OT: Opinions on the Vectrex

[Vectrex-Atari]

Anyone have videos of one in action?

 

http://herbs64.users.btopenworld.com/vectr...es/pro_pv2b.zip

 

Just make sure you have winzip or something to unzip the file, Good 4 minute display of the vectrex in action

[JB]

Anyone have videos of one in action?

 

http://herbs64.users.btopenworld.com/vectr...es/pro_pv2b.zip

 

Just make sure you have winzip or something to unzip the file, Good 4 minute display of the vectrex in action

Nice.

 

Lacks some of the impressiveness of the MineStorm level intro(I REALLY like MineStorm:)), but nice nonetheless.

[Rob Mitchell]

I've held off verbalizing my opinion because I am biased! The Vectrex is the greatest classic system second only to the Atari 2600.

 

The Vectrex hardware guys keep pushing the system further and further. For Example:

 

Protector (Defender clone) (2003) is the first game cart that preserves your top high scores with your three intials displayed.

 

There is a voice module (2002) now available called the VecVoice which allows games that are programmed for it to speak. It is along the lines of the Intellivoice and the O2 Voice. Voice was added to the Vectrex version of Berzerk!

 

A VecRAM cart (2001) connects to the serial port of your computer and allows you to load up any BIN game and play! I have my palmtop connected to my VecRAM cart!

 

Clay Cowgill is releasing the PS controller interface to the Vectrex.

 

Jay Tilton is releasing an adapter that allows the SMS LCD Shutter Glasses to connect to the Vectrex for the 3D games.

 

The talented homebrew programmers have pushed the system design: John Dondzila, Chris Tumber, Chris Salomon, Kristof Tuts, Manu, George Pelonis and Alex Herbert have churned out a lot of amazing Vectrex games that overshadow the original library of games. It's amazing what extra EPROM memory can allow a programmer to do!

 

And last year yours truely programmed a VecVoice speaking, interactive proof of the Pythagorean Theorem for the Vectrex. This is a first in the math world!

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[JB]

There is a voice module (2002) now available called the VecVoice which allows games that are programmed for it to speak.  It is along the lines of the Intellivoice and the O2 Voice.  Voice was added to the Vectrex version of Berzerk!

Or we could sing the praises of GCE's own programmers, who made Spike speak without the aid of ANY external hardware.

Sure it wasn't the best speech ever, but it was speech.

[Jasoco]

Anyone have videos of one in action?

 

http://herbs64.users.btopenworld.com/vectr...es/pro_pv2b.zip

 

Just make sure you have winzip or something to unzip the file, Good 4 minute display of the vectrex in action

No, you'd better hope it's not a proprietary Codec in the video file that doesn't work on Macs.

 

J/K

 

Actually, it works great.

 

That's some pretty cool stuff right there. You don't see stuff like that anymore.

 

Was that an arcade game? Probably not the Vectrex itself.

 

Makes me want a Vectrex even more though.

[JB]

Anyone have videos of one in action?

 

http://herbs64.users.btopenworld.com/vectr...es/pro_pv2b.zip

 

Just make sure you have winzip or something to unzip the file, Good 4 minute display of the vectrex in action

No, you'd better hope it's not a proprietary Codec in the video file that doesn't work on Macs.

 

J/K

 

Actually, it works great.

 

That's some pretty cool stuff right there. You don't see stuff like that anymore.

 

Was that an arcade game? Probably not the Vectrex itself.

 

Makes me want a Vectrex even more though.

Aside from the title screen it looked like 100% real Vectrex to me.

 

...

 

Honestly, given a choice, who would make a side-scroll shooter with a vertical screen? If it was an arcade Defender clone, the screen'd be horizontal.

[Vectrex-Atari]

Anyone have videos of one in action?

 

http://herbs64.users.btopenworld.com/vectr...es/pro_pv2b.zip

 

Just make sure you have winzip or something to unzip the file, Good 4 minute display of the vectrex in action

No, you'd better hope it's not a proprietary Codec in the video file that doesn't work on Macs.

