where meant to be played, and maybe you would have judged the games different.
The Vectrex was amazing for it's time. I remember all the kids at Fort Bragg in the early 1980's had one -- well, all the kids who's father's were E-6's and above. I didn't see 3D like that again till almost 20 years later. The Vectrex was so advanced for it's time, we didn't know how to interpret it.
I should further note, that no-one held the controller as you do. We placed it on a flat surface, with our right four primary fingers over the buttons and left on the analogue stick. Some of us put Velcro pads on it and on a table to keep it from shifting. This felt very much like standard arcade controls for a number of titles, and worked very well. One finger per button was the intended ergonomic design.
I like Minestorm a lot more than Asteroids; there's 4 different types of mines that cycle through the levels in different combinations, and it gives quite a bit of variation. The difficulty spikes every 4th level then gets a little easier for a level or two afterwards. Level 12 is especially brutal so I think that's why the level 13 bug was not discovered earlier.
"Star Castle has a bit of a Yars Revenge feel to it" Yars Revenge is a Howard Scott Warshaw version of Star Castle. That's exactly what he was trying to make. So Yars Revenge was inspired by Star Castle.
I adored our Vectrex. It was our first console. It had one fatal flaw in being portable - all of the venting happened through the bottom of the unit. We used it frequently on carpet, causing it to overheat and eventually it fried. In my defense, I was a small child, and had no idea what was happening.
I really wish that Lunar Lander had gotten a Vetrex port. Would have been an amazing fit as well as the Vectrex being the only console of the time that could accurately recreate it. I spent so much time playing that Astro Lander minigame in Timesplitters 2. The music alone is so.. spacey. I loved it Great video btw. Was nice to get an overview on everything officially released on the thing. I honestly have no idea of how vast the homebrew scene for the Vectrex is but perhaps that could be another interesting topic sometime?
I could swear that a homebrew exists? 'Moon Lander'. In addition, the Vextrex32 states that it comes with a 'Lunar Lander game', but I haven't seen it to know if they mean a clone or not.
Star Trek - the "sombrero" is your starbase, yes. Lock onto its window with the big descending square (btn 3?) and it will refill your energy. Also, if you lock onto the black hole on level one it will warp you to the first boss. ;)
My dad actually told me he bought one of these at a department store around 1985-1987 for $60 Bucks sealed. He sold it in 1993 so he could afford their wedding. He regrets selling it because they go for extreme amounts of money now like you said on eBay
I've got two Vectrex systems. One I got in box at a yardsale along with 5 or 6 games for $35 in the late '90s. The other one I got at a thrift shop for $5 in the 2000s. Someone had cut the power cord off, but I just replaced the cord and it works 100% now.
Well if you were to include everything, where do you draw the line, if that''s the case, he'd have to include modern homebrew games like Vector Pilot and Vector Patrol as well
@@scottbreon9448 I actually like when they add those especially when they add the Homebrew ones, makes me feel like I am getting an all around view of everything.
Mine Storm's thing is the different types of mines. That sets it apart from asteroids although while I love mine storm to death I still find asteroids more fun.
I generally agree with you ... but I find Solar Quest is my favorite on my system. Lord Carnage mentions it all the time as well. On the actual system, the control feels great. One of the few games where you can fly and turn quickly, allow precision shots. Thanks for running through these games .. I forgot about Scramble!
I remember drooling over this thing at Lionel Playworld back when it came out. I was 10, and there was no way in hell my parents (or anyone I knew, for that matter) could afford to buy one. I played a demonstration unit that was set up at the toy store, and that's pretty much the last I saw of the Vectrex for decades. Thanks for doing this epic, comprehensive review of all the games.
Thanks. You nailed most of them. Cosmic Chasm is yes, awesome. Some are only good with 2p. STAR HAWK and SPACE WARS are excellent at 2 players simustaneously. Web War(s)(p) is the only one where you have to play with 3d to survive: at full speed, mines coming up to you, so you have to brake and avoid them, then shoot them to speed up. Narzod is among the best vectrex too. You may not have played it long enough.
