The Nostalgia Nerd brought me here, and I was not disappointed. What a pleasant little tour through a niche package for what was already a cult classic system. And good job filming several shots of the Vectrex without the usual flicker - someone knows how to adjust their shutter speed. 😊
The overall design aesthetic of Vectrex packaging is absolutely beautiful. The logos, the silver, the grid, all comes together in such an incredible way. The 3D imager is an amazing add-on, and it's box is just gorgeous.
Great video. They were definitely trying to be cutting edge with the peripherals. As for Mail Plane, looks like it wasn't officially released. All the ROMS were made public domain years back and a fan made recreation cart and box was created in 2021 and is still for sale. That fan-made version is what's showing up on ebay.
I used to have a Vectrex when I was a kid, but I never knew of these other devices. That's so cool. I subscribed to your channel when I came across a video of the old Sears catalogues. I used to love looking through those, and dream about toys I wanted for Christmas. Thank you for the good work you do. You were born too late.
Loved the vid! I can't believe there is still classic gaming stuff like this that I never heard of before. Even as a person who's paid attention to this subject my whole life. Thanks!
The Vectrex is my holy grail of systems. I still say these vector graphics are appealing and unique even today. Awesome video, it’s so cool to see these accessories. Some of them were surprisingly innovative.
I don't remember seeing a Vectrix before in my life, much less one that was turned on. I'm sure I would have some uncovered some buried deep memories uncovered if I had. That was a neat thing to see, thanks!
I absolutely love the Vectrex and it's cool to see "the light pen" drawing on the screen. And I've never seen "3D Imager" on video, the design of it looks really cool. Awesome video Erin.😉👍
it's amazing what creators were able to make back in the early 80s, when the computing power was so limited. They make it look like these machines had way more computing power than they really did.
I owned 3 , first one bought when they we're phaseing them out in 84 , the original price was around 450 dollars but reduced to about 120 in 84 , the last one i bought in 2002 for a mere 20 usd before they became searched after
Extremely cool! The Retro category is so nostalgic for me. I'm about the same age as Mike. I remember playing Atari 2600, NES and all thes retro counsels for the first time when they first came out. It was AWESOME at home. Great Video Erin.
When I was 7 years old in back in 89 I "inherited" a Vectrex with a bunch of games from my older brother when he moved out for college. I didn't even know that he had one and I was already into the NES by then (1st and only console my parents bought me). It was so different and cool. I still have and rock that Vec it to this day.
I would love to get my hands on the light pen one of these days. The games for it look awesome! Thanks for highlighting more about this neat piece of gaming history.
Light pens are really easy to make DIY using just a hollowed out whiteboard marker, photosensor and a few capacitors/resistors. That's what I did for mine to test out the light pen programs. 3D imagers have gotten so expensive it's tough to even think of getting an original these days, over $1K for one typically. Too bad such a limited number of apps were made for either accessory.
I remember seeing one of these setup with the accessories in a mall electronics store when I was five years old in 1986 and was absolutely fascinated by it since I actually got to mess around with it a bit, especially the games and light pen. Thanks for bringing back some fun memories of a unique little system!
It wasn't sold anymore and was discontinued and discounted in 1984 . Maybe it was old stock or the store displayed one still. Great system especially for its time.
@@thisisrob8750 Yeah I remember the store was a local mom and pop electronics store that wasn't a chain, but it eventually turned into a Radio Shack. It was literally the only time in my life I saw the system, and it stuck with me how unique it was.
Awesome video Erin, as a proud Vectrex owner I am always on the lookout for Vectrex content so thank you, I'm really digging Vectorblade, Vyrzon, Vector Patrol, Vector Pilot & Star Wars Arcade on the Pitrex with UV overlays, looking forward to picking up a 3D imager one day, again great video #AlmightyVectrex
The Vectrex was a little beast of a machine in the early 80's. Nothing has been quite as unique since! It's form, it's arcade vector graphic style and intriguing accessories, it was like nothing else yet widely ignored :/
I got to see a perfectly working Vectrex live for the first time this past May in RetroBarcelona, best retro event in Spain, and I was mesmerized. I always knew you love the Vectrex, but I understood it when I saw it. Great video!