 

J/K

 

Actually, it works great.

 

That's some pretty cool stuff right there. You don't see stuff like that anymore.

 

Was that an arcade game? Probably not the Vectrex itself.

 

Makes me want a Vectrex even more though.

Aside from the title screen it looked like 100% real Vectrex to me.

 

...

 

Honestly, given a choice, who would make a side-scroll shooter with a vertical screen? If it was an arcade Defender clone, the screen'd be horizontal.

 

Its 100% vectrex, If you turn the volume up while its on the title screen, you can here the vectrex noise.

 

The game is Protector, which is sold out

[desiv]

Protector is a Vectrex game, and it is awesome...

 

And for those who think Vector monitors can't do Raster...

 

http://herbs64.users.btopenworld.com/vectr...es/yasi_09b.gif

 

desiv

[JB]

Its 100% vectrex, If you turn the volume up while its on the title screen, you can here the vectrex noise.

 

The game is Protector, which is sold out  

Oh wow.

Didn't know you could do that with the title screen

[MrRetroGamer]

Yes, what you see in that movie is being played on the Vectrex and only 100 people were lucky enough to get their greedy little hands on that game!

[CPUWIZ]

Yes, what you see in that movie is being played on the Vectrex and only 100 people were lucky enough to get their greedy little hands on that game!  

 

Really, only 100 ?

[MrRetroGamer]

|

[Jasoco]

Damn! Now I want a Vectrex even more than before.. and I MUST HAVE PROTECTOR!!! my precioussssss... must haves my preciousss.....

[Rob Mitchell]

Or we could sing the praises of GCE's own programmers, who made Spike speak without the aid of ANY external hardware.  Sure it wasn't the best speech ever, but it was speech.

 

You can enjoy Spike speak .. but you are not playing the game .. as the CPU is doing almost nothing but generating the speech. Thus this code imbedded speech takes place during intermissions of the gameplay. And it can more than double the size of the ROM binary. Spike is one of the larger binaries .. also consider for example 2600 Berzerk is 4k whereas Berzerk VE is 16k!

 

The speech modules allow speech to take place while the action continues. And there is no significant increase in ROM size due to the speech code. Verzerk for the Vectrex is about the same size as regular Berzerk. My Pythagorean Theorem program is the most gregarious of all carts for a classic console and it is less than 2k in size and it talks while the user manipulates the size of the triangles.

 

Look for more and more games that use the VecVoice in the future. I know of at least three more games coming out in the next 12 months that will use this speech module.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Zaxxon]

I used to own two Vectrex systems and two multicarts with every game released. I sold both setups within the past year, year 1/2. I am not one of those rabid fans who are constantly blathering that this is the best system ever. It's a neat, unique footnote in videogame history, a Virtual Boy-like oddity, a collectors piece. A great game system compared to all the others released(CV, INTV, 5200, 8 bits, C64)? No. Do you really want to play flickery, black and white only games on a tiny screen, with buzzy noise and no in-game music? I've owned them all and I've played all the Vectrex games so I know what I'm talking about. All this hype about how awesome the system is is going to leave you very disappointed when you try it out. Back in '82 I had the choice of either getting a Vectrex or a Colecovision. I chose a CV. Years later I wondered if I made the right choice. After buying the systems and all the games and trying them out I definately made the right choice. Mind you, the system doesn't suck, it's greatness is just GREATLY exaggerated by enthusiasts. Out of all the games made for it I found myself only wanting to play Armor Attack, Minestorm, Space War and maybe a little Fortess of Narzod. I'd take the system out of the closet maybe once every 6 months-year when I'd get my multicart updated with the latest releases. I'd try out the latest John Donzilla and others games. I'd play some Armor Attack, space war and Minestorm and then put it back in the closet for another 6-12 months, and I wouldn't miss it. Do you really want to play inferior, black and white vector versions of raster arcade games like Space Invaders, Pac Man(Clean Sweep), Pole Position, Frogger, Galaxian, Missle Command, Defender, which is what most of the new homebrews coming out seem to be? I sure as hell don't. It's neat that someone programmed a vector game but WHY vector versions of games that were done 10X better in color raster form? Why not port vector arcade games that couldn't be done justice on raster systems? The Vectrex would've been much cooler if:

1. MB had gotten Atari, Sega and others to port their Vector arcade games to the system. Without any of the Atari vector arcade games ported to it, it's a huge example of wasted potential. MB should've had deals lined up before they even released the system. No Asteroids, Red Baron, Tempest, Battlezone The Cinematronics games are cool but there's a bunch they didn't port they could've.

