Y*A*S*I (Vectrex review)

Developer: Alex Herbert
Publisher: Classic Game Creations
Released: 2003

Y*A*S*I is a clone of Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) that features raster graphics instead of the console's typical vector graphics.

+ Includes gameplay variations that can either help players (e.g. guided missiles) or provide a greater challenge (e.g. moving bunkers).

+ With singular fire capability comes increased anxiety, and being able to cancel enemy shots by downing them creates intense standoffs.

+ Having the option of destroying one of your own bases to get a better shot at an enemy is a cool gameplay strategy.

+ While the analog stick can be used to move left/right, two buttons can be used instead to mimic the Arcade original.

+ The optional VecVoice speech add tons of personality and being on the receiving end of robot smack talk is hilarious!

+ Raster graphics look gorgeous with their sharp scanline effects, and the game saves your high scores to the cartridge.

- The included overlay looks terrific and adds colour rows to enemies, but it also darkens the playfield a little too much.

Mail Plane (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: N/A

Released: N/A

 

Mail Plane is an unreleased flight simulator that uses both a standard controller and the Vectrex Lightpen.

 

The objective is to load five packages into your plane and deliver each one to a specific city before you run out of fuel. To increase the challenge, clouds must be avoided, otherwise you risk being hit by lightning and losing one of your five lives. What's most impressive is how the game is split into multiple sections to immerse the player. Prior to takeoff, you have full control over the flight path, allowing you to map the most efficient route; this is great for replayability and adds layers of strategy. Careful planning is crucial, and I found it helpful to take a picture of the drop-off points beforehand for navigational purposes! Next up is the mail loading sequence where you drag packages into the plane; the Lightpen lacks true precision, but for the purposes of what's required here it works fine. You then accelerate and takeoff using the controller, and enter the heart of the action; here, the game adopts a top-down view as you dodge clouds and search for the correct cities. It's slow-paced and relaxing like Pilotwings (1991, SNES) and controls beautifully. The threat of lightning is an integral part of the challenge, as without it, flying around and delivering packages would be easy! Its inclusion cleverly forces you to watch your fuel metre (as dodging clouds takes away precious fuel) while trying to be economical at all times. My only annoyance is that the flight path screen isn't always accurate, and it can fool you into thinking a city is located towards the right when it's actually diagonally-right. Once you've navigated to the correct location you simply press Up on the controller to land, use the Lightpen to unload, and repeat the process until each package has been delivered. As a whole, the gameplay is tons of fun and I love that the map and cities change each time you complete a route.

 

Mail Plane is the most polished and innovative Vectrex game from its list of 1983 casualties, and shows how capable the system is as a home console rather than purely replicating the Arcade scene. The developers did a superb job crafting a cohesive experience, and the end result is a highly imaginitive and enjoyable flight simulator.

 

 

 

Random trivia: Although the ROM didn't surface until 2013, several screenshots were included on the Vectrex Lightpen packaging in 1983.

Dark Tower (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: N/A

Released: N/A

 

Dark Tower is an unreleased third-person adventure game that was programmed in 1983.

 

You control a squadron of warriors and the objective is to find 1-4 keys (depending on the difficulty setting), locate the Dark Tower, and solve its puzzle by putting the keys in the correct order. While searching the forest for keys, you'll find gold that allows you to buy items such as a Healer (protects you from the plague), and a Scout (stops you from getting lost in the fog). In addition, treasure chests are scattered around, and these sometimes pull you into a short Brigand mini-game where you need to fight for survival by throwing flamoids at enemies and avoiding their projectiles. The gameplay is deep (a wild shift from most other Vectrex games of the time) and just playing for a few minutes won't yield much in the way of progress; that's because the large game world requires patience to explore, and if you're willing to draw your own maps to remember the location of items there's plenty to sink your teeth into. However, its biggest strength is also its biggest downfall, as there's a ton of aimless wandering for most of your experience; trying to locate keys is difficult enough, but finding the hidden Tower is a gigantic pain and the only time I managed to locate it was through sheer luck! There's also a few unavoidable deaths due to the plague which seems like an artificial way to challenge the player and extend game time. Overall, everything is just too random, and the fact that luck replaces skill and strategy in most instances is disheartening. The Brigand mini-game is easily the best part, as it's somewhat reminiscent of Whack-a-Mole! The controls here are very tight, making it easy to dodge incoming projectiles while quickly firing back before enemies disappear. Graphically, the game looks great and the crooked, pointed trees convey a creepy atmosphere that draws you in.