Mail plane is a recent release. Someone completed the game and put out a physical copy. I bought mine with the reissue light pen. I also have the 3-D imager and a few games. It works as advertised but with just 2 playable games and the very rare homebrews that utilize the imager, it's a hard sell as the imager is easily worth 2k plus
Nice video, Erin! I finally bought a Vectrex at this year's Too Many Games and I love it but I need to get more games for it. As for these two accessories, I could see myself picking up the light pen someday
I was only born in 1989, so I missed the whole 80s in gaming, but I remember playing NES either 1993 or 1994. Then in 1996 I played Doom I & II. I remember playing Heretic in 1997. I got N64 in 1997 and after that PS1 in 1999. In 2000 PS1 was my fav. console with 30+ games. That was my gaming story, never owned Vectrex, IntelliVision, ColecoVision, Amiga, C64...
I used to own a Vectrex years ago and I absolutely loved it. I never had the 3D Imager or the Light Pen though, but I did have most of the games that were officially released. It's such a unique gaming experience, I wish I could afford to buy one again, but they're just too pricey nowadays.
Mail Plane was a somewhat lost prototype for many years. A cart with the complete rom was listed on ebay in 2013. Chris Romero and a few others bought the prototype and had the ROM released so everyone could play it. Later Sean Kelly would go through the labor of having all the parts professionally printed in the style that GCE would have done. Its a testament to the quality of production if you can't tell they're not original era products. Still available from his website as well as faithful reproductions of the Light Pen.
Hey you ever getting back to Monster Party? A monster that drops hearts will do it again if you can get it to respawn. That's part of how I gathered up those max life level codes, just fyi.
Oh man! The 3D games look super fun, and that light pen music game looks like it would genuinely help me learn to read music better. I can read music but it's at a 1st-2nd grade reading level equivalent. I'll read some of it fine and then bump into a section where I have to figure out the notes slowly kind of like a person learning to read would sound out the word (u um, b br, el l ah, umbrella!)
Id be willing to bet the copies of mail plane on eBay are home brews that are being pawned off as genuine. People make games for this awesome console all the time.
The 3d roller coaster game would be something i would definitely like to play as i am terrified to go on real roller coasters. I wonder what games would have looked like if vector graphics had took off more and stayed popular.
That last 3D game looks like they way overdid the separation. Not surprised at all you were seeing double. Maybe if you sat like 6 feet away it would improve. Sad I never got to experience the 3D Imager.
It could be that I was sitting too close since I couldn't have my glasses on, but yeah you could be right. I hope one day you can experience the wonders of the 3D Imager!
I remember having the 3D glasses for the SEGA Master System, and I'd always thought that was the first 3D accessory, but with most anything, if you think it's the oldest, there's usually something older and more obscure out there. Not that I can see in three dimensions, anyway, but it's still neat to see that kind of technology going that far back. Is that anaglyph? Seems like it might be with the different colors.
I’ve never tried the Master System glasses but I’d like to! And I’m not totally sure if it’s anaglyph but it seems like it could be? I’ll admit I had to google that word after reading this comment, ha.
@@ErinPlays Oh, sorry about that; old tech nerd forgets herself sometimes. The neat thing about the Master System glasses is that they don't do the anaglyph thing; instead of having two different colors through two different lenses, they have alternating shutters that open and close so rapidly that your eyes don't realize it's happening, and the images blur together, kind of like how the SNES does transparencies by alternating water/ghosts/whatever showing up only every other frame.
does that do burn ins, as burn ins are like bits or dots, in a dvd drive, omg nvidia 3d glasses, same system, tho its operating with infrared switching beacon. then see single :)
Cool accessories. 😅 The 3D CrazyCoaster was just like it reminds me of Temple of Doom and Rail Shooter arcade games. I can't forget about the ones from Nintendo like the zapper and i already know that the SNES had a mouse. 😲
I liked the video also i just got a vectrex just a couple days ago its kind of fun to play the only games that come with it was pinball and is there any chance you can do yoshi safari video on the SNES
i'm sure it's cheesy looking by today's standards but honestly if i saw drawing on a vetrex when it was new and i was a little kid....... i'd of been absolutely blown TF away and used it for hours xD
Might want to add a flashing lights warning somewhere. Flashing doesn't even affect me and I felt myself feeling off with how much the screen was flickering at points... lack of sleep is probably playing into that a bit.