 

2. it were in color(I know there's a color proto).

 

3. It needs a faster CPU(s). It's just not up to the task of doing a decent version of Red Baron and others because it can't draw vectors fast enough. It'd be too flickery. It can't do good versions of raster arcade games and it can't even do arcade accurate ports of vector arcade games. The graphics have to dumbed down, simplified for it to be able to draw them without being too flickery.

 

4. It always bothered me that none of the games, that I recall, had music during play. Most CV games had music and sound fx at the during gameplay. Vectrex apparently can't do both and it makes these black and white games even more dull and lifeless.

 

If you like your games to not have any color, no music, flicker, have to be played on a tiny screen, with sound only from a small built-in speaker that has to be turned up over the buzz of the system and choose from a limited library of titles then you'll love the Vectrex.

 

It was neat to play around with my Vectrex a bit for nostalgia but I didn't use it much and I don't miss it. If I have a hankering for Armor Attack I'll play it on MAME and not on a Vectrex or Vectrex emulator.

 

I know a bunch of people here will flame me for not saying it's the greatest ever but it's not. You're not really missing out IMO. I'm a big fan of vector graphics and vector arcade games. Tempest is my fav. arcade game of all time. Still the Vectrex isn't THAT great to me. You would be better served by buying almost any of the classic systems before this one. Would you want the Virtual Boy to be your only game system?

[Jasoco]

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!

 

J/K

 

I still want one, though.

[Rob Mitchell]

I've owned them all and I've played all the Vectrex games so I know what I'm talking about.

 

Just go ahead and admit it .. The Vectrex whipped your ass!

 

Point # 1 The Homebrewers are working on ports of all the arcade Vector games!

 

Point # 2 The first generation of arcade games were B&W .. and used overlays for color. So does the Vectrex .. Anyway games are about gameplay!

 

Point # 3 The early programming techniques made for flicker. The latest homebrew programmers are getting around this limitation. Protector does not have any flicker. The latest Space Invaders game (YASI) is entirely RASTER without flicker on the Vectrex.

 

Point # 4 See above about color. Games are about gameplay .. not background music!

 

There is a Tempest clone for the Vectrex (TSUNAMI) that uses the Atari Driving Controller for the spinner!

 

There is a Gravitar clone for the Vectrex (GRAVITREX).

 

Protector is better than any of the Atari DEFENDERS!

 

There is a Battlezone clone in the works!

 

Until recently there were more homebrew games for the Vectrex than any other classic system. I think there are more 2600 homebrew games now.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Jasoco]

If someone got their hands on a Vectrex, how do they go about getting these Homebrews?

[desiv]

First, get a Vec...

I'd say 4 out of 5 dentists surveyed preferred the Vec, but from the posts, it seems to be much more than that.. If it's better than Dentyne, it's worth it! :-)

 

Anyway, as for homebrews, there's a couple of ways.

 

The first 2, you buy them.

1: Seperately. On some of them, you can buy them on carts from a few places. Protector was sold as a cart. (Yes, I have one.. SWEEEEET! :-) Tsunami was, Omega Chase. (I got those too..)

2: You buy a multi-cart. The skelly MC has quite a few of the homebrews on it. All (??) of the John D. games, and a bunch of others..

 

Or.. You can always make a multicart.. Others have done it. (Beyond my range, so I got the skelly MC..)

