Play Expo Blackpool 2025 once again brought together retro gaming enthusiasts from all around. Between arcade machines, rare consoles and passionate fans, the event was pure joy for lovers of classic games. And of course, we had the pleasure of showcasing the Vectrex Mini in the UK for the very first time.
Our booth: a little corner of Vectrex in the middle of the show
For this edition, we travelled all the way to Blackpool with two Vectrex Mini prototypes and one original Vectrex. Everything flew with us, carefully packed and protected. The trip went smoothly and, miraculously, everything arrived in perfect condition. We had also prepared flyers and large roll-up banners to decorate the booth.
Fun fact: the airline lost the luggage that contained those roll-ups. We had to reprint everything locally at the last minute. Luckily, they didn’t lose the suitcase with the Vectrex consoles!
Great encounters with creators from the Vectrex community
During the show, we had the chance to meet several key figures from the Vectrex community, such as Chris Binarystar, Vector Republic (creators of many homebrews), Blacklighter, or James G. Watt…
Link to Chris Binarystar’s games: www.binarystarsoftware.com
Link to Vector Republic’s games: www.vectorrepublic.co.uk
Link to Blacklighter’s overlays: www.blacklighter.co.uk
Link to James G. Watt’s UV Lightning system: www.clockworkrobot.com/shop/
We worked particularly with Blacklighter and Jim, as they are the minds behind the famous UV overlays for the Vectrex. For the occasion, Laurence (aka Blacklighter) created a special overlay designed for the Vectrex Mini, accompanied by a UV LED frame made by Jim. A true exclusive that we proudly presented at our booth, to the delight of visitors. Laurence even lent us his own original Vectrex, equipped with several UV overlays, to enrich our display. Their passion and talent shine through in every one of their creations. These overlays offer a stunning visual effect, giving the console a whole new life. We hope to include them in the upcoming Kickstarter, and things are looking quite promising.
The art of UV overlays
To give you a better idea, UV overlays are transparent, backlit filters that completely transform the gaming experience… Back in the day, each game came with a thin colored sheet placed on the screen to add visual cues or decorations. Laurence revived this idea with modern UV printing. Thanks to special inks that react to ultraviolet light, the designs glow when exposed to James’s light frame. The result is striking, as the game’s vectors seem to float in the air, accompanied by a light effect that looks very cool.
This visual magic didn’t happen by chance. Laurence experimented with many techniques, testing various materials, reflective layers, and printing processes. James’s UV LED frame completes the experience, as it distributes the light evenly and makes it possible to use the overlays even in a bright room. No need to play in the dark anymore, the glowing effect remains impressive under any lighting conditions.
For those who wish to purchase these overlays, everything can be found on Blacklighter’s website: www.blacklighter.co.uk
For the UV Lightning system, it’s on James G. Watt’s website: www.clockworkrobot.com/shop/
An unforgettable weekend
Play Expo Blackpool 2025 will remain a memorable experience for us. Between the passionate discussions, the Vectrex Mini demos, and the inspiring encounters, it was a weekend full of energy. Seeing visitors rediscover vector graphics with smiles on their faces made all the effort worthwhile. The Vectrex Mini has many more adventures ahead, and this weekend in Blackpool was proof of that. We’ll see you again on October 18–19, this time in the USA at the Retro Gaming Expo in Portland, Oregon!
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