 

Dark Tower is a unique, deep title in a library full of Arcade style shooters and simplistic gameplay ideas, and for that it should be commended. It does suck you in the more you play, but whether you enjoy it depends on how patient you are, and how much time you're willing to sacrifice to see any progress whatsoever.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game was inspired by the 1981 board game of the same name.

Tour De France (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: N/A

Released: N/A

 

Tour De France is an unreleased racing game that was originally scheduled for release in 1983.

 

There's two different track layouts (Game 1 and Game 2 options) and the objective is to place first while obtaining the quickest possible time. Pressing Left or Right on the analog stick moves your rider across the road, while Up is used for acceleration. The face buttons allow you to change gears (Slow, Medium or Fast), pause the game (a rarity on the Vectrex!), as well as grab the occasional water bottle from the side of the road (required to maintain energy levels so you don't slow down). The gameplay involves avoiding the sides of the track, while dodging debris and fellow riders; failing to do any of these results in your rider crashing and losing precious seconds. What's impressive is that the tracks aren't flat, and instead feature rolling hills that even seem to affect how fast your bike can move while ascending. The action is fast but the biggest problem is that it's completely unplayable once you move into the highest gear; here, the action becomes a flickering mess and it's almost impossible to avoid the obstacles and opponents with any sense of precision. The trick is to cycle constantly between second and third gear, but even then you'll never be able to build up enough speed to place in the top two riders. There's also a very thin line between successfully grabbing the water bottle and crashing into the side of the road; as a result you'll never feel in full control, and instead find yourself bracing every time you try to obtain it. Annoyingly, following on from a crash opponents frequently run you over once you begin cycling which stops you in your tracks and sees more seconds tick off the clock. The Game 2 option features a slightly different layout and more debris on the road; while it's nothing too interesting it's nice that the developers added a bit more content.

 

Tour De France is an interesting title in the Vectrex library but it suffers from too many control and gameplay issues to warrant anything other than a passing glance. The racing always feels chaotic (and not in a good way) and it's unfortunate that you can never fully immerse yourself due to the game's shortcomings.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game was rumoured to be 100% complete prior to its cancellation.

Pitcher's Duel (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: N/A

Released: N/A

 

Pitcher's Duel is an unreleased baseball game that was likely due for release in 1983.

 

It supports 1-2 players and you can choose whether you want each game to last between 1-9 innings. On offense, you shift the batter around the box and then select either a Normal or Power Swing. At the same time you must move an on-screen cursor to the position of the incoming pitch in order to make contact. Doing so is difficult, mainly due to the lack of depth perception; too often it looks like the ball is nearing home plate but after swinging it can then take a wild break before finally reaching the catcher! As a result, scoring a single run is painfully tough. There's some great presentation though, and each player is introduced along with their current batting average! There's also some excellent animation during a swing and impressive scaling as the ball heads towards the camera after contact is made. On defense, there's a choice of three pitches (Changeup, Fastball or Knuckleball) and the ball's movement can be altered after the windup using the joystick. Each type features smooth, finely-tuned controls that make it enjoyable to pitch. However, hitters always fall for a fastball in the dirt which results in long, drawn-out games where your only challenge is to grind for a singular winning run. The behind-the-pitcher camera is very innovative for its time though and I like that the action shifts to an overhead view once the ball is put in play. Unfortunately, fielding is poor as you have no control over the players, forcing you to rely on the dumb A.I.; many times the CPU even chooses a teammate at First Base to field a ball that's heading past the Shortstop! The most annoying quirk is that fielders always initially throw to second base when gathering a ground ball; if the bases are empty it unfairly gives the runner extra time to run down the first base line for a hit. Lastly, the game doesn't always follow the strict rules of baseball. For example, in one inning the CPU had a runner at third base and I ended up walking the current hitter; while he correctly trotted off to first base the other player freely wandered into home plate for a run!

