the-topdog Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Well, it is ATARI age, and Vectrex isn't made by Atari But yeah, cool system. I don't have one, but I watched videos on Youtube, and a true vector home game would be awesome, if it wasn't for the fact that the only way to get one, would be through Ebay Phuck that. I have got many Vectrex arcades through Craigslist... more than I have got through eBay. People are willing to ship them and they ask more reasonable prices for them than the money-grubbers on eBay. I have seen the average price for Vectrex arcades nearly double on eBay in just two years. But still have no problems picking them up for right around $50-60 on Craigslist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRGilbert Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Love mine, have two of them actually. First one was an Ebay purchase, loose unit with 8 or 9 games. Second one was this summer, complete in box unit with 2 boxed games, found it at an antique store for $90. Thought about selling the extra one, but I'd hate to have something happen to mine and not have a backup. Plus it's nice to have a second controller for two player games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D. Head Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 (I will probably never own Mr. Boston or Minestorm II) What kind of attitude is that, John?? Are you just going to give up? You need to think positive, get your fanny perpendicular and get out there and find those games!!! (just stay out of my Goodwills!) :D Morgan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzep Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Thanks to lgallair who's awesome cabinet happens to have a previously unknown Vectrex system to me (thanks an effin' lot, lgallair, for giving me something ELSE to spend my little allowance on ), I decided to take a look into it. Neat system! May not be color, but the gameplay looks awesome! Reminds me of the original SpaceWars on the PC. And the idea of the screen overlays is really cool too! I just noticed that there are no forums on AA dedicated to this system. Ya, there is info out there, just nothing dedicated here. But from what I can tell there seems to be near-universal love for the Vectrex. Glad to hear that another gamer discovered it. Hey, it's color! White! White has all colors in it, right? Seriously, though, the overlays supply as much color as the arcade versions of Star Castle and Armor.. ..Attack ever did with their overlays. Love that eerie vector glow. I think the Vectrex may be the most analog of all the home gaming systems. Those great analog joysticks, the 3D Imager that uses physical color wheels, the vector display, I love the smooth movement that you can only get with a vector system. I used to love watching the enemy ship rotate around in Star Castle when someone was playing that game. You should try Bedlam when you get a chance, it generates as much adrenaline as a good game of Kaboom! does on the Atari 2600. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Helmet Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 My Vectrex paired with the VecFlash is one of my most prized classic gaming possessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucifershalo Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Well, it is ATARI age, and Vectrex isn't made by Atari But yeah, cool system. I don't have one, but I watched videos on Youtube, and a true vector home game would be awesome, if it wasn't for the fact that the only way to get one, would be through Ebay Phuck that. Ican see it now, "you just won this auction for $100-$200, please send us money so we can throw a hammer though the screen and ship the parts to you in a paper bag without even the decency of an over sized bubbelope" Ugh... well there are forums for Coleco and Intellivision, so why not Vectrex? seeing the number of new homebrew releases that would be justified.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowCoder Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 Lots of love! Glad to hear it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGameCollector Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 I got a Vectrex off ebay and when it got here, the screen was all jumpy and messed up when running games. Like the objects looked like incomplete dot-to-dot drawings that moved around instead of taking their correct shape. I have no idea what is wrong with it so I am either going to see if someone knows how to repair Vectrex systems and pay for the repair, sell it to someone who can repair it themselves and buy another unit, or just try to be content with one that is screwed up and emulate the games when I want a more accurate experience... I really don't know what I should do about it. Do any Vectrex repair experts visit this board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 Love my Vecs and the Vecflash cart. I've even had quite good success at making my own overlays laser printed on transparencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchSchaft Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 I can't wait for my vecflash to come in. Hopefully it will be soon. I also bought a copy of Colorclash Slim shipped for $35 from europe on the way. I'll buy that broke Vectrex off of you to practice fixing. $30 shipped and I'll take it off your hands. You can keep the controller if you want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRGilbert Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 I got a Vectrex off ebay and when it got here, the screen was all jumpy and messed up when running games. Like the objects looked like incomplete dot-to-dot drawings that moved around instead of taking their correct shape. I have no idea what is wrong with it so I am either going to see if someone knows how to repair Vectrex systems and pay for the repair, sell it to someone who can repair it themselves and buy another unit, or just try to be content with one that is screwed up and emulate the games when I want a more accurate experience... I really don't know what I should do about it. Do any Vectrex repair experts visit this board? Let me guess, the auction said it was "Untested - Sold As Is"? Here's a tip, that means "I tested it, it didn't work, and I want to get rid of it." On the other hand, if the listing said it worked, take it up with the seller. Otherwise, I might take Mitch up on that offer if you can ship it cheaply. A broken Vec isn't worth much, especially without a controller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGameCollector Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 I got a Vectrex off ebay and when it got here, the screen was all jumpy and messed up when running games. Like the objects looked like incomplete dot-to-dot drawings that moved around instead of taking their correct shape. I have no idea what is wrong with it so I am either going to see if someone knows how to repair Vectrex systems and pay for the repair, sell it to someone who can repair it themselves and buy another unit, or