Best Vector games, and general vector game info questions

MmSadda

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
1,162
Reaction score
42
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Best Vector games, and general vector game info questions

This has probably been done before, but anyhow...


Vector games have just recently started to catch my attention, as I've always loved Tempest, and the clean graphics of vector games are very appealing to me.

I'm just wondering - what other vector games are out there that kick ass?

Also, what are prices like on Tempest cabs, and other vector games? Are there any peculiarities of these cabs? What's the basic story on the monitors, with regards to cost, differences from conventional CRTs, and lifespan?
 
I think everyone should own at least 1 vector.
I just picked up an Omega Race and it's in poor condition but somehow i'm going to try and get it back working, I''ll probably end up dropping a bunch of money into it but c'mon it's got a blacklight in it like Asteroids Deluxe! ;)
 
Atari Star Wars of course!!!

Don't forget Major Havok!!!

We KLOVers get gay over pretty much all the Atari vectors really...
 
The best vector of all time is Major Havoc, followed closely by Gravitar.

From what I can tell, vector games generally tend to sell for more than raster ones. Mostly because they are unique and the monitors are not being produced anymore, so in that sense vector games are like awesome gimmicks. Vector monitors as a whole are also more unreliable than raster monitors. I suppose this is because they were a technology that didn't really last long enough to work out all the bugs.
 
I'll happily chime in :) .

Tempest is to this day my favorite game of all time. The concept, the sounds, the graphics, the speed, the complexity (but not too much like today's games)...it's all there in a beautifully designed upright cabinet. And that artwork...just gorgeous! :D

Others vectors that get special mentions from me:

Quantum
Asteroids
Rip Off

But really, IMHO any and all vector games are darn good games...I think the limitations of the graphics really made the designers concentrate on developing great and engrossing gameplay. Well...maybe not Barrier... ;) ...although the cabinet for Barrier is pretty cool...

Jon
 
Gravitar. It was a bomb BITD but it's a beautiful game in terms of both the vector graphics and the cabinet artwork. Gravitar is impossible to emulate perfectly, you need a real Gravitar to get it right.
Black Widow is very fun. The "official" Atari numbers say only 1500 were produced but it's amazing how often BW pops up for sale here or known sale to a KLOV'ers all over the place.
Major Havoc is the holy grail in terms of vector magic. So elusive and expensive that I am building a dedicated MH AAE rig right now, just to play MH and the Clays Tempest Multi horizontally. When peeps find a Major Havoc they post about it here and many just drool over the pics. And you can't just throw a MH PCB into a Tempest cabinet and rotate the monitor, there's more to it than that...
The list goes on and on but those are my particular favs.
 
Greatest Vectors of all time in no particular order.
1. Tempest
2. Star Wars
3. Battlezone
4. Black Widow
5. Space Duel or Asteroids Deluxe
6. Star Trek

Of course, I have never played a Major Havok and would assume it should be on that list somewhere. Also, I would love to have a Red Baron, although I doubt it is considered to be as good as the others on the list by most members here. And while Empire Strikes Back is a pretty good game, its not quite as good as Star Wars. Still its worth the floor space
 
How many vector games does an arcade need?

At least an Astroids and a Tempest?
 
Major Havoc is my favorite vector by a long shot, followed by Gravitar. Then Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe, Tempest, Star Wars/ESB, Black Widow, Cosmic Chasm, and Space Duel.
 
Awesome, I'm amazed that after the initial lack of response here, guys chimed in with their favorite vector games!

Out of curiosity, what do working vector games go for? Not the high-end stuff like Black Widow or Major Havok or anything, but, say, Tempest? Star Wars? Asteroids/Deluxe?
 
Awesome, I'm amazed that after the initial lack of response here, guys chimed in with their favorite vector games!

Out of curiosity, what do working vector games go for? Not the high-end stuff like Black Widow or Major Havok or anything, but, say, Tempest? Star Wars? Asteroids/Deluxe?

I've been scanning eBay and such, and it seems like on a good day you can bring a working vector home for $300 to $400 bucks..
 
Back
Top Bottom