Pitcher's Duel is a great technical demonstration for the system but the gameplay is lousy and the fact that it doesn't even follow the sport's rules is unforgiveable. Both sides of the action are generally of poor quality but to be fair the developers potentially could have fixed many issues prior to its intended release.

 

 

Random trivia: In 2007, this prototype ROM was released in cartridge form at the Classic Gaming Expo.

3D Mine Storm (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1983

 

3D Mine Storm is a space shooter that arrived on the Vectrex a year after the original Mine Storm.

 

The objective is to rack up points by shooting waves of mines that try to collide with your ship. These waves are broken down into levels so once you've cleared the entire playfield you move onto the next. The game uses the 3D Imager and the gimmick is that you can only shoot enemies that appear in the foreground; once they've been destroyed another wave fades in from the background. You'll face-off against different sized mines and they each have their own characteristics. For example, some gravitate towards you, while others launch a high-speed fireball when shot. There's also a rogue ship that occasionally enters the playfield and circles around you in a similar fashion to the Droids from Bedlam (1982, Vectrex). To counteract this you can shoot, thrust to dodge, or use hyperspace to transport to a random part of the screen. The controls are extremely sensitive (much more so than the original) so there's a brief adjustment period while you get used to making small, subtle movements. Weirdly, the gameplay never feels as fast or as frantic as Mine Storm and the lower difficulty makes it more accessible to newcomers. It's still fun to play though and features some highly enjoyable shooting action. What keeps things fresh are the various types of enemies, and their differing characteristics force you to strategise your attacks based on their abilities and proximity. I also like that your bullets can be shot out one side of the screen and appear on the other... great for protecting your behind! However, it takes an exceptional amount of time to get back into the action once you lose a life and the waiting around can take you out of your rhythm. The 3D effect is good but in my opinion the complicated graphical style of 3D Narrow Escape (1983, Vectrex) is more impressive.

 

3D Mine Storm is a good version of the game but it's hard to call it essential when compared to the original. It's a neat curiosity and the layers of enemies do create some interesting gameplay mechanics, but overall it fails to advance or improve the shooting action to any meaningful degree.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game was programmed by Bill Hawkins - who also worked on 3D Crazy Coaster (1983, Vectrex) - and was a pack-in title with the 3D Imager.

3D Crazy Coaster (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1983

 

3D Crazy Coaster is a rollercoaster game that requires use of the 3D Imager or the Madtronix reproduction.

 

Despite the box art (which depicts a third-person viewpoint) the game takes place in first-person mode and the objective is to rack up a high score by staying on the track for as long as possible. During a turn, the analog stick steers left and right and you can control your speed with the up and down directions. Placing your hands in the air doubles your point total but you must duck under objects (such as birds and ice cream cones!), otherwise you'll fall off the track and lose one of your four lives. Gameplay-wise, it feels like a QTE game where you're a bystander for most of the action and only enter commands when prompted. The core mechanics are simple, yet well thought-out though, and the real challenge lies in multitasking to gain a high score by turning, ducking and holding your hands in the air when possible. The sense of speed is incredible (with the first-person viewpoint enhancing the immersion) and it's thrilling riding down the track at such a blistering pace. It's just a shame that there's only one track in the entire game which is very short and consists of only eight turns; these turns are easily memorised so racking up a cheap high score is trivial if you're patient and avoid the danger of throwing your hands up. Once you reach the end of the track the game loops so there's little in the way of variety to keep you around. Another bugbear is that it takes approximately 14 seconds to get back into the action when you lose a life! The animation when you fall out of the carriage is hilarious though and the screaming SFX when you catch air is very well done. While the 3D effect is good (especially when you turn a corner) there is quite a bit of double vision, and the background graphics are minimal with only a faint line in the distance to signify the skyline.

