Vectrex Arcade System any good ?

[nintendo]

How many Vectrex systems were made? Just curious because I've never seen one locally so it seems like not that many were made.

[JB]

And why do people keep calling Minestorm Mindstorm?

[phaxda]

i just wrote that because the previous poster did. and then i came home and played a couple of games and looked at the screen and said to myself "i think i called this MINDstorm earlier. then i came back to edit my post before anyone noticed. but alas, i was far too late!

 

anyway, i am having a blast playing minestorm. and i actually like this version of berzerk for some reason. GOT YOU HUMANOID.

 

ahhh.

[Prodos8]

I recall playing it way back when at Sears or Wards. Thought is was kinda cool with true vector graphics and dedicated display. Didn't have color, except for the overlays on the screen. I guess a color vector system would've been cost prohibitive at the time.

 

Also remember Toys R Us blowing them out at $50 bucks each, and parents saying , uh -- no.

[JB]

i just wrote that because the previous poster did. and then i came home and played a couple of games and looked at the screen and said to myself "i think i called this MINDstorm earlier. then i came back to edit my post before anyone noticed. but alas, i was far too late!

 

anyway, i am having a blast playing minestorm. and i actually like this version of berzerk for some reason. GOT YOU HUMANOID.

 

ahhh.

917482[/snapback]

Ilike Vectrex Berzerk too. I think it has to do with being my first version.

 

 

I recall playing it way back when at Sears or Wards.  Thought is was kinda cool with true vector graphics and dedicated display.  Didn't have color, except for the overlays on the screen.  I guess a color vector system would've been cost prohibitive at the time.

 

Also remember Toys R Us blowing them out at $50 bucks each, and parents saying , uh -- no. 

917494[/snapback]

The joys of having a geek for a dad. Mine picked it up, and I'm pretty sure it was solely because it was a neat piece of hardware.

[BeerGnome]

sllright..how do iget a hold of the guy that sells the modified genny controllers? I found the schematics.. but.. well

I'm lazy

[hookem]

The converted controllers from John Dondzila:

 

http://www.classicgamecreations.com/

 

You might also pick up some of his games, and maybe ask him if there is a multicart laying around that you could buy...

 

There is also this PSX to Vectrex controller adapter, but it's probably more than you paid for the Vectrex itself:

 

http://www.multigame.com/psx2vect.html

 

And those homing mines on Minestorm... practice with the #2 button! Get em all close and hyperspace outta there, turn around and blast em! Also, don't turn to fast from the ones you are shooting at -- stay aimed at them so you can repeat-fire to kill the mine and the missle. If you can pick off as many of the dumb mines as you can before the magnetic ones start after you, you'll have a better chance of clean escape with hyperspace. By levels 5 and 6 you'll be hyperspacing and thrusting out of jams regularly...

[BeerGnome]

The converted controllers from John Dondzila:

 

http://www.classicgamecreations.com/

 

You might also pick up some of his games, and maybe ask him if there is a multicart laying around that you could buy...

 

There is also this PSX to Vectrex controller adapter, but it's probably more than you paid for the Vectrex itself:

 

http://www.multigame.com/psx2vect.html

 

And those homing mines on Minestorm... practice with the #2 button!  Get em all close and hyperspace outta there, turn around and blast em!  Also, don't turn to fast from the ones you are shooting at -- stay aimed at them so you can repeat-fire to kill the mine and the missle.  If you can pick off as many of the dumb mines as you can before the magnetic ones start after you, you'll have a better chance of clean escape with hyperspace.  By levels 5 and 6 you'll be hyperspacing and thrusting out of jams regularly...

917597[/snapback]

 

oh yeah.. my top score so far is 70K around level four.. I've actually taken the stradigy to remove the smart mines before the dumb ones as I can easily enough avoid those.. keep 'em big and they're not a problem the smart mines I take out immeditly.. shoot out to get some distance and double shot to kill the fireball. and being good to be startigic in my shooting to avoid the wrap around effect and having a fire ball coming from somewhere I'm not expecting.

I can reguraly get to the magnetic smart mines.. that's when its starting to get rally hairy for me now

Thanks for the links! I need to check them out!

[JB]

And those homing mines on Minestorm... practice with the #2 button!  Get em all close and hyperspace outta there, turn around and blast em!  Also, don't turn to fast from the ones you are shooting at -- stay aimed at them so you can repeat-fire to kill the mine and the missle.  If you can pick off as many of the dumb mines as you can before the magnetic ones start after you, you'll have a better chance of clean escape with hyperspace.  By levels 5 and 6 you'll be hyperspacing and thrusting out of jams regularly...

