vectrex ?

[Paranoid]

I always thought it was just an awkward game.

I admit to never playing an actual machine, though.

 

I played it today, and with the MAME artwork superimposed as raster graphics, it looks pretty sweet. It did seem awkward. You use the stick to move and the button to attack. When you attack, you can't move and the single stick, with button depressed, controls your swing. It is weird, to say the least. There is also a time limit, so, you can kill each other as many or few times in the given time, but when the match is up, it is up. Would make it hard to master the game at the arcade without a pocket full of quarters. It is 2 player only, so the next time I have a cocktail party, I'll convince some drunk to go up there and play with me for a half hour or so, then report back.

 

Thank goodness the Vectrex draws the walls.

 

Arcade overlays were pasted onto the screen instead of hung in front of it. Made the positioning of graphics a lot more precise once the display was adjusted.

On the Vectrex, not only are you incapable of adjusting the display to match the overlay, but the relation between the 2 planes will actually shift position with your viewing angle. So it would've been an unplayable mess without drawn walls.

 

 

Same thing for Armor Attack with MAME. MAME will do raster-graphics of the overlay in full color, it looks snazy, and is perfectly aligned automatically. Of course, the vector graphics in both games on a raster screen aren't as spiffy as the Vectrex doing the real thing... but you know, it is all give and take unless you can afford a basement gameroom full of the real deal.

[dalton4life]

I haven't played a Vectrex regularly since I gave mine to my cousin about 15 years ago, but I always used overlays. I know it's going to make it more expensive, but when I finally buy another Vectrex I'll buy only games with overlays.

Edited July 16, 2006 by dalton4life

[+remowilliams]

Same thing for Armor Attack with MAME. MAME will do raster-graphics of the overlay in full color, it looks snazy, and is perfectly aligned automatically.

That overlay draw does look really cool

 

does anyone know what version this cart is? or whats on it?

That's a Sean Kelly Vectrex Multicart.

 

It should contain:

 

3D Crazy Coaster

3D Minestorm

3D Narrow Escape

All Good Things

Armor Attack

Art Master

Bedlam

Berzerk

Blitz!

Clean Sweep

Cosmic Chasm

Dark Tower

Engine Analyzer

Fortress of Narzod

Heads Up Soccer

Hyperchase

Melody Master

Patriots

Polar Rescue

Pole Position

Ripoff

Scramble

Solar Quest

Space War

Spike

Spinball

Star Castle

Star Hawk

Star Trek

Test Cartridge

Tour De France

Vector Vaders

Web Wars

[Paranoid]

Weren't there at least 2 version of the Sean Kelly Vectrex Multicart?

[Rob Mitchell]

does anyone know what version this cart is? or whats on it?

 

It has all the original released games .. plus some of John Dondzila's early games .. and a few demos which were programmed in the 1980s.

 

It does not have any of the many homebrews released since 2000.

 

Plus you have to OFF/ ON the console to switch to another game.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Rob Mitchell]

Weren't there at least 2 version of the Sean Kelly Vectrex Multicart?

 

I think there were three .. One had dip switches .. then the two versions which did not.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Lemmi]

thanks guys, less then 24 hours after my post my vectrex system arrived in the mail, thanks to Albert, and have been playing it on and off since then Berzerk, Frogger, and Minestorm baby!!

 

a few more questions

 

the 3d games wont work unless i have the 3d imager or something right?

 

also what does the "empty slot" & "test" options on the multicart do?

 

will i need a light pen for art master?

 

 

 

i havent tried those options yet as i thought i would ask before turning the system on and off to try those options

 

awesome little heavy system i wish i hadnt waited so long to get one

 

and is it normal for the controllers to cost as much as the system?

[Crazy Climber]

I just traded my Vec and games for a Lynx with a bunch of games and it was the best damn trade I ever made even if it is worth a little more, the Lynx is sooo cool. Oh and I never used the overlays mainly due to not owning any, if I ever get a Vectrex again someday I think I would only buy complete games for it.

[Dusk2600]

i would have never traded a vectrex with games for a lynx. sounds like a bad trade to me, but you did what was right for you i guess.....

[Paranoid]

Weren't there at least 2 version of the Sean Kelly Vectrex Multicart?

 

I think there were three .. One had dip switches .. then the two versions which did not.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

 

In this case, I have one of the later versions. Mine has no dip switches.

 

As far as having to power-cycle the Multi-cart (" ") as someone mentioned...

 

Which Multicarts DON'T require this? Certainly my CC2 and AtariMax 128-in-One and Sean Kelly 5200 Multicart all require a power cycle to select a new game. The Vectrex power on off is a little more awkward than the 7800 or 5200 power supply, being a knob you twist to turn on and THEN once on adjust volume... but although this is a pain, it seems pretty standard for a Multicart to require a power cycle to change games.

 

Does anyone here repair Vectrex units or know somewhere/someone that does this service? I can imagine my screen dying or something else failing in the unit, and although it might be less expensive to just pick up another, I don't know I'd feel good about throwing one in the garbage. On the other hand, while I'm willing to open up a 5200 or 7800 and risk getting zapped by a capacitor, I'm not keen on DIY projects near an open flyback transformer... even on a TEEENY little CRT.

[+remowilliams]

As far as having to power-cycle the Multi-cart (" ") as someone mentioned...

 

Which Multicarts DON'T require this? Certainly my CC2 and AtariMax 128-in-One and Sean Kelly 5200 Multicart all require a power cycle to select a new game.

The VecFlash has a soft reset which is great. Turning systems on and off for multicarts is generally not a big issue - but in the case of the Vectrex it is just not good for the system, being unique with its own monitor and all...

