http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E85K0tfFgIs
I don't have much to say beyond "looks impressive". I never had much interest in the Vectrex but this looks like a winner.
Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
'Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon.'
Re: Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
Those colors are amazing, better than all of the awful visual clusterfuck abstract arena shooters I've seen.
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PC Engine Fan X!
- Posts: 9221
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
Re: Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
The homebrew port of Wormhole based on Konami's classic Gyruss is a cool Vectrex game to play/own.
That multi-color screen overlay for Vector Pilot is cool.
The first time I saw/tried out a Vectrex was at a local Musicland store back in 1982. It had the built-in game of Mine Storm up & running. With a MSRP of $199.99 USD and games were $29.99 USD each, it was an expensive gaming deal back in the day. With the widest American retail distribution of any gaming system of that era, the Vectrex was sold in many national retailers such as: Sears, Musicland, King Norman's (a toy store chain based in the Western states of WA, OR & CA), The Wherehouse, JCPenny's, Toys-R-Us, etc. (not even Atari had that much diverse retail distribution with it's gaming consoles aside from partnering with Sears Roebuck Co. with it's Sears Tele-Arcade console offering back in the late 1970s). The Sears Tele-Arcade 3 console was really an Atari 7800 under a different name brand but with a super slick integrated joystick/paddle-in-1 controller combo deal which was promoted by Sears back in 1984. When Atari re-introduced the 7800 ProSystem gaming console to the public in 1987, it did not include the slick integrated joystick/paddle controllers that came with Sears Tele-Arcade 3 console but rather the 7800 Proline joystick controllers.
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Sears Tele-Arcade 3 Controller Factoid:
Atari designed/manufactured this one-of-a-kind Tele-Arcade 3 controller that was a hybrid controller that utilized a joystick/paddle combo with two fire buttons (one on each side for righties & lefties). A switch was accessable on the left side. By sliding it up or down, it'd select either joystick or paddle mode...by sliding it up would enable joystick mode with the joystick being able to move in 8-way digital input (but lock-up the paddle mechanism). By sliding the switch down, the joystick base would lock up into the center position and the joystick base becomes the paddle to freely rotate in either direction. Very extravagant and elegant Atari made/designed 2600/7800 gaming controller indeed.
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When the Great Video Game Crash of '83-'84 fiasco came along, such a brand new Vectrex unit could be bought for a mere $49.99 USD on clearance + Vectrex boxed games were priced to move at $4.99 a pop as well. GCE was thinking about releasing a Vectrex computer add-on complete with keyboard accessory but that was just ended up being vaporware in their last officially released full-color Vectrex promo brochure in 1983-1984. Would've been cool to see it "materialize" though. Makes me think if it would've gone the same route as the Coleco Adam console/computer bundled set deal which failed with a big bang. Even Atari Corp. was seriously considering releasing it's 2600 console based Graduate computer with built-in keyboard interface to the masses but it, too, ended up being vaporware. There was much hype surrounding the 2600 Graduate add-on as mentioned in an old issue of Electronic Games magazine from 1983.
What's interesting, is that GCE would setup such Vectrex demo kiosks but not secure their built-in Vectrex control panels. So it was common to see such barebones Vectrex standalone units missing a control panel at some retail stores (meaning you could power it up but have no proper means to play the built-in game of Mine Storm to warrant/justify spending two hundred smackers for one right on the spot).
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
That multi-color screen overlay for Vector Pilot is cool.
The first time I saw/tried out a Vectrex was at a local Musicland store back in 1982. It had the built-in game of Mine Storm up & running. With a MSRP of $199.99 USD and games were $29.99 USD each, it was an expensive gaming deal back in the day. With the widest American retail distribution of any gaming system of that era, the Vectrex was sold in many national retailers such as: Sears, Musicland, King Norman's (a toy store chain based in the Western states of WA, OR & CA), The Wherehouse, JCPenny's, Toys-R-Us, etc. (not even Atari had that much diverse retail distribution with it's gaming consoles aside from partnering with Sears Roebuck Co. with it's Sears Tele-Arcade console offering back in the late 1970s). The Sears Tele-Arcade 3 console was really an Atari 7800 under a different name brand but with a super slick integrated joystick/paddle-in-1 controller combo deal which was promoted by Sears back in 1984. When Atari re-introduced the 7800 ProSystem gaming console to the public in 1987, it did not include the slick integrated joystick/paddle controllers that came with Sears Tele-Arcade 3 console but rather the 7800 Proline joystick controllers.
