The Vectrex is an incredibly unique gaming system.
While photographs make it look like a small television with a vertically oriented screen,
the Vectrex is so much more than that.
But first things first.
The Vectrex was released by General Consumer Electronics in 1982.
The entire console is a self-contained unit, with the video game console housed with a
9" black and white, vector monitor.
To compensate for the black and white visuals, games came bundled with color overlays that
clip right onto the front of the Vectrex.
Not only do these overlays simulate color, the boarders also give the entire unit an
arcade aesthetic, as well as tell you what the buttons do in each game.
Sticking with the all-in-one design, the controller is hiding in the face of the unit.
This also hides the speaker, reset button, and power/volume knob.
The controller itself is awesome, especially for 1982.
The joystick is actually analog, but few games took advantage of this.
Additionally, there are 4 oversized buttons that feel pretty good.
The controller can be left on a hard surface like an arcade stick, but is also comfortable
to hold like a normal controller.
The side of Vectrex contains the cartridge slot.
The slot on my Vectrex feels very tight, like a cheap famiclone.
I'm not sure if this is something unique to my Vectrex, but I thought I would mention
it.
Finally, the top of the Vectrex has a handle built into the design, making it very easy
to move around.
The Vectrex magic starts when you turn on the system.
A little jingle plays with the startup screen, and the fidelity is surprisingly good.
It sounds significantly better than other systems of the time.
The most important thing you'll notice is the screen.
The Vectrex was the first time I'd ever seen a vector monitor, and I was absolutely blown
away.
Unfortunately, shooting the screen with a camera, just doesn't do it justice.
There is a sharpness, and a smoothness here, that blows away traditional monitors and the
vector graphics look amazing.
It's hard to believe this came out nearly 33 years ago!
The Vectrex was unfortunately released at a terrible time in video game history.
Despite being an awesome piece of hardware, it too was a victim of the video game crash
in 1983, and just 28 games were released for the system.
Despite the small library, there are plenty of good games available.
The built-on game, MineStorm is an awesome Asteroids clone and does a great job showing
off smooth rotation and scaling effects that wouldn't be possible on a traditional monitor.
The game plays brilliantly and everything on the screen moves quickly and smoothly.
The sound effects are also top notch, doing a solid job re-creating the 80's arcade experience.
Another software clone is Clean Sweep.
This one is obviously a Pac-man clone, and it's cool to play a Pac-man styled game on
a vertical screen.
The twist here is you are a vacuum sucking up money, once the vacuum is full; you stop
picking up the money.
Visiting the center of the screen, will empty the vacume bag so you can resume your collecting.
Unlike MineStorm, this screen overlay is mostly green and it does a convincing job tricking
you into thinking the Vectrex is displaying a different color.
Not all of the games are rip-offs of popular titles however.
Berzerk is a true licensed title and a decent version of the game.
This one may be a bit ambitious however, as this is the only Vectrex game I own where
there is some visual flickering going on.
Another licensed game is Konami's side scrolling shmup Scramble, which made its way across
the pond and onto the Vectrex.
The screen overlay here is significantly different than the past three games, featuring 3 prominent
colors rather than one.
Scramble is a fun game and many of the game play elements here are still used to this
very day.
What is unique here is the fuel gauge.
As you fly, you'll slowly run out of fuel.
You need to destroy fuel tanks with your bombs to keep the gauge full.
It's a bit strange to play a horizontal scrolling game on a vertical monitor, but it works.
Overall, the Vectrex has got to be one of the coolest game systems ever released.
The shape of the console, the forward thinking controller, and the beautiful vector graphics
really set the system apart from anything else released in the early 1980's.
I also love the screen overlays.
They give me the same nostalgic feeling of dropping a needle on a record, or flipping
a laserdisc half way through a movie, every time I change them out.
It's another layer of interaction that is all but lost in modern gaming.
If you ever get a chance to play a Vectrex at a convention, or even buy one, you definitely
should.
It's a standout piece of 80's technology with a gorgeous screen, a strong library of games,
and surprisingly good controller.
Highly recommended.