Vectrex (1982) Library | Trying all 29 Games

The Vectrex home console has won the hearts of many. However in its prime, it failed to reach sales targets. Are the games good? Let's find out! The 3D Mine Storm hack I used was inaccurate (no footage to compare with at the time) so I trimmed the segment.

Thank you Console Warriors for the Vectrex footage!

0:00 - Thank yous
1:21 - Introduction

3:48 - 3D Crazy Coaster
4:44 - 3D Narrow Escape
5:44 - AnimAction
6:24 - Armor Attack
6:41 - Art Master
7:22 - Bedlam
7:56 - Berzerk
8:21 - Blitz! Action Football
8:51 - Clean Sweep / Mr. Boston
9:35 - Cosmic Chasm
10:04 - Fortress of Narzod
10:37 - Heads-Up Action Soccer
10:58 - HyperChase Auto Race
11:33 - Melody Master
12:05 - Mine Storm
12:54 - 3D Mine Storm
12:58 - Mine Storm II
13:24 - Polar Rescue
13:57 - Pole Position
14:18 - Rip Off
14:38 - Scramble
15:03 - Solar Quest
15:34 - Space Wars
16:11 - Spike
17:03 - Spin Ball
17:33 - Star Castle
18:18 - Starhawk
18:54 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
19:25 - Web Warp / Web Wars

20:23 - Reflection

Outro Music: Launch Base Rearranged - Savaged Regime

Background Music:
Door into Summer - Knuckles Chaotix OST
RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 Main Menu Theme
Rocket Jump Waltz - Team Fortress 2 OST
Dive - PixelJunk Monsters OST
45X8 60X6 90X4 - PixelJunk Monsters OST
Sounds For The Supermarket 1 (1975)
Counterfeit Mermaids - Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero OST

#vectrex #miltonbradley #retrogames

[MetalJesusRocks]

This is a cool overview of all the Vectrex games! I recently added the homebrew game Vector Pilot which is a take on the arcade Time Pilot and is highly recommended!

[equinox]

Minestorm 3D actually uses the 3D gimmick to add to the gameplay. Enemies can drift from the background into the foreground and can't be destroyed until they do, unlike the original, where everything can be hit at any time. It's a cool gimmick and works great with the 3D imager.

[MichaelHickerson]

The giant sombrero in Star Trek is a space station that you use your tractor beam to lock onto so it recharges your ship. Yes, I had this game and played it a lot.

[MagesGuild]

I should further note, that no-one held the controller as you do. We placed it on a flat surface, with our right four primary fingers over the buttons and left on the analogue stick. Some of us put Velcro pads on it and on a table to keep it from shifting.

This felt very much like standard arcade controls for a number of titles, and worked very well. One finger per button was the intended ergonomic design.

[skidart]

I love how freaking smooth the games look. I would of loved to have this in the early 80s, hell, right now id like one

[telengardforever]

The Vectrex was amazing for it's time. I remember all the kids at Fort Bragg in the early 1980's had one -- well, all the kids who's father's were E-6's and above. I didn't see 3D like that again till almost 20 years later. The Vectrex was so advanced for it's time, we didn't know how to interpret it.

[stockicide]

I appreciate your "undecided" rankings.
Much more fair than judging something without experiencing the real version yourself.

[gianni_descalzo]

I adored our Vectrex. It was our first console. It had one fatal flaw in being portable - all of the venting happened through the bottom of the unit. We used it frequently on carpet, causing it to overheat and eventually it fried. In my defense, I was a small child, and had no idea what was happening.

[woodeyelyegaming]

My favorite teacher Mrs Keogh had one of these in her classroom back in the late 90's early 2000's

[GregsGameRoom]

“Star Castle has a Yars’ Revenge feel.” Well, HSW was tasked with making a home port of SC but limitations prevented it, so he made YR instead.

[peir]

So awesome to see a video on the Vectrex, as it holds a special place for me. To this day, I know no one else who has one. My older cousin gave it to me in 1985, along with a bunch of games including Spike, Cosmic Chasm, Scramble, etc.., 2 controllers and a couple of screen overlays. I had NO idea how much it's worth now and after watching your video, I went rummaging through my storage at 3am because it's been years. Lo and behold I still have it, and I'm gonna start playing it again. Thanks for posting this video!

[tommylakindasorta]

I remember drooling over this thing at Lionel Playworld back when it came out. I was 10, and there was no way in hell my parents (or anyone I knew, for that matter) could afford to buy one. I played a demonstration unit that was set up at the toy store, and that's pretty much the last I saw of the Vectrex for decades. Thanks for doing this epic, comprehensive review of all the games.

[almaelma]

Wow I'm really damn impressed on the quality on some of these games given the limitations. I really need this in my collection.

[MackDaddi]

"Star Castle has a bit of a Yars Revenge feel to it" Yars Revenge is a Howard Scott Warshaw version of Star Castle. That's exactly what he was trying to make. So Yars Revenge was inspired by Star Castle.

[_Bit]

I like Minestorm a lot more than Asteroids; there's 4 different types of mines that cycle through the levels in different combinations, and it gives quite a bit of variation. The difficulty spikes every 4th level then gets a little easier for a level or two afterwards. Level 12 is especially brutal so I think that's why the level 13 bug was not discovered earlier.

[kbm-zwjd]

I had one of these in 1982 I brought it to college in 1991. I left it in my dorm when I graduated. I wish I still had it. I loved Scramble and the Star Trek game.

[Donrom]

I love that the re-release of the built in game was a 'sequel'. Basically yesteryear's version of a patched game.

[_Bit]

I've got two Vectrex systems. One I got in box at a yardsale along with 5 or 6 games for $35 in the late '90s. The other one I got at a thrift shop for $5 in the 2000s. Someone had cut the power cord off, but I just replaced the cord and it works 100% now.

[MisterGraa]

4:30 Remember when 80s Comics was called CGR, Also I have heard claims that in the early days of classic game room they used bots to get more views, I hope That‘s not true but if you look at the Mario cart wii and Ben 10 review it wouldn’t be to hard to believe.

[SpaceyMcSpacer]

I love the vector aesthetic that’s why I love the Vetrex