 

3: You buy the VecRAM. This is the ONE item I haven't bought that I still really want. It's a RAM cart. You load it up with a game (Any VEC game, original or homebrew) and play it. Especially perfect if you're interested in maybe writing your own game...

 

desiv

 

p.s. MAME Vector games do not play as well as MAME Raster games. You don't notice the difference until you play a real Vector (on a real Vector Monitor) game, but it's much better. Tsunami on the Vec is more reminiscent of Tempest than Tempest in MAME, even tho the play and sound is different. It's in the feel. Unless you happen to have VectorMAME , a ZVG carg and a Vector monitor. (Like a Vectrex. :-) I'd like to get a spare Vec just for that. (Anyone have alot of money they can give me? Oh well.. Guess I'll wait.. :-) If you've ever played MAME on a real Arcade monitor, as opposed to a PC, you can begin to appreciate some of the differences, and it's so much more profound with Vector..

IMHO

[Rob Mitchell]

If you will be playing the Vectrex near your PC then get the VecRAM cart .. Then your gameplay is wide open! There are many games that are not on the Kelly Mulitcart.

 

I sold my Kelly Multicart when I got the VecRAM cart.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Zaxxon]

Just go ahead and admit it .. The Vectrex whipped your ass!

 

I admit, after I got tired of playing the 3-4 games that are decent for the system, it bored my ass!

 

 

Point # 1 The Homebrewers are working on ports of all the arcade Vector games!

 

yeah.. Where were they 20 years ago, 10 yrs ago, 5 yrs ago? Now? I can't count games I can't play as part of it's game library. I'm working on porting the entire PS/PS2 library to the CV so the CV stomps the Vectrex library once again. I won't be finished until the year 7879 but just you wait, they're coming, I promise. Don't get rid of your CV yet! Grand Theft Auto Vice City for CV is coming!!

 

 

Point # 2 The first generation of arcade games were B&W .. and used overlays for color. So does the Vectrex .. Anyway games are about gameplay!

 

so The Vectrex can't even handle Asteroids or other B&W arcade games. So you're stuck with first gen. only. What happens when you tire of that B&W look? Color overlays won't work for a lot of games(Tempest).

You're just going to reject ANY criticism of flaws in the Vectrex hardware or software by saying "it's about gameplay". I'm responding to the claims that the Vectrex is the "best" of the classic systems and it's far from it IMO.

 

Point # 3 The early programming techniques made for flicker. The latest homebrew programmers are getting around this limitation. Protector does not have any flicker. The latest Space Invaders game (YASI) is entirely RASTER without flicker on the Vectrex.

 

Why would I buy a vector game system to play raster games? I can play an arcade perfect version of SI on CV AND play it in COLOR if I want.

 

Point # 4 See above about color. Games are about gameplay .. not background music!

 

On the weak Vectrex hardware you don't have the option of sprucing your game up with color or in-game music so every game is stripped to the bare essentials.

 

There is a Tempest clone for the Vectrex (TSUNAMI) that uses the Atari Driving Controller for the spinner!

 

eh... "Clone"? I think not. Are you excited about this?

 

There is a Gravitar clone for the Vectrex (GRAVITREX).  

 

Protector is better than any of the Atari DEFENDERS!

 

MMmmmm.... No.

 

There is a Battlezone clone in the works!

 

In the works!! That's all I needed to hear. I'm buying a Vectrex NOW! I don't even like Battlezone.

 

Until recently there were more homebrew games for the Vectrex than any other classic system. I think there are more 2600 homebrew games now.

 

All the homebrew programmers in the world aren't going to turn the Vectrex into more than what it is. It's weak and VERY limited compared to the other classic consoles. That hasn't changed. I don't see anything that's been released or "in the works" that makes me regret selling my systems. You guys are welcome to them. Knock yourselves out.

[JB]

Do you really want to play flickery, black and white only games on a tiny screen, with buzzy noise and no in-game music?

Hell yes.

 

And I find the flicker indetectible in most situations.

 

 

Do you really want to play inferior, black and white vector versions of raster arcade games ...

 

I think Vectrex Berzerk is SUPERIOR to the other versions.

