Top 25 Vectors

[FighterFly]

Interesting list.

How could AD possibly be #24? That's the definition of insanity in my world.

My top 5 would be :

1) Gravitar
2) Asteroids Deluxe
3) Black Widow
4) Space Duel
5) tie between Armor Attack and Rip Off (see how I snuck a 6th pick in there. )

I know, I know ... no Tempest in my list .... it's because I suck at it.

What's your top 5 list look like?

 

[TheYeti]

Having a list of the top 25 vector games is the equivalent of showing me a list of the top 1046 NES games.

 

[mopar5150]

My Top 5 would be
1) Battlezone --------Military grade wireframe 3D and challenging play. My all time favorite!
2) Space Duel -------Great color vector and nice 2 player control panel. Asteroids but better.
3) Tempest -----------Love the game play, love being able to start at different levels and great color vector.
4) Gravitar-------------Great, challenging game!
5) Star Wars and ESB----Love the sounds imagery and love the controller. Wish it had more levels.

 

[VectorCollector]

My Top 5 would be
1) Battlezone --------Military grade wireframe 3D and challenging play. My all time favorite!
2) Space Duel -------Great color vector and nice 2 player control panel. Asteroids but better.
3) Tempest -----------Love the game play, love being able to start at different levels and great color vector.
4) Gravitar-------------Great, challenging game!
5) Star Wars and ESB----Love the sounds imagery and love the controller. Wish it had more levels.

You are aware that companies other than Atari made cool Vectors BITD? LOL
And some of them are ultra-cool.

That said, my top five likely are Atari ones as well.

 

[mopar5150]

You are aware that companies other than Atari made cool Vectors BITD? LOL
And some of them are ultra-cool.

That said, my top five likely are Atari ones as well.

Point taken.
But I was only able to list my top 5. Plus these are games I have actually played on a real cab.
Honourable mentions would be,

Tac/Scan
Eliminator
Star Trek
Rip Off
Armor attack-- Love the vectrex on this.

 

[64B1T]

You are aware that companies other than Atari made cool Vectors BITD? LOL
And some of them are ultra-cool.

And most of them are decidedly not

That said, my top five likely are Atari ones as well.

My top five would probably be (in no particular order)

- Major Havoc
- Gravitar
- Tac/Scan
- Space Duel
- Black Widow

I have yet to play of the über rare color vector games from cinematronics/Centuri. But I imagine they'd be up there for me.

 

[jkoolpe]

Almost too hard to choose just 5 for me, but here goes:

Tempest (of course!)
Asteroids
Demon
Black Widow
Major Havoc (dedicated)

But truth to tell, there really isn't a vector game that I don't enjoy .

Well, maybe Speed Freak isn't so special...I usually give it a try at CAX when it's there, and I just cannot get the hang of steering in that game...

Jon

 

[edelgiud]

So I guess I am not a vector guy if I say that I did not even know there were 25 Vectors ever created ;-)

 

[KaBoom1701]

There are none. They are always broken. Lol

But if I had to choose

Star Wars then Tempest

 

[VectorCollector]

The quasi-definitive list of all arcade vectors ->

AndysArcade.De - All Vector Games

Overview of all Arcade Vector Games from 1978-1985 (released, licensed, cloned or prototypes).

www.andysarcade.de

Disappointing that so far no one has mentioned Cosmic Chasm (game play and cabinet design), Zektor (game play and voice), and even classics like Quantum nor Sundance ... LOL

That Sega had evolved color vectors to also include voice affects should really give them more appreciation by true vector afficionados.

 

[aeroflott]

If you're into vector games, I would implore you to play Aztarac. Great game and easily my favourite vector.

 

[jkoolpe]

The quasi-definitive list of all arcade vectors ->

AndysArcade.De - All Vector Games

Overview of all Arcade Vector Games from 1978-1985 (released, licensed, cloned or prototypes).

www.andysarcade.de

Disappointing that so far no one has mentioned Cosmic Chasm (game play and cabinet design), Zektor (game play and voice), and even classics like Quantum nor Sundance ... LOL

That Sega had evolved color vectors to also include voice affects should really give them more appreciation by true vector afficionados.

The Sega color vectors are certainly worthy, but they just don't quite make what I would consider my Top Five is all. I do play them in my Star Trek cabinet frequently enough, with Star Trek and Zektor being my favorite of the bunch.

Note that I am quite biased when it comes to ST as TOS is still one of my all time favorite TV shows. So sad what has happened to the ST franchise of late as so called "nu"Trek is virtually unwatchable IMHO, but that's totally OT so I won't go there now .

Jon

 

[VectorCollector]

^^^ mandatory Spock with black cat gif --->>>



Fascinating.

 

[cwilkson]

The Sega color vectors are certainly worthy, but they just don't quite make what I would consider my Top Five is all. I do play them in my Star Trek cabinet frequently enough, with Star Trek and Zektor being my favorite of the bunch.

Note that I am quite biased when it comes to ST as TOS is still one of my all time favorite TV shows. So sad what has happened to the ST franchise of late as so called "nu"Trek is virtually unwatchable IMHO, but that's totally OT so I won't go there now .