To put it in perspective though, around 1982, we had a thing called parents, who wouldn't let you play your 2600 on the one TV. But the Vectrex wasn't so expensive if you consider that built in monitor. Imagine buying a PS5, and then bitching and whining about having to have a separate TV.
3-D Narrow Escape is an incredible game if you use the 3-D System. Playing in 2-D, I can only imagine the perspective issues and lack of colour making it bland, un-enjoyable, and hard to play. it is a must-own title if you own the goggles.
@MagesGuild I will second that! It is a phenomenal game. First, the game is in color! Second, the sense of depth is amazing, and the game designers actually made depth-perception THE fundamental component of gameplay. People have mentioned TRON in the comments, and Narrow Escape really delivers that kind of otherworldly experience. Reproduction 3D imagers are available from Madtronix for under $100. For me it is the peak Vectrex experience.
@@billburgnyc I was not aware that the 3-D Imager had been repopped. I did make spare colour wheels in the early 90s by printing them on clear sheets, then making a custom cog out of layered sticky tape and some bits of plastic, and they shockingly worked flawlessly. I did this to protect my originals from potential wear.
Should have gotten the colour frontplate for every game. Cause it really adds to the gameplay. I can tell from experience as a child. Played so much vectrex games, all with frontplate.
Vectrex has been my Holy Grail console for years, but it's always just out of reach somehow. (Usually financially; when I can find it at all, it always costs a lot more than my current budget will allow. Even though my "current budget" has increased over the years, the price keeps rising to still be out of it)
Armor attack had an amazing exploit that if you hunkered down in one of the corners toward the top of the map, tanks couldn't hit you, and even helicopters missed you about 90% of the time, so you could take on wave after wave after wave of enemies without taking a scratch.
woah i was really wanting to see this console when i heard about it ~2 months ago...vector graphics can look incredible.. really enjoying these console library videos (my first vid i saw of yours was the hour long 3do vid)
That 3d pen draw your own game looks amazing for it's time. This was around 1983-84 and I grew up in the 80s and that was highly advanced to be able to do that
I believe I saw one of these things being sold at the local arcade downtown that also doubles as a retro game store. It’s gone already I believe, but they definitely look cool. Though I kinda do see why it didn’t sell well. A lot of the games seem to look the same. I guess that’s the issue with vector graphics.
My dad's got one of those, and my brother was always fascinated with it. I've tried playing the Vextrex, but for me it's kind of like the Virtual Boy -- it seems like a gimmick that's largely uncomfortable to play unless you position it just right. And it's also so expensive that you're worried about breaking it during use or transportation. At least the Virtual Boy had Wario Land on it, though!
My opinion on this video? UNDECIDED nah, it's all good. really liked the video, quality content as usual. Good job, Frame! Also the upside down #8, not that it matters. It'd be too much to edit it.
I hear you about not wanting to get a Vectrex on ebay because of the expense and the shipping, but prices for the Vectrex are not going to drop. If anything, they will continue to raise. With the covid19 pandemic affecting virtually all small businesses hard, now might be the best chance you'll ever have to get a Vectrex at a reasonable price. Buy one form a seller who has tested it, can prove they tested it, and can potentially take it back if anyone goes wrong.
@@FrameRater I bought my Vectex from a guy who lives about 7 hours away, had him ship it because the cost in gas to drive there and back would have been more than the cost to ship. He protected it in a bunch of bubble wrap and styrofoam blocks. I was antsy about it, but the Vectrex is a very sturdy, rugged system. It survived the shipping process quite easily.
@@FrameRater One other thing I should add: the real Vectrex experience can't really be duplicated with emulation. A correctly working Vectrex is incredibly vivid, and it's controller analog and considerably better than the likes of the Atari 5200. A big big part of the experience also comes from the overlays. The original ones add some charm, but the real excitement comes from the modern day homebrew community. If you look on ebay there are "Psychedelic Vectrex Overlays". These are newly made very very colorful overlays that just look incredible on a Vectrex - akin to a neon sign. It makes using no overlay or the simple one-tone original overlays completely obsolete. There's also Vectrex homebrew games, and a fantastic multicart 3.0 by a guy named Sean Kelly with almost all the original games, plus a bunch of excellent homebrew such as a really great Vectrex port of Missile Command. The Vectrex IS expensive. but if you can afford one, the cost is justifiable given that it's one of the most unique gaming experiences, even outside of getting the ridiculously rare accessories. I play my vectrex several times a week, more often than I play any of my modern game consoles!