just try to be content with one that is screwed up and emulate the games when I want a more accurate experience... I really don't know what I should do about it. Do any Vectrex repair experts visit this board? Let me guess, the auction said it was "Untested - Sold As Is"? Here's a tip, that means "I tested it, it didn't work, and I want to get rid of it." On the other hand, if the listing said it worked, take it up with the seller. Otherwise, I might take Mitch up on that offer if you can ship it cheaply. A broken Vec isn't worth much, especially without a controller. Hmm maybe the cost of getting a second controller is enough that it would be cheaper to just buy a separate Vectrex and keep the controller off this one? The auction was too long ago to take it up with the seller though, unfortunately. It was tested and worked according to them but I figured the damage happened in the mail. When that happens, which is quite frequently, there is usually nothing the buyer or seller can do if there was no shipping insurance. I guess next time I will make sure I get shipping insurance on anything that has a monitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-topdog Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 I got a Vectrex off ebay and when it got here, the screen was all jumpy and messed up when running games. Like the objects looked like incomplete dot-to-dot drawings that moved around instead of taking their correct shape. I have no idea what is wrong with it so I am either going to see if someone knows how to repair Vectrex systems and pay for the repair, sell it to someone who can repair it themselves and buy another unit, or just try to be content with one that is screwed up and emulate the games when I want a more accurate experience... I really don't know what I should do about it. Do any Vectrex repair experts visit this board? Before you try to get it repaired... first try turning the contrast knob in the back of the unit to the center position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user42 Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 Any chance some of you Vectrex lovers could scan some manuals? I have my own thread here... http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/169702-wanted-vectrex-manual-scans/page__fromsearch__1 Anyways, I think the Vectrex is a great machine, I wish I owned one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGameCollector Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 I got a Vectrex off ebay and when it got here, the screen was all jumpy and messed up when running games. Like the objects looked like incomplete dot-to-dot drawings that moved around instead of taking their correct shape. I have no idea what is wrong with it so I am either going to see if someone knows how to repair Vectrex systems and pay for the repair, sell it to someone who can repair it themselves and buy another unit, or just try to be content with one that is screwed up and emulate the games when I want a more accurate experience... I really don't know what I should do about it. Do any Vectrex repair experts visit this board? Before you try to get it repaired... first try turning the contrast knob in the back of the unit to the center position. Yeah we tried that, all it does is change how bright or dark it appears on the screen. It's a contrast knob but not a v-hold knob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wood_jl Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 (edited) The Vectrex following is pretty amazing, considering how relatively obscure it seemingly was, compared to more "mainstream" vintage gaming (Atari, Coleco, etc). Can any of you guys comment as to the reliability and/or weak points of the system? What I mean is, on a poorly-described Ebay auction, what is most likely to be a problem? Is the system itself pretty reliable? Are the controllers? The flashcart thing is totally awesome! Edit - I mean other than the V-hold problem a couple messages above. But is that kind of thing common? Edited November 6, 2010 by wood_jl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted November 6, 2010 Share Posted November 6, 2010 (edited) The Vectrex following is pretty amazing, considering how relatively obscure it seemingly was, compared to more "mainstream" vintage gaming (Atari, Coleco, etc). Can any of you guys comment as to the reliability and/or weak points of the system? What I mean is, on a poorly-described Ebay auction, what is most likely to be a problem? Is the system itself pretty reliable? Are the controllers? The flashcart thing is totally awesome! Edit - I mean other than the V-hold problem a couple messages above. But is that kind of thing common? I've had about a half-a-dozen Vectrex's in my time and never experienced anything too blown up. The mods out there to quiet the buzzing are good and necessary, but besides a slightly wobbly/oscillating screen and the audio issue - nope. They're built extremely well. Like arcade X-Y monitors, these things are designed to be worked on if need be, but are really reliable as far as old monitors go. Circuit board layouts are pretty clean and well organized too. Totally not a disposable product like most everything today is. Edited November 6, 2010 by save2600 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatta Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 I'm glad I read this. I happened to clear some space off on my desk last night, for no reason in particular. I think the Vectrex is getting hooked up again tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 I -LOVE- the vectrex. my number 2 console behind the 2600. I have every normal production game cartridge (and one of the light pen carts (I don't consider those games ) ) and afaik all the homebrews that have come out, except debris. Just got my sectis with the embroidered shirt in the mail AND debris is being re-released soon, so I will fill that hole in my collection also have a SK multi cart and 3d imager and all games cib. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 just for fun, sectis and it's tshirt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 AND debris is being re-released soon It is? That would be awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchSchaft Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 Yeah, he sent an email out the other day asking for reservations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenG76 Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 I want a Vectrex prettty bad myself. There is a local guy that has one and I hope to try his out before I buy one though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 you cannot resist the call of the vector!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Charlie Cat Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Hi guys, I love my Vectrex system. I have 5 of them in my closet and sometimes I take all of them out and do a Vectrx arcade room for fun. Anthony.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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