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Vectrex Mini interview - David Oghia talks up the nostalgic vector powerhouse

Having been wowed by the news of the Vectrex Mini at Gamescom , I rushed off some questions to VectrexOn's main man  David Oghia . After a post-event, well earned, break, he's kindly given us a lot of detail about the project and some new images of the unit to share.  His story mirrors mine somewhat, Vectrex represents a glowing, unaffordable, obelisk of gaming power from our youth! But he's had the energy and drive to do something about it, and met the right people to get the job done!  What first got you interested in Vectrex and what spawned the idea of a Mini version? I’ve always been passionate about retro-gaming, but my first love was computers rather than consoles — the ZX81, then the Commodore 128. I only really discovered the console world in the late 90s, which is when I got my very first Vectrex. Of course, I had seen it in stores back in 1983, but at that time it was far too expensive for me.  Today, I own five Vectrex systems at home. Vector-based games ...

Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey lands in March

The Vita fun continues to stretch into 2017, despite more games being pulled or ignored. Next up for an official date is the vibrant Atelier Firis, coming our way on 10 March 2017. That follows on from January's Atelier Shallie. Despite the lack of imagery, beyond this tweet, the press release sets the scene pretty nicely...


UPDATE: inevitably a new trailer followed that:

A vast world awaits in Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey, with views ranging from busy harbors to murmuring rivers, to imposing mountains, and more. Along Firis’s heartwarming adventure, she will visit a wide variety of picturesque towns and villages such as Reisenberg, the prosperous city where travelers gather, Mechen, a tranquil village with fields as far as the eye can see, and Flocke, the village of dancing snow.

Between settlements there are a plethora of different environments to discover, each with their own particular weather conditions that affect travel. Selecting the appropriate attire for each situation will grant Firis benefits and allow her to easily traverse these terrains. The Snow Bright costume reduces the consumption of Life Points in icy cold conditions, while the Zealous Explorer gear aids travel through blistering heat. Outfits can have countless other effects such as accelerating movement speed, enhancing synthesis abilities or increasing the likelihood of finding high quality materials!

While exploring their surroundings, players will encounter events which they must overcome to access new locations. These challenges will have multiple solutions that can permanently alter the environment. Take a broken bridge, for example – fixing the bridge will allow for easy access to the other side, but taking an alternate route could lead to the discovery of useful synthesis materials. Some of these Landmarks will be quite useful for Firis’s travels and she will need to return to them often! Once visited, Landmarks can be used as Fast Travel locations, allowing Firis to easily travel back and forth across the world.

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Currently playing on my Vita/PS3/PS4/PS5


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