Jon

Did you ever give "Strange New Worlds" a try like I suggested? It is Star Trek as it should be. It has problems, but honestly...I'm pleasantly surprised by it.
Otherwise, I agree....Star Trek is even more dead than Star Wars. And that's *BAD* ! I'll also throw in the 2nd seasons of Buck Rogers and Space:1999 as "nu" interpretations of classic IPs. All of these things are absolute rubbish.

Back on topic....
I don't get to play a lot of vectors, so I'll just list the ones that I have...in no particular order.
Not really the best ones overall, but they're good or I wouldn't have them.

Omega Race
Asteroids Deluxe
Space Duel (eventually will turn into a Cinevectron setup...that's the plan.)
Vector Pong
Asteroids (waiting to be AST/ASD/LL multi)
Speed Freak (*boardset only....I need a cabinet! )

 

[jkoolpe]

Yea, I watched all of SNW, and while it had some moments here and there, this last season was largely terrible with some episodes that I actually found downright offensive as they (the writers and producers, not the actors) seemed to be going out of their way to offend actual, long time ST fans. In particular, the one where several principal crew members were turned into Vulcans was one of the worst things I have ever seen in all of recorded TV, Star Trek or otherwise. Sorry man, but that was absolute, total dreck.

But to get back on topic...next time SF is at CAX and if you're also attending, you have to show me how to properly play Speed Freak .

Jon

 

[cwilkson]

....this last season was largely terrible with some episodes that I actually found downright offensive.

Agreed. I had to pull way back on my OMGWTFBBQSTARTREK!!!!!!! rants after SNW:S3.

But it's a different time. Our world is crumbling and the very real possiblity of being persecuted for what you say or even think is becoming the norm. So even if they WANTED to do it (I don't think they do, but...) the writers can't push the envelope on social issues like TOS could and did. The current ST leadership won't support them and Paramount is too worried about who they can sell themselves to allow any controversy. And entertainment is different too. You have a room of writers throwing stuff at a wall for 50 minutes and then spending 5 minutes scraping it off and onto the page. And then 5 minutes of an exec telling them to start over. And finish it in the next 30 minutes or they're fired. Not like the old days when someone had an idea, and a real writer would turn that idea into a spectacular story and screenplay. There were exceptions ("Spock's Brain") but excellent writing was the rule. We can't ignore the audiences either...they don't want to think anymore. They just want 'splosions in the background while they doomscroll on TikTok. I honestly don't think they CAN think anymore. Social media has drained the ability to concentrate from the population as a whole.

Ok, I can still rant. But really, it's just a different time.

But to get back on topic...next time SF is at CAX and if you're also attending, you have to show me how to properly play Speed Freak .

Hell if I know how to play it! I only get to play once or twice a year, at CAX. And then it dies like it did this year, so I only get to play it once.
Like any twitch game, you need to practice! First is learning the feel of the controls. Mainly focus on steering. That's the hard part and it's really touchy. But learn to use the brakes too. (Let off the gas pedal!) Brakes are critical. I always forget because I'm too busy steering. And then when I finally remember "OH! let go of the peddle!!!" the show is over or the game is down or gone early and I can't play again.

Try to stay in low gear and drive slowly to practice steering. Then practice it some more!

 

[MarcelG]

Aztarac is amazing. Hard stop.

 

[VectorCollector]

Here are my lists as just one list doesn't really make sense.

(All in no particular order per catagory)

TOP 5 Vectors I play the most:
Asteroids, BattleZone, Space Duel, Tempest, Armor Attack

TOP 5 Vectors with the most beautiful cabinet artwork
Gravitar, Space Duel, Black Widow, Star Wars, Asteroids Deluxe

TOP 5 Vectors with the best vector graphics
Star Wars, Tempest, Space Fury, Cosmic Chasm, Major Havoc

TOP 5 Vectors that are the most under-appreciated
Space Duel (since these are the first to lose their monitor), Rip Off, Omega Race, Empire Strikes Back, Red Baron

TOP 5 Vectors that are the worst to play
Sundance, Barrier, Space War, War of the Worlds, Warrior

TOP 5 Vectors that should be placed side by side
Space Duel, Gravitar, Black Widow, Major Havoc (conversion in SD cab), Quantum

TOP 5 Vectors made by Sega (LOL)
Eliminator, Space Fury, Tac/Scan, Star Trek SOS, Zektor

TOP 5 Vectors made by Cinematronics/Rock-ola (LOL)
Armor Attack, Star Castle, Rip off, Solar Quest, Cosmic Chasm

TOP 5 Vectors in Black and White (with or without an overlay)
Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, BattleZone, Armor Attack, Star Castle

TOP 5 Vectors in Color (without an overlay)
See top 5 with best vector graphics

TOP 5 Vectors worth the most coin
Major Havoc (dedicated), Quantum, Cosmic Chasm, Star Wars (cockpit), Sega XY cabinet with 5in1 multigame (screen flip, and working/refurb'd G08)

TOP 5 Vectors that are the most rare
Aztarac, Boxing Bugs, War of the Worlds, Cosmic Chasm, BattleStar (wink wink)

 

[64B1T]

If you're into vector games, I would implore you to play Aztarac. Great game and easily my favourite vector.

I hope to own one one day. I am optimistic I'll eventually be able to land one.

 

[rlsharp1]

1 Asteroids
2 Tempest
3 Battlezone
4 ?
5 ?
Other than these I never really got into any of the other ones, guess I didn't have enough quarters BITD. Only made so much delivering newspapers on a bicycle.