A Crush of Lucifer - 1982 prototype for the Vectrex

[TrekMD]

Thank you for posting this is available!  Order placed!

[+jgkspsx]

Got mine!

 

It really looks amazing and the control feels pretty great. I have not figured out how to clear a stage, though.

[Quetzalcoatl]

16 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

Got mine!

 

It really looks amazing and the control feels pretty great. I have not figured out how to clear a stage, though.

 

Someone actually just released a playthrough video of A Crush of Lucifer. I'm avoiding watching it to avoid spoilers before I receive my copy. This should be of help to you if you're having trouble clearing a level. I'm really excited about this release.

 

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I got my shipping notification yesterday so should have mine soon as well! 

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

Got my copy. What a cool game!

Grateful this was discovered, preserved, spruced-up and released to the public. Very cool. I highly recommend picking up a copy. ?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 5/14/2022 at 8:22 AM, jgkspsx said:

Got mine!

 

It really looks amazing and the control feels pretty great. I have not figured out how to clear a stage, though.

Okay, so I was playing this last night and finally ...finally managed to clear the 1st area.

 

So first of all, is to look at the number and small arrow that points either left or right in the top center of the hud. Hopefully it is a lowish number because it is more difficult when it isn't LOL. But basically during the first three sections that you play through, you need to be moving in the direction of the arrow until you have the number next to it reading zero or close to it. Obviously you will have to move left/right as needed to avoid things but you need to keep close to that Zero reading. Now.. there are two lines at the upper right listed as the range finder. The bottom of those lines has two bright dots on it. Those dots are portals that you need to take to get to the Lucifer battle. So you essentially have two chances here on each level stage. Now, the top line will deplete on its own over time and is actually a timer. So you have to get to the portal before that runs out. This is very generous starting off but I don't know if that timer gets faster as you pass level stages since I've only been able to clear 1 level so far.

 

Now, the bottom line with the dots will also decrease but that is your actual distance to the portals. So as the line gets smaller going from right to left, you need to be at that Zero mark heading by the time the end of that bottom line gets to one of the portals. When you do manage to do this, then you will see a much wider box on the play field screen than anything else. Fly into this and that is the portal to the Lucifer battle section. You have to keep your ship roughly centered as you fly in the portal. This was very easy to do actually. If you happen to miss the initial entrance to the portal, then that is when the second dot on that bottom rangefinder line comes into play as that is your second chance portal.

 

Once at the Lucifer battle section, you then have to first fight off several waves of 'tie fighter' like ships that launch from his mouth. Although sometimes one or two just appear randomly already very large and very close at the top of the screen I noticed. Once you have taken down all of the fighters, then you see your ship where you have to guide it to the spot in the middle of Lucifer's head to defeat him where if you were successful he will blow up and the next area begins.

 

What makes this game much more difficult than it needs to be is the fact that if you fail at ANY point during the first 3 sections trying to reach the portal, the game will start you over at the very first section again instead of where you died from. And when this happens, your distance from the portal left/right will be random and likely set you back even further than you were before making it that more difficult to get back to where you were. However if you are hit by one of the fighters or miss the spot on Lucifer's head during that final battle, then the game actually starts you back off at beginning of the Lucifer battle portion.

 

The other difficult aspect of the game is the collision detection during the first three sections. The watchtowers (Straight lines that stand up) can be shot without issue. But since you have to move left or right to line up with the portal heading, it is very easy to move too fast and suddenly crash into one of the pillars that you couldn't see because it was actually off screen until you happen to crash into it. Additionally the collision is forgiving on the Eyes section with the triangles in that you can pass really close to these and essentially graze them. The overall engine sound even changes to reflect these near misses. But you cannot fly over the low placement triangles and you can't shoot them. The last section they called the cavern walls, is the worst because the collision detection here is very specific and you really need to be clear of these walls to not end up crashing into them from the side. But again, you have to keep lined up with the portal heading and you will be forced to move off the heading to avoid the walls. So it can be tricky to navigate them and still keep close enough to the portal heading to reach the portal.

 

The battle portion with Lucifer isn't that difficult as long as you keep mashing the fire button to keep shooting lasers at the fighters he is launching at you and you need to hit them center mass as well.

 

That is basically how you play the game if that makes sense?

 

[+jgkspsx]

Awesome summary! I had figured that out but not gotten to post a new video yet.

[JEFF31]

Paid for mine on the 3rd of this month but haven't heard or received anything yet. 

 

Is Shawn assembling as he receives orders?  If so I may be 'down' the list.  If not perhaps I should send him an email.

[TrekMD]

Mine arrived today!  So looking forward to playing this!

[charlie_jumper]

My Game doesn`t work.....

 

I have a "no Buzz" Model Vectrex. Is this a common Problem?

 

Also the "Face of the Devil" on the PCP does face to the Lable, so you cant see the Face. Is this the correct orientation?

The Devil faces upwards when i put the Cart into the Vectrex...

 

Can anyone post a Picture of the right orientation of the PCB??

 

[moycon]

This looks awesome! I need to get my Vectrex back up and running.

[MattPilz]

Just want to chime in to say A Crush of Lucifer is a solid title! And is looking pretty great on my recently restored and now woodgrain-decaled Vectrex

 

For me the coolest part of this entire release has just been the back history. To think the game was a lost and unknown prototype for all these decades. That part of the retro gaming scene interests me probably as much as the entertainment itself.

 

[glazball]

Ars Technica has a nice article about Crush of Lucifer (and the Vectrex in general) today: <link>

[+jgkspsx]

It kind of irks me, though. The Vectrex was dead for twelve years until John Dondzila released Vector Vaders in 1996, but has been one of the primo homebrew communities ever since. It's been alive and vibrant much longer than it was dead. The article misrepresents that reality.

[+thanatos]

2 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

It kind of irks me, though. The Vectrex was dead for twelve years until John Dondzila released Vector Vaders in 1996, but has been one of the primo homebrew communities ever since. It's been alive and vibrant much longer than it was dead. The article misrepresents that reality.

 

Yeah, I remember in college (mid 90's) a friend picking up a Vectrex and one of the early multi-carts.  I'm guessing probably by Sean Kelly even back then.