I use hyperspace rarely. I don't like randomized escapes, particularly since I get dropped on mines occasionally.

 

I prefer thrusting around. Get all the magnetic mines tailing you, then thrust around the screen to get "behind" them. Right to where they change drift direction, which is where your distance is maximized, and cut loose on the fire button.

 

If you've done it right, they're all sitting on top of each other, and it's like fish in a barrel.

 

...

 

I usually pop the large magnetic mines before I start strategizing. The smaller ones are faster and harder to hit, so baiting them around is more worth the effort than the big ones.

Edited August 24, 2005 by JB

[BeerGnome]

I don't like the hyperspace not only becouse of the randomness, but also the reach on the thumb to do so, just not a fluid movement, and then I misplace my grip when I should be looking.. so next thing y'know.. I'm thrusting into something I should be firing at.

the fact that the stick on my vec is busted onthe X-Y ( thats up and down, right?) axis doesn't help either.. but servicible on minestorm

[Mendon]

I think the Vectrex is worth it.. speaking as a former owner of one

 

I had a Vectrex with maybe a dozen games a few years back. But because I wanted $$$$ to buy a couple of other gaming items and because I hadn't been playing the Vectrex very much, I went ahead and sold mine... maybe 3yrs ago.

 

I've recently thought about maybe getting another Vectrex as I did enjoy several of the games I used to own and it was a nice system. Only thing stopping me from buying at the present time is:

 

A) space for storing sytems/games is/will be a problem as I'm already trying to cut down on the number of systems I own before we move;

 

B) I haven't found a system with games on eBay at a price I'd like to spend. They have a lot of good looking Vectrex auctions (and McGrail's current auctions look awesome!) but I'm just not sure I want to spend that kind of money right now on another system.

 

But I'm impulsive as hell and if I stumbled across a Vectrex in good condition with a few games (like Berzerk, Clean Sweep, Star Trek, Spike) at a reasonable price, I'd probably buy it.

 

So the answer to your question is YES, the Vectrex is a good system.

 

Mendon

[JB]

I think the Vectrex is worth it.. speaking as a former owner of one 

 

I had a Vectrex with maybe a dozen games a few years back. But because I wanted $$$$ to buy a couple of other gaming items and because I hadn't been playing the Vectrex very much, I went ahead and sold mine... maybe 3yrs ago.

SINNER!

[keilbaca]

I have a vectrex on the way, and I can't wait to fire it up.

 

I never played one before, but I have played asteroids in the arcade, and I loved the vector graphics.

Edited August 25, 2005 by keilbaca

[Mendon]

SINNER!

918705[/snapback]

 

(hangs head in shame) Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I have turned my eyes away from the almighty holiness which is Vectrex for blatant, personal self-gratification with that which is Nintendo. Oh, the wicked ways of the flesh! Verily, I am shamed and repent my sinful, perverted ways. I shall say one hundred "Hail Spikes" to show that I realize the error of my ways and to hopefully one day become a member of the flock once more.

 

Mendon

[JB]

SINNER!

918705[/snapback]

 

(hangs head in shame) Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I have turned my eyes away from the almighty holiness which is Vectrex for blatant, personal self-gratification with that which is Nintendo. Oh, the wicked ways of the flesh! Verily, I am shamed and repent my sinful, perverted ways. I shall say one hundred "Hail Spikes" to show that I realize the error of my ways and to hopefully one day become a member of the flock once more.

 

Mendon

918765[/snapback]

Fear not, for Vectrex is a loving god. Even those who turn tehir backs on Him shall know His love.

[dgo]

I don't like the hyperspace not only becouse of the randomness, but also the reach on the thumb to do so, just not a fluid movement, and then I misplace my grip when I should be looking.. so next thing y'know.. I'm thrusting into something I should be firing at.

the fact that the stick on my vec is busted onthe X-Y ( thats up and down, right?) axis doesn't help either.. but servicible on minestorm

918090[/snapback]

 

Hyperspace is dangerous, yes, but for emergency only, and preferably when there's not a lot of activity going on, it can save you.

 

Best is to group the mines, use your thrust to lead them together, and then take

them out, small ones first.

 

I've just opened a small website dedicated to Minestorm. The strategy section is not

done yet, but the mapping of the levels on the different versions is already up.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~bakkerp/Minestorm/

[moycon]

Wow dgo, You are a great Minestorm player!!

I'll admit I love Minestorm, but I suck at it.