 

Vecs aren't that bad to work on. I've fixed a few and the CRT discharge isn't that bad. It's the soldered grounding straps and the level of disassembly to get the board out that is annoying

[A.J. Franzman]

while I'm willing to open up a 5200 or 7800 and risk getting zapped by a capacitor, I'm not keen on DIY projects near an open flyback transformer... even on a TEEENY little CRT.

You really are paranoid, aren't you? There's no high voltage that you need worry about being zapped by inside a 5200 or 7800 (or a 2600 either). Incoming power is typically in the 9-15 VDC range, so you won't even feel it if you happen to get across the leads of the biggest capacitors in there. Unless you happen to get your tongue, eyeball, or an open wound in contact with them.

 

Accidentally shorting one of those caps out might make a little pop noise and a bright spark, but it won't hurt you. Even if you have your finger right on the spark, all you'll get is a light surface burn.

[Paranoid]

You really are paranoid, aren't you?

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?a...;showentry=1700

 

I hope that works...

 

Even if you have your finger right on the spark, all you'll get is a light surface burn.

 

I'd rather NOT get a light surface burn... or a tiny 9vdc jolt. I don't like electricity, at all. I've got a friend who likes to play around with live 110v a/c. Of course, he also likes to outrun the police on his Yamaha. I'm at the opposite end of that spectrum.

 

But again, I'm willing to risk a tiny little jolt from a cap on a logic board... but I've got no desire to be anywhere near a flyback transformer. Hopefully, my Vectrex continues to survive, so I don't have to ever face the challenge.

[JB]

 

the 3d games wont work unless i have the 3d imager or something right?

Pretty much.

You COULD have someone hammer away on a second controller's 4 button as fast as possible(the 3D Imager uses the "player 2" port's 4 button for the color wheel sync), but it'd be slow, flickery, monochrome(3D Imager added color too!), and double-vision. So not really a lot of fun at all.

[Dusk2600]

i hear u can use the sega master 3d glasses, youd obviously have to run both systems but i hear it works

[EricDeLee]

i would have never traded a vectrex with games for a lynx. sounds like a bad trade to me, but you did what was right for you i guess.....

 

 

Nothing wrong with that trade. I trade off things all of the time to get something I really really like!

 

I did that with the Lynx (the first one I got)... and I've done that for other items as well (and I'm doing a lot of that now for my Turbo Grafx collection. That went from 6 games to 40 some odd games in a matter of two weeks or so. Now I have yet another ebay deal where I am getting 40 extra games! I love it!!!)

[Crazy Climber]

i would have never traded a vectrex with games for a lynx. sounds like a bad trade to me, but you did what was right for you i guess.....

I was really suprised at the low number of people that responded to my wanted ad. I know the Vectrex is worth alot more but I gave it a try and never really got in to it. I have played my Lynx more in the last week than the couple years I owned the Vectrex. Maybe it's because I bought a Lynx on the original launch day and always regreted selling it. I thought for sure someone would pounce on the trade ASAP but I offered it for quite a while with out any good offers. Over all I am still happy with the trade and I would do it again. I know I could have sold my Vectrex on Ebay then tracked down all the Lynx stuff I wanted and maybe saved a couple bucks but to me that would be a hassle, this was an easy trade......

VECTREX WITH GAMES FOR LYNX WITH GAMES

And thats why I did it.

[Lemmi]

VECTREX WITH GAMES FOR LYNX WITH GAMES

And thats why I did it.

 

 

i would have jumped on that deal if i had more then 1 game for my lynx

[Crazy Climber]

 

the 3d games wont work unless i have the 3d imager or something right?

Pretty much.

You COULD have someone hammer away on a second controller's 4 button as fast as possible(the 3D Imager uses the "player 2" port's 4 button for the color wheel sync), but it'd be slow, flickery, monochrome(3D Imager added color too!), and double-vision. So not really a lot of fun at all.

I don't remember the guys name (Drank a lot of beer that night) but when I was at the Midwest Gaming Classic I met someone who told me there is a reproduction 3-D Imager that looks something like a welders mask, at a more affordable price of course. I originally brought my Vectrex down there to trade but decided to hold off after hearing that in hopes of tracking one down so I could play the obscure 3-D games. Never found one so up for trade it went. Might be worth looking in to if you want to play the 3-D games.

[Matt Fisher]

 

the 3d games wont work unless i have the 3d imager or something right?

Pretty much.

You COULD have someone hammer away on a second controller's 4 button as fast as possible(the 3D Imager uses the "player 2" port's 4 button for the color wheel sync), but it'd be slow, flickery, monochrome(3D Imager added color too!), and double-vision. So not really a lot of fun at all.

I don't remember the guys name (Drank a lot of beer that night) but when I was at the Midwest Gaming Classic I met someone who told me there is a reproduction 3-D Imager that looks something like a welders mask, at a more affordable price of course. I originally brought my Vectrex down there to trade but decided to hold off after hearing that in hopes of tracking one down so I could play the obscure 3-D games. Never found one so up for trade it went. Might be worth looking in to if you want to play the 3-D games.

 

Look here: http://www.madtronix.com/html/3d_imager.html

 

He's selling them for 65 Euros, which is a heck of a lot less than an original, needless to say... Some people seem to be having problems with them, so I haven't taken the plunge yet, but I will when the bugs are worked out.

 

In the meantime, Kevin Horton made an adapter so that you can use the SMS glasses (or any other shutter glasses with a 1/8" plug) to play the 3d games on the Vec.

 

contact info: http://www.tripoint.org/kevtris/Contact/index.html

 

It works great (no color, though) and he sold me the adapter and glasses for $30 plus shipping. Kevin said he had a bunch left.