 

3D Crazy Coaster is a great idea but it feels rushed and the lack of additional tracks makes the experience somewhat shallow. There's some fun to be had from a novelty standpoint but it quickly wears out its welcome and likely won't hold your interest as long as the more substantial 3D Narrow Escape (1983, Vectrex).

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game's programmer was Bill Hawkins who also worked on 3D Mine Storm for the Vectrex (1983).

3D Narrow Escape (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1983

 

3D Narrow Escape is a third-person space shooter that requires the 3D Imager or the Madtronix reproduction.

 

Piloting a ship your mission is to destroy the enemies' defense forces and defeat the evil warlord. Each level consists of two phases with the first resembling the Trench Run from the first Star Wars movie (1977). The objective is to avoid the walls and shoot six enemies as they approach. It's stunning how good the 3D effect is as you can clearly see into the distance and watch rogue ships as they advance towards the front of the screen. At first it can be tricky to line up your shots but I had more success by aiming slightly above where my brain was telling me! Once you get the hang of this shooting down enemies is tons of fun. Avoiding walls is a slight problem as there's no shadow to help judge the spatial distance between you and the barrier. In theory you can quickly hide behind a wall (which is a great idea) but in practice it's useless as the action darts along too fast for it to be effective. The controls are fantastic though and offer you real precision in your movements. The second phase tasks you with navigating walls with holes in them; in between you can grab cells to fill up your fuel gauge. It requires quick movements and can get very addictive while being a great test of your reactions and nerves! The subtle sound effect once you clear a hole is a nice touch and it's helpful for knowing when to start your next move. Once you've beaten these phases three times you're rewarded by facing a giant boss that fires back. It's a real highlight and I love the scaling effect as it gets closer to you; not only does it look cool it's also quite intimidating upon approach as there's less time to dodge its attacks. Overall, the colour separation provided by the wheels is outstanding but despite the awesome 3D effects there are times when double vision comes into play.

 

3D Narrow Escape is not without its share of issues but it really grows on you the more you play it. It features some excellent shooting action (while simultaneously being an impressive technological feat) and overall I was very impressed with its variety and inspired gameplay.

 

 

 

Random trivia: A fan-made 2D hack is available but it's almost impossible to play the second phase due to the lack of depth perception!

AnimAction (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1983

 

AnimAction is a sketching / animation game that requires the Vectrex Light Pen.

 

It's more involved than Art Master (1983, Vectrex) as you can select from 48 pre-drawn objects to make your animation including facial features, shapes and even animals. There's also an option to create up to 20 of your own objects and save them to the library! This involves moving the cursor to your desired location and then using Button 2 in conjunction with the Pen to draw your shape. From here you can change its size, rotate or flip it, as well as make it brighter or dimmer. These features are great and give you lots of flexibility but the input commands aren't intuitive as some require button combinations or even the analog stick; therefore, referring to the manual is a must. Freehand drawing is also available which is useful for creating a stationary background while the objects animate around it. Straight lines can be drawn by holding down Button 2 and you can erase line-by line if needed. Drawing works great but there are a few restrictions as you can only have 80 free-hand lines or 40 straight lines on screen; therefore you need to keep things fairly simple. Once you're happy with the first frame you press the NXT icon to start the next frame; here you can reposition previous objects to create a sense of movement. I love that after altering the position of the objects you can press Button 4 twice to see a shadow of the previous frame so no guesswork is required. Depending on how many objects you use in your entire animation you can have up to a massive 28 frames (for comparison Art Master only had nine) and when you're finished pressing PLY allows you to watch back the animation. There's a real sense of satisfaction when you see the final outcome and the highly responsive Pen and multitude of editing options mean it's a joy to create throughout.