@@SatoshiMatrix1 I'd much rather have a friend who owns one, you know? Aha. I'm sure I'll get to try one some day but I can't justify spending that price on it.
If you can get one for under $250 - $300, you've done well. It's not a big deal shipping one, if packed properly.. Plenty of bubble wrap and double boxed. Never had a bit of trouble. ;)
I remember in the 80s thinking the black and white screen was a big no no for me. Otherwise I liked it. Today it looks charming but in the 80s, no color looked old and outdated.
So awesome to see a video on the Vectrex, as it holds a special place for me. To this day, I know no one else who has one. My older cousin gave it to me in 1985, along with a bunch of games including Spike, Cosmic Chasm, Scramble, etc.., 2 controllers and a couple of screen overlays. I had NO idea how much it's worth now and after watching your video, I went rummaging through my storage at 3am because it's been years. Lo and behold I still have it, and I'm gonna start playing it again. Thanks for posting this video!
Fun fact: Yar's Revenge was intended to be a port of Star Castle for Atari 2600 but Howard Scott Warshaw thought hardware couldn't handle it so he made a game that plays like Star Castle.
Still have my Vectrex that dad got me back in the early 80's. Have the carrying bag, light pen with the art game and yeah. Might have to dig it out again lol
Great video. Really hoping to own one myself someday if I can find one for a reasonable price. Given the technological and graphical limitations that the developers had to work with, some of these games are really impressive!
yeah but pretty much everyone already had a TV, for one reason or another if you didn't already have a TV you probably weren't going to be playing videogames either
Vectrex is the most impressive console ever made. It's a lot smoother than PS1 that came 11 years later. To be fair PS1 were mostly a 2D console. CD32, N64, 3DO, Saturn and Dreamcast were the 3D console in 1990's.
Only a handful of all the games that I think were worth playing. I rentet the console over 3 days during winter break in 1992. It cost about 7 dollars a day back then.
vectrex is a good system, glad i picked mine up, side note, the 3d imager and light pen are actually quite cheap now, not the originals, but someone figured out that the imager is basically a stripped down cd player and remade the circuitry from scratch improving a few of the more questionable design elements in the process so you can get the imager, pen and a multicart with all the official games for around a hundred iirc
You have to see the console running in a real life to understand, why it is so popular. The vector graphics is fascinating until this very day and feels way ahead of its time.
No, Star Trek on the Vectrex did not have Deep Space Nine. It might have had another "Deep Space" base but not Deep Space Nine because that hadn't been thought of yet.
A family friend had one of these that I played when I was 4 and I've thought about it off and on for years, wondering what the hell it was.. Now I finally know, so thanks for the memories!
I have one that works (and a 2nd one that needs repair)I just dug out of the basement...2 controllers are dead so I ordered a digital new replacement on ebay and Im going to buy a brand new anolog as well...I have about 12 games...I did buy a cartridge with 32 games on it on ebay it looks cool will tell you how that works out.My 2 favorites are rip off and solar quest!
