A more complete list of X-Y (also called
vector) video game machines, from the
Golden Age of Coin-Op Arcade Games:
- SpaceWar the original! By Cinematronics, this game was a two-player stand-up, and is notable for having no microprocessors in it. It was implemented entirely in TTL.
- Tailgunner by Cinematronics. Possibly the first sit-down coin-op game.
- Battlezone by Atari. Classic! Described in its own node.
- Red Baron by Atari. A single-joystick biplane game that used most of the parts of Battlezone; in fact, they were board-level compatible.
- Star Castle by Cinematronics. Released in 1980. Described by kamamer in its own node.
- Armor Attack by Cinematronics. A look-down jeeps/tanks/helicopters game.
- Asteroids by Atari. Probably the second-best video game ever.
- Lunar Lander by Atari. A conversion kit for Asteroids machines that weren't making any more money. Had an awesome thruster control handle, and you could turn the bassy sound up so high the game would 'walk' across the floor when thrusters were on full.
- Asteroids Deluxe by Atari. Not nearly as cool as the original. Not to be confused with Blasteroids, a raster game that came later.
- Tempest by Atari. The coolest video game in all of human history. Incredibly addicting. Used, rather than suffered from, the vector system's limitations on graphics by being composed entirely of abstract icons, rather than 'characters' or 'ships.' The first vector game to use multiple colors, maybe; this or Space Duel.
- Space Duel by Atari. A two-player competitive/combative Asteroids-family machine. Featured on the front of the album Face Dancers by The Who.
- Black Widow by Atari. A conversion kit for Tempest machines.
- Major Havoc by Atari. Also Tempest conversion.
- Star Wars by Atari. Maybe the third-coolest game ever. A 'flight sim' type game that was made incredibly fast by being vector rather than raster. Available in stand-up or the popular sit-down (cockpit) version.
- The Empire Strikes Back by Atari. A follow-on to Star Wars, naturally; similar technology, different gameplay.
There are others, I'm sure, that I've missed. /msg me or add 'em on! I own several of these machines, and cranky though they are, they just rule to have in your house...wandering to the bathroom at night, dark sinister voices will taunt you from the kitchen, daring you to slot a quarter and eat hot death.
A final note on X-Y monitors; the main manufacturers of the monitors used in these games were Electrohome and Wells-Gardner. Due to the high, fluctuating voltages required to make the electron beams in these monitors perform their required gyrations, the monitors have a tendency to blow out flyback transformers and the large capacitors used in the vector unit. Happily for all of us who own them, a gent named Anthony Zanen, of Zanen Electronics, makes a series of get-well kits for these monitors (customized to each monitor model) which contain modern, higher-rated parts to replace the 'problem' parts used originally to save money or that were lower-tech. Reports indicate that monitors so upgraded become nearly problem-free.