This may just be because it's the first version I played, though. I do admit to an inexplicable, even bizarre, fondness for the slowdown that occurs in a room with more than ... I think it's 9 robots.

 

The Vectrex would've been much cooler if:  

1. MB had gotten Atari, Sega and others to port their Vector arcade games to the system.  

No argument here, though Cinematronics was something of a coup. Especially when CT returned the favor and brought Cosmic Chasm to arcades.

 

MB should've had deals lined up before they even released the system.

One problem with that plan...

MB had NOTHING to do with the system's birth.

GCE was the original distributor. MB only got it when they went under.

And GCE didn't even design the system. It was created by Smith Engineering, who owns the copyrights to this day.

 

2. it were in color(I know there's a color proto).

Bah. BW is fine for most purposes. Star Trek would've benefitted greatly, but Berzerk would've been hurt equally greatly. I can't see it making much of a diffrence on MineStorm, Cosmic Chasm, or most of the rest of the library.

 

3. It needs a faster CPU(s). It's just not up to the task of doing a decent version of Red Baron and others because it can't draw vectors fast enough. It'd be too flickery. It can't do good versions of raster arcade games and it can't even do arcade accurate ports of vector arcade games. The graphics have to dumbed down, simplified for it to be able to draw them without being too flickery.

As oppoed to the arcade-perfect ports of those vector games present on the other systems of the time, right?

Playing Space Wars on the 2600 makes me shudder.

Asteroids on the 5200 ain't no looker either.

 

Point me to ONE other system of the era with a HALF-DECENT vector arcade port, graphically speaking.

Hell, one system PERIOD. Last I checked, Asteroids on the PlayStation was a blurry mess. Heck, Star Wars on GameCube was a blurry mess last I checked(though it scores points for being a VISIBLE blurry mess).

 

 

Again, I'm probably the only person that liked Vectrex Berzerk, so I'll shut up about it.

 

4. It always bothered me that none of the games, that I recall, had music during play. Most CV games had music and sound fx at the during gameplay. Vectrex apparently can't do both and it makes these black and white games even more dull and lifeless.

It COULD'VE, but music wasn't exactly a focal point of most of the games on the system. Toss in a little to punch up MineStorm's level intro(which was essentially a system demo) and then drop people into the game and remove the distractions.

If they'd added music, it wouldn't've got them much aside from angry Cinematronics fans.

 

 

 

The problem here is you're holding the Vectrex to 2003's standards, not 1982's.

You sound like a kid whining because the SNES can't throw 8 million polygons around.

 

By 1982's standards it was pretty high quality stuff.

 

 

 

Would you want the Virtual Boy to be your only game system?

I actually wouldn't mind if it had a few more fast action titles. It's a neat system, with a few games for everyone.

 

The Vectrex WAS my only game system for years. 1983-1992, if I recall.

That's almost a decade with no other game systems, aside from an occasional shot of NES at a friend's house.

 

 

 

The Vectrex is STILL the system I enjoy the most out of my collection.

[desiv]

Zax,

 

You are sooo wrong.. :-)

 

You are obviously talking about something you haven't checked into...

 

You keep harping on 'no Asteroids'.. And while it would be nice.. Ever hear of Minestorm? Comes with the system.. Really similar play and a great game..

 

The Vectrex can't even handle Asteroids or other B&W arcade games

And you say this why? Some of us have played Minestorm, OmegaChase, YASI and Protector. So it's obvious you're wrong here..

 

I can play an arcade perfect version of SI on CV AND play it in COLOR if I want.

Hmm.. You know that SI isn't in COLOR in the Arcade. It used an overlay for color. So an Arcade "perfect" version for the colecovision would have to be B/W with an Overlay for your TV...

 

Speaking of Tsumani, you replied...

eh... "Clone"? I think not. Are you excited about this?

It's pretty good. Have you played it?? Yes, some of us are excited, because it's a good game..

 

Speaking of Gravitrex and Protector, you said...

MMmmmm.... No.