I got the Vectrex gaming console for my 16th birthday in August 1983. I had 9 of the 29 games. Mine Storm, (the original) Blitz, Star Trek (the Game), Starhawk, Spike, Cosmic Chasm, Clean Sweep, Hyperchase, and Berzerk. I'm going to review each of the 9 and give my brief thoughts on them. Berzerk, Like the arcade game you blast the robots and as I remember playing the arcade game, you can destroy Evil Otto. I gave this 8 of 10 because you can't destroy Evil Otto, you have to run to one of the exits as he bounces toward you. Not bad, but sometimes you can get killed by the electrified walls, robots(themselves) or their guns, and Evil Otto. Blitz This one I had only one controller so I always played the X's. Game 1 the other squares move slower and you can score touchdowns pretty easy by running backwards and then run for the other goal. Game 2, the other squares chase you a bit faster and catch you more easily but still can be avoided. Game 3 unless you pass your football you will be tackled very quickly. I gave this 9 of 10 as 2 people couldn't play with one controller. Clean Sweep, Yes I agree this was a Pac-Man take off, but I did like the style of you being the bank manager being chased by the (very weird) looking robbers. It is a hard play but I got to enjoy it. 8 of 10. Cosmic Chasm (just a brief note that I called the game by the wrong name pronouncing the Ch as "Ch" like Cheese or Chips). I enjoyed this game trying to use the shields when the other ships approached you timing to fire and use the drill to open a laser doorway. The first few times I played this I didn't know how to leave the bomb in the reactor, and my sister playing with me found that if you pull the joystick down as you are REALLY close to the reactor, you can leave your bomb there. You then have 15 seconds to leave the Chasm before you die with the explosion. 10 of 10 for this one. Hyperchase. It is like Pole Position, racing around the other cars. My cartridge seemed to have a problem with first gear. It would race the engine up quickly and would not let you leave it in first gear long enough without it sounding bad, When I played, I would start with second gear and it sounded better. I did love the side graphics (the telephone poles, the fences, the canyons, the tunnel and other things on the side of the road.) The second game was timed and you could do almost 2 laps.7 of 10 on this game. Mine Storm. This built in game (no cartridge needed) was similar to Asteroids. One time in the years that I played this game I was able to get into the second set .(Level 15) The Floaters, Fireball Floaters, Magnetic Floaters, and Magnetic Fireballs came at you relentlessly. The first time I played this game the Fireball Floaters look like ravioli with dots on them. The Magnetic Floaters looked like "Xs", and the Magnetic Fireballs looked like sideways ravioli. The second set all the mines looked like space dust. It was always tough to play but I loved this game 10 of 10. Spike. This game's music reminded me a bit of the cartoon Pac-Man show, I loved Spike's antics on the platforms, you had to time it right to climb a ladder, kick a "Bird" or a "Bouncer" and jump to the cell that your "girlfriend Molly" is waiting for you to rescue her. In a way with the platforms and the "bows" reminds me of the Popeye game where Olive is throwing down hearts and it freezes Bluto so you can eat spinach and punch him out . In Spike you catch the bows to freeze the "Bird" and the "Bouncer". 10 of 10 on this one. Starhawk. I agree with you on this one. I always had trouble either in the trench or up above the planet (Death Star?) shooting the other ships. I gave this a 1 of 10. Star Trek (The Game) I loved this game, Klingon and Romulan ships and sector 9 is the Klingon Mothership. That "Sombrero" is the space station .(Not DS9) You hit the #2 button to link up the hole on the "Sombrero" to refuel your firepower. (and shields) you only get one station per sector. The game mode 1-8 will set what sector the "Black Hole " is in and you can use it to warp to the Mothership to destroy it. Again you hit the #2 button to link to the Black Hole. Don't destroy the space station as you want to replenish your shields and firepower! 10 of 10 on this game.
I remember back in 1982-83 I wanted this so bad... parents bought me a Commodore 64 instead. I guess it worked out in the end: I first learned computer programming on the C64 and that went on to be my career for the next 40 years (programming in general, not Commodore 64 programming)
You reviewed Star Trek: The Motion Picture but you missed the opportunity to it was the first licenced tie-in video game for home consoles. The first licenced tie-in game was Death Race 2000 but that only made it to the arcade.
Saved up & wheeled & dealed had ever consol going, but this was my favourite.had most off the games as well. Only sold it to buy my first motorbike. Still got & luv the motorbike's , been looking to buy another vectrex, but they are priced quite strong £700 6 games. Watch this space . Lol
I was born in '82. Started gaming with the SNES. Favorite games were Star Fox and Mario Paint. It's funny to think if I was born 10 years sooner I probably would've started gaming with Star Fox and Mario Paint on Vectrex.