Hey I was able to successfully broadcast a Virtual Boy and a Sega Master System in both Side By Side and Red and Cyan 3D. If I ever see a Vectrex, I'd pick 2 up. One fir me, and pne for a friends whose cousin sold it while young. 2 questions about the Vectrex. 1. What kind of plug do the controllers, light pen and 3d glasses have. If it's a standard DB9, I'd get a Y adapter, and get a second set of glasses, one the has arms broken to get fir cheaper, and stick a Minoru 3D webcam in front of it if 15 frames a second, or 2 SQ11s if 30 FPS and film through the filter. 2. Does anyone build a "Rightie Adapter" for the Vectrex? Nowadays it is considered normal, but back then, it was considered backwards.
The Nostalgia Nerd brought me here, and I was not disappointed. What a pleasant little tour through a niche package for what was already a cult classic system. And good job filming several shots of the Vectrex without the usual flicker - someone knows how to adjust their shutter speed. 😊
Thank you very much! I'm glad you found me :)
If I had a Vectrex as a kid it would've blew my mind. It was so ahead of curve. Narrowscape was basically Star Fox before Star Fox!
The overall design aesthetic of Vectrex packaging is absolutely beautiful. The logos, the silver, the grid, all comes together in such an incredible way. The 3D imager is an amazing add-on, and it's box is just gorgeous.
Couldn't agree more!
Great video. They were definitely trying to be cutting edge with the peripherals. As for Mail Plane, looks like it wasn't officially released. All the ROMS were made public domain years back and a fan made recreation cart and box was created in 2021 and is still for sale. That fan-made version is what's showing up on ebay.
Thanks for the info! That’s what I figured. I’ll have to try it out someday. Thanks for watching!
Nice😮
The Vectrex is one of my favorite retro consoles, I had no idea about the accessories. Thanks for the video 👍
I used to have a Vectrex when I was a kid, but I never knew of these other devices. That's so cool.
I subscribed to your channel when I came across a video of the old Sears catalogues. I used to love looking through those, and dream about toys I wanted for Christmas. Thank you for the good work you do. You were born too late.
The roller coaster guy's little mitten hands are really cute.
Loved the vid! I can't believe there is still classic gaming stuff like this that I never heard of before. Even as a person who's paid attention to this subject my whole life. Thanks!
The Vectrex is my holy grail of systems. I still say these vector graphics are appealing and unique even today. Awesome video, it’s so cool to see these accessories. Some of them were surprisingly innovative.
You've gotta love the Vectrex. Such an iconic machine.
Hey Erin! It’s great to see you again. Keep it retro always 💯
That's so cool! The Vectrex is my holy grail!
I don't remember seeing a Vectrix before in my life, much less one that was turned on. I'm sure I would have some uncovered some buried deep memories uncovered if I had. That was a neat thing to see, thanks!
I absolutely love the Vectrex and it's cool to see "the light pen" drawing on the screen. And I've never seen "3D Imager" on video, the design of it looks really cool. Awesome video Erin.😉👍
It's like an old school drawing tablet, cool.
Vectrex was amazing! :D Really tight controls and fun games!
it's amazing what creators were able to make back in the early 80s, when the computing power was so limited. They make it look like these machines had way more computing power than they really did.
I wish I could see a Vectrex in person. I have played a few vector arcade games and videos don’t do it justice on how sharp/bright the lines are.
