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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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DIP Switches and (maybe) DLC in the pipe for Atari 50 Collection

Digital Eclipse's excellent history of Atari 50 The Anniversary Celebration (review) isn't just a slab of great gaming nostalgia. It could become a growing archive of joy as the developers have announced a first update that adds DIP switch settings to many of the games. These can help change the difficulty or add new features, expanding the life of the collection. 

Atari 50 collection

One of the confirmed settings is a 60fps mode for the Atari Jaguar's Tempest 2000, one of my favourite games ever and a fine example of making great games that little bit better. At the risk of this blog becoming an Atari/Jeff Minter tribute page, do check out his upcoming Akka Arrh Switch release that again perfectly mixes the classic and modern.

Atari 50 collection

There's also mention of possible DLC, which the developers at Digital Eclipse stress depends on sales success of the main collection (available on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox) - so, go buy it! Regardless, it is fun to imagine which titles (and perhaps videos and other content into the fold) could be on the way. 

I would love to play the Lynx's Steel Talons and Desert Strike versions again, RoadBlasters is a must while sorting out the Aliens vs Predator Jaguar license would mean access to a big chunk of great gaming history. It goes without saying the Activision games (notably, River Raid, Pitfall and Ghostbusters) are a big black hole in this collection.

Whatever happens, Atari50 is the template others should use when ravaging their archives for nostalgic arcade and console gameplay. 

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