Page 6 - OSG Presents Video Game Trader Magazine #14

It‘s pretty obvious that the Vectrex is different. It‘s the moving platform levels connected by a moveable lad-
only games console that‘s ever used vector scan graph- der. Spike has to maneuver up the platform in order to
ics. While competing consoles used raster drawn pixels fetch a key that will allow him to unlock the cage which
for the imaging, vector scanned graphics are sharp contains Molly. This task is made more and more diffi-
lines drawn dot to dot, making Vectrex games very cult as there are two types of enemies that are sent
distinctive. Unfortunately the Vectrex has a limitation on down the platform levels by Spud to knock Spike off the
how many lines (vectors) can be displayed at the same platform. One type is called a bouncer and looks like a
time before the whole screen starts flickering. Therefore box with a spring attached to it which quite literally
Vectrex programmers strive to portray games with bounces around. The other type of enemy is a bird that
images comprising of simple line drawings in order to flies about the screen. Both enemy types are intent on
reduce flicker. The lack of detail for any given Vectrex knocking Spike off the platform but they can be dodged
drawn image maybe one of the main reasons why it or fought off with a sharp kick from Spike.
never spawned a recognizable and commercially suc-
cessful games icon such as Namco‘s Pac- Man, Nin- In addition to the isometric 3D perspective, this game
tendo‘s Mario and Sega‘s Sonic the Hedgehog. All had one other interesting novelty: it was the first con-
three have been through the merchandising bandwagon sole game to use sampled sound without the addition of
with numerous spin-off games, books and even cuddly any special hardware. Jay Smith had a pocket-sized
toys. Despite the limitations, there is one memorable electronic speech sampling device which had a chorus
character that was able to stand out from the vector of voices recorded on it saying ―Back to work!‖ He
crowd and who has become dear to Vectrex fans‘ would carry it around and play the message back to his
hearts: a little smiley-faced 5-point-star-shaped creature staff when he thought they weren‘t working. This pocket
known as Spike. device was the inspiration for putting a digitized voice in
―Spike‖. The sampling and playback rate of the prere-
Spike debuted in a game of the same name in 1983. corded sound is low by today‘s standards, but the digi-
Tom Sloper, the game designer for ―Spike‖, had said tized yells by Molly such as "Eek! Help, Spike!" and
that he was a big fan of the arcade game ―Donkey Spike‘s immortal cry of ―Darn it!‖ (heard after he falls off Spike’s Water Balloons
Kong‖ (where Mario first appeared) and as such, there a platform) are nevertheless quite distinctive and
is a similar game philosophy between the two games. memorable. operating in digital mode, a later release of ―Spike‘s
Both are platform games where the lead characters Water Balloons‖ worked with the joystick controller
have to negotiate up a series of platforms whilst avoid- Many Vectrex fans wonder what sort of being Spike operating in analogue mode as well which allowed for
ing obstacles and jumping over gaps. The goal for both actually is. Some believe him to be an 80‘s punk as it much faster play. John went on to include Spike as the
games is to reach the top platform to rescue a kid- appears he has a spiky haircut, which would have been star in another game called ―Spike Hoppin‖, which was
napped girl. But there the similarities between the a popular choice for the punk movement at that time. In based on the classic 80‘s game ―Q*Bert‖. Spike has to
games end. Jay Smith, ―father‖ of the Vectrex, had reality, Spike became the form he is simply because be hopped around a pyramid of stepping stones while
asked Tom to come up with a game that looked 3D (a Tom Sloper wanted to avoid image flicker and use as avoiding the Evil Spud and other enemies. If Spike
request that came before the Vectrex 3D imager, which few vector lines as possible to represent his lead char- wasn‘t the star in one of John‘s later games he would
launched in 1984). Tom achieved Jay‘s requirements by acter. This meant that a circle couldn‘t be drawn to still crop up in them. In ―Vectopia‖ which is a collection
coming up with a game design where effectively it was represent the head because it would have required of games, Spike would appear on a special menu op-
a 2D platform type game but it was presented with an multiple vectors. In the end a star shape with legs at- tion.
isometric 3D type perspective. tached was settled upon. The name ―Spike‖ came from
a suggestion by Colin Vowles, one of Tom‘s work col- From 2001 onwards, other home brewers were releas-
The game begins with Molly (Spike‘s love) being leagues at the time. Colin, whose father in-law was ing games with Spike. Mark De Smit released a double
dragged away through a doorway by the villain Evil called ―Spike‖, thought that the ―Spike‖ name was very game cartridge titled ―VecCaves/Spike‘s Spree‖. The
Spud. In the game itself there are three horizontally apt for the spiky shaped video game character.
―Spike‘s Spree‖ game has a lot of similarities with the
―Spike‖ was one of the last five games released by Atari 2600 game ―Fast Food‖ but has near identical
Milton Bradley (MB) / GCE for the Vectrex. The fact that graphics to those in the original Spike game. Like ―Fast
the video game market crashed, sending the Vectrex to Food‖, objects shoot from the left side of the screen and
an early commercial grave in 1984, quashed all possi- Spike has to be moved around to catch them while
bilities of Spike the character ever appearing in a com- avoiding objects such as birds and Spuds. In contrast
mercial video game again. However, this is not the end to the 2600 title, other objects like Molly and keys have
of the story. Vectrex home brewers have taken over to be caught in the correct order. The game is con-
Spike trolled with the joystick in analogue mode and requires
where MB / GCE left off and have adopted Spike. As a
result he has continued to appear in new games 100% of one‘s attention span in order to play. Interest-
throughout the last 26 years and has become the unoffi- ingly, author Mark has stated that there is a small
cial Vectrex game mascot. Easter egg in ―Spike‘s Spree‖, but much to his surprise
no one has yet found it.
Some 12 years after the last commercial Vectrex
games release, John Dondzila was the first home Home brewer Manu Pärssinen gave Spike a couple of
brewer to bring out a number of new games for the arms and placed him as an opponent to fight in the
Vectrex. One of these games, released in 1996, was boxing ring in his 2002 game ―Vec Sport Boxing‖. The
called ―Spike‘s Water Balloons‖ and featured the return following year Alex Herbert included a bonus mini game
not only of Spike but also Molly and the Evil Spud. The starring Spike in the limited edition cartridge version of
game has similar play to the 80‘s arcade game called the famous Vectrex ―Defender‖ clone, ―Protector‖, which
―Kick‖ or ―Kick Man‖, but instead of a clown on a unicy- was unlocked by beating the default high score and
cle catching falling balloons it is Spike who must be became a choice on the Options screen. In the mini
maneuvered to pop falling water balloons dropped by game, called ―Spike Goes Down‖, Spike must move
Spud. Originally controlled with the joystick controller from side to side on elevated platforms to collect items

6 • Video Game Trader Magazine • Issue #14 • Winter 2009/2010 • www.VideoGameTrader.com