I owned 3 , first one bought when they we're phaseing them out in 84 , the original price was around 450 dollars but reduced to about 120 in 84 , the last one i bought in 2002 for a mere 20 usd before they became searched after
Extremely cool! The Retro category is so nostalgic for me. I'm about the same age as Mike. I remember playing Atari 2600, NES and all thes retro counsels for the first time when they first came out. It was AWESOME at home. Great Video Erin.
Thanks for this super neat Vectrex video Erin!
I had the Vectrex and the light pen! I had no idea there was a virtual reality thingie, I can't imagine the headaches one would get from using it.
When I was 7 years old in back in 89 I "inherited" a Vectrex with a bunch of games from my older brother when he moved out for college. I didn't even know that he had one and I was already into the NES by then (1st and only console my parents bought me). It was so different and cool. I still have and rock that Vec it to this day.
Hey welcome back, glad to see new RUclips content
I would love to get my hands on the light pen one of these days. The games for it look awesome! Thanks for highlighting more about this neat piece of gaming history.
Light pens are really easy to make DIY using just a hollowed out whiteboard marker, photosensor and a few capacitors/resistors. That's what I did for mine to test out the light pen programs. 3D imagers have gotten so expensive it's tough to even think of getting an original these days, over $1K for one typically. Too bad such a limited number of apps were made for either accessory.
@@MattPilz Thanks for the info! It'd be neat to actually try out some of the games with it sometime, makeshift or authentic. It's such a cool novelty!
Watching stuff like this makes me think about how much "innovation" is really just technology catching up to creativity
Understood.
I remember seeing one of these setup with the accessories in a mall electronics store when I was five years old in 1986 and was absolutely fascinated by it since I actually got to mess around with it a bit, especially the games and light pen. Thanks for bringing back some fun memories of a unique little system!
That’s awesome!
It wasn't sold anymore and was discontinued and discounted in 1984 . Maybe it was old stock or the store displayed one still. Great system especially for its time.
@@thisisrob8750 Yeah I remember the store was a local mom and pop electronics store that wasn't a chain, but it eventually turned into a Radio Shack.
It was literally the only time in my life I saw the system, and it stuck with me how unique it was.
I've found your channel from your previous Vectrex video
That's awesome :)
Awesome video Erin, as a proud Vectrex owner I am always on the lookout for Vectrex content so thank you, I'm really digging Vectorblade, Vyrzon, Vector Patrol, Vector Pilot & Star Wars Arcade on the Pitrex with UV overlays, looking forward to picking up a 3D imager one day, again great video #AlmightyVectrex
The Vectrex was a little beast of a machine in the early 80's. Nothing has been quite as unique since! It's form, it's arcade vector graphic style and intriguing accessories, it was like nothing else yet widely ignored :/
I got to see a perfectly working Vectrex live for the first time this past May in RetroBarcelona, best retro event in Spain, and I was mesmerized. I always knew you love the Vectrex, but I understood it when I saw it. Great video!
Very cool! And thanks for watching :)
Awesome video Erin ❤
Thank you!!
Gaming Treasure ❤
Wow that's really cool! I had never heard of this before now
Very cool. I can’t even imagine what all that stuff is worth. I always liked vector graphics
Awesome video as always. Love the Gradius 3 music.
Thanks! 😊
Hi Erin, Its been awhile. Keeps those videos coming. More power to you dear.
My aunt had one of these and I used to play Spike and Molly. It was a crazy console.
Ok I’ve never more wanted to have a Vectrex!!!
Hope vector graphics make a comeback someday, there's nothing like that smooth bright trail-y wooshing animation on stuff like asteroids
Impressive stuff. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Erin rocks
vectrex is awesome, wish I had these accessories. cool video erin
These things are sooo cool, 😊😊barside or at home, make sure you have a drink handy 🍻
Erin, there's two TAITO pocket arcade portable compilations coming out on the 26th Oct. Think you and Mike would be into them.
I had a friend who had ione of these. I always loved how cool and different it looked!
Awesome love you Erin!!!
