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Vectrex release dates?


BeaglePuss

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This is a cross-post from Digital Press. I've gotten some great Vectrex/prototype information from here in the past though, and I figure you guys would be the be the ones to know.

 

I recently purchased a large lot of Vectrex prototypes and I'm trying to find out how early they are in relation to their production counterparts. I've done some digging but have only been able to find years in which games were released and not actual dates. One prototype in particular, Pole Position, is dated 8-15-83. I've seen it listed as being released in 1983, but no actual reference to the month/day in which it hit shelves.

I have about 15 or so prototypes I'm trying to get release dates for, so any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

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Maybe you have Pole Position 3D!? It is pictured on the 3D Imager box. It must have been started to put an image on the box.

If it doesn't start without a 3D imager - or mashing a button on the 2nd controller - then you might have Pole Position 3D.

Sorry, I don't know anything about Vectrex prototypes.

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Maybe you have Pole Position 3D!? It is pictured on the 3D Imager box. It must have been started to put an image on the box.

If it doesn't start without a 3D imager - or mashing a button on the 2nd controller - then you might have Pole Position 3D.

Sorry, I don't know anything about Vectrex prototypes.

 

I just fired it up, and it does not appear to be the 3D version unfortunately. I haven't had the chance to compare it to my retail copy and compare for differences yet, but I will have time to do so over the weekend.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As a self-proclaimed Vectrex expert, I can confidently say there is no agreed-upon list for actual release dates.

There are a few things we can go from:

 

Original pack-in materials (side of the system box, passport, etc.) - lists the original batch of games, i.e. Berzerk, Scramble, Cosmic Chasm.

 

Of those not included, we can determine a few more release dates from early '83, because they do not match the last telling sign - i.e. Narzod, Heads Up! and Star Castle

 

The last telling sign is how the actual game boxes are labelled. Lightpen and 3D imager games say "Graphic Computer System Cartridge" on the side of the box, rather than "Arcade System Cartridge". There are non-lightpen and non-3D games which fit this description - Pole Position and Polar Rescue - which are commonly accepted as the final commercial Vectrex releases.

 

Sorry I cannot be of more help, but swing on by http://vectorgaming.proboards.com/board/20/vectrex - I'm sure we'd (the Vec community) would love to see what you got! Out of 29 original releases (including 3 Lightpen, 3 3D, Mr. Boston and Minestorm 2) having 15 prototypes is HUGE news. Considering the rabid fanbase - I'd expect you'd be able to make a pretty penny from that lot ;)

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As a self-proclaimed Vectrex expert, I can confidently say there is no agreed-upon list for actual release dates.

 

There are a few things we can go from:

 

Original pack-in materials (side of the system box, passport, etc.) - lists the original batch of games, i.e. Berzerk, Scramble, Cosmic Chasm.

 

Of those not included, we can determine a few more release dates from early '83, because they do not match the last telling sign - i.e. Narzod, Heads Up! and Star Castle

 

The last telling sign is how the actual game boxes are labelled. Lightpen and 3D imager games say "Graphic Computer System Cartridge" on the side of the box, rather than "Arcade System Cartridge". There are non-lightpen and non-3D games which fit this description - Pole Position and Polar Rescue - which are commonly accepted as the final commercial Vectrex releases.

 

Sorry I cannot be of more help, but swing on by http://vectorgaming.proboards.com/board/20/vectrex - I'm sure we'd (the Vec community) would love to see what you got! Out of 29 original releases (including 3 Lightpen, 3 3D, Mr. Boston and Minestorm 2) having 15 prototypes is HUGE news. Considering the rabid fanbase - I'd expect you'd be able to make a pretty penny from that lot ;)

 

Thanks for the information my good man!

 

I've had a few other Vectrex prototypes come through my hands in the past, but nothing like the lot that I uncovered here. I previously owned a Cosmic Chasm prototype as well as a Star Trek prototype, but I have since sold/traded them off. I've owned nearly every Vectrex game in prototype form at this point.

 

I'm in the process of working out a deal to sell the games in one large lot to a fellow Vectrex collector. I'm selling them for waaaaaaay less than I what I could get for them, but I know that they'll be appreciated more with this new owner. He's the same guy that I sold off the previous two prototypes to, and someone I know I can trust. He's also great when it comes to dumping roms and the like, so I know they'll be in good hands. I did something similar when I sold off my spare Vectrex kiosk to Rick Wies. I actually sold it to him for less than what he offered simply because I knew he's take wonderful care of it.

 

I'll be sure to take/post pics here of all the games before I send them off though so everyone here can check them out. If you have any other questions on any of the titles, I'll do my best to answer them here. I'll also sign up for your Vec forum when I get the chance as I'm still an avid Vectrex collector with what I consider to be a substantial collection.

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The chances are, many of them will be final, or close to final builds of the release games. Many of the Vectrex protos I own are similar. The fun will be if there's something substantially different about a couple of them, to discover in the mix.

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The chances are, many of them will be final, or close to final builds of the release games. Many of the Vectrex protos I own are similar. The fun will be if there's something substantially different about a couple of them, to discover in the mix.

 

Oh, no doubt about it. Keep in mind that this lot of prototypes may be new to me, but I've owned many hundreds of prototypes spanning multiple platforms over the years.

 

Judging by the large number of prototypes and the labels present on some of the carts/pcbs, I wouldn't doubt that there's something interesting in the mix.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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