 

AnimAction provides much more freedom than Art Master and the extended feature list allows your imagination to run wild. It does have a steeper learning curve but the sophisticated tools deepen the experience so that both children and adults can sink hours into creating their masterpieces.

 

 

 

Random trivia: This is the only Vectrex cartridge to house additional memory in the form of 2K RAM.

Polar Rescue (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1983

 

Polar Rescue is a first-person action-shooter that was released exclusively on the Vectrex.

 

Controlling a submarine your mission is to travel through the icy waters, shoot down enemies and rescue any survivors. You can speed up and down with Buttons 2-3, while Button 4 fires torpedoes at mine fields, ice chunks and enemy subs. The HUD at the bottom shows your speed, remaining torpedoes, sub damage, as well as the oxygen level which basically acts as a timer; run out and you lose one of your five lives. There's also a sonar which displays an arrow that you must follow to reach the Docking Station of the survivors; once they're aboard your sub reverses back to the surface and you repeat the process again. The sub controls are good and offer the right level of freedom without feeling too sensitive. The collision detection is spotty though as you'll randomly take damage despite seeing nothing around you. It's also not clear whether an enemy or the Docking Station is above or below you so it's easy to waste time and oxygen circling around. The combat is no fun at all as you can't always see the opposing sub as it fades into view; it can still fire at you though despite being barely visible and you have very little time to react resulting in some cheap deaths. Firing is another problem as there's no reticule on screen to show where your torpedoes will land; this means that the majority of the time you'll simply shoot and hope for the best rather than relying on pure skill. The Docking sequence is the most enjoyable part of the game as you need to speed down and use your HUD indicator to manoeuvre the cross into the square indicator; this allows you to lock-on and it reminds me of the refuelling sections in Top Gun (1987, NES). The game's graphics are excellent and I particularly love the animation when the sub attaches itself to the survivors' pod.

 

Polar Rescue should be commended for trying to do something different as it has tons of depth and there's nothing quite like it on the system. However, the gameplay just isn't very enjoyable and it needed more polish to remove its annoying quirks.

 

 

 

Random trivia: This is one of only three Vectrex games with a pause button; the others are Spinball, a.k.a. Flipper Pinball (1982) and Star Ship a.k.a. Harmagedon (1982).

Art Master (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1983

 

Art Master is a sketching and animation tool that requires the Vectrex Light Pen.

 

It has three modes with the first being Sketch. To begin drawing you first need to hover the Light Pen over the on-screen cross to move it to your desired location; when you're happy with this holding down Button 1 allows you to draw lines. You can also stretch lines afterwards with Button 2, erase with Button 3 or create fan shapes with Button 4. There's only a limited number of vectors available for each sketch so if you hear a beep you only have ten lines left to finish your creation; this restriction means that you can't really create anything detailed so unfortunately simple sketches are the only option. Also, it's easy to accidentally draw a duff line and there's no way to undo without erasing the entire sketch. In Connect mode you create drawings as dots rather than straight lines; once you're happy with your sketch pressing Button 4 shows the drawing with all of the dots connected. Really, this mode is better for two players as you can draw an object and see if your friend can guess what it is. While it's cool to see your sketch become connected it suffers from the same issues as the first mode and the novelty quickly wears off. Animate allows you to create moving sketches with up to 31 vector lines. Using Button 2 to create lines you simply draw an object and then press Next to move onto the second frame (out of a maximum of nine). After you've drawn each frame hitting Play and then Button 3 shows you your animation in action; Buttons 3 and 4 can then be used to speed up or slow down the animation. Seeing the vector lines move around smoothly is fascinating and it's like watching an entertaining fireworks show! While you can't create masterpieces there's something hypnotic about it and you can get much amusement from the simplest of animations.