Mail plane is a recent release. Someone completed the game and put out a physical copy. I bought mine with the reissue light pen. I also have the 3-D imager and a few games. It works as advertised but with just 2 playable games and the very rare homebrews that utilize the imager, it's a hard sell as the imager is easily worth 2k plus
it's so cool! i love vectrex
Nice video, Erin! I finally bought a Vectrex at this year's Too Many Games and I love it but I need to get more games for it. As for these two accessories, I could see myself picking up the light pen someday
Hope you enjoy it!
I was only born in 1989, so I missed the whole 80s in gaming, but I remember playing NES either 1993 or 1994. Then in 1996 I played Doom I & II. I remember playing Heretic in 1997. I got N64 in 1997 and after that PS1 in 1999. In 2000 PS1 was my fav. console with 30+ games. That was my gaming story, never owned Vectrex, IntelliVision, ColecoVision, Amiga, C64...
I used to own a Vectrex years ago and I absolutely loved it. I never had the 3D Imager or the Light Pen though, but I did have most of the games that were officially released. It's such a unique gaming experience, I wish I could afford to buy one again, but they're just too pricey nowadays.
Mail Plane was a somewhat lost prototype for many years. A cart with the complete rom was listed on ebay in 2013. Chris Romero and a few others bought the prototype and had the ROM released so everyone could play it. Later Sean Kelly would go through the labor of having all the parts professionally printed in the style that GCE would have done. Its a testament to the quality of production if you can't tell they're not original era products. Still available from his website as well as faithful reproductions of the Light Pen.
I want a vectrex. Looks really cool.
Hey you ever getting back to Monster Party? A monster that drops hearts will do it again if you can get it to respawn. That's part of how I gathered up those max life level codes, just fyi.
I haven’t messed with it in a while, but I’d be down to try it again :)
Oh man! The 3D games look super fun, and that light pen music game looks like it would genuinely help me learn to read music better. I can read music but it's at a 1st-2nd grade reading level equivalent. I'll read some of it fine and then bump into a section where I have to figure out the notes slowly kind of like a person learning to read would sound out the word (u um, b br, el l ah, umbrella!)
Id be willing to bet the copies of mail plane on eBay are home brews that are being pawned off as genuine. People make games for this awesome console all the time.
Erin is back 😀
Queen of retro gaming is back 👑 🎉
It makes absolutely no sense how cute Erin is.
The 3d roller coaster game would be something i would definitely like to play as i am terrified to go on real roller coasters. I wonder what games would have looked like if vector graphics had took off more and stayed popular.
Super awesome video . Thank you kindly watching from Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks for watching!
We must have an Erin Vectrex goggle emote!! 😎🤣 Great video!
Haha that could be awesome 😆 thanks for watching!
Damn I never knew this thing had all manner of accessories! Slick new glasses btw, I like em.
😆😆😆 i've had the vectrex since 1983, but never tried any of the 3D games or light pen. i wish i can one day. that rollercoaster game sounds brutal.
You can compose music with this thing/???? MIND BLOWNNNNNN -Another amazing video erin! Keep em' comin! 😎🙏
Has Mike drawn with the light pen?
Great video and I believe that’s Gradius 3 snes 🎶🔥 I always enjoy learning things about retro consoles and their accessories 👍👍
Thank you! And yup I used Gradius III music for this :)
That last 3D game looks like they way overdid the separation. Not surprised at all you were seeing double. Maybe if you sat like 6 feet away it would improve. Sad I never got to experience the 3D Imager.
It could be that I was sitting too close since I couldn't have my glasses on, but yeah you could be right. I hope one day you can experience the wonders of the 3D Imager!
Berzerk! on the Vectrex is so awesome. I have downloaded the entire Vectrex library onto my rg405m emulator and play it every now and then.
love my vectrex glad i got my stuff before it got expensive!
Never knew about the light pen before. Seemed pretty far ahead of its time being able to draw on your screen.
I never saw or even heard of it either. It's very impressive because I know the screen isn't touch sensitive so I have no idea how this works
A lot of computers had them as well.