It's just not possible to capture the magic of vector display CRTs with emulators... The gem-like glowing quality felt futuristic, and compelled you into their world.
I went to a game shop in Cincinnati about a year ago and I saw a readily-available Vectrex set-up, complete with the original box and ALL of the accessories with a couple of games... the price tag? Oh, in the neighborhood of $400. I love retro hardware, but, I'm also CHEAP. Nice to see a working complete unit in the wild though!
Does this vector graphic display system carry any value for games today? Or is this completely obsolete, we do have vector graphics with Adobe Animate and the like but they are displayed on pixel monitors.... Just curious if this will ever see a resurgence. Seems unlikely today as pixels are just getting smaller and we have plenty of performance to spare for our pixels.
Aw man, I agree with almost all of your review, but Fortress of Narzod, Pole Position, and Minestorm are some of my favorite games on the Vectrex and even beyond. Pole Position is my favorite version of the game (although being developed by GCE it was really just given that branding). Minestorm I like better than most versions of Asteroids. And Fortress of Narzod is probably my favorite riff on the Space Invaders concept, even moreso than Galaga. (Also as close to Tempest as the system gets.) One thing to note is that the Vectrex has some of the best games ever developed after the end of a system's lifetime. From Vectrexagon to Big Blue, from Release to Stramash Zone, from Dark Tower to Karl Quappe (aka VFrogger), from Vectorblade to Vector Pilot, from VectorPatrol to Space Fury, and from the raster magic of YASI to the eye-popping speed of Protector, the fan-developed games are every bit as good as the excellent official library or often much better (!!). As crazy good as the Atari 2600 resurrection community's work as been, I think the Vectrex community has done even better. There are even affordable modern versions of the light pen and 3d imager!
Vectrex was the console I had to have, but never did. Milton Bradley went deep into making electronic toys and games, perhaps figuring that was the future someone needed to invent and it might as well be them. I got a BigTrak one Christmas, which happened to be exactly what I wanted. Later on, a lot of other kids had the Starbird and I was so jealous.
While it's a good video to have, anyone watching only this will get a much worse than Vectrex impression. The games look so different with the neat color overlays and on real display with the glowing lines, not with hair thin, lifeless, pixelated lines. An example is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jYqrrwRfvKA.html
Awesome to watch this because I have the Vectrex and most of it's games. It was given to me by my older cousin when I was 6 or 7. Spike and Cosmic Chasm are my favorites. I also really dig the built in asteroids clone. Can't believe how much this system is going for on ebay.
I found one back when retro was just taking off. I paid $150. It came with 3 games. Those game boxes are in poor condition sadly. It is always on the table close to my chair for easy access. I think it would have more of a chance if it could have been released two years earlier.
I collected consoles and PCs of all generations and I understood nowdays we are in technical stagnation nothing new, the future is the best past LCD, 3D, Stereoscopic view, Voxel/Pixel technologies :(
a good few years ago i took a really fun game design class over the summer at USC, and the instructor was Tom Sloper, one of the co-creators of the vectrex. he was pretty nice and funny, and every time you did something he really liked in the class, he would hand you a card with a picture of spike on it :)
Milton Bradley was also in video game market by publishing an obscure console and some games and accessories for it called... The... "Nintendo Entertainment System"? Yeah whatever that is. But for real, MB released A version of NES in some European markets. The capitalization of "A" was purposeful because there was also one published by nintendo themselves and the two versions are infamously incompatible as well, games and all that is. I also think MB distributed the power glove and few of it's exclusive games.
The Vectrex failed because of one glaring failure, it didn't have an ability to receive broadcast TV, had they sold a small reciever that you could plug into the cartridge slot and watch TV then it would have sold rather well but it had no Co-axial cable hookup to even attach a VCR/Beta Max to it. A real swing and a miss.
I bought one week ago. 220€ (with S&H). With two cartridges and about 10 overlays. Was searching about one year for it... it is interesting, but games are so fast for me...
Vectrex, way too expensive for me to ever come close to getting one back in the 80's. Thank you for this video, its a way for a poor kid to live their dream.
