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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 ...
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Review: Mind Maze

 Among the last of the Vita games, Mind Maze is the one I left to the end to play. But the first I'll review as its a relatively simple yet challenging delight. The monochrome grid starts off looking oppressive and my first few moves ended in rapid defeats as the AI constructs individual blocks in the cells rapidly to create an unbeatable score as they fill with its coloured squares and hints of neon.

A few games in and I figure out what to do, leave the cells as open as possible, and create little traps that the AI will fill for minimal points. Then I can take advantage of its final move to fill in more cells of my own to outscore the AI and win, progressing on to the next level.  


Having mastered the basics, winning on a roll comes to an abrupt end as the levels get more complex and there are fewer open spaces to make consequence free moves. So, I'm planning and desperately looking for a clever way to progress - and not make that one move that lets the AI rampage to victory.


If you get stuck against, or bored of playing with the AI, single-screen multiplayer gives Mind Maze more of a personal challenge, as long as other players get the rules too.  


The AI could be smarter, the visuals make more use of colour across the levels, and a bit more oomph or flexibility to the soundtrack would be welcome, but as a neat puzzler, there's some modest challenge to be had. 

More reviews

Developer: Sometimes You

Price £2.99 (PSN)

Score 6/10

Progress: Mostly logical, Captain

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