[Flojomojo]

Vectrex is great. I've owned one, along with a multicart, and enjoyed having a vector monitor, even a little one, in the house.

 

Mock me if you must, but the thing I didn't like about it is that it seems like a fire hazard. It hums and gets hot, but probably no more than a Mac SE, which it resembles in form. The other issue is finding cartrdiges and overlays, but we're used to the scrounging lifestyle around here and multicarts are easy to find.

 

The cool thing about Vectrex is that the games' owner have lifted the copyright restrictions and allowed the ROMs to be distributed, so you can legally try all of the games out on emulators to see if they truly are your kind of thing. I find a large, modern monitor to be "good enough" at emulating the system, personally. Your mileage my vary.

[Lord Thag]

Fear not, for Vectrex is a loving god. Even those who turn tehir backs on Him shall know His love.

 

And yea, though the penitent return, they shall haveth their asses kicked by the great avenging minestorm, which is summoned by the Vectrex's just wrath.

 

I just scored Berzerk the other day. Man, this is such a neat little system. These things would still sell well today, I think.

 

The other issue is finding cartrdiges and overlays, but we're used to the scrounging lifestyle around here and multicarts are easy to find.

 

 

Everyone, you DO NOT HAVE TO FIND OVERLAYS! Just download the scans over on the emulation site, take 'em down to kinkos, and have them blown up to the proper size (measure the vextrex slot before you go) and printed on transparancies. You can get THE ENTIRE SET for less that $10, and they work great!

[mos6507]

I have to wonder why Atarisoft didn't port some of Atari's vector games over to it. Atarisoft ported games to so many other platforms, it seems suprising that they wouldn't put their games onto a console that could really do the vector arcade titles justice.

905093[/snapback]

 

Excellent question.

 

The Vectrex never got any 3rd party support at all, actually. I guess it just never hit enough critical mass although some of the obscure home computer platforms AtariSoft developed for must have had fewer users than the Vectrex.

 

I think the passion for vectors was really part of the coinop group and the consumer group just ported the titles out of necessity.

 

If Atari were so into Vectors they could probably have just bought out the Vectrex and sold it as their own.

 

I'm not sure why the Vectrex failed so much in the marketplace. It was a great system, albeit expensive. I think it was just a victim of the crash.

[JB]

I find a large, modern monitor to be "good enough" at emulating the system, personally.  Your mileage my vary.

Barbarian.

[dgo]

Wow dgo, You are a great Minestorm player!!

I'll admit I love Minestorm, but I suck at it.

919039[/snapback]

 

Thanks! And yes, it's a lovely game. IMO is the best asteroids clone there is. In fact, I never really liked asteroids

 

Perhaps my strategy guide can be of some assistance, when I put it up. I plan to add

some video's demonstrating the strategies.

If you get to know the game, learn to use the right strategy and also, use a better than the standard Vectrex controller, you will really start improving your score. I only started playing it seriously for a few months, before that I never even passed level 9. I expect to seriously improve my current scoring in the coming time.

[Jacob Rose]

I find a large, modern monitor to be "good enough" at emulating the system, personally.  Your mileage my vary.

919053[/snapback]

 

I've done that with MESS, but it doesn't simulate a vector screen well enough to play some games. Its pixels are binary, either on or off, but a vector display has variations in intensity. Where two lines overlap, the image is brighter. For instance, in Cosmic Chasm the map screen shows a blinking dot representing your current location, but this overlaps the lines of the map. On a Vectrex it's crystal clear what this means, but in MESS it's just a static image with no dot (because the dot is no brighter than the line behind it).

[BeerGnome]

I don't like the EMu's becouse.. well. I could never really get them to work right.. MESS was a pain in the ass, and the "official" emulator.. well I could never get the damn display to work right..

and when it did.. it sucked..

this really IS a system.. where you NEED the original hardware to really appreciate it, a rastar monitor is diffrent from a Vector monitor, and well.. that just all there is to it.. you can't explain it to anyone till you see it first hand.

now if there was some type of way to import some old vector MAME games into the VECT.. that would be nice. its been so long since I 've seen original Asteroids, or Reactor on a real Vector screen

[dgo]

now if there was some type of way to import some old vector MAME games into the VECT.. that would be nice. its been so long since I 've seen original Asteroids, or Reactor on a real Vector screen

920040[/snapback]

 

Not quite what you mean, but close; pretty cool!

 

http://www.zektor.com/zvg/zvg_vpics.htm

Edited August 28, 2005 by dgo