 

Art Master is a very basic drawing application that's really showing its age due to the technical limitations of the system. Kids might enjoy the game for its fun Animate mode but even then it's unlikely to hold their interest for long due to the heavy restrictions it places on their imagination.

 

 

 

Random trivia: There was one other art game released on the Vectrex called AnimAction (1983).

Star Castle (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1983

 

Star Castle is a shoot-em-up that was first released in the Arcades in 1980 by Cinematronics.

 

You control a Star Cruiser and your mission is to break down three rotating castle walls and destroy the Cannon in the middle. It supports 1-2 players (simultaneous or alternating) and the joystick rotates your ship, 3 thrusts forward while 4 fires missiles. Each wall is split into eight sections which need to be shot twice; as you fire away Bombs are launched and if they collide with your Cruiser you lose one of your five lives. The longer it takes you to destroy the walls the more aggressive the Bombs become and the more accurate the Cannon gets. The risk element comes in the form of how close you're willing to get to the walls; shooting from a distance is safer but only four missiles can be on screen at a time meaning it takes longer. In contrast, closing the distance speeds up your firing rate but leaves you with little time to react to incoming projectiles! There's also a strategic element as when a wall is completely destroyed the inner walls quickly expand and form a new wall around the Energy Cannon; therefore, you need to be selective with your shots and try to open a clear path where the gaps in all three walls are lined up together. When this happens you need to pay attention to the Cannon as it will launch deadly fireballs at you. Weirdly, the skill levels you select before starting a game are reversed meaning option one is the most difficult! Unfortunately the gameplay is unengaging and quite frankly boring as there's nothing different to see after the first round. It's also hard to line up your shots as the Bombs are microscopic and your Cruiser pivots too fast to be completely accurate. Throughout you'll feel like you're fighting against the controls which is horrendous in a fast-paced shooter. The Cannon also fires too quickly leaving you with barely any time to dodge.

 

Star Castle isn't the worst shooter in the world but I just didn't find the overall concept to be particularly interesting. On top of this the gameplay isn't really much fun and in my opinion there's much better shooters available on the Vectrex such as Cosmic Chasm (1982) and Mine Storm (1982).

 

 

 

Random trivia: The Arcade version is said to have been the inspiration for the Atari 2600 smash hit Yars' Revenge (1982).

Star Trek: The Motion Picture / Star Ship (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1982

 

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a first-person space shooter that was released in some markets as Star Ship.

 

It supports 1-2 players (alternating) and your mission is to pilot the Starship Enterprise and destroy the Klingon Mothership. The joystick moves your ship, Button 4 fires your laser and Button 3 puts up a protective shield which defends against incoming torpedoes. Both the laser and shield have limited strength so you must watch your gauges, hunt down the Space Station and press Button 2 to lock your ship onto the door to refuel. There's nine sectors and once you've eliminated all Klingon and Romulan ships in a sector you move onto the next. The gameplay reminds me of Star Raiders (1977, Atari 8-bit) as the fast paced action forces you to multitask at all times. It does have a learning curve but once you master the controls it's enjoyable and the graphics, while primitive, do an outstanding job of making the play area feel expansive. It's challenging, in the best possible way, as the collision detection is great and every death feels like it was completely your fault. One of the hardest elements to master is refuelling as the Space Station needs to be rotated with the door facing you; while you're trying to time your shot enemy torpedoes still rain down on you so it's a careful balancing act that lends the game a real intensity that the best Arcade games have. The Klingon Mothership appears in Sector Nine and it fires a wide range of torpedoes in your direction; to defeat it you must shoot directly onto its nose. This battle is awesome as it adds some variety, tests your nerve and challenges you to be even more precise with your aim. Before each game you choose which sector you'd like a Black Hole to appear in which warps you straight to the Mothership if you lock on; this adds strategy as if you're struggling with a specific sector you can just skip it completely.

