Evolution of Console Gaming: Chapter 3
Written: Aug 24 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good game play, easily portable
Cons: Average graphics, poor sound
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| fm_hunter's Full Review: GCE Milton Bradley Vectrex |
Even though the Vectrex was released in 1982, it wasn’t until 1984 that I had the opportunity to use this console. Since I had already owned a Colecovision, I had high expectations for any home gaming system that I played. The first thing I’ll state about the Vectrex is that on first sight, it’s a very unimpressive looking console.
It’s a self-contained unit, meaning you don’t hook it up to an external television. It comes complete with its own black and white monitor, looking very much like an old Macintosh. One of the first visible limitations is that the view screen is extremely small, perhaps measuring 10 inches diagonally. The fact that this screen doesn’t boast any color is another reason to be disappointed. But don’t pass judgment on this console just yet.
In case the console name didn’t give it away, this system is based on “vector” graphics. Vector graphics are graphics using nothing but linear lines to build images and pictures. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, think of the classic arcade game “Asteroids”, which exclusively used vector graphics. There were several other successful arcade games using this graphics engine, including “Major Havoc”, “Star Castle”, and “Space Duel”.
It’s pretty obvious from the onset that realistic graphics aren’t going to be a boon with the Vectrex. In order to add a little color and variety to the various games, a plastic overlay was included with each game that was placed over the monitor. Using these overlays weren’t a necessity for playing any game, but they did do a good job adding some depth to the visual images.
The controllers for the Vectrex were pretty effective, however, easily out performing the controllers from either the Colecovision or Atari 5200. They included 4 buttons and a function directional control that didn’t cause painful cramps with long play. The sound, on the other hand, left much to be desired. It was very tinny sounding and used one small, paltry speaker.
With the graphical and sound limitations, the Vectrex was surprisingly fun to play. There was a decent library of games available, even though finding them was somewhat of a challenge. Obviously, the arcade games that used vector graphics were the best and easiest games to port to the Vectrex. Games like “Star Castle” and “Asteroids” looked virtually identical to their arcade counterparts, while other non-vector games were available like “Scramble” and “Berserk”.
One of the advantages of the Vectrex was it’s portability. Lightweight and easily carried since it was made up of one piece of hardware, this console was easy to show off to your friends. I don’ think many people actually ever saw or played a Vectrex, so I suspect it was considered a failure, but those who played it that I knew of really enjoyed it despite the ordinary graphics and substandard sound. I would love to pick one of these machines up, so please don’t outbid me if you see me on E-Bay going for one of these classic consoles!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
fm_hunter
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Member: Hunter Paschall
Location: Portland, Oregon
Reviews written: 254
Trusted by: 251 members
About Me:
Denizen of the pacific northwest, purveyor of atypical music, & hacker of golf balls.
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