------------------------
Sears Tele-Arcade 3 Controller Factoid:
Atari designed/manufactured this one-of-a-kind Tele-Arcade 3 controller that was a hybrid controller that utilized a joystick/paddle combo with two fire buttons (one on each side for righties & lefties). A switch was accessable on the left side. By sliding it up or down, it'd select either joystick or paddle mode...by sliding it up would enable joystick mode with the joystick being able to move in 8-way digital input (but lock-up the paddle mechanism). By sliding the switch down, the joystick base would lock up into the center position and the joystick base becomes the paddle to freely rotate in either direction. Very extravagant and elegant Atari made/designed 2600/7800 gaming controller indeed.
------------------------
When the Great Video Game Crash of '83-'84 fiasco came along, such a brand new Vectrex unit could be bought for a mere $49.99 USD on clearance + Vectrex boxed games were priced to move at $4.99 a pop as well. GCE was thinking about releasing a Vectrex computer add-on complete with keyboard accessory but that was just ended up being vaporware in their last officially released full-color Vectrex promo brochure in 1983-1984. Would've been cool to see it "materialize" though. Makes me think if it would've gone the same route as the Coleco Adam console/computer bundled set deal which failed with a big bang. Even Atari Corp. was seriously considering releasing it's 2600 console based Graduate computer with built-in keyboard interface to the masses but it, too, ended up being vaporware. There was much hype surrounding the 2600 Graduate add-on as mentioned in an old issue of Electronic Games magazine from 1983.
What's interesting, is that GCE would setup such Vectrex demo kiosks but not secure their built-in Vectrex control panels. So it was common to see such barebones Vectrex standalone units missing a control panel at some retail stores (meaning you could power it up but have no proper means to play the built-in game of Mine Storm to warrant/justify spending two hundred smackers for one right on the spot).
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
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Mortificator
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Re: Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
Wow, now I actually want a Vectrex.
RegalSin wrote:You can't even drive across the country Naked anymore
Re: Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
Oh man, the Vectrex is an amazing machine. I have soooo many old consoles and unfortunately I do not have one (yet). I have played them extensively though, and there is something quite magical about it. Definitely my favourite machine from the classic era, followed by the Intellivision.
I'm really glad the homebrew scene is so strong for it, I hope to see more and more cool games released.
I'm really glad the homebrew scene is so strong for it, I hope to see more and more cool games released.
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PC Engine Fan X!
- Posts: 9221
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
Re: Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
GCE did make a single color Vectrex prototype and was thinking about selling it to the masses but to recoup the associated costs of manufacturing it and selling it at retail, they arrived at a MSRP of $500.00 USD per unit (when the intial MSRP of a black & white Vectrex unit was priced at $199.99 USD). Sadly, they decided not to release such a color Vectrex standalone unit as the thinking was the general public wasn't going to fork five hundred bucks for a color Vectrex console. Would've been ace if they did. You'd do away with the color screen overlays and get ready for some mind trippin' color Vectrex games and some pretty cool color arcade vector ports would be expected to be released down the road.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Re: Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
always dreamed that one day the Avro Aero would come back in Vectrex form.
Really cool looking game.
Really cool looking game.
=/
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PC Engine Fan X!
- Posts: 9221
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
Re: Vector Pilot (Time Pilot homebrew on Vectrex)
Vectrex Factoid Time:
Out of all the official GCE produced Vectrex game titles, only one was later ported as a bona-fide arcade game release. CGE's Cosmic Chasm that debuted on the Vectrex back in 1982, by partnering with the American based arcade developer/manufacturer Cinematronics in 1983, they released a color vector version with improved controls (a real rotary knob setup) and dedicated action buttons. The arcade game version of Cosmic Chasm has made a few guest appearances at past California Extreme shows (usually as a one day appearance at best).
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Out of all the official GCE produced Vectrex game titles, only one was later ported as a bona-fide arcade game release. CGE's Cosmic Chasm that debuted on the Vectrex back in 1982, by partnering with the American based arcade developer/manufacturer Cinematronics in 1983, they released a color vector version with improved controls (a real rotary knob setup) and dedicated action buttons. The arcade game version of Cosmic Chasm has made a few guest appearances at past California Extreme shows (usually as a one day appearance at best).
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~