 

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is an engaging and well thought-out shooter that I found to be more immersive than most other Vectrex games. It's amazing how much it draws you in (and tricks you into believing it's a bigger, free roaming world than it actually is!) and there's simply no other experience like it on the system.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game made a brief appearance in a 1982 movie called Android as a character called Max 404 is seen playing it.

Space Wars (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1982

 

Space Wars is a shoot-em-up that was first released in the Arcades in 1977.

 

It supports 1-2 players and the objective is to destroy the opposing ship ten times to win. The controls are similar to other Vectrex shooters as the joystick rotates your vehicle, Button 2 transports you to a new location, 3 thrusts forward and 4 fires lasers. As you battle you'll need to watch your supplies (located in the top-right) as you only have a certain amount of fuel and laser power; once a round ends the stock replenishes. Although you can occasionally take multiple hits you must dodge meteorites that float around as well as avoiding the sun (located in the centre) as they'll instantly kill you. There's seven gameplay variations which affect the skill level, ship and laser speed, as well as the strength of the sun's gravity which can pull you in. Despite the different setting the gameplay is reminiscent of Armor Attack (1982, Vectrex) as it's essentially a one-on-one battle in an enclosed arena. The game's strongest point is that there's multiple ways to win; for example, you could just go all-out and hunt straight after the enemy, guns blazing. However, there's the more tactical approach which is to keep your distance until the opposing ship runs out of fuel; at this point you can swoop in and shoot down their immobile vehicle. One of the main difficulties I found though is that it's annoyingly tough to fire accurately and frustration quickly sets in as you beam lasers all around your opponent instead of hitting them! Also, even on the easiest setting the CPU is extremely intelligent and puts up a strong fight; they can even kill you within a split second of a round starting so it's best to immediately move your vehicle. The higher difficulty settings are utterly ridiculous as the ships move too fast and the sun's gravity is too strong which literally makes the game unplayable.

 

Space Wars is a mildly entertaining shooter with a few layers of strategy to its simplistic gameplay. However, I just didn't find it very engaging and unless you have the social element of two human players battling it out it likely won't hold your interest for very long.

 

 

 

Random trivia: There's a way to gain temporary invincibility in this game; find out more here.

Solar Quest (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE

Publisher: GCE

Released: 1982

 

Solar Quest is a shoot-em-up that was originally released in the Arcades in 1981.

 

It supports 1-2 players and your mission is to destroy alien vessels and rescue survivors before they float into the centrally located sun. The game makes full use of the Vectrex controller as Button 1 transports you to another part of the playfield, 2 smart bombs those around you, 3 thrusts you away from danger and 4 fires rockets. You too have to avoid touching the sun as doing so will deplete your reserve of three lives; additional lives can be earned by rescuing 25 survivors. The gameplay is fast-paced and the shooting action is solid. Having the sun in the middle really changes the dynamic compared to games like Mine Storm (1982, Vectrex) as there's impending doom lurking beyond your every move. It's exhilarating once you get used to using all four buttons at once and the control scheme is well thought out; I especially love making small incremental moves around the centre to dodge enemies when they're hot on your tail and even though you don't receive any points for doing so it's satisfying when they end up hitting the sun! Interestingly, if you don't want to rescue survivors you don't technically have to; instead you can shoot them and still earn a lower amount of points! This basically gives you two different ways to play the game which is brilliant for replayability and for suiting what mood you're in! To keep things stimulating there's seven types of alien vessel and some wander around and only home in on your direction when you're close, while others zigzag around in unpredictable patterns. There's also ghost ships that randomly appear and if you manage to shoot them you'll gain a massive 3,500 points. The game packs a real challenge and it doesn't take long for things to heat up so you'll need serious practice to last more than a couple of minutes.

 

Solar Quest is an excellent shooter with fantastic controls and it provides an interesting twist on the usual Asteroids style gameplay. While it's extremely challenging those who take time to master it will find it to be surprisingly deep with multiple ways to rack up a high score.