Very eloquent.. :-) And so incredibly wrong, it's obvious you've never played them. They are that good. Protector is the best Defender clone on ANY platform.. Period. IMHO.. Have you played Protector?

(That's a loaded question, since he only produced 100 copies, I assume you haven't.. So why comment on something you can't know about as tho you do???)

 

All the homebrew programmers in the world aren't going to turn the Vectrex into more than what it is.

er.. Actually, that's what homebrew programmers do.. They add to the system. But technically you're right. "All the homebrew programmers in the world" aren't going to do that. But several have.. Good thing it doesn't take all of them.. :-)

 

It's OK if you didn't like the system. But you don't need to try to justify your tastes by saying the system is bad. You're not that insecure about what you like and don't like are you???

 

I don't like the XBox. I'm not going to go out of my way to say the system is bad. I just don't like it.. It's OK for you not to like something that other people like...

 

IMHO

 

desiv

[JB]

 

Point # 2 The first generation of arcade games were B&W .. and used overlays for color. So does the Vectrex .. Anyway games are about gameplay!

 

so The Vectrex can't even handle Asteroids or other B&W arcade games.

Yes it can. I think MineStorm demonstrated that nicely. Asteroids is WELL within the realm of possibility.

 

 

What happens when you tire of that B&W look? Color overlays won't work for a lot of games(Tempest).

One could ask the same about the blocky look of the Ataris, Coleco, INTV, and NES. Last I checked, people still hadn't gotten tired of it. The same is true for BW vectors.

 

 

Point # 3 The early programming techniques made for flicker. The latest homebrew programmers are getting around this limitation. Protector does not have any flicker. The latest Space Invaders game (YASI) is entirely RASTER without flicker on the Vectrex.

 

Why would I buy a vector game system to play raster games? I can play an arcade perfect version of SI on CV AND play it in COLOR if I want.

I think the point was the Vectrex is NOT inherently flickery.

 

 

 

 

Point # 4 See above about color. Games are about gameplay .. not background music!

 

On the weak Vectrex hardware you don't have the option of sprucing your game up with color or in-game music so every game is stripped to the bare essentials.

Sure you do. They just didn't.

I know you hate to hear this, as you've already expressed your opinion about this evidence repeatedly, but the homebrewers have proved that there's room for music AND gameplay at the same time.

 

For the record the sound chip used was an AY-3-8912.

3 voices + noise. Quite adequate for most purposes.

It's identical in sound capabilities to the INTV's AY-3-8914.

 

Though stripping a game to the bare essentials is something many modern companies could do with a tad of. When you strip the shiny colors, the fancy music, and the ad budget off, is the game still fun? A lot would have to say no.

 

Until recently there were more homebrew games for the Vectrex than any other classic system. I think there are more 2600 homebrew games now.

 

All the homebrew programmers in the world aren't going to turn the Vectrex into more than what it is. It's weak and VERY limited compared to the other classic consoles.

I still maintain it's NOT weak and limited.

 

 

But, let's hit the books.

Vectrex: 6809 @ 1.5 MHz.

Intellivision: CP1610 @ 895 KHz.

5200: 6502 @ 1.8 MHz.

ColecoVision: Z80 @ 3.58 MHz.

 

Of course, the raw #s are a tad misleading. The 6809 was a screamer for it's day, being designed to get things done in 1 clock cycle instead of 4, as well as being a very advanced design.

 

As I understand it, the Vectrex outpowers the 5200 and Intellivision, and pulls up even with the Colecovision.

Power? We got power.

[Zaxxon]

It's OK if you didn't like the system. But you don't need to try to justify your tastes by saying the system is bad.

 

I never said the system is bad. It helps if you read my posts. I never said I didn't like the system. I like it but I'm not in love with it. The original poster is asking for opinions on the Vectrex. It's good but not as good a system overall as other systems available in 1982. It's not the best classic system IMO. Try looking at it objectively, not from a fanboy perspective. You've convinced yourself it's much, much better than it really is. It's vector based and that makes it unique.