Vectrex | "DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!"

The nice thing about owning old stuff is finding it still works when new stuff no longer does. Case in point, my Vectrex console. I’ve had three of them over time and own one now, but not because I had to replace them at all. The first one I gave to some guy who was going through some hard times and needed something to do while recuperating from an operation. The second I sold off to someone who wanted it and paid me well for it and a bunch of boxed games. The third one (pictured) I bought about 14 years back and it gets some use every now and then, but not as much as I have time for. It’s heavy and built like a tank, unlike most of today’s consoles that break down from all sorts of stupid internal and external issues… Continue reading →

This nostalgia trip I’ve been on lately has had me going through my old systems and handhelds to find that some are working (which is fantastic) and some aren’t (which isn’t). A few years of non-usage (or just plain normal aging) can really make a difference, as I’ve discovered thanks to now non-functioning Game Gear and Turbo Express units (both need capacitors replaced so the screens can show images and I have NO idea how to go about doing this), and a Lynx that’s funkier than it was last year when it comes to keeping a decent image on screen. HOWEVER (and hoo-ray!), my Vectrex works and works excellently. I just need some more games for it, having sold off what I had around five or so years back. I do wish time travel were a reality, as I’d live to zip back to when Macy’s and Gimbels were closing out their video games in the post-crash period and had stacks of Vectrex units and games going for a song (along with tons of Atari stuff). Ah, well… I’m out of space here anyway in terms of adding more boxes unless I get an Extreme Gaming Makeover at some point – my kingdom for a Vectrex multi-cart!