 

 

 

Random trivia: Both Solar Quest and Space Wars have exactly the same overlay except with a slightly different colour scheme.

Rip-Off (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE
Publisher: GCE
Released: 1982

Rip-Off is a shooter that was first released in the Arcades by Cinematronics in 1979.

You control a ship and your mission is to stop incoming pirates from stealing your valuable fuel cells. These cells are located in the middle of the screen and your method of attack is firing a laser or Thrusting forwards. There's technically no life counter and you can crash into enemies to destroy them at a cost of not having a backup ship appear for a few seconds. It's an interesting mechanic as it gives you another attack option while temporarily penalising you. The game's main objective is to rack up a high score which you do by shooting pirates; there's six types available including some with quick moves and others that fire lasers. Once you've destroyed all six types you enter a Bonus Round where larger points can be earned by surviving additional waves. Incredibly, there's 16 different gameplay options to choose from that affect the number of cells you have to protect, as well as variations on which enemies and bullets can wraparound the screen (i.e. leave one side and enter the other). The latter sounds like a good idea but having wraparound fire is a major disadvantage as you can't shoot as fast due to bullets being visible for longer. The game becomes difficult quickly as after a couple of waves the pirates start speeding into view. The shooting action works perfectly well and the ship controls are sharp and responsive. However, the overall gameplay just isn't very engaging and it seems like you spend as much time waiting for enemies to enter as you do shooting them. While some might argue that the downtime heightens the anticipation of impending waves I personally felt it created a lack of atmosphere. I also wish there was a way to pick up stray fuel cells and bring them back to the centre pod as it would have added a much needed layer of strategy.

Rip-Off plays perfectly well but I found it to be a bit generic and somewhat uninspired. The action just isn't interesting enough and the lack of strategy involved leads to some sparse gameplay with little depth and minimal replay value.

Random trivia: By holding buttons 1 + 2 + 4 on the title screen until the music ends you can access a hidden developer credit.

Cosmic Chasm (Vectrex review)

Developer: GCE
Publisher: GCE
Released: 1982

Cosmic Chasm is a shoot-em-up that was ported to the Arcades a year later by Cinematronics.

Your mission is to reach the centre base, destroy an alien-infested planet and then exit before it blows up. Button 1 drills through force fields that lead to adjoining caverns, 2 adds a shield to protect your ship (at the cost of being able to fire), 3 thrusts you forwards, while 4 shoots your dual lasers. As you start a map displays the caverns and passageways and it's your job to find the quickest route to the centre. The first cavern is automatically chosen for you and once inside you need to shoot the Planet Protectors that swarm on your direction. You'll also have to watch out for the deadly middle ring as it's booby-trapped and continues to expand the longer you're in there. After you clear the room you can escape the current cavern by slowly drilling the force field blocking the exit. As you work your way through the map you'll eventually reach the centre cavern and pulling back on the joystick drops a bomb; a 15 second timer is then activated and it's up to you to retrace your steps to get out alive. It's absolutely thrilling and the countdown clock adds some real anxiety as you desperately navigate your way around using your memory. Once you've escaped you move on to the next mission with faster enemies. Each button on the controller is expertly used and I love how quick reactions are needed to shoot aliens while also strategically using your shield for protection. You only have five lives but the difficulty is perfect and you're gradually eased into the action. I also love that the map changes each time you play so you never quite know where you're going to start; this forces you to plan your attack beforehand and it's very engaging. The only minor downsides are that it can sometimes be hard to line up your shot quickly and the fire button is occasionally laggy.

Cosmic Chasm is a deeply engrossing shooter that successfully blends adventure and RTS-like elements to create one of the best experiences on the Vectrex. The action is enjoyable and the constantly changing maps and starting points add tons of replay value to the already addictive gameplay.

Random trivia: This was the first game made for a home console that was later ported to the Arcades; usually it worked the other way around.