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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 ...

PSP's Jeanne D'arc resurrected on PlayStation+

 Level 5's PSP classic tactical RPG combat game, Jeanne D'arc, is one of the many high-quality curios lost to time. It got a US 2007 release after the original Japanese launch, and only a spotty US PSN release for Vita owners since. 

Update: Capture from the PS5 version in action below...

Jeanne D'arc PS5


Finally, and as Sony continues to see the value in legacy titles apart of a broader PS+ play, she's back for PlayStation Plus premium subscribers. Arriving on July 16th, along with  Ratchet and Clank Size Matters and hot on the heels of Daxter from last month

With the addition of hot saving, filters and upscaled visuals for the big screen, the tale of the French heroine is loosely based on Miss of Arc (not Noah's wife) and her magic armlet. She and her army are fighting the forces of darkness, the English naturally, supported by a host of demons. 


Jeanne D'Arc sees the light

Moving between cities, topping up on equipment and potions, the aim is to dominate the map of France, with characters levelling up after battles. They fight using the power of the sun, moon and stars as modifiers for an advantage, with turn-based strategy a key part of the action. 

With anime cut scenes, gorgeous environmental visuals, slightly wonky cel-shaded characters and great scope for a portable game, Jeanne D'arc often rates in the top 25 of PSP titles, and is a regular on lists that people have never played. The few US PSP UMDs go for a high price, so this is a bargain for PS+ subs.


With more games from the PSP's history getting a fresh lease of life, what's next from the PSP archives after the likes of Gravity Crash and Killzone Liberation. And will they look better on the smaller PlayStation Portal screen? 

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Currently playing on my Vita/PS3/PS4/PS5


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