Kasul and I were at one of the local game stores, The Grid, and we looked at the Vectrex games in the glass counter display. “You have these,” Kasul asked, “right?”
“I… think so?”
I checked the PriceCharting app and didn’t see them. I know I’ve played them both before, but I have the (entirely legal) Vectrex Multicart that has every game on it. But if I’d bought it somewhere, it should have been on the PriceCharting app.
Kasul brought up my blog on his phone and found a post I’d made where I’d listed all the games I had for it, and they weren’t on the list.
See, if anyone wants to ask why I keep a blog, it’s for moments like this. I can look up my blog and see if I had or played a game. Earlier today, I did that when I was trying to remember if I’d played Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis on the Gameboy Advance. I felt certain I did, but I wasn’t sure if I was confusing it with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. But there it was — two years ago, I played it with the cartridge plugged into my Analogue Pocket.
The guy at the counter wanted $40 for Hyperchase, which didn’t have the iconic colored overlay, and $45 for Ripoff, which did have all the parts, but both boxes had seen some things. Seen better days. Were stored by a damp water heater for a decade or two. They weren’t in great shape.
Well, the guy mentioned those games had been sitting in that case for a couple of years already. Those were the magic words I’d been listening for.
“How about $70 for them both?” I asked.
He thought a moment. “Sold.”
So I got them for a slight discount on the eBay price, which powers PriceCharting. I had a spare Vectrex box protector. I sealed Ripoff right up. I don’t have to ever take the game out of the box — I, again, have it as part of the Vectrex Multicart. I just need to make sure I take better care of it than whoever found it in their grandma’s attic. I’ll have to get more of the box protectors for the next time I find a good deal. I am buying these games for my kid’s inheritance. They just don’t know what hidden treasures await them. I sure hope they just don’t pitch them all into the trash…
Hyperchase is a racing game very similar to the (popular in the arcades at the time) racing game Pole Position. Unfortunately for Hyperchase, an officially licensed Pole Position port would arrive the very next year, and remains the more sought after of the Vectrex racing games.
Rip Off is a base defense game. You play a spaceship that is guarding fuel cells. Enemy spaceships will dart in to steal them; you need to shoot them. It plays similar to Asteroids or the Asteroids-inspired Vectrex clone (and built-in game) Mine Storm.
Although neither game has been announced for the Vectrex Mini, the developers have said their 12-14 launch titles will likely be drawn entirely from GCE originals, which include these two games among their number.
For me, I am so, so very careful with my Vectrex that I rarely actually bring it up from the vault downstairs to play it. But when I do, I’ll try to get some video. If you’re impatient, both games can be found in action on YouTube.