@kaisercreb which ones? I remember needing a separate TouchPadwith a wired stylus for an old IBM if you wanted to draw
Awesome video game review!
awesome vectrex video erin!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!!
I like that Narrowscape.
I remember having the 3D glasses for the SEGA Master System, and I'd always thought that was the first 3D accessory, but with most anything, if you think it's the oldest, there's usually something older and more obscure out there. Not that I can see in three dimensions, anyway, but it's still neat to see that kind of technology going that far back. Is that anaglyph? Seems like it might be with the different colors.
I’ve never tried the Master System glasses but I’d like to! And I’m not totally sure if it’s anaglyph but it seems like it could be? I’ll admit I had to google that word after reading this comment, ha.
@@ErinPlays Oh, sorry about that; old tech nerd forgets herself sometimes. The neat thing about the Master System glasses is that they don't do the anaglyph thing; instead of having two different colors through two different lenses, they have alternating shutters that open and close so rapidly that your eyes don't realize it's happening, and the images blur together, kind of like how the SNES does transparencies by alternating water/ghosts/whatever showing up only every other frame.
Vector games are the most badass and cool looking games in my opinion. Star Wars the Arcade Game Rocks.
Vectrex was ahead of it's time
I wish someone would do a cross-eyed 3D video of these games so that I could more or less see the effect.
The 3d intrest me, one can only imagine.
does that do burn ins, as burn ins are like bits or dots, in a dvd drive, omg nvidia 3d glasses, same system, tho its operating with infrared switching beacon. then see single :)
This passed me by but I remember some one talking about it. The animation seems similar to Aegis Animator on the Amita and Atar St.
Cool accessories. 😅 The 3D CrazyCoaster was just like it reminds me of Temple of Doom and Rail Shooter arcade games.
I can't forget about the ones from Nintendo like the zapper and i already know that the SNES had a mouse. 😲
I liked the video also i just got a vectrex just a couple days ago its kind of fun to play the only games that come with it was pinball and is there any chance you can do yoshi safari video on the SNES
A Yoshi’s safari video could be fun. Maybe!
Very nice 😎
i'm sure it's cheesy looking by today's standards but honestly if i saw drawing on a vetrex when it was new and i was a little kid....... i'd of been absolutely blown TF away and used it for hours xD
I saw a Japanese version of the Vectrex and was surprised, the owner wanted $1200 for it. A Vetrex mini in the future would be sweet 😊😊😊
Great video! thanks!
3D Minestorm kind of reminds me of Asteroids and Time Pilot.
I wanted a Vectrex as a teen but never had enough money. I still want one but not so sure about the cost now as well.
Rollercoaster game where it’s game over when all the passengers die😂😂😂
We used our first VR after smoking incredibly potent oils. 👀
Might want to add a flashing lights warning somewhere. Flashing doesn't even affect me and I felt myself feeling off with how much the screen was flickering at points... lack of sleep is probably playing into that a bit.
I love vector graphics
😮 very cool
Crazy how this didn’t do well. It seemed like really cool technology for it’s time.
I'm becoming a fan of the Vectrex. We want a re-edition. Let's gather sings for this.
Vectrex 4 life
You and Mike should do a Vectrex drawing stream
Hey I was able to successfully broadcast a Virtual Boy and a Sega Master System in both Side By Side and Red and Cyan 3D.
If I ever see a Vectrex, I'd pick 2 up. One fir me, and pne for a friends whose cousin sold it while young.
2 questions about the Vectrex.
1. What kind of plug do the controllers, light pen and 3d glasses have. If it's a standard DB9, I'd get a Y adapter, and get a second set of glasses, one the has arms broken to get fir cheaper, and stick a Minoru 3D webcam in front of it if 15 frames a second, or 2 SQ11s if 30 FPS and film through the filter.
2. Does anyone build a "Rightie Adapter" for the Vectrex? Nowadays it is considered normal, but back then, it was considered backwards.
Super bummed upon learning there was gonna be a 3D Pole Position. But I probably wouldn’t of found an imager to play it anyway.
im here because of my unhealthy obsession with Erin