The Vectrex (video)
"This week is E3, so in the spirit of gaming, we're going to do a bit of gaming coverage, of things not at E3, MAKE style, like this video from our very own Brian Jepson showing off the Vectrex, one of the most stunning systems in the history of gaming - integrated monitor, analog joystick and one of the first consoles to use vector graphics all running on a Motorola 68A09 @ 1.6 mhz chip and 1 KB of RAM."
Take a look at these current auctions on eBay :
Passport for Vectrex system
 | US $5.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 11:11:17 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
BOXED VECTREX SYSTEM w/ manuals/inserts/overlay CIB box
 | US $27.49 (9 Bids) End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 18:15:57 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
(16) Vectrex Game Protector PPE Crystal Clear Boxes
 | US $17.99 End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 19:03:37 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $17.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
(3) Vectrex Game Collector PPE Crystal Clear Boxes
 | US $3.75 End Date: Monday Sep-13-2010 19:04:15 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $3.75 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Screen Overlay for Vectrex Mine Storm.
 | US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Sep-14-2010 9:20:26 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list |
February 22nd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
god damn when i was a kid i blew into my carts as well, but i wish i never did! you see the humidity (and tiny particles of salt) you’re exhaling will, in the long run, render any and all carts treated this way completely unusable.
February 22nd, 2010 at 4:52 pm
wow, 100 bucks for this. I wish I hadn´t thrown mine out way back. And I also wish I could play “Spike” again
February 22nd, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I had one when I was 10. I thought it was the coolest thing ever at the time, boy was I a retard!
February 22nd, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Interesting, what emulator is it? Yes playing the real thing is such a complete and tactile experience. Even the sound of the monitor humming slightly adds to it.
February 22nd, 2010 at 5:41 pm
with regards to emulation you are right to a degree i downloaded a vectrex emulator and the sound graphics etc are spot on it even has the overlays covering the screen how ever it plays the games way too fast making them even harder than they were on the vectrex, plus nothing compares to playing the games on the original vectrex which i am very lucky to have
February 22nd, 2010 at 5:58 pm
I bought one brand new when they came out. I still have it, and although the kids say it’s “whack” at first, they can’t stay off it. Ebay has games for it. I should stock up while they’re cheap.
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Blowing on cartridges is a very bad idea because the moisture from your breath causes rust and corrision on the contacts on both the cartridge and the cartridge slot.
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:41 pm
I thought Polygons were only possible with the more common raster graphics systems.
Why use a emulator? The whole point of Vectrex system is to have the actual Vector Graphics screen and hardware. Plus I don’t think it’s the same without that proprietary controller.
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Got two in the attic! I LOVE this machine, it is the embodyment of retro. and as mentioned its pretty much impossible to emulate
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Holy shit, 150 bucks! And to think I threw it in the bucket in 1990…
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:55 pm
I HAD IT!!!
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:55 pm
I had one of these as a kid…. I remember getting like 2 million on Mine Storm (I think that was the scroe). I got to like level 65 or something and one dot would not expand into a shape so the game could not continue
There’s a level around 30ish where all the shapes are invosible….but you can get past that if you turn the brightenss know on the back and these lines appear where objects are (sort of a cheat but what else can tyou do).
Scramble was tough getting through the maze!
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
played the asteroids clone on it a few years ago in the schick und schön and red cat in Mainz. Thank you dj psycho jones!
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:19 pm
part 1: (didnt show up for some reason)-
NEVER BLOW IN YOUR CARTS. It can cause permanent damage! I suggest doing this:
Take a Qtip, and some rubbing alcohol. Dip one end of the Qtip into the alcohol, and begin to rub down the inside of the cart your would normally “blow” into.
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Alot of brown or black stuff will come off. If you feel there’s more to clean, then go ahead and dip the other side of the Qtip in alcohol as well.
After you feel you have thoroughly cleaned out the cartridge use the side of the Qtip you didnt get wet (or a new one if you used both) and just lightly dry off the cartridge’s connector.
yoour game should now work!
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Although an emulator will never do justice to the Vectrex, I’m using ParaJVE and it does a pretty good job at emulating the machine IMHO (much better than MESS/MAME anyway).
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 pm
how much are they?
February 22nd, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I’d buy a color vector system. I already have 2 vectrex consoles.
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Why? It’s the ONLY way you can play the old vector games authentically. Even MAME fails here, because the glow of the vector monitor is missing. It’s still being developed for and the new games are incredible. They are doing things with this machine that the original designers never thought of, like raster graphics. That’s right, raster graphics on a vector monitor. YASI looks just like the original space invaders, complete with raster graphics. Even Frogger is on this system (in vectors).
February 22nd, 2010 at 11:26 pm
I have owned at least 8 vectrexes (many were bought to sell) and I have NEVER had to blow on a cartridge. The moisture he deposited on the card edge connector was probably the problem. Either that or the cartridge is corroded.
AWESOME SYSTEM. If you think Mine Storm and Scramble are good, try Star Castle, the ONLY home version of the game and spot on. A near perfect conversion.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:23 am
I had one of those in….1981(ish)?
Pretty cool for its day.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:45 am
hehe, i was born in 1996 and i love it soo much XD
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:08 am
im so glad i found mine back
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:28 am
have you EVER thought about, that I could’ve been the one who left your mom crying..? FOOGAN…I AM YOUR FATHER! WHICH MEANS “I PWNED YOUR MOMMY!”
think about it kid…
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:29 am
YEHHJKJH