Vectrex Video Game System (Vectrex Video Game system only)

by Vectrex Video Game System

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 36 x 36 x 36 inches ; 20 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 20 pounds
• ASIN: B0014E3LG6
• Item model number: Vectrex Video Game System
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,722 in Office Products (See Top 100 in Office Products)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 20, 2008

Product Description

This listing is for one of kind video game ssytem. The Vectrex was a Videogame system of the 1980 that complete with Atari 2600 and Colecovision. Very hard to find item. Vectrex Video game system only. No Video Games are included. Here is some history on the system The Vectrex is an 8-bit video game console that was developed by Western Technologies/Smith Engineering. It was licensed and distributed first by General Consumer Electric (GCE), and then by Milton Bradley Company after their purchase of GCE. It was released in November 1982 at a retail price of $199. As the video game market declined and then crashed, the Vectrex exited the market in early 1984. Unlike other video game consoles, which connected to televisions and rendered raster graphics, the Vectrex has an integrated vector monitor which displays vector graphics. The monochrome Vectrex uses screen overlays to give the illusion of color. At the time, many of the most popular arcade games used vector displays, and GCE was looking to set themselves apart from the pack by selling high-quality versions of games such as Space Wars and Armor Attack. Vectrex comes with a built in game, the Asteroids-like Minestorm. Two peripherals were also available for the Vectrex, a light pen and a 3D imager. Western Technologies/Smith Engineering briefly considered designing a handheld version of the device in 1988. However, the impending release of the Nintendo Game Boy made such a project too risky. In the mid-1990s, Smith Engineering released the duplication of the Vectrex system image and cartridges for non-commercial uses and has been pleased to see that it has still-thriving developer and user communities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VECTREX: Vector Video Game System, December 1, 2009

By 

John Smith - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vectrex Video Game System (Vectrex Video Game system only) (Office Product)

Skip to the bottom paragraph for the review.

The Vectrex is an 8-bit video game console that was developed by Western Technologies/Smith Engineering. It was licensed and distributed first by General Consumer Electric (GCE), and then by Milton Bradley after their purchase of GCE. It was released in November 1982 at a retail price of $199 ($430 compensated for inflation); as Milton Bradley took over international marketing the price dropped to $150 and then $100 shortly before the video game crash of 1983. The Vectrex exited the market in early 1984.
Unlike other non-portable video game consoles, which connected to televisions and rendered raster graphics, the Vectrex has an integrated vector monitor which displays vector graphics. The monochrome Vectrex uses plastic screen overlays to generate color and various static graphics and decorations. At the time, many of the most popular arcade games used vector displays, and GCE was looking to set themselves apart from the pack by selling high-quality versions of games such as Space Wars and Armor Attack.
Vectrex comes with a built in game, the Asteroids-like Minestorm. Two peripherals were also available for the Vectrex, a light pen and a 3D imager.
The Vectrex was also released in Japan under the name Bandai Vectrex Kousokusen.
While it is a mainstay of disc-based console systems today, the Vectrex was part of the first generation of console systems to feature a boot screen, which also included the Atari 5200 and Colecovision
- Wikipedia

I personally love the Vectrex, and it's my favorite system to play. I must tell you though, they don't come cheap, and are pretty rare. Get one when you can, while you still can. Make sure the joystick still works: it should have a one inch chrome joy stick that re-centers itself, meaning that when you move it, say, to the left, that after you let go it will spring back to the center. I also encourage you to get a multi-cart, which is a modern cartridge containing a selection (if not all) of the games available, they usually go for around fifty to one hundred dollars.
If you get one, try and get a multi cart, and try and get good, working controllers!
Also: it's also great for the office, all you need to do is plug it in! And the best part is: it only takes up about one square foot of desk space!

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible!!!, December 25, 2011

By 

marjorie c - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vectrex Video Game System (Vectrex Video Game system only) (Office Product)

This is an incredible like new item, in better than expected condition and the seller is very accomodating and honest. This is my son